Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from Providence to Chicago. The left side wins at takeoff with Narragansett Bay, but the right side delivers the Chicago lakefront approach, which is one of the most dramatic urban arrivals in North America. For the full flight, right side edges it out.

During takeoff from Theodore Francis Green State (PVD), sit on the Left side for the best views. PVD typically departs runway 05 heading northeast, then turns west toward Chicago. The left side picks up Narragansett Bay directly below during the turn, with Providence's downtown grid visible and the bay's distinctive elongated shape stretching south toward Rhode Island Sound. This is the money view on departure. Notable sights include: Narragansett Bay, Providence downtown waterfront, Pawtucket urban grid, Mount Hope Bay to the southeast.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Right side for the best views. ORD arrivals from the east typically use runways 10R/10L or 9R heading westbound, putting Lake Michigan on the right side during the approach. You get a clear view of the Chicago lakefront skyline — the Loop towers, Grant Park, and the lake's flat expanse — as the plane descends over the south suburbs. Notable sights include: Chicago Loop skyline, Lake Michigan shoreline, Grant Park and Museum Campus, O'Hare approach over western suburbs.

The flight from Theodore Francis Green State (PVD) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes Approximately 2 hours 30 minutes.

The flight tracks roughly along the 42nd parallel, crossing the Catskill uplands of upstate New York, then the flat agricultural plains of central New York state, over Lake Erie's eastern end near Buffalo (visible from both sides at altitude), across the flat lake plain of northern Ohio and Indiana, and into the Chicago metro from the southeast. The Erie crossing near Buffalo is the most visually distinctive midpoint feature — the lake's blue expanse is unmistakable from cruising altitude.