Chicago to Fairbanks flight path: ORD to FAI

Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Fairbanks. The left side offers a brief but genuine skyline view at departure and, more importantly, the only real terrain drama of the flight — the Alaska Range and Denali on the Fairbanks approach — while the right side stays flat and featureless for nearly the entire route.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Departing ORD toward the northwest, the initial climb keeps downtown Chicago and the lakefront on the left side of the aircraft before the turn onto course. The right side mostly shows flat suburban grid and farmland with no distinguishing features. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline (Willis Tower, Loop skyscrapers), Lake Michigan shoreline, O'Hare's runway complex, Cook County suburban grid.

When landing at Fairbanks International (FAI), sit on the Left side for the best views. On approach into Fairbanks from the east, the descent path runs along the northern edge of the Alaska Range, putting Denali and its neighboring peaks on the southern (left) side of the aircraft. The right side faces the flatter Tanana Valley and boreal forest toward Fairbanks itself, which is scenic but far less dramatic. Notable sights include: Denali and the Alaska Range, Tanana River valley, boreal taiga forest, Fairbanks townsite along the Chena River.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Fairbanks International (FAI) takes 5h 55m.

Boreal forest and lake country across Manitoba and Saskatchewan, including Lake Winnipeg, followed by the muskeg wetlands and river networks of the Northwest Territories and Yukon, with the low, rounded foothills of the Mackenzie Mountains visible before descent into interior Alaska.