Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Seattle. While the left side offers a good Chicago departure view, the right side delivers the more dramatic arrival sequence into Seattle — Mount Rainier, Puget Sound, the Olympic Mountains, and the Seattle skyline all on one side. The Cascades are also visible on the right during the cruise portion over eastern Washington. Right side wins the full flight.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. O'Hare's most common westbound departures use runways 10L/10C/10R heading east before turning west, or runways 28L/28C/28R heading west. On a westbound departure to Seattle, aircraft typically depart west or northwest. Left side (south-facing) gives you the Chicago skyline receding to the southeast, the lakefront, and Grant Park clearly visible during the climbing turn. Right side faces north toward suburban sprawl with less to see. Notable sights include: Chicago downtown skyline (Willis Tower, John Hancock), Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park and Museum Campus, the dense grid of Chicago's South Side street network.

When landing at Seattle Tacoma International (SEA), sit on the Right side for the best views. SeaTac's primary arrival runways are 16L/16R, meaning aircraft approach from the north heading south. On a flight from Chicago arriving from the northeast, the approach over Puget Sound puts the Olympic Mountains and Elliott Bay on the right (west) side, with Mount Rainier visible to the southeast also on the right during the descent. The left side faces east toward the Cascade foothills with less dramatic scenery. Notable sights include: Mount Rainier (14,411 ft, dominant to the southeast), Puget Sound and Elliott Bay, the Seattle skyline with Space Needle, Olympic Mountains across the sound to the west.

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Seattle Tacoma International (SEA) takes Approximately 4 hours 15 minutes to 4 hours 45 minutes westbound.

The flight crosses southern Wisconsin, then the Mississippi River near the Twin Cities area, crosses the flat agricultural plains of South Dakota and eastern Montana, then the Rocky Mountains and Continental Divide over western Montana or northern Idaho, followed by the Cascade Range of Washington state before descending into the Puget Sound basin. The Rockies and Cascades are the most dramatic visual features during cruise, both better seen from the right (north-facing) side on this routing.