Sit on the Right side of the plane for the best views on flights from State College to Chicago. While takeoff favors the left side with Appalachian ridge visibility, the landing approach on the right side—featuring Lake Michigan and the Chicago skyline—provides more dramatic and recognizable urban scenery. The landing view is more visually distinctive than the takeoff, and both sides score equally on cruise (flat Midwest terrain with minimal variation). Right side edges ahead due to the iconic Chicago waterfront approach.

During takeoff from State College Regional Airport (SCE), sit on the Left side for the best views. State College sits in the Ridge-and-Valley Appalachian terrain. Left (north/northwest) side captures the folded ridges and valleys of central Pennsylvania immediately after departure, with visible topographic relief. Right side faces the same ridges but from a less dramatic angle during initial climb. Notable sights include: Nittany Valley, Tussey Mountain ridge system, Bald Eagle Mountain, Penns Valley.

When landing at Chicago Ohare International (ORD), sit on the Right side for the best views. Approaching Chicago from the east, the right (south) side offers views of Lake Michigan's shoreline, the Chicago skyline, and urban development patterns. The left side faces inland terrain with fewer distinctive landmarks during final approach. Notable sights include: Lake Michigan shoreline, Chicago downtown skyline and Willis Tower, Grant Park waterfront, Lake Shore Drive corridor.

The flight from State College Regional Airport (SCE) to Chicago Ohare International (ORD) takes 1h 25m.

Ohio farmland and plains, Wabash River valley, Indiana agricultural terrain, minimal elevation change after leaving Pennsylvania ridges