Which side of the plane to sit on: New York to Chicago?
Flying from New York to Chicago? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Sparta Mountain (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of New York toward the west, the right window looks out over the Sparta Mountain, the Long Island and Manhattan skyline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Watchung Outliers on the left.
- rightView of Sparta Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of Watchung Outliers (mountain range)
- rightView of Long Island (island)
- rightView of Manhattan skyline (New York City's skyscraper grid)
Flight path features
9:54 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Indian Hills and Moravian Church Settlements (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Muncy Hills and the Point Pelee National Park on the right.
- leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Muncy Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Moravian Church Settlements (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Point Pelee National Park (national park)
Landing views
9:45 AMDescending into Chicago from the east, the right window looks out over the Ward Hills and the Gogebic Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.
- rightView of Ward Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- leftView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
Good to know
- Based on the geometric great-circle route; real flight paths can differ with air-traffic routing and winds.
- "Left/right" means facing the direction of travel. Left is the seat A side, right is the F/K side (varies by aircraft).
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from New York to Chicago?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Sparta Mountain (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Indian Hills and Moravian Church Settlements (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Muncy Hills and the Point Pelee National Park on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from New York?
Climbing out of New York toward the west, the right window looks out over the Sparta Mountain, the Long Island and Manhattan skyline (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Watchung Outliers on the left.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the east, the right window looks out over the Ward Hills and the Gogebic Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.