O'Hare International Airport

Understand

This is no Changi, no Kansai; in other words, it's nobody's favorite airport. O'Hare is huge, but it's from an era before airports had much in the way of amenities, and it's been stretched beyond capacity for a while now. Although safety has never been a concern, O'Hare has one of the worst on-time records of any major airport. In the winter, snow and ice storms can cause delays, and during the summer, heavy winds can make take-off and landings dangerous. These weather conditions sometimes cause air traffic control at O'Hare to hold traffic from smaller airports from even taking off. However, most of the world's airlines fly through O'Hare, so international travellers and those making transfers aren't likely to have much of a choice. The title of the world's busiest airport oscillates between O'Hare and Altanta's Hartsfield-Jackson. Those travelling to the area can use Chicago's Midway or Milwaukee's General Mitchell International (connected to the Loop via the Amtrak Hiawatha train service). Alternatively, travellers may consider the Airport Express operated by Coach USA/Wisconsin Coach Lines, connecting General Mitchell International, the Milwaukee Intermodal Station and points in-between.

There are multiple TSA Pre lines in terminal 3, so travellers who have paid for this service can clear security very quickly even in high traffic conditions.

Get around

On foot

Passengers may walk between Terminals 1, 2, and 3 both land-side (prior to clearing security) and air-side. The distance can be considerable; make sure to allow adequate time for layovers between different terminals.

Airside shuttle buses

United Airlines runs an air-side shuttle bus between Gate E2A in Terminal 2 and Gate C9 in Terminal 1 (convenient for people going from a United Express flight to a Star Alliance flight). There is also a bus stopping at gates G17, K20 and L24 in Terminal 3 before going to Terminal 5, allowing you to bypass the security checkpoint there. Due to immigration and customs processing, you can't take the bus back.

Airport Transit System

O'Hare has an automated, land-side, transit system cleverly called Airport Transit System or ATS. Stops are made at all four terminals (and Lot D at Terminal 5), remote parking lot E and the Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) for rental cars, Lots G & H; Metra train, intercity buses & shuttles, and Pace buses. This is the only way to reach the three domestic terminals and the Blue Line station from the international terminal, which means that passengers connecting to or from a Terminal 5 flight should allow abundant time for border formalities, inter-terminal transit, and a second security screening. There is no charge for the use of the ATS.

Flights

O'Hare has four passenger terminals. Terminals 1-3 handle domestic traffic and a few international departures. Terminal 5 handles all international arrivals and international departures that are not covered by Terminals 1-3. (Terminal 4 is something of a fnord, its temporary space since re-appropriated as the shuttle bus depot; the name has been set aside for potential future expansion). The O'Hare 21 plan is already changing this, however - more details below..

United Airlines has its main hub at O'Hare, since its corporate offices are located in downtown Chicago. O'Hare is also a major hub for American Airlines. As such, a rule of thumb is that Terminals 1 and 2 are dominated by United and its alliance partners; Terminal 3 is given over to American and its partners, and only Concourse L of Terminal 3 and several gates in Concourse E of Terminal 2 are for everybody else.

Here is a detailed list of terminals and airlines. The terminal color is the same here as it is on signage and maps at the airport.

See also: view a full list of airline info.

With the exception of flights from airports with U.S. border preclearance, such as those from major Canadian airports, all international arrivals are processed at Terminal 5 regardless of the departure terminal of the airline.

Note: If you are traveling with the following airlines they may only serve the following area airports: * Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) Avelo, Allegiant and Porter operate only from Midway. Southwest and Frontier connect Chicagoland to more destinations through MDW than through ORD. Delta/Delta Connection and Volaris serve both airports. It is connected from O'Hare by CTA trains via downtown (the 'Loop'). See 'By train' under 'Ground transportation' in the below on getting there by public transportation. Midway is an older and smaller airport 12 mi south/southwest of the Loop in downtown Chicago via the Stevenson Expy (I-55) and S Cicero Ave (IL-50). * Milwaukee Mitchell Airport (MKE) Some travelers from within the U.S. may opt to fly directly to Milwaukee (85 mi north of the 'Loop' or 75 mi from ORD) if they plan to spend their entire stay there (or anywhere in Wisconsin) while saving time in picking up a rental car here and then drive up there (1hr 30 min on I-94). Others may choose to fly into ORD or MDW, rent a car, and drive up there; or take a bus or shuttle to get there in order to save money on the airfare or to include additional stopovers en-route. It is served by Coach USA/Wisconsin Coach from Chicago O'Hare and by Amtrak Hiawatha from Chicago Union Station. American Airlines and United also offer direct (Short) flights between Chicago O'Hare and Milwaukee Mitchell in 0:50 min. * Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) is another area airport located 72.5 mi northwest of Chicago O'Hare in Rockford. It can be accessed via I-90 & US 20 by car or by Coach USA Van Galder bus from Chicago O'Hare. It is served only by Allegiant Airlines, airlines chartered by Apple Vacations and American Eagle. American Eagle "flights" to Rockford and South Bend are operated by Landline as a bus. The bus fare is included in the airfare if connecting to/from an actual American Airlines flight in ORD. If South Bend or Rockford are the final destinations from Chicago O'Hare this is the LEAST economical way to get there as the fare is approximately $527 o.w. (as of April 1, 2026).

