Which side of the plane to sit on: Phoenix to Chicago?
Flying from Phoenix to Chicago? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Usery Mountain (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:05 AMClimbing out of Phoenix toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Sierra Ancha and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Usery Mountain and the Alchesay Canyon on the right.
- leftView of Sierra Ancha (mountain range)
- rightView of Usery Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of Big Spring Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Alchesay Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:36 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Jemez Mountains, the Zuni Mountains and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Penitente Canyon on the left.
- rightView of Jemez Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Zuni Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Cow Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Penitente Canyon (deep canyon)
Landing views
2:09 PMDescending into Chicago from the west, the left window looks out over the Dubuque Hills and the Haystack Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the right.
- leftView of Dubuque Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Haystack Hills (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 Phoenix to Chicago?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Usery Mountain (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Jemez Mountains, the Zuni Mountains and the Cow Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Penitente Canyon on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Phoenix?
Climbing out of Phoenix toward the northeast, the left window looks out over the Sierra Ancha and the Big Spring Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Usery Mountain and the Alchesay Canyon on the right.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the west, the left window looks out over the Dubuque Hills and the Haystack Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the right.