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Which side of the plane to sit on: Chicago to Zurich?

Flying from Chicago to Zurich? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.

:
Chicago (ORD) → Zurich (ZRH)7,131 km~9h 19mDep 9:00 AM daytimeArr 1:18 AM after dark

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset

Best overall window for this flight.

Confidence: high

Takeoff views

9:05 AM
Daytime

Climbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the Big Bay (canyons and wild country), with the Gogebic Range on the left.

  • leftView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
  • rightView of Indiana Dunes National Park (national park)
  • rightView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
  • rightView of Big Bay (bay and coastline)

Flight path features

1:39 PM
Daytime

Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Monts Groulx and the Pointe de l'Épinette (the low sun on the horizon), with the Mealy Mountains on the right.

  • leftCatch the sunset
  • leftView of Monts Groulx (mountain range)
  • rightView of Mealy Mountains (mountain range)
  • leftView of Pointe de l'Épinette (peninsula coastline)

Landing views

1:13 AM
After dark

Descending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over Zürich (the city spread out below).

  • rightCity lights of Zürich (city skyline and lights)

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 Zurich?

Sit on the LEFT: Catch the sunset. Out over the Atlantic, the left window looks out over the sunset, the Monts Groulx and the Pointe de l'Épinette (the low sun on the horizon), with the Mealy Mountains on the right.

What views will you get at takeoff from Chicago?

Climbing out of Chicago toward the northeast, the right window looks out over the Indiana Dunes National Park, the Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve and the Big Bay (canyons and wild country), with the Gogebic Range on the left.

What about on the descent into Zurich?

Descending into Zurich from the northwest, the right window looks out over Zürich (the city spread out below).