Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Houston?
Flying from Seattle to Houston? 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
9:05 AMClimbing out of Seattle toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Issaquah Alps, the Whidby Island and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sourdough Mountains on the right.
- leftView of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
- rightView of Sourdough Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- leftView of Yaxon Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
11:02 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Uinta Mountains, the Bear Canyon and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Powelldale Mountains on the left.
- rightView of Uinta Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Powelldale Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Bear Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Cow Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
3:02 PMDescending into Houston from the northwest, the left window looks out over the Elkins Mountains and the Barrow Slough (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Iron Mountains and Houston on the right.
- rightView of Iron Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Elkins Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Barrow Slough (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).
- 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 Seattle to Houston?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Uinta Mountains, the Bear Canyon and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Powelldale Mountains on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the southeast, the left window looks out over the Issaquah Alps, the Whidby Island and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sourdough Mountains on the right.
What about on the descent into Houston?
Descending into Houston from the northwest, the left window looks out over the Elkins Mountains and the Barrow Slough (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Iron Mountains and Houston on the right.