Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Los Angeles?
Flying from Chicago to Los Angeles? 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 Chicago toward the west, the right 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 left.
- rightView of Haystack Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- leftView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
Flight path features
10:54 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right 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 left.
- rightView of Black Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Beale Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Mesa Verde National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- leftView of Grand Canyon (mile-deep canyon carved by the Colorado)
Landing views
10:47 AMDescending into Los Angeles from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the Cajon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Gabriel Mountains and the Laurel Canyon on the right.
- rightView of San Gabriel Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Dominguez Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Cajon Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Laurel Canyon (deep canyon)
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 Los Angeles?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Across the middle of the route, the right 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 left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?
Climbing out of Chicago toward the west, the right 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 left.
What about on the descent into Los Angeles?
Descending into Los Angeles from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Dominguez Hills and the Cajon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the San Gabriel Mountains and the Laurel Canyon on the right.