Chicago to Washington flight path: ORD to IAD

Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Washington. The right side captures both scenic bookends of the flight: Chicago's skyline and Lake Michigan at departure, and the Blue Ridge Mountains and Shenandoah Valley at arrival, while the left side offers little beyond flat Midwest and Mid-Atlantic farmland.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Right side for the best views. Eastbound departures off ORD's parallel runways swing just south of downtown, putting the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan's shoreline into view on the right side of the aircraft during initial climb. The left side only shows flat suburban grid stretching toward the horizon. Notable sights include: Chicago skyline (Willis Tower, Loop high-rises), Lake Michigan shoreline, Navy Pier.

When landing at Washington Dulles International (IAD), sit on the Right side for the best views. On the descent into Dulles, arrivals crossing from the west pass near the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah Valley before turning onto final approach, giving right-side passengers a last look at forested ridgelines before the terrain flattens into the Piedmont. The left side mostly shows featureless rural Virginia countryside. Notable sights include: Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah Valley, Bull Run Mountains, Potomac River tributaries.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Washington Dulles International (IAD) takes 1h 55m.

Flat farmland of Indiana and Ohio, the Ohio River valley, and the forested ridges of the Allegheny Plateau in West Virginia and Pennsylvania as the route crosses into the Appalachians