Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Atlanta?
Flying from Chicago to Atlanta? 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
9:05 AMClimbing out of Chicago toward the south, the left window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Indiana Dunes National Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the Essigs Point on the right.
- leftView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- rightView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- rightView of Essigs Point (coastal cape)
Flight path features
9:45 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Free Hills and the Silver Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mammoth Cave National Park and the Cataract Falls on the right.
- leftView of Free Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Silver Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Mammoth Cave National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Cataract Falls (waterfall)
Landing views
11:28 AMDescending into Atlanta from the north, the left window looks out over the Cohutta Mountains and the Cochrans Falls (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Barren Hills and the Hemlock Falls on the right.
- leftView of Cohutta Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Barren Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Cochrans Falls (waterfall)
- rightView of Hemlock Falls (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 Chicago to Atlanta?
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 Free Hills and the Silver Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with Mammoth Cave National Park and the Cataract Falls on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?
Climbing out of Chicago toward the south, the left window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Indiana Dunes National Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the Essigs Point on the right.
What about on the descent into Atlanta?
Descending into Atlanta from the north, the left window looks out over the Cohutta Mountains and the Cochrans Falls (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Barren Hills and the Hemlock Falls on the right.