Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Houston?
Flying from San Francisco to Houston? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of San Francisco toward the east, the right window looks out over the Coyote Hills, the Burnt Hills and the Arkiansas Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
- rightView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Burnt Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
- rightView of Arkiansas Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:48 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Blackington Hills and the Johnnie Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Grand Canyon and the Addle Canyon on the left.
- rightView of Blackington Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Johnnie Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Grand Canyon (mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado)
- leftView of Addle Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
2:32 PMDescending into Houston from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Iron Mountains, the Galveston Bay and Houston (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills on the left.
- leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Iron Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Galveston Bay (bay and coastline)
- rightView of Houston (city skyline and lights)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from San Francisco to Houston?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Coyote Hills (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Blackington Hills and the Johnnie Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Grand Canyon and the Addle Canyon on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from San Francisco?
Climbing out of San Francisco toward the east, the right window looks out over the Coyote Hills, the Burnt Hills and the Arkiansas Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
What about on the descent into Houston?
Descending into Houston from the northwest, the right window looks out over the Iron Mountains, the Galveston Bay and Houston (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indian Hills on the left.