The farthest distance from which you've viewed Chicago's skyline?

The Urban Politician · March 18th, 2010, 07:19 AM

I was flat out astounded today, when visiting Kenosha's waterfront on this clear, bright day, to see Chicago's faint skyline in the distance.

I did a double take, it was so surprising. I even asked some people near me if I was correct in what I was seeing, and even they were a bit surprised. I'd never thought I'd be able to see it from this far away--but there it was!

Have any of you seen the skyline from a surprisingly far distance?

Chitowner245 · March 18th, 2010, 08:20 AM

^ Yep, from about 10 miles NE of michigan city last summer on a cool, dry august day. It definitely surprised me a bit, but I've been told you can see it even from st.joe, MI with certain conditions of course.

Northsider · March 18th, 2010, 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chitowner245

It definitely surprised me a bit, but I've been told you can see it even from st.joe, MI with certain conditions of course.

I can vouch for that. My family stayed in Benton Harbor for vacation a long while ago. The house was on a cliff and on a clear evening you can make out the antennas of Chicago's talls (Sears, AON ) with binoculars. That is about 65 miles across the Lake.

I had a similar thread to this a year or two ago: I asked if it's theoretically possible to view Chicago from Milwaukee and vice versa if conditions are right.

Steely Dan · March 18th, 2010, 05:28 PM

the farthest out i've ever spied the skyline is from the top of tower hill (a ~250' tall sand dune) in warren dunes state park over in michigan on the other side of the lake. it's about 53 miles over the water.

simulcra · March 18th, 2010, 10:53 PM

I've seen it from Northwest Indiana, though I don't remember clearly enough exactly where (further than Gary).

Jules · March 19th, 2010, 03:50 AM

I once spotted the skyline driving easbound on route 12 just after the route 53 underpass in Palatine. While probably not as far as Kenosha or Michigan, it was still pretty impressive.

chrome13 · March 20th, 2010, 03:24 AM

I've seen the Sears/Hancock a few times on 88 before Finley(?) rd. That would have to be the farthest for me.

Rail Claimore · March 20th, 2010, 07:46 AM

Not the farthest I've seen it from (that would be I-80 between LaGrange Rd and Harlem Rd), but a spectacular view can be seen from the flyover from I-355 south to I-55 north.

DeMaFrost · March 20th, 2010, 07:59 AM

Here is a view from Indiana Dunes State Park, which is the farthest away I spied the Chicago skyline. Not nearly as far as St. Joseph, MI but same type of vantage point.

Northsider · March 20th, 2010, 03:00 PM

Here's one from Long Beach (~40 miles). You can see how many of the buildings get clipped the farther you get

[IMG]

[/IMG]

Chicagophotoshop · March 21st, 2010, 02:38 AM

IL State Beach Park which is in Zion, IL. almost the IL/WI border

redbaron_012 · March 21st, 2010, 10:58 AM

From Melbourne, Australia...but It looked very small...of course !.......a bit like last pic but further back......much further back...um Ok...I use skyscrapercity .com...don'tyajustluvit !

chicagogeorge · March 22nd, 2010, 01:49 AM

The Chicago skyline from the Michigan City Indiana Dunes

http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolmrdwyer/76773884/

image hosted on flickr

http://www.flickr.com/photos/metroblossom/171641577/

Rail Claimore · March 22nd, 2010, 04:48 AM

Chicago might be the only city in the world whose multiple accessible long-distance views of the skyline can prove the curvature of the earth so vividly.

simulcra · March 22nd, 2010, 07:13 PM

+1

Metalus · March 22nd, 2010, 08:28 PM

Saw Willis clearly 30 minutes ago in my rear view mirror driving west on I-90 right before I passed under 290. Not sure of the millage but its up there. Also considering all the obstructions, trees, grade changes, ect~

Flubnut · March 23rd, 2010, 03:27 PM

Can see the skyline this morning, 3rd floor of Sherman Hospital in Elgin, 40 miles away.

criminal · March 25th, 2010, 01:04 PM

Quote:

driving east over the I-290 bridge on St Charles Rd you can see straight to downtown and it looks so massive and dense!

I Know I've driven that, but I'll have to check it out again.

criminal · March 25th, 2010, 05:02 PM

Not really about the distance, but driving east on Ogden Ave at just about Pershing or Harlem (I think it might be in Lyons), the skyline just juts out and looks enormous and just really striking from that vantage. It's strange how it can actually be MORE impressive in some ways when further out.

Northsider · March 25th, 2010, 05:04 PM

Quote:

It's strange how it can actually be MORE impressive in some ways when further out.

I know what you mean. I grew up in Elmhurst and driving east over the I-290 bridge on St Charles Rd you can see straight to downtown and it looks so massive and dense! Granted this is only 16 miles out, but the effect is really cool

March 18th, 2010, 07:19 AM	#1
The Urban Politician The City Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 5,968 Likes (Received): 0	The farthest distance from which you've viewed Chicago's skyline? I was flat out astounded today, when visiting Kenosha's waterfront on this clear, bright day, to see Chicago's faint skyline in the distance. I did a double take, it was so surprising. I even asked some people near me if I was correct in what I was seeing, and even they were a bit surprised. I'd never thought I'd be able to see it from this far away--but there it was! Have any of you seen the skyline from a surprisingly far distance? __________________ It is humanly impossible to walk through Chicago's core and not consider it one of the world's great cities unless you are inwardly angry at the place for somehow threatening or robbing your hometown of its vitality or integrity.

