Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Raleigh-durham to Chicago. Left side wins both ends of the flight. During the cruise over central Indiana and Illinois, the left side also gets slightly better views of the flat agricultural patchwork and any river systems like the Wabash and Kankakee. It's the clear choice for the full journey.

During takeoff from Raleigh Durham International (RDU), sit on the Left side for the best views. RDU's primary departure runway 23L sends aircraft southwest before turning northwest toward Chicago. The left side gets a clear view back over the Raleigh-Durham metro area, the Research Triangle Park campus, and Jordan Lake to the southwest. Right side faces mostly rural Piedmont farmland. Notable sights include: Research Triangle Park office campuses, Jordan Lake reservoir, downtown Raleigh skyline to the southeast, Falls Lake to the north.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Left side for the best views. Aircraft approaching ORD typically land on runways oriented east or southeast, meaning the approach path comes from the southwest over the Chicago suburbs. The left side faces north toward downtown Chicago, Lake Michigan, and the lakefront — the most dramatic urban geography in the region. The right side looks south over flat suburban sprawl. Notable sights include: Lake Michigan shoreline, downtown Chicago Loop skyline, O'Hare's distinctive runway grid visible below, the Chicago River corridor.

The flight from Raleigh Durham International (RDU) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes.

The flight crosses the Virginia/North Carolina Piedmont, then the Appalachian foothills briefly in southwest Virginia, before flattening out over Kentucky and Indiana. The Ohio River crossing is visible on clear days. Central Indiana and Illinois are dominated by the flat rectangular grid of corn and soybean fields. The Wabash River and Kankakee River are the most notable water features in the cruise phase.