UpToWhereWhat can you see from Willis Tower?
It reigned as the world's tallest building for nearly twenty-five years from the top of Chicago.
From Willis Tower, the terrain-limited line of sight reaches up to 108 km. The single farthest piece of visible terrain lies 108 km to the east-northeast (bearing 74°), at 228 m elevation. These results account for Earth's curvature and standard atmospheric refraction, computed from 30-meter resolution Copernicus GLO-30 elevation data across 1,991,084 terrain samples.
Open the interactive visibility map →Visibility by direction
The horizon is most open toward the east, where sightlines run 90.9 km on average; terrain closes the view down fastest to the southeast, at 65.5 km.
| N | 84.0 km | |
| NNE | 81.3 km | |
| NE | 81.3 km | |
| ENE | 87.2 km | |
| E | 90.9 km | |
| ESE | 74.5 km | |
| SE | 65.5 km | |
| SSE | 67.6 km | |
| S | 70.8 km | |
| SSW | 78.8 km | |
| SW | 71.8 km | |
| WSW | 81.7 km | |
| W | 77.7 km | |
| WNW | 73.7 km | |
| NW | 83.8 km | |
| NNW | 77.3 km |
About Willis Tower
Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower, opened in 1973 as a 1,451-foot glass and steel skyscraper designed by architect Bruce Graham and structural engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill. Over two thousand workers laboured for three years to complete the structure, which held the title of world's tallest building for nearly twenty-five years until the Petronas Twin Towers surpassed it in 1998. The Skydeck observation deck on the 103rd floor sits 412 metres above Chicago's streets.
Did you know?
- The tower was renamed Willis Tower in 2009 after an insurance broker bought naming rights, but many Chicagoans still call it the Sears Tower out of habit.
- At 1,451 feet (442.3 metres), it was surpassed by the Petronas Twin Towers in 1998.
- The innovative tube-in-tube design by Fazlur Rahman Khan allowed it to withstand strong winds.
- More than 2,000 workers spent over three years constructing the 110-storey tower.
- Glass balconies called 'The Ledge' extend 1.3 metres out from the Skydeck, letting visitors stand over open air and look straight down 412 metres.
Frequently asked questions
How far can you see from Willis Tower?
On a clear day the terrain allows a line of sight of up to 108 km from Willis Tower. The average visible distance across all 360 directions is 78.0 km. Atmospheric conditions (haze, humidity) usually reduce practical visibility below the terrain-limited maximum.
What is the farthest point visible from Willis Tower?
The farthest terrain visible from Willis Tower lies 108 km to the east-northeast, at an elevation of 228 m. Earth's curvature and atmospheric refraction are accounted for in this calculation.
How high is Willis Tower?
The observation point at Willis Tower sits at 626 m above sea level (Copernicus GLO-30 elevation model).
How is this visibility map calculated?
UpToWhere traces lines of sight in 360 directions from the observer using 30 m-resolution Copernicus terrain data, correcting for Earth curvature and standard atmospheric refraction. You can run the same analysis for any point on Earth with the free calculator.
Run your own analysis
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