Arrive

For passengers arriving on international flights, Immigration and Customs formalities typically take 15-30 minutes, but can take over 2 hours at peak times. The busiest times are in the afternoon, and the full statistics can be seen here.

Transfer

Passengers transferring between international flights should note that there are no special transit facilities, which means that even if you have an immediate connecting flight, you have to pass through Customs and Immigration. After you clear customs, but before you exit into the public area, there are some check-in counters run by the major mainline carriers for you to check your bags that have already been checked through to the final destination, so you don't have to lug your bag to Terminals 1-3. For details of entry and visa requirements see get in section of United States page. Passengers arriving on international flights and transferring to another international or domestic flight will have to go through security again.

For passengers transferring between from domestic flights (or from international flights from airports with US border preclearance), Terminals 1-3 are connected to each other both landside and airside, so if your luggage is checked through, you do not need to clear security again. Terminal 5 is in a completely separate area and not physically connected to Terminals 1-3, so you will have to exit the restricted area and go through security again after transferring using the AirTrain.

O'Hare 21

This major renovation plan, named due to its planned full completion in 2021, is already making an impact in the airport. For example, the first new gates in two decades (the L Stinger concourse for American Eagle regional jets), the temporary closure of the ATS for renovation and extension, the new Multi-Modal facility, and the move of all Delta and Frontier flights - even domestic ones - to Terminal 5 have already happened.

The long term plan is that the Terminals 1-3 complex will become a unified Global Terminal with customs implementation as well as TSA and landside amenity improvements. This Global Terminal will make O'Hare the first North American airport to be built around the airport alliances as United and Star Alliance carriers as well as American and Oneworld airlines will move there while Delta and their SkyTeam partners will move to the current Terminal 5, which will be extended to meet the demand.

Ground transportation

Ground transportation is located at the centralized Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) at 10255 W. Zemke Blvd at the southeastern corner of Zemke Blvd and Manheim Rd. It is at the eastern terminus of the free Airport Transit System (ATS) train from the airline terminals. This 2.5 million+ square feet facility serves as the rental car center, Economy Parking 'F', intercity bus & shuttle station, Metra's "O'Hare Transfer Station", and bus stop location for PACE buses.

By train

The CTA Blue Line terminates at the space-age station for O'Hare, designed by the firm of architect Helmut Jahn. Trains run 24 hours a day, as frequently as every six minutes during peak periods and as infrequently as every half-hour overnight. The trip to the Loop should take about 48 minutes, but never cut things close with the CTA. The station is located beneath the Bus/Shuttle Center, closest to Terminal 2 but easily accessible by underground passages, with moving walkways, from Terminals 1 and 3. Those arriving at or departing from Terminal 5 (international) must take the automated Airport Transit System between Terminals 2 and 5. The cost of the train from O'Hare is $5 instead of the regular $2.50 anywhere else in the city. When taking the CTA to O'Hare, it's recommended to board the train at the front in the O’Hare direction, as the entrance is at the front of the train (back of the train in the Forest Park direction). You do not need to pay the extra fare upon exiting the station. Get off at the Clark/Lake Station in downtown Chicago (the 'Loop') and transfer to the Orange Line train to continue to Chicago Midway Airport. Get off the Blue Line train at the Clinton Station and walk up a couple blocks on Clinton St to reach Union Station.

Metra North Central Service (NCS) trains stop at the "O'Hare transfer" station, located adjacent to parking lot F (with shuttle bus service connecting to the ATS at the Remote Parking stop). The train reaches Chicago's Union Station in approximately 30 minutes, but service is infrequent, operates only on weekdays and is concentrated in the peak commute direction. In the future, Metra-ATS transfers will be direct at a new consolidated rental center.

