Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Atlanta?
Flying from San Francisco to Atlanta? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Black Canyon Range (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of San Francisco toward the east, the right window looks out over the Coyote Hills and the Burnt Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the coastline and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
- rightView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Burnt Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of the the sea coastline
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
Flight path features
11:17 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Black Canyon Range, the Oat Hills and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mesa Verde National Park on the right.
- leftView of Black Canyon Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Oat Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Mesa Verde National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Cow Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
4:33 PMDescending into Atlanta from the west, the left window looks out over the Barren Hills, the Hightower Falls and the Grace's High Falls (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Baltzell Mountains on the right.
- rightView of Baltzell Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Barren Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Hightower Falls (waterfall)
- leftView of Grace's High Falls (waterfall)
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 San Francisco to Atlanta?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Black Canyon Range (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Black Canyon Range, the Oat Hills and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mesa Verde National Park on the right.
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 and the Burnt Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the coastline and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
What about on the descent into Atlanta?
Descending into Atlanta from the west, the left window looks out over the Barren Hills, the Hightower Falls and the Grace's High Falls (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Baltzell Mountains on the right.