Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Newark to San Francisco. While the left side wins at takeoff for the Manhattan views, the right side delivers more consistently across the full flight — the Sierra Nevada range is visible on the right during the California crossing, and the Bay Area arrival on the right side is the stronger of the two endpoint views. For a transcontinental flight, right side edges it out overall.

During takeoff from Newark Liberty International (EWR), sit on the Left side for the best views. EWR typically departs westbound on runway 22L/22R or eastbound on 04L/04R. On the common westbound departure, the left side gets a clear view back over Manhattan and New York Harbor as the aircraft banks south and west. You'll see the Hudson River, the Manhattan skyline, and Staten Island laid out clearly before the aircraft climbs out over New Jersey. Notable sights include: Manhattan skyline, Hudson River, New York Harbor, Verrazano-Narrows Bridge.

When landing at San Francisco International (SFO), sit on the Right side for the best views. SFO's most common landing configuration uses runways 28L/28R, approaching from the east over the Bay. On this approach, the right side looks south over the San Francisco Bay, giving clear views of the Bay's open water, the San Mateo Bridge, and the Santa Cruz Mountains beyond. The left side faces north toward the city but is partially obscured by the aircraft's nose angle on final. Notable sights include: San Francisco Bay, San Mateo Bridge, Santa Cruz Mountains, South Bay wetlands.

The flight from Newark Liberty International (EWR) to San Francisco International (SFO) takes Approximately 5 hours 30 minutes to 6 hours.

The flight path typically tracks across Pennsylvania, then follows a great circle route over Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois before crossing the Mississippi River near St. Louis. It then crosses Missouri, Kansas or Nebraska, and the Colorado Rockies or southern Wyoming ranges are visible below — the Front Range and the broader Rocky Mountain chain are clearly identifiable from altitude. Crossing into Utah, the Great Salt Lake appears as a large pale flat body on the right side. The Sierra Nevada forms the final major terrain feature before descending into the Central Valley and the Bay Area.