Which side of the plane to sit on: Los Angeles to Chicago?
Flying from Los Angeles to Chicago? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.
The best window changes along the way.
Confidence: lowTakeoff views
9:07 AMClimbing out of Los Angeles toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the San Gabriel Mountains and the Laurel Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills and the Cajon Canyon on the right.
- leftView of San Gabriel Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Cajon Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:54 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Black Range and the Beale Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mesa Verde National Park and the Grand Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Black Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Beale Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Mesa Verde National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Grand Canyon (mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado)
Landing views
2:47 PMDescending into Chicago from the west, the left window looks out over the Haystack Hills and the Gogebic Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the right.
- leftView of Haystack Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- rightView 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).
- Glare advice assumes you want clear ground views; flip it if you'd rather watch the sunrise/sunset directly.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Los Angeles to Chicago?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Black Range and the Beale Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mesa Verde National Park and the Grand Canyon on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Los Angeles?
Climbing out of Los Angeles toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the San Gabriel Mountains and the Laurel Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dominguez Hills and the Cajon Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the west, the left window looks out over the Haystack Hills and the Gogebic Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the right.