Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Denver?
Flying from Chicago to Denver? 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
9:06 AMClimbing out of Chicago toward the west, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Columbia Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Indiana Dunes National Park and the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve on the left.
- rightView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
- leftView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- rightView of Columbia Bay (bay and coastline)
Flight path features
10:02 AMAcross the middle of the route, the left window looks out over the Pinhook Hills, the Sandpiper Cove and the Bass Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dubuque Hills on the right.
- rightView of Dubuque Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Pinhook Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Sandpiper Cove (bay and coastline)
- leftView of Bass Bay (bay and coastline)
Landing views
10:03 AMDescending into Denver from the east, the left window looks out over the Rampart Range and the Platte Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Pawnee Hills and the Left Hand Canyon on the right.
- rightView of Pawnee Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Rampart Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Platte Canyon (deep canyon)
- rightView of Left Hand 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 Denver?
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 Pinhook Hills, the Sandpiper Cove and the Bass Bay (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Dubuque Hills on the right.
What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?
Climbing out of Chicago toward the west, the right window looks out over the Gogebic Range and the Columbia Bay (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 Denver?
Descending into Denver from the east, the left window looks out over the Rampart Range and the Platte Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Pawnee Hills and the Left Hand Canyon on the right.