Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Atlanta to Chicago. Left side wins at both ends of the flight. At takeoff you get Atlanta's skyline and Stone Mountain; on approach to Midway you get the Chicago Loop and Lake Michigan. The cruise portion over Tennessee, Kentucky, and Indiana is relatively flat and featureless from either side, so the endpoint views are the deciding factor.

During takeoff from The William B Hartsfield Atlanta International (ATL), sit on the Left side for the best views. ATL's primary departure to the north uses runways 26L/26R or 28, meaning the aircraft banks left (northward) after takeoff. The left side gets a clear view back over downtown Atlanta's skyline as the plane climbs out heading northwest. You can pick out the distinctive cluster of Midtown and Downtown towers before the city gives way to the northern suburbs. Notable sights include: Downtown Atlanta skyline, Stone Mountain (visible to the northeast as a distinctive granite dome), Lake Allatoona reservoir to the northwest, Chattahoochee River corridor.

When landing at Chicago Midway International (MDW), sit on the Left side for the best views. MDW sits on Chicago's southwest side, and aircraft typically land from the east or southeast on runways 31C/31L heading northwest. On approach from the southeast, the left side faces northeast toward the Chicago lakefront, giving a clear view of the downtown Loop skyline, Lake Michigan's shoreline, and Grant Park. The right side looks out over the flat southwest suburbs with little of interest. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline, Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park and Museum Campus, Midway Airport runways visible below on final approach.

The flight from The William B Hartsfield Atlanta International (ATL) to Chicago Midway International (MDW) takes Approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours.

The flight tracks roughly north-northwest over the Tennessee Valley, crossing the Cumberland Plateau near Cookeville TN, then over the flat farmland of central Kentucky around Bowling Green and Louisville, crossing the Ohio River into Indiana, and passing over the flat agricultural plains of central Indiana before descending into Chicago. The Ohio River crossing near Louisville is the most visually distinctive feature at cruise altitude, appearing as a broad brown ribbon cutting through the landscape.