Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Vancouver?
Flying from Chicago to Vancouver? 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
9:07 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
10:55 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Okanagan Range, the Kettle River Range and the Texas Point (mountain ridges and peaks).
- rightView of Okanagan Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Kettle River Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Texas Point (peninsula coastline)
- rightView of South Okanagan-Similkameen National Park Reserve (national park)
Landing views
10:49 AMDescending into Vancouver from the east, the right window looks out over the Cheam Range, the Hozameen Range and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Whidby Island on the left.
- rightView of Cheam Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Hozameen Range (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- rightView of Bowen Island National Park Reserve (national park)
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 Vancouver?
Sit on the RIGHT: View of Gogebic Range (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Okanagan Range, the Kettle River Range and the Texas Point (mountain ridges and peaks).
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 Vancouver?
Descending into Vancouver from the east, the right window looks out over the Cheam Range, the Hozameen Range and the Bowen Island National Park Reserve (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Whidby Island on the left.