Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Chicago to Tucson. While takeoff favors the right, the landing approach into TUS is significantly more scenic. Left-side seats capture the Santa Catalina Mountains' dramatic desert landscape during descent, which outweighs the modest farmland views on departure. The mountains provide the flight's most visually distinctive moment.

During takeoff from Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right-side seats capture the southwestern climb-out path over Illinois farmland and the Des Plaines River valley, with views of Chicago's urban sprawl receding behind. The westward departure corridor offers clearer sightlines to open terrain. Notable sights include: Des Plaines River, Chicago metropolitan area (receding eastward), Illinois farmland grid, Lake Michigan (distant northeast).

When landing at Tucson International (TUS), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left-side seats on descent into TUS offer excellent views of the Santa Catalina Mountains to the north and the Tucson Basin's urban grid. The standard approach from the northeast provides direct sightlines to these dramatic desert ranges and the city's expansion into the valley floor. Notable sights include: Santa Catalina Mountains, Tucson urban area and grid, Tucson Basin desert floor, Rincon Mountains (distant southeast).

The flight from Chicago Ohare International (ORD) to Tucson International (TUS) takes Approximately 3 hours 15 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Texas Panhandle and New Mexico, passing over the Canadian River valley in the Texas Panhandle (around 2 hours into flight), then transitions into New Mexico's high desert plateau. The Rio Grande appears briefly near the New Mexico-Texas border. As the aircraft approaches Arizona, the landscape transitions from grassland to increasingly arid desert. The Mogollon Rim (southern edge of the Colorado Plateau) may be visible to the north around 2.5 hours into flight, appearing as a distant escarpment. The final approach into Tucson crosses the Sonoran Desert with scattered saguaro forests visible at lower altitudes.