Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Seattle?
Flying from Chicago to Seattle? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Chicago toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range, the Columbia Bay and the Buttons Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- rightView of Columbia Bay (bay and coastline)
- rightView of Buttons Bay (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
10:53 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Rattlesnake Mountains and the Little Belt Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Hidden Canyon and the Scablands on the right.
- leftView of Rattlesnake Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Little Belt Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Hidden Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Scablands (desert expanse)
Landing views
10:44 AMDescending into Seattle from the east, the right window looks out over the Issaquah Alps, the Whidby Island and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Wenache Mountains on the left.
- leftView of Wenache Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
- rightView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Yaxon 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 Seattle?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Gogebic Range (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Rattlesnake Mountains and the Little Belt Mountains (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Hidden Canyon and the Scablands on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?
Climbing out of Chicago toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range, the Columbia Bay and the Buttons Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.
What about on the descent into Seattle?
Descending into Seattle from the east, the right window looks out over the Issaquah Alps, the Whidby Island and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Wenache Mountains on the left.