What are the geodetic coordinates of Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA)?

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA / ICAO: KSEA) is located at geodetic coordinates 47.4490°N, 122.3090°W in Seattle, US. It sits at an airfield elevation of 433 ft (132 m) MSL with 3 runways (16L/34R (3,627 m), 16C/34C (2,873 m)).

What direct Great Circle routes originate from SEA?

SEA connects to major global flight corridors including New York (JFK). Calculate exact spherical distances, true bearings, and window seat solar recommendations on Orb Vector.

How do Great Circle routes from SEA compare to flat map lines?

Flights departing SEA follow spherical geodesics (Great Circle arcs), which represent the shortest three-dimensional atmospheric distance over Earth's curved surface rather than constant-compass Rhumb lines. At SEA's latitude, Earth's axial rotation imparts a tangential velocity of 1,132 km/h.

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) 3D Flight Route Map, Direct Destinations & Geodetic Profile

AIRPORT HUB INTELLIGENCE & GEODETIC PROFILE

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) Hub Guide & 3D Flight Map

Geodetic Coordinates: 47.449°N, 122.309°W • Country: US • Standard Timezone: UTCGMT-8 (Local: 19:44) • Solar Angle: -32.1° Elev, 277° Azim (Night)

Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) serves as a vital junction in global commercial aviation. Set between Puget Sound and the Cascade Range in SeaTac, 23 km south of Downtown Seattle. Hover over or select radiating Great Circle spokes on the 3D globe to examine direct geodesic flight corridors, true departure bearings, nautical mile distances, and overflight paths radiating across the world.

ICAO / IATA & ELEVATIONKSEA / SEAElevation: 433 ft (132 m) MSL

PRIMARY RUNWAY COMPLEX3 Runways16L/34R (3,627 m) · 16C/34C (2,873 m)

EARTH ROTATIONAL SPEED1,132 km/hMid-Latitude Temperate Zone (Northern Hemisphere) (0.92 Mach tangential)

HUB REACHABILITY (Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental)48 / 49 Global HubsWithin 14,815 km non-stop range

Direct Outbound Flight Corridors from SEA — Top Direct Routes

SEA → JFK83° True (E)

New York (US)

3,887 km (2,415 mi)•4h 12m

SEA → LHR34° True (NE)

London (GB)

7,702 km (4,786 mi)•8h 16m

SEA → LAX166° True (SSE)

Los Angeles (US)

1,537 km (955 mi)•2h 7m

SEA → SFO180° True (S)

San Francisco (US)

1,093 km (679 mi)•1h 42m

SEA → DXB2° True (N)

Dubai (AE)

11,928 km (7,412 mi)•13h 29m

SEA → SIN306° True (NW)

Singapore (SG)

12,979 km (8,065 mi)•16h 40m

SEA → HND301° True (WNW)

Tokyo (JP)

7,712 km (4,792 mi)•10h 11m

SEA → CDG34° True (NE)

Paris (FR)

8,049 km (5,001 mi)•8h 37m

SEA → ORD90° True (E)

Chicago (US)

2,762 km (1,716 mi)•3h 8m

SEA → YYZ81° True (E)

Toronto (CA)

3,307 km (2,055 mi)•3h 39m

Popular Route Vectors & Geodesic Azimuth Telemetry from SEA

Route Corridor	Initial Bearing	Arrival Bearing	Great Circle Distance	Rhumb Divergence	Est. Flight Time
SEA → JFKNew York (Intercontinental Geodesic Corridor)	083° TRU (E)	118° TRU	3,887 km (2,099 NM)	+59 km (+1.5%)	4h 12m
SEA → LHRLondon (North / South Atlantic Track)	034° TRU (NE)	142° TRU	7,702 km (4,159 NM)	+1,109 km (+14.4%)	8h 16m
SEA → LAXLos Angeles (Continental Trunk Corridor)	166° TRU (SSE)	169° TRU	1,537 km (830 NM)	identical path	2h 7m
SEA → SFOSan Francisco (Domestic / Regional Shuttle)	180° TRU (S)	180° TRU	1,093 km (590 NM)	identical path	1h 42m
SEA → DXBDubai (Transpacific / Trans-Oceanic Arc)	002° TRU (N)	178° TRU	11,928 km (6,441 NM)	+3,967 km (+33.3%)	13h 29m
SEA → SINSingapore (Ultra-Long-Haul Geodesic)	306° TRU (NW)	213° TRU	12,979 km (7,008 NM)	+1,001 km (+7.7%)	16h 40m
SEA → HNDTokyo (Transpacific / Trans-Oceanic Arc)	301° TRU (WNW)	226° TRU	7,712 km (4,164 NM)	+511 km (+6.6%)	10h 11m
SEA → CDGParis (Transpacific / Trans-Oceanic Arc)	034° TRU (NE)	144° TRU	8,049 km (4,346 NM)	+1,200 km (+14.9%)	8h 37m
SEA → ORDChicago (Intercontinental Geodesic Corridor)	090° TRU (E)	115° TRU	2,762 km (1,491 NM)	+21 km (+0.8%)	3h 8m
SEA → YYZToronto (Intercontinental Geodesic Corridor)	081° TRU (E)	112° TRU	3,307 km (1,786 NM)	+40 km (+1.2%)	3h 39m

