Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Nashville. The left side delivers the more dramatic takeoff experience with Chicago's iconic skyline and Lake Michigan clearly in view. During cruise the flight tracks roughly south-southeast, and both sides offer similar rural Tennessee and Kentucky farmland views. Left edges out right overall due to the superior urban departure spectacle.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. O'Hare's most common departure headings on runways 10L/10R or 9L/9R send the aircraft eastward initially before turning south, putting the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan on the left side. The downtown Loop, Grant Park, and the lakefront are clearly visible on the left as the aircraft climbs and banks south toward Nashville. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline, Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park/Museum Campus, Chicago River corridor.

When landing at Nashville International (BNA), sit on the Right side for the best views. BNA's most common landing approach is from the northeast on runway 02L/02R or from the east on runway 13, both of which put the Cumberland River and downtown Nashville on the right side of the aircraft during final approach. The river's distinctive bend around downtown and the compact skyline are clearly visible from the right window. Notable sights include: Cumberland River bend, downtown Nashville skyline, Percy Priest Lake to the southeast, Nissan Stadium.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Nashville International (BNA) takes Approximately 1 hour 20 minutes.

The flight crosses southern Illinois flatlands, the Ohio River near Evansville Indiana, then enters western Kentucky with its rolling karst terrain and scattered reservoirs including Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake visible to the west. The route then crosses into middle Tennessee over gently rolling forested hills before descending into the Nashville Basin.