Which side of the plane to sit on: Newark to Chicago?
Flying from Newark to Chicago? 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 Newark toward the west, the left window looks out over the Watchung Outliers and Moravian Church Settlements (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sparta Mountain and the Long Island on the right.
- rightView of Sparta Mountain (mountain range)
- leftView of Watchung Outliers (mountain range)
- leftView of Moravian Church Settlements (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Long Island (island)
Flight path features
9:51 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Indian Hills and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Muncy Hills and the Point Pelee National Park on the right.
- leftView of Indian Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Muncy Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Point Pelee National Park (national park)
- leftView of Cuyahoga Valley National Park (national park)
Landing views
9:41 AMDescending into Chicago from the east, the right window looks out over the Ward 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 Ward Hills (mountain range)
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- leftView 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).
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Newark to Chicago?
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 Indian Hills and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Muncy Hills and the Point Pelee National Park on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Newark?
Climbing out of Newark toward the west, the left window looks out over the Watchung Outliers and Moravian Church Settlements (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Sparta Mountain and the Long Island on the right.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the east, the right window looks out over the Ward Hills and the Gogebic Range (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.