Seeing Fermilab from a plane
Home of the Tevatron, the world's most powerful particle collider until 2009. Look for the 4-mile ring of its tunnel traced by a circular road and pond, and Wilson Hall's twin-towered high-rise.
11 of our routes pass it. Illinois · rated 5 of 10
The easy pick
Chicago to San Francisco: sit on the left, on the climb, 4 min after takeoff.
Which side, by route
| Route | Side | When |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Denver | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to San Francisco | Left | on the climb, 4 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Dallas-Fort Worth | Right the other side is usually better on this route | on the climb, 5 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Denver | Right | on the climb, 6 min after takeoff |
| Chicago to Phoenix | Right | on the climb, 6 min after takeoff |
| Dallas-Fort Worth to Chicago | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Houston to Chicago | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Kansas City to Chicago | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
| Phoenix to Chicago | Left | on the way down |
| San Diego to Chicago | Left | on the way down |
| St. Louis to Chicago | Left the other side is usually better on this route | on the way down |
From the real paths of every nonstop on these routes in the last 10 days, at the usual time of day.
Questions
Which side of the plane do you see Fermilab from?
It depends on the direction: the left on most of our routes (8 of 11). The table lists each route's side.
When can you see Fermilab from a plane?
Near the airport, on the climb or on the way down, and mid-flight on longer routes: see the table for each route.
Do clouds matter?
Yes. These answers assume a clear day. Within 3 days of your flight, pick your exact flight in the app for the cloud forecast.
More
Chicago Midway International Airport United Center Chicago Wrigley Field Rate Field Chicago (ORD) Denver (DEN) San Francisco (SFO) Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) All routes