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Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Istanbul?

Flying from Chicago to Istanbul? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.

:
Chicago (ORD) → Istanbul (IST)8,785 km~11h 23mDep 9:00 AM daytimeArr 4:22 AM after dark

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset

Best overall window for this flight.

Confidence: high

Takeoff views

9:06 AM
Daytime

Climbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (canyons and wild country), with the Columbia Bay and the Wind Point on the left.

  • rightView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
  • rightView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
  • leftView of Columbia Bay (bay and coastline)
  • leftView of Wind Point (coastal cape)

Flight path features

2:41 PM
Daytime

Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Otish Mountains and St Kilda (the low sun on the horizon), with the La Cloche Range on the right.

  • leftCatch the sunset
  • leftView of Otish Mountains (mountain range)
  • rightView of La Cloche Range (mountain range)
  • leftView of St Kilda (UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Landing views

4:16 AM
After dark

Descending into Istanbul from the northwest over the Black Sea, the left window looks out over the coastline (rugged cliffs and headlands).

  • leftView of the Black Sea coastline

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 Istanbul?

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Otish Mountains and St Kilda (the low sun on the horizon), with the La Cloche Range on the right.

What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?

Climbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (canyons and wild country), with the Columbia Bay and the Wind Point on the left.

What about on the descent into Istanbul?

Descending into Istanbul from the northwest over the Black Sea, the left window looks out over the coastline (rugged cliffs and headlands).