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Chicago → Los Angeles

ORD–LAX · Chicago O'Hare International Airport to Los Angeles 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.

ORD to LAX: 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.ORDLAXLEFT SIDERIGHT SIDE12345678
Distance from the route is to scale (up to 55 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

    RightHalfway11 mi off the route

    Pikes Peak is about 11 miles off the right, around the halfway mark.

    Good possibility

  2. Mount Elbert

    RightHalfway55 mi off the route

    Around the halfway mark, Mount Elbert sits roughly 55 miles to the right.

    Distant possibility

  3. San Juan Mountains

    Either sideThree quarters7 mi off the route

    San Juan Mountains passes almost directly beneath about three quarters of the way, which is the one place a window seat can't help you.

    Strong candidate

  4. Monument Valley

    LeftThree quarters9 mi off the route

    Monument Valley is about 9 miles off the left, about three quarters of the way.

    Strong candidate

  5. Lake Powell

    RightThree quarters18 mi off the route

    About three quarters of the way, Lake Powell sits roughly 18 miles to the right.

    Good possibility

  6. Grand Canyon

    LeftThree quarters21 mi off the route

    Look left about three quarters of the way for Grand Canyon, about 21 miles out.

    Strong candidate

  7. Lake Mead

    RightThree quarters42 mi off the route

    Lake Mead is about 42 miles off the right, about three quarters of the way.

    Distant possibility

  8. San Gorgonio Mountain

    LeftNear the end32 mi off the route

    Late in the flight, San Gorgonio Mountain sits roughly 32 miles to the left.

    Distant 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

1,741 mi
Great-circle distance
262°
Course out of ORD
242°
Course into LAX
7
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?

Los Angeles → 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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