Which side of the plane to sit on: Seattle to Chicago?
Flying from Seattle to Chicago? Here's where the sunrise, sunset, mountains, coastline and best views land, and which window to pick.
Sit on the LEFT: View of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
Best overall window for this flight.
Confidence: highTakeoff views
9:06 AMClimbing out of Seattle toward the east, the left window looks out over the Issaquah Alps, the Whidby Island and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Wenache Mountains on the right.
- rightView of Wenache Mountains (mountain range)
- leftView of Issaquah Alps (mountain range)
- leftView of Whidby Island (island)
- leftView of Yaxon Canyon (deep canyon)
Flight path features
10:53 AMAcross the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Rattlesnake Mountains and the Beezley Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Hidden Canyon and the Scablands on the left.
- rightView of Rattlesnake Mountains (mountain range)
- rightView of Beezley Hills (mountain range)
- leftView of Hidden Canyon (deep canyon)
- leftView of Scablands (desert expanse)
Landing views
2:44 PMDescending into Chicago from the northwest, the left 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 right.
- leftView of Gogebic Range (mountain range)
- rightView of Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve (waterfall)
- leftView of Columbia Bay (bay and coastline)
- leftView of Buttons Bay (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).
Frequently asked questions
Which side of the plane should you sit on from Seattle to Chicago?
Sit on the LEFT: View of Issaquah Alps (mountain range). Across the middle of the route, the right window looks out over the Rattlesnake Mountains and the Beezley Hills (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Hidden Canyon and the Scablands on the left.
What views will you get at takeoff from Seattle?
Climbing out of Seattle toward the east, the left window looks out over the Issaquah Alps, the Whidby Island and the Yaxon Canyon (mountain ridges and peaks), with the Wenache Mountains on the right.
What about on the descent into Chicago?
Descending into Chicago from the northwest, the left 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 right.