SEA to SFO: which side of the plane should you sit on?
Seattle (SEA) to San Francisco (SFO) is a 1,093 km (679 mi), roughly 1h 47m southbound flight. Here is where the sun sits along that path, computed with the same astronomy as our live calculator.
On most daytime SEA to SFO departures the sun favors the right side — sit on the left (an A seat) for shade.
Sun side by season and departure time
| Season | Morning (8 am) | Midday (1 pm) | Evening (6 pm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox | Left | Right | Right |
| June solstice | Left | Right | Right |
| September equinox | Left | Right | Right |
| December solstice | Left | Right | Night |
What you’ll see on this flight
The left side wins here for both views and shade.
Sit on the left. It gets the better views and the shade, so you win on both counts.
Takeoff
Pick the left side for departure, depending on the runway in use. About 6 minutes in, you get the Cascade Range and Mount Rainier off that side. Lake Washington is also on the left at liftoff, while Seattle sits to the right. Tacoma comes up a couple of minutes later and passes very close beneath the aircraft, but on the right.
En route
- 14m in← LeftMount St. Helens · passes underneath
About 14 minutes in, Mount St. Helens is on the left and passes very close beneath you. It is a sharp, steep look, not a long one.
- 23m in← LeftMount Hood
Around 23 minutes in, Mount Hood stays on the left. You get a clean volcano view without having to lean across the cabin.
- 49m in← LeftCrater Lake
Near the 49-minute mark, Crater Lake appears on the left. It reads as a dark blue basin from cruise height.
- 1h 06m in← LeftMount Shasta · passes underneath
About 66 minutes in, Mount Shasta is almost under the aircraft on the left. It is another brief, close pass.
- 1h 16m in← LeftLassen Volcanic National Park
Around 76 minutes in, Lassen Volcanic National Park and Lassen Peak stay on the left. This is the kind of section where the left seat keeps paying off.
Landing
On descent, keep the left side, depending on the runway in use. Sacramento comes in on that side about 97 minutes after departure. Near touchdown, Oakland, Fremont, and San Jose are also on the left, while the Golden Gate Bridge is off to the right and nearly under the aircraft for a moment.
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 SEA to SFO?
Across typical daytime departures, the sun predominantly hits the right side of the aircraft, so the left side stays shadier. Seat letters start at the left window, so choose an A seat.
Which side has the sunset views on SEA to SFO 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 SEA to SFO?
The great-circle distance is 1,093 km (679 mi), which works out to roughly 1h 47m in the air on this southbound 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 should I sit on SEA to SFO?
The left side. It gets the better views and the shade on this route.
What will I see on the SEA to SFO flight?
Mainly volcanoes and mountain country on the left, including Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens, Mount Hood, Crater Lake, Mount Shasta, and Lassen Peak.