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Chicago → Las Vegas

MDW–LAS · Chicago Midway International Airport to Harry Reid International Airport

Best bet

Either side

Both sides workThe two sides come out close to level.

Both sides have something going for them, and the totals come out close enough that picking one would be a coin flip with extra steps.

Flight paths move around. Treat this as the better bet, not a promise.

What you might see

In flight order, with distance measured from the representative route.

MDW to LAS: where each landmark sits relative to the routeA diagram of the representative route running left to right, with the departure airport at the left and the arrival airport at the right. Landmarks on the left side of the aircraft are plotted above the route line and landmarks on the right side below it, each at its distance from the route. The numbered list below this diagram carries the same information as text.MDWLASLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE123456789
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 64 miles); the shaded ends are the 40-mile zones around each airport where the runway in use decides the view. Numbers match the list below. Hollow markers didn't count toward the recommendation.

  1. Pikes Peak

    LeftThree quarters15 mi off the route

    Pikes Peak is about 15 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  2. Mount Elbert

    RightThree quarters27 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Mount Elbert sits roughly 27 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  3. Maroon Bells

    RightThree quarters33 mi off the route

    Look right about three quarters of the way for Maroon Bells, about 33 miles out.

    Distant possibility

  4. San Juan Mountains

    LeftThree quarters23 mi off the route

    San Juan Mountains is about 23 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Good possibility

  5. Canyonlands

    RightThree quarters23 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Canyonlands sits roughly 23 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  6. Lake Powell

    LeftNear the end23 mi off the route

    Look left late in the flight for Lake Powell, about 23 miles out.

    Good possibility

  7. Grand Canyon

    LeftNear the end64 mi off the route

    Grand Canyon is about 64 miles off the left, late in the flight.

    Distant possibility

  8. Zion National Park

    RightNear the end25 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, Zion National Park sits roughly 25 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  9. Lake Mead

    Either sideNear the end6 mi off the route

    Lake Mead passes almost directly beneath late in the flight, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Good possibility

The sun

Flying soon? Add your date and departure time and we'll work out where the sun should be, and which side gets less of it.

Airport codes or city names. SEA, Seattle, and Seattle-Tacoma all work.

Skip the date and you still get the landmark answer. Add it and we work out where the sun will be, using the departure airport's local time.

The route we used

1,517 mi
Great-circle distance
264°
Course out of MDW
247°
Course into LAS
8
Landmarks that counted

That is the shortest path between the two airports, used as a representative corridor rather than a flight plan. The first and last 40 miles are treated as uncertain, because that part of the flight is shaped by the runway in use and the published departure or arrival procedure. Anything in those zones is listed and marked, never counted toward the recommendation.

Left and right, from where?

Left and right are from your perspective sitting in the cabin, facing the front of the aircraft. Seat letters are not a reliable guide to which side you are on, because aircraft are configured differently.

Why this isn't guaranteed

Flights don't follow the same path every day. Runway configuration, weather deviations, traffic, and air traffic control all move the track around, and none of it is knowable in advance. We also have nothing to say about cloud cover, which is the other thing standing between you and Mount Rainier. The full method.

Flying the other way?

Las Vegas → ChicagoEither side

Calculated from scratch, not by flipping this one. The landmarks arrive in the opposite order, the sun is somewhere else entirely, and the answer changes with them.

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