Which side of the plane to sit on: San Francisco to Los Angeles?
Flying from San Francisco to Los Angeles? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of San Francisco toward the southeast over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
- rightView of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Coyote Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of the Pacific coastline
- leftView of Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay (the red bridge and the bay)
Flight path features
9:29 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Gabilan Range, the Gillis Canyon and the Divide Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Buena Vista Hills on the left.
- rightView of Gabilan Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Buena Vista Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Gillis Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Divide Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
9:56 AMDescending into Los Angeles from the northwest over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Topatopa Mountains, the coastline and the Santa Cruz Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Emigdio Mountains on the left.
- rightView of Topatopa Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of San Emigdio Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of the Pacific coastline
- rightView of Santa Cruz Island (island)
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 Los Angeles?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Santa Cruz Mountains (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Gabilan Range, the Gillis Canyon and the Divide Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Buena Vista Hills on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from San Francisco?
Climbing out of San Francisco toward the southeast over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Santa Cruz Mountains and the coastline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Coyote Hills and Golden Gate & San Francisco Bay on the left.
What about on the descent into Los Angeles?
Descending into Los Angeles from the northwest over the Pacific, the right window looks out over the Topatopa Mountains, the coastline and the Santa Cruz Island (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Emigdio Mountains on the left.