Mount St. Helens

188 flight routes pass within 37 miles of Mount St. Helens.

Mount St. Helens
🌋 Mountain · United States

Photo: Lyn Topinka · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

The volcano that famously erupted in 1980 still bears a dramatic horseshoe-shaped crater. Its blast zone and rebuilding forests are visible on Pacific Northwest flights.
188Flight Routes
OverheadClosest Pass
🌋 MountainType

Routes that pass it188

SEA → SMF Seattle to Sacramento · directly overhead Both Sides SMF → SEA Sacramento to Seattle · directly overhead Both Sides BFI → SMF Seattle to Sacramento · 1 mi Both Sides SAC → SEA Sacramento to Seattle · 1 mi Both Sides SEA → SAC Seattle to Sacramento · 1 mi Both Sides SMF → BFI Sacramento to Seattle · 1 mi Both Sides MCC → SEA Sacramento to Seattle · 1 mi Both Sides PDX → PRG Portland to Prague · 1 mi Both Sides PRG → PDX Prague to Portland · 1 mi Both Sides SEA → MCC Seattle to Sacramento · 1 mi Both Sides CAI → PDX Cairo to Portland · 2 mi Both Sides PDX → CAI Portland to Cairo · 2 mi Both Sides SEA → SJC Seattle to San Jose · 3 mi Both Sides SJC → SEA San Jose to Seattle · 3 mi Both Sides ARN → PDX Stockholm to Portland · 4 mi Both Sides PDX → ARN Portland to Stockholm · 4 mi Both Sides FRA → PDX Frankfurt to Portland · 4 mi Both Sides PDX → FRA Portland to Frankfurt · 4 mi Both Sides SBP → SEA San Luis Obispo to Seattle · 4 mi Both Sides SEA → SBP Seattle to San Luis Obispo · 4 mi Both Sides AMS → PDX Amsterdam to Portland · 5 mi Both Sides OAK → SEA Oakland to Seattle · 5 mi Both Sides PAE → SFO Everett to San Francisco · 5 mi Both Sides PDX → AMS Portland to Amsterdam · 5 mi Both Sides SEA → OAK Seattle to Oakland · 5 mi Both Sides SFO → PAE San Francisco to Everett · 5 mi Both Sides BFI → SFO Seattle to San Francisco · 6 mi Left FCO → PDX Rome to Portland · 6 mi Right PDX → FCO Portland to Rome · 6 mi Left PDX → RKV Portland to Reykjavik · 6 mi Left RKV → PDX Reykjavik to Portland · 6 mi Right SFO → BFI San Francisco to Seattle · 6 mi Right SNA → YYJ Santa Ana to Victoria · 6 mi Right YYJ → SNA Victoria to Santa Ana · 6 mi Left EUG → PDX Eugene to Portland · 6 mi Right KEF → PDX Keflavik to Portland · 6 mi Right PDX → KEF Portland to Keflavik · 6 mi Left SEA → SFO Seattle to San Francisco · 6 mi Left SFO → SEA San Francisco to Seattle · 6 mi Right CDG → PDX Paris to Portland · 7 mi Right LAX → YVR Los Angeles to Vancouver · 7 mi Left LHR → PDX London to Portland · 7 mi Right PDX → LHR Portland to London · 7 mi Left YVR → LAX Vancouver to Los Angeles · 7 mi Right SBA → SEA Santa Barbara to Seattle · 8 mi Left SEA → SBA Seattle to Santa Barbara · 8 mi Right DUB → PDX Dublin to Portland · 9 mi Right PDX → DUB Portland to Dublin · 9 mi Left SEA → STS Seattle to Santa Rosa · 9 mi Left STS → SEA Santa Rosa to Seattle · 9 mi Right FAT → SEA Fresno to Seattle · 11 mi Left SEA → FAT Seattle to Fresno · 11 mi Right BFI → FAT Seattle to Fresno · 12 mi Right MFR → SEA Medford to Seattle · 12 mi Right SEA → MFR Seattle to Medford · 12 mi Left SNA → YVR Santa Ana to Vancouver · 12 mi Left YVR → SNA Vancouver to Santa Ana · 12 mi Right MAD → PDX Madrid to Portland · 14 mi Right PDX → MAD Portland to Madrid · 14 mi Left PDX → YYC Portland to Calgary · 14 mi Left YYC → PDX Calgary to Portland · 14 