LGA to DEN: which side of the plane should you sit on?
New York (LGA) to Denver (DEN) is a 2,600 km (1,616 mi), roughly 3h 34m westbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime LGA to DEN 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 | Left |
| June solstice | Both | Left | Right |
| September equinox | Left | Left | Left |
| December solstice | Left | Left | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
The right side gives you the better views, and it is also the shaded side.
Sit on the right for this westbound flight. The view side and the shade side are the same, so one side wins on both counts.
Takeoff
On departure, depending on the runway in use, the right side gets Long Island and the East River early in the climb. The left side is where you catch the bridges and New York City, and the Brooklyn Bridge can sit almost under you for a moment.
En route
- 37m inRight →Niagara Falls
About 40 minutes in, Niagara Falls is off the right. You see the falls from a distance, not a close-up drop.
- 50m inRight →Lake Erie
A few minutes later, Lake Erie stays on the right as a wide, flat blue shape.
- 54m inRight →Cleveland
Soon after that, Cleveland is also on the right. It reads as a dense city patch rather than a single landmark.
- 1h 04m inRight →Detroit
Around an hour in, Detroit is on the right, with Windsor beside it in the same view window.
- 1h 35m inRight →Chicago
About 95 minutes in, Chicago appears on the right. From up here it is a broad urban block, not a skyline tour.
- 2h 32m inRight →Omaha
Later, Omaha stays on the right as the flight pushes west.
Landing
On arrival, depending on the runway in use, Denver and Aurora are on the left side. That is the side to watch on descent.
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 LGA to DEN?
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 LGA to DEN flights?
For sunrise or sunset views, sit on the side the table marks as the sun side for your departure time — that is where the light is.
How long is the flight from LGA to DEN?
The great-circle distance is 2,600 km (1,616 mi), which works out to roughly 3h 34m 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 LGA to DEN?
Sit on the right. It has the stronger views, and it is also the shaded side.
What will I see on the way from New York to Denver?
You get Long Island and the East River soon after takeoff, then right-side views of Niagara Falls, Lake Erie, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, and Omaha.