March 18th, 2010, 05:28 PM	#4
Steely Dan facist lord of the cosmos Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: old style city Posts: 2,598 Likes (Received): 5	the farthest out i've ever spied the skyline is from the top of tower hill (a ~250' tall sand dune) in warren dunes state park over in michigan on the other side of the lake. it's about 53 miles over the water. __________________ "I wish they'd hurry up and just destroy humanity already........... it's the waiting that I can't stand" - Philip J. Fry

March 18th, 2010, 10:53 PM	#5
simulcra Cynical post-collegiate Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 937 Likes (Received): 0	I've seen it from Northwest Indiana, though I don't remember clearly enough exactly where (further than Gary). __________________ Mmm... forbidden donut...

March 20th, 2010, 03:00 PM	#10
Northsider Registered User Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 4,572 Likes (Received): 25	Here's one from Long Beach (~40 miles). You can see how many of the buildings get clipped the farther you get [IMG][/IMG]

March 21st, 2010, 02:38 AM	#11
Chicagophotoshop Chicago Photographer Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Chicago, IL USA Posts: 2,830 Likes (Received): 1	IL State Beach Park which is in Zion, IL. almost the IL/WI border __________________ Portfolio \| Twitter \| Facebook \| Flickr \| Gear \| SmugMugPro

March 18th, 2010, 08:20 AM	#2
Chitowner245 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Paradise Posts: 278 Likes (Received): 0	^ Yep, from about 10 miles NE of michigan city last summer on a cool, dry august day. It definitely surprised me a bit, but I've been told you can see it even from st.joe, MI with certain conditions of course.

March 19th, 2010, 03:50 AM	#6
Jules Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Chicago Posts: 2,564 Likes (Received): 1	I once spotted the skyline driving easbound on route 12 just after the route 53 underpass in Palatine. While probably not as far as Kenosha or Michigan, it was still pretty impressive.

March 20th, 2010, 03:24 AM	#7
chrome13 Registered User Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Chicago Posts: 234 Likes (Received): 0	I've seen the Sears/Hancock a few times on 88 before Finley(?) rd. That would have to be the farthest for me.

March 20th, 2010, 07:46 AM	#8
Rail Claimore Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 1,171 Likes (Received): 2	Not the farthest I've seen it from (that would be I-80 between LaGrange Rd and Harlem Rd), but a spectacular view can be seen from the flyover from I-355 south to I-55 north.

March 20th, 2010, 07:59 AM	#9
DeMaFrost Registered User Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Too North for Lakeview, too east for Roscoe Village Posts: 479 Likes (Received): 0	Here is a view from Indiana Dunes State Park, which is the farthest away I spied the Chicago skyline. Not nearly as far as St. Joseph, MI but same type of vantage point.

March 21st, 2010, 10:58 AM	#12
redbaron_012 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Melbourne Posts: 6,068 Likes (Received): 119	From Melbourne, Australia...but It looked very small...of course !.......a bit like last pic but further back......much further back...um Ok...I use skyscrapercity .com...don'tyajustluvit ! __________________ "Make no small plans, for they have not power to stir the blood" - Daniel H. Burnham

March 22nd, 2010, 01:49 AM	#13
chicagogeorge Registered User Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: South suburban Chicago Posts: 5,313 Likes (Received): 111	The Chicago skyline from the Michigan City Indiana Dunes http://www.flickr.com/photos/malcolmrdwyer/76773884/ image hosted on flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/metroblossom/171641577/ __________________ for the Pelasgians, too, were a Greek nation originally from the Peloponnesus The Roman Antiquities of Dionysius of Halicarnassus http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/...assus/1B.html Macedonia, of course, is a part of Greece". Strabo, VII, Frg. 9 http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/...ragments.html But north of the gulf, the first inhabitants are Greeks called Epirotes.... Procopius http://books.google.com/books?id=9m6...page&q&f=false

March 22nd, 2010, 04:48 AM	#14
Rail Claimore Registered User Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: Huntsville, AL Posts: 1,171 Likes (Received): 2	Chicago might be the only city in the world whose multiple accessible long-distance views of the skyline can prove the curvature of the earth so vividly.

March 22nd, 2010, 07:13 PM	#15
simulcra Cynical post-collegiate Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 937 Likes (Received): 0	+1 __________________ Mmm... forbidden donut...

March 22nd, 2010, 08:28 PM	#16
Metalus Registered User Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Chicago Posts: 102 Likes (Received): 0	Saw Willis clearly 30 minutes ago in my rear view mirror driving west on I-90 right before I passed under 290. Not sure of the millage but its up there. Also considering all the obstructions, trees, grade changes, ect~

March 23rd, 2010, 03:27 PM	#17
Flubnut 4th Level of Hades Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 705 Likes (Received): 0	Can see the skyline this morning, 3rd floor of Sherman Hospital in Elgin, 40 miles away.

March 25th, 2010, 05:02 PM	#19
criminal Registered User Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Chicago Posts: 39 Likes (Received): 0	Not really about the distance, but driving east on Ogden Ave at just about Pershing or Harlem (I think it might be in Lyons), the skyline just juts out and looks enormous and just really striking from that vantage. It's strange how it can actually be MORE impressive in some ways when further out.

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