Which side of the plane to sit on: Madrid to Chicago?
Flying from Madrid 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 Madrid toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Balsain Mountains, the Sierra de la Cabrera and Segovia Castle (mountain ridges and peaks), with Light Landscape on the left.
- rightView of Balsain Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Sierra de la Cabrera (mountain range)
- leftView of Light Landscape (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of Segovia Castle (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Flight path features
1:24 PMOut over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Kilbys Mountains, the Murray Mountains and Miguasha National Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with old town of Santiago de Compostela on the right.
- leftView of Kilbys Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Murray Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Miguasha National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
- rightView of old town of Santiago de Compostela (UNESCO World Heritage Site)
Landing views
10:44 AMDescending into Chicago from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the South Haven Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Gogebic Range on the right.
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- leftView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- leftView of South Haven Harbor (bay and 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 Madrid to Chicago?
It's a toss-up. Both sides have something; see the breakdown below.. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the Kilbys Mountains, the Murray Mountains and Miguasha National Park (mountain ridges and peaks), with old town of Santiago de Compostela on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Madrid?
Climbing out of Madrid toward the northwest, the right window looks out over the Balsain Mountains, the Sierra de la Cabrera and Segovia Castle (mountain ridges and peaks), with Light Landscape on the left.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the northeast, the left window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the South Haven Harbor (canyons and wild country), with the Gogebic Range on the right.