Phoenix to Detroit flight path: PHX to DTW

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Detroit. The left side wins overall because the Detroit River and city skyline on approach are more spectacular than the Phoenix departure views from the right. Mid-flight the left side also catches better views of the New Mexico highlands and Kansas plains, though neither side dominates dramatically at cruise altitude. The Detroit arrival on the left is the clear highlight of the journey.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Right side for the best views. PHX typically departs east on runway 26R/25R or west on 8L/7L. On an eastbound departure toward DTW, climbing out heading east, the right (south) side gives you a clear view of South Mountain Park and the Estrella Mountains rising from the desert floor. The left side faces north toward downtown Phoenix and the McDowell Mountains, which is also decent, but the southern mountain ridgelines are more dramatic at low altitude. Notable sights include: South Mountain Park (largest municipal park in the US, visible as a dark rocky ridge immediately south of the city), Estrella Mountains to the southwest, Salt River bed cutting east-west through the valley floor, sprawling Phoenix metro grid.

When landing at Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW), sit on the Left side for the best views. DTW approaches typically come from the west or southwest on runways 21L/22L or 27L/28. On approach from the southwest, the left (south/east) side gives you a clear view of the Detroit River, Windsor Ontario across the border, and the downtown Detroit skyline. The right side faces northwest toward suburban sprawl with fewer distinctive features. Notable sights include: Detroit River separating Michigan from Ontario Canada, downtown Detroit skyline along the riverfront, Lake Erie visible to the southeast on clear days, Windsor Ontario urban area directly across the river.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to Detroit Metro Wayne Co (DTW) takes about 3 hours 40 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 1,667 miles (2,683 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

The route crosses eastern Arizona desert and the Mogollon Rim escarpment, then New Mexico's high plains near Albuquerque, the Texas panhandle flatlands, Oklahoma and Kansas agricultural patchwork, Missouri's rolling terrain near Kansas City, and Indiana farmland before crossing into Michigan. The Mississippi River is visible near St. Louis if routing takes you that far north. The terrain is predominantly flat from Kansas onward with large-scale agricultural field patterns visible at cruise altitude.