mi Right BFI → PDX Seattle to Portland · 15 mi Left DXB → SFO Dubai to San Francisco · 15 mi Right LAX → SEA Los Angeles to Seattle · 15 mi Left PDX → BFI Portland to Seattle · 15 mi Right PDX → SEA Portland to Seattle · 15 mi Right SEA → LAX Seattle to Los Angeles · 15 mi Right SEA → PDX Seattle to Portland · 15 mi Left SFO → DXB San Francisco to Dubai · 15 mi Left BUR → SEA Burbank to Seattle · 16 mi Left HND → SLC Tokyo to Salt Lake City · 16 mi Left PAE → PDX Everett to Portland · 16 mi Left PDX → PAE Portland to Everett · 16 mi Right RNO → SEA Reno to Seattle · 16 mi Left SEA → BUR Seattle to Burbank · 16 mi Right SEA → RNO Seattle to Reno · 16 mi Right SLC → HND Salt Lake City to Tokyo · 16 mi Right LGB → SEA Long Beach to Seattle · 16 mi Left SEA → LGB Seattle to Long Beach · 16 mi Right BFI → LAX Seattle to Los Angeles · 17 mi Right BFI → RNO Seattle to Reno · 17 mi Right IAH → KTG Houston to Ketapang · 17 mi Right KTG → IAH Ketapang to Houston · 17 mi Left LAX → BFI Los Angeles to Seattle · 17 mi Left MFR → PDX Medford to Portland · 17 mi Right RDM → SEA Redmond to Seattle · 17 mi Left RNO → BFI Reno to Seattle · 17 mi Left SAN → YVR San Diego to Vancouver · 17 mi Left SEA → RDM Seattle to Redmond · 17 mi Right YVR → SAN Vancouver to San Diego · 17 mi Right DWC → SFO Dubai to San Francisco · 17 mi Right LIS → PDX Lisbon to Portland · 17 mi Right NRT → SLC Tokyo to Salt Lake City · 17 mi Left PDX → LIS Portland to Lisbon · 17 mi Left SEA → SNA Seattle to Santa Ana · 17 mi Right SFO → DWC San Francisco to Dubai · 17 mi Left SLC → NRT Salt Lake City to Tokyo · 17 mi Right SNA → SEA Santa Ana to Seattle · 17 mi Left MHR → YVR Sacramento to Vancouver · 18 mi Right STS → PDX Santa Rosa to Portland · 18 mi Right YVR → MHR Vancouver to Sacramento · 18 mi Left BLI → PDX Bellingham to Portland · 19 mi Left GEG → OGG Spokane to Kahului · 19 mi Right OGG → GEG Kahului to Spokane · 19 mi Left PDX → BLI Portland to Bellingham · 19 mi Right BFI → SNA Seattle to Santa Ana · 19 mi Right EDF → PHX Anchorage to Phoenix · 19 mi Left NZY → SEA San Diego to Seattle · 19 mi Left ONT → SEA Ontario to Seattle · 19 mi Left PHX → EDF Phoenix to Anchorage · 19 mi Right SAN → SEA San Diego to Seattle · 19 mi Left SEA → NZY Seattle to San Diego · 19 mi Right SEA → ONT Seattle to Ontario · 19 mi Right SEA → SAN Seattle to San Diego · 19 mi Right SNA → BFI Santa Ana to Seattle · 19 mi Left SFO → PDX San Francisco to Portland · 21 mi Right BFI → ONT Seattle to Ontario · 21 mi Right BFI → SAN Seattle to San Diego · 21 mi Right OAK → PDX Oakland to Portland · 21 mi Right ONT → BFI Ontario to Seattle · 21 mi Left SAN → BFI San Diego to Seattle · 21 mi Left SJC → PDX San Jose to Portland · 22 mi Right ANC → PHX Anchorage to Phoenix · 22 mi Left EUG → SEA Eugene to Seattle · 22 mi Right PHX → ANC Phoenix to Anchorage · 22 mi Right SEA → EUG Seattle to Eugene · 22 mi Left SMF → YVR Sacramento to Vancouver · 22 mi Right YVR → SMF Vancouver to Sacramento · 22 mi Left LAX → PAE Los Angeles to Everett · 23 mi Left PAE → LAX Everett to Los Angeles · 23 mi Right ACV → BFI Arcata/Eureka to Seattle · 24 mi Right BFI → ACV Seattle to Arcata/Eureka · 24 mi Left PDX → YVR Portland to Vancouver · 24 mi Right SMF → PDX Sacramento to Portland · 24 mi Right YVR → PDX Vancouver to