Phoenix to Chicago flight path: PHX to ORD

Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Phoenix to Chicago. The right side combines a dramatic desert mountain backdrop on departure from Phoenix with a clear Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan view on arrival, while the left side offers comparatively flat, unremarkable terrain at both ends of the flight.

During takeoff from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX), sit on the Right side for the best views. Departing PHX and climbing northeast toward Chicago, the right side faces southeast over the Salt River Valley, giving a clear view of the Superstition Mountains and the jagged Four Peaks on the horizon. The left side mostly shows flatter north Phoenix suburbs and the low McDowell Mountains, which are less dramatic. Notable sights include: Superstition Mountains, Four Peaks, Salt River Valley, Phoenix downtown skyline.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Right side for the best views. On approach into ORD from the southwest, the right side of the aircraft faces northeast toward the Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan as the plane lines up for landing. The left side typically shows flat farmland and western suburbs with no comparable landmark. Notable sights include: Chicago skyline (Willis Tower, Sears/Willis area), Lake Michigan shoreline, Loop and Near North Side high-rises.

The flight from Phoenix Sky Harbor International (PHX) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes 3h 25m.

The route crosses the high deserts and mesas of northern Arizona and New Mexico, skirts the southern Rocky Mountains' eastern foothills, then flattens out over the Great Plains of Kansas and Nebraska before crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois farmland on the descent toward Chicago.