Phoenix to Washington flight path: PHX to IAD

Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Washington. While the Phoenix departure favors the north/left side for the Superstition Mountains, the cruise phase over the Ouachita Mountains and the Appalachian approach into Dulles give the right side more consistent terrain interest across the full flight.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Left side for the best views. Climbing out of PHX to the northeast, the jagged Superstition Mountains dominate the north side of the aircraft, a much more dramatic sight than the rounded South Mountains visible to the south. Notable sights include: Superstition Mountains, McDowell Mountains, Salt River Valley, Phoenix metro sprawl.

When landing at Washington Dulles International (IAD), sit on the Right side for the best views. On the descent into Dulles from the west, the long forested ridges of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley pass beneath the south side of the aircraft, giving a last dose of terrain relief before the flat Virginia piedmont near the airport. Notable sights include: Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, Bull Run Mountains, Northern Virginia countryside.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to Washington Dulles International (IAD) takes about 4 hours 5 minutes. The shortest flight path between them is 1,952 miles (3,141 km); winds and air traffic control usually add a few percent.

Route crosses the Rio Grande Valley, the plains of the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma, and the forested Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas before reaching the Appalachian ridges of Virginia.