Boston (BOS) to Seattle (SEA)

Distance, flight time and the air traffic controllers who guide you.

Quick answer

Boston (BOS) to Seattle (SEA) is 2,489 miles in a straight line, about 5h 29m gate to gate. Your flight is handed between 9 air traffic control facilities along the way.

2,489miles
2,163nautical miles
4,006kilometers
~5h 29mestimated flight time
−3 htime change on arrival
Northwestinitial heading

Who handles your flight

Every airliner is passed from one air traffic control facility to the next. On the most direct path, these are the teams that guide you, in order. Weather and traffic can send a flight through other centers, so your actual flight may differ a little.

  1. BOSTowerBoston Logan Tower (BOS)Clears you for takeoffThank them →
  2. A90TRACONBoston TRACON (A90)Guides the climb outThank them →
  3. ZBWCenterBoston ARTCC (ZBW)Takes over at cruising altitudeThank them →
  4. ZOBCenterCleveland ARTCC (ZOB)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
  5. ZMPCenterMinneapolis ARTCC (ZMP)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
  6. ZLCCenterSalt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC)Keeps you separated en routeThank them →
  7. ZSECenterSeattle ARTCC (ZSE)Starts your descentThank them →
  8. S46TRACONSeattle TRACON (S46)Lines you up for the approachThank them →
  9. SEATowerSeattle-Tacoma Tower (SEA)Clears you to landThank them →

Flying the other way

Seattle (SEA) to Boston (BOS)

SEA → S46 → ZSE → ZLC → ZMP → ZOB → ZBW → A90 → BOS

About the airports

Boston Logan International Airport

Boston, MA

Codes: BOS · KBOS

Time zone: Eastern

Control tower: Boston Logan Tower (BOS)

Thank the tower →

Seattle–Tacoma International Airport

Seattle, WA

Codes: SEA · KSEA

Time zone: Pacific

Control tower: Seattle-Tacoma Tower (SEA)

Thank the tower →

More routes

All flight routes →

How we figure this out

Distance is the great-circle distance between the two airports, the shortest path over the curved Earth. Flight time assumes an average airliner speed of about 500 mph plus about 30 minutes for taxi, takeoff and landing. The list of facilities follows the same path, using each airport's tower and approach control and the FAA's en route center boundaries.

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Common questions

How long is the flight from Boston (BOS) to Seattle (SEA)?

About 5h 29m gate to gate for the 2,489-mile trip. Flying west, you often fight a headwind, so it can take a little longer.

How far is Boston (BOS) from Seattle (SEA)?

2,489 miles (2,163 nautical miles, 4,006 km) in a straight line. The path your flight actually takes is usually a little longer.

Which air traffic controllers handle a flight from Boston (BOS) to Seattle (SEA)?

Usually 9 facilities: Boston Logan Tower (BOS), Boston TRACON (A90), Boston ARTCC (ZBW), Cleveland ARTCC (ZOB), Minneapolis ARTCC (ZMP), Salt Lake City ARTCC (ZLC), Seattle ARTCC (ZSE), Seattle TRACON (S46) and Seattle-Tacoma Tower (SEA). You can thank each one on its own wall at Thank ATC.

Is there a time change between Boston (BOS) and Seattle (SEA)?

Yes. Seattle (SEA) is 3 hours behind Boston (BOS).

Updated October 2026

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