Chicago On High: Time Lapse Video From The Willis Tower

Chicago's architecture is world famous, and while a river cruise is the best way to take in all of the structural details of the skyline, the observation deck of the Willis Tower is the best place in the city to catch a sunset high above Lake Michigan.

For 25 years, the Willis Tower held the title as the tallest building in the world. Today, it's still the tallest building in the United States and is ranked as the fifth-tallest freestanding structure in the world.

At 1,353ft above the ground the 103rd floor Sky Deck offers views clear across the flat sprawl of Chicago and the surrounding suburbs.

This video opens by looking at the Near West Side, where Interstates 94 and 290 intersect, packed with rush hour traffic. Next, the sun sets behind clouds to the Northwest of downtown, with O'Hare airport on the horizon.

To the North, views of the famous skyline crowded against the shore Lake Michigan seem at contrast with the low-lying neighborhoods of Boystown, Wrigleyville and the wealthy suburb of Evanston on the horizon.

Once the sun sets and the streetlights come to life, the Loop far below the tower begins to bustle, signaling the start of another summer evening in the Second City.