Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Seattle to Washington. The left side delivers the best views at both ends of the flight — Mount Rainier and the Cascades on departure, and the iconic Potomac River approach into DC on arrival. The left side also tracks closer to the northern Rockies and Great Plains features during cruise.

During takeoff from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Left side for the best views. SEA primarily uses runways 16L/16R for southbound departures, meaning a left-side seat faces east toward the Cascade Range. You get a clear view of Mount Rainier dominating the skyline, with the Seattle skyline and Elliott Bay visible during the initial climb before the turn eastward. Notable sights include: Mount Rainier, Elliott Bay and Seattle skyline, Lake Washington, Cascade Range foothills.

When landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA), sit on the Left side for the best views. Reagan National's primary arrival runway 19 has aircraft approaching from the north over the Potomac River, with a left-side seat offering views of the Capitol, National Mall, and downtown DC monuments during the low-altitude river approach. The FAA-mandated visual approach over the Potomac keeps the aircraft low and close to the city. Notable sights include: Potomac River, National Mall and Capitol Building, Pentagon, Arlington Memorial Bridge.

The flight from Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) to Ronald Reagan Washington National (DCA) takes Approximately 5 hours.

The flight path crosses the northern Rocky Mountains over Montana and Wyoming, the vast agricultural grid of the Great Plains over South Dakota and Nebraska, the Missouri River valley, and the urban sprawl of Chicago or Indianapolis depending on routing, before descending over the Appalachian ridges of Pennsylvania and Maryland into the DC area.