JFK to LAX: which side of the plane should you sit on?
New York (JFK) to Los Angeles (LAX) is a 3,974 km (2,469 mi), roughly 5h 11m westbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime JFK to LAX departures the sun favors the left side — sit on the right (a window on the right) for shade.
Sun side by season and departure time
| Season | Morning (8 am) | Midday (1 pm) | Evening (6 pm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | Left | Left | Both |
| June solstice | Left | Left | Right |
| September equinox | Left | Left | Both |
| December solstice | Left | Left | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
The right side wins on both views and shade.
Sit on the right for this one. You get the better views and the shade side, so the same seat wins twice.
Takeoff
After departure from JFK, depending on the runway in use, the right side gets the first good look: Long Island, then the East River and the George Washington Bridge. The Brooklyn Bridge comes almost under you, so it flashes by fast.
En route
- 41m in← LeftPittsburgh
About 40 minutes in, Pittsburgh sits off the left. It is more a city shape than a close-up, so it reads as a broad urban patch.
- 47m inRight →Lake Erie
A few minutes later, Lake Erie is on the right. From altitude it looks like a wide, flat blue sheet with a clean edge.
- 4h 22m inRight →Grand Canyon · passes underneath
Around 4 hours 20 minutes in, the Grand Canyon is on the right and nearly under you. It is a steep cut in the land, so it passes quickly but clearly.
- 4h 42m inRight →Las Vegas
Not long after that, Las Vegas is on the right. You see the city spread as a bright grid against the dry ground.
Landing
On descent into LAX, depending on the runway in use, the left side picks up San Bernardino, Riverside, Anaheim, Irvine, and Long Beach. The right side gets the San Fernando Valley near the end, with Oxnard farther out on the right.
Sides and timings are computed from this route’s geometry. What you actually see depends on weather, air-traffic routing, and the runway in use on the day.
Frequently asked
Which side of the plane avoids the sun from JFK to LAX?
Across typical daytime departures, the sun predominantly hits the left side of the aircraft, so the right side stays shadier. Seat letters start at the left window, so choose the highest window letter (F on narrowbodies, K on many widebodies).
Which side has the sunset views on JFK to LAX flights?
For sunset views, flip the advice: on evening departures the sun sits on the right side of this route, so that is the side with the show.
How long is the flight from JFK to LAX?
The great-circle distance is 3,974 km (2,469 mi), which works out to roughly 5h 11m in the air on this westbound routing. Winds and routing move the real block time around that estimate.
Does the date or departure time change the answer?
Yes — that is why the table shows both. The sun's path shifts with the season, and a morning departure can put the glare on the opposite side compared to an evening one. For a specific flight, the calculator samples the sun along the whole route for your exact date and time.
Which side of the plane should I sit on from JFK to LAX?
Sit on the right. It is the view side and the shade side on this route.
What will I see on the JFK to LAX flight?
The right side gets Long Island and New York bridges after takeoff, then Lake Erie, the Grand Canyon, and Las Vegas farther west.