Which side of the plane to sit on: Denver to Los Angeles?
Flying from Denver to Los Angeles? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.
The best window changes along the way.
Confidence: lowTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Denver toward the southwest, the right window looks out over the Front Range, the Clear Creek Canyon and the Devils Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kenosha Mountains on the left.
- leftView of Kenosha Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Front Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Clear Creek Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Devils Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:01 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Sawmill Mountains and the Grand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Eldorado Mountains and the Mojave Desert on the right.
- rightView of Eldorado Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Sawmill Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Grand Canyon (mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado)
- rightView of Mojave Desert (desert expanse)
Landing views
9:58 AMDescending into Los Angeles from the northeast, the left window looks out over the San Gabriel Mountains, the Deadman Hills and the Cajon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Laurel Canyon on the right.
- leftView of San Gabriel Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Deadman Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Cajon Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
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).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Denver to Los Angeles?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Sawmill Mountains and the Grand Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Eldorado Mountains and the Mojave Desert on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Denver?
Climbing out of Denver toward the southwest, the right window looks out over the Front Range, the Clear Creek Canyon and the Devils Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Kenosha Mountains on the left.
What about on the descent into Los Angeles?
Descending into Los Angeles from the northeast, the left window looks out over the San Gabriel Mountains, the Deadman Hills and the Cajon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Laurel Canyon on the right.