Geography, Airfield Operations & Notable Aviation Facts: SEA

PRIMARY HUB CARRIERSAlaska Airlines · Delta Air Lines

EXACT GEODETIC ANTIPODE47.449°S, 057.691°E (Southern Indian Ocean)

FURTHEST MAJOR HUBPerth (PER) — 14,872 km (9,241 mi)

01Northernmost major US West Coast hub (47.45°N), shortening Great Circles to Tokyo and Europe.
02Primary base of Alaska Airlines and Delta's Pacific Northwest transpacific hub.
03Approaches offer close views of Mount Rainier's 4,392 m volcanic summit east of the field.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) located and what are its coordinates?: Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA, ICAO: KSEA) is located in Seattle, US at geodetic coordinates 47.449°N, 122.309°W (Latitude: 47.4490°, Longitude: -122.3090°). At this latitude (Mid-Latitude Temperate Zone (Northern Hemisphere)), Earth's rotation imparts a tangential velocity of 1,132 km/h.
What are the runway orientations and airfield elevation at SEA?: Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) sits at an airfield elevation of 433 ft (132 m) above mean sea level and operates 3 runways, led by 16L/34R (3,627 m), 16C/34C (2,873 m), 16R/34L (2,591 m).
What time zone and solar lighting conditions apply to SEA?: Seattle Tacoma International Airport operates on civil timezone UTCGMT-8 (approximate local clock time: 19:44). Based on real-time solar ephemeris calculations, the sun is at an altitude of -32.1°, placing the airport in night.
How many major outbound flight corridors radiate from SEA?: Orb Vector indexes 1 connected flight corridors and 10 popular outbound route vectors radiating from SEA. The longest featured corridor from SEA is SEA → SIN (Singapore), spanning 12,979 km (8,065 mi / 7,008 NM) along an initial bearing of 306° TRU (NW).
What is the exact antipode and furthest global hub from SEA?: The exact geodetic antipode (diametrically opposite point on Earth) to SEA lies at 47.449°S, 057.691°E (Southern Indian Ocean). Among the world's major aviation hubs, the furthest from SEA is Perth International Airport (PER) at a Great Circle distance of 14,872 km (9,241 mi).
What is a Great Circle?: A Great Circle is the intersection of a sphere and a plane that passes through the sphere's center. It represents the largest possible circle that can be drawn on a sphere and defines the shortest path between two points on the surface.
Why do flight paths look curved on 2D maps?: Most 2D maps use the Mercator projection, which distorts size and shape as you move away from the equator. A straight line on a Mercator map (a rhumb line) is actually a longer path than the curved Great Circle route. Pilots fly the Great Circle route to save fuel and time.
How accurate are the distances?: Orb Vector calculates distances using the Haversine formula, which accounts for the Earth's curvature. While the Earth is not a perfect sphere (it's an oblate spheroid), the error margin is negligible for general flight planning and visualization purposes, typically within 0.5%.
Can I measure multi-stop routes?: Yes! You can chain multiple airports together to create a complex itinerary. The tool will calculate the distance for each leg of the journey as well as the total cumulative distance.
How is flight time estimated?: Our flight time estimator uses a standard cruising speed of 900 km/h (approx 485 knots) and adds a 30-minute buffer for takeoff and landing per leg. Crucially, it also accounts for the Jet Stream: eastbound flights are calculated as ~15% faster due to tailwinds, while westbound flights are slower due to headwinds.
What are the "Discover Routes"?: We've curated a selection of extreme and interesting aviation routes, such as the world's longest flight (Singapore to JFK) and the "Island Hopper" across the Pacific. Use the "Discover Routes" menu to instantly visualize these famous trajectories.