Portland · 24 mi Left PSP → SEA Palm Springs to Seattle · 24 mi Left SAC → PDX Sacramento to Portland · 24 mi Right SEA → PSP Seattle to Palm Springs · 24 mi Right GEG → PDX Spokane to Portland · 25 mi Right KOA → PDX Kona to Portland · 25 mi Left PDX → GEG Portland to Spokane · 25 mi Left PDX → PIX Portland to Pico · 25 mi Left PIX → PDX Pico to Portland · 25 mi Right SBP → PDX San Luis Obispo to Portland · 25 mi Right OGG → PDX Kahului to Portland · 26 mi Left HNL → PDX Honolulu to Portland · 27 mi Left SBA → PDX Santa Barbara to Portland · 27 mi Right SYD → PDX Sydney to Portland · 28 mi Left FAT → PDX Fresno to Portland · 29 mi Right LIH → PDX Lihue to Portland · 29 mi Left LAX → PDX Los Angeles to Portland · 30 mi Right BUR → PDX Burbank to Portland · 31 mi Right DEL → PDX Delhi to Portland · 31 mi Left LGB → PDX Long Beach to Portland · 31 mi Right PDX → DEL Portland to Delhi · 31 mi Right SNA → PDX Santa Ana to Portland · 32 mi Right ONT → PDX Ontario to Portland · 32 mi Right RNO → PDX Reno to Portland · 32 mi Right SAN → PDX San Diego to Portland · 32 mi Right OTH → SEA North Bend to Seattle · 34 mi Right PDX → PSC Portland to Pasco · 34 mi Left PDX → PSP Portland to Palm Springs · 34 mi Left PSC → PDX Pasco to Portland · 34 mi Right PSP → PDX Palm Springs to Portland · 34 mi Right SEA → SJD Seattle to San Jose Del Cabo · 34 mi Right SJD → SEA San Jose Del Cabo to Seattle · 34 mi Left MSO → PDX Missoula to Portland · 35 mi Right PDX → MSO Portland to Missoula · 35 mi Left PDX → PWM Portland to Portland · 35 mi Left PWM → PDX Portland to Portland · 35 mi Right LAS → SEA Las Vegas to Seattle · 35 mi Left SEA → LAS Seattle to Las Vegas · 35 mi Right SFO → YVR San Francisco to Vancouver · 35 mi Right YVR → SFO Vancouver to San Francisco · 35 mi Left BOS → PDX Boston to Portland · 36 mi Right FAI → PDX Fairbanks to Portland · 36 mi Left PDX → BOS Portland to Boston · 36 mi Left PDX → FAI Portland to Fairbanks · 36 mi Right BDL → PDX Windsor Locks to Portland · 37 mi Right HLN → PDX Helena to Portland · 37 mi Right PDX → BDL Portland to Windsor Locks · 37 mi Left PDX → HLN Portland to Helena · 37 mi Left PDX → YYZ Portland to Toronto · 37 mi Left YYZ → PDX Toronto to Portland · 37 mi Right BFI → SJD Seattle to San Jose Del Cabo · 37 mi Right PDX → SJD Portland to San Jose Del Cabo · 37 mi Left SJD → BFI San Jose Del Cabo to Seattle · 37 mi Left SJD → PDX San Jose Del Cabo to Portland · 37 mi Right
Tip: Visibility depends on cloud cover, time of day, and how close the flight path comes. Sit on the listed side for the best chance of a view. Morning and evening flights often offer the best lighting.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you see Mount St. Helens from a plane?

Yes — 188 flight routes pass within 37 miles of Mount St. Helens. The closest routes include Seattle to Sacramento, Sacramento to Seattle, Seattle to Sacramento. The landmark is visible from both sides, passing directly overhead.

Which side of the plane is best for viewing Mount St. Helens?

The best side varies by route. For the most common routes near Mount St. Helens: on a Seattle to Sacramento flight, visible from both sides; on a Sacramento to Seattle flight, visible from both sides; on a Seattle to Sacramento flight, visible from both sides.