By bus

Pace is one of the three transit agencies (the others are Metra and CTA) serving the surrounding suburbs of Chicagoland in Cook, Lake, Will, Kane, McHenry, and DuPage counties with the following routes going directly into the Multi-Modal Facility (MMF): *Routes 250 and Pulse Dempster Line go north to Des Plaines/Des Plaines Metra Station; and then east towards Evanston via Skokie on Dempster St. Both run along the same route except the 250 route makes more local stops along the way then the Pulse Dempster Line. * Route 330 goes south towards Harlam / Archer in Summit via Manheim (US 12) and Granger Roads. It stops at the Rosemont (CTA) Station and La Grange Road Station (Metra BNSF Line; Amtrak Illinois Zyphyr and Carl Sandburg trains).

There are additional ("airport") Pace bus routes from Rosemont (CTA) Station and the Cumberland (CTA) Station, the next two stops in the surrounding areas, on the CTA Blue Train from O'Hare. The station names in the above are linked to the PACE website listing the PACE bus routes serving the two stations in Rosemont.

By taxi

Chicago taxis charge a metered rate based on time and distance. Expect to pay around $45 (plus tip) from O'Hare to the Loop. It is illegal for Chicago taxis to charge a non-metered flat rate except for special shared-ride services. Taxi drivers rarely participate in shared-ride services.

Except for a few suburbs immediately adjacent to the airport, Chicago taxis charge one and a half times the meter rate for non-Chicago destinations. Most suburban taxi companies have flat-rate taxi service to their respective suburbs. It is illegal for a suburban taxi to take you from O'Hare to a point within the City of Chicago. American Taxi, Universal Taxi and 303 Taxi are three large suburban taxi associations that have taxis stationed near the airport. But the suburban taxis cannot come to the airport unless you call them after you arrive.

Of the many shuttle/limo services, Go Airport Express vans are the most commonly seen doing the rounds of downtown hotel pick-ups. Fares to the downtown business district are $32/46/54 (plus tip) for a party of one/two/three persons, with a discount for a return ticket if bought in advance and lower fares for children under 14.

Ride app pick-up zones are on the upper level (the departure level) of Terminal 2. If your flight lands at any of the other terminals, you will need to make your way to Terminal 2 to be picked up by a ride share. Only premium services such as Uber Black and Lyft Black are allowed to pick up passengers at the arrival level of all terminals.

By intercity bus and shuttle

Except with Greyhound Lines the airport intercity bus and shuttle companies stop at the Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) outside the airport grounds (10255 W Zemke Blvd):

To reach the downtown bus station (Greyhound & Burlington Trailways) at 630 W Harrison St, take the CTA Blue Line train from O'Hare to Clinton Station. Walk one block south on S Clinton St to Harrison and go a couple blocks west, along Harrison, towards S Des Plaines St to reach the bus station (Harrison & Des Plaines).

By car

Access to O'Hare's terminals is via I-190, which originates near the interchange between I-294 (the Tri-State Tollway) and I-90 (the Northwest Tollway to the northwest and the Kennedy Expressway to the east). From downtown Chicago, follow I-90/94 northwest, continue on I-90 when I-94 splits off, then follow I-190 into the airport, which splits eventually into arrival (lower-level) and departure (upper-level) roadways serving Terminals 1, 2, and 3 in turn. For Terminal 5, exit on Bessie Coleman Drive. This exit also serves numerous rental car companies and the economy parking lots. To drop off a passenger without the harrowing experience of navigating the departures roadway, try Kiss n'Fly: follow signs for remote lot E where you can leave your friend at the terminus of the Airport Transit System, just a short ride away from the terminals.

Most major car rental companies are located in the Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) which is connected from the passenger terminals via Airport Transit System (ATS) train. Call to arrange shuttle pick-up by off-airport car rental companies at MMF (10255 W. Zemke Blvd).

Parking

O'Hare runs a parking hotline (+1-773-686-7530) and broadcasts parking information on 800 AM radio within two and a half miles (4 km) of the airport. Parking at O'Hare is no simple affair. If you're the sort of person who likes to meet friends at baggage claim with a cordial "Come on, run with those bags!" you'll be glad to know that parking in the main garage is free for stays of under 10 minutes. For the rest of us...

=Short-term=

• Level one of the main garage (lot A) is designated for short-term parking, charging $2 for the first hour, and $4 for stays of up to three hours. But keep an eye on the clock, as a fourth hour sees the rate jump to $21, and it doesn't take long to reach the $50/day maximum. Other lots (under long-term, below) also charge $2 for the first hour, but rates increase faster, and as they are further away from the terminals, this option really only benefits you if the hourly parking area is full.
• Lot D, adjacent to Terminal 5, also offers short-term parking: $2 for an hour, $6 for two hours.
• A portion of remote lot F is now the cell phone lot where you can park for free and wait in your car for an arriving passenger to call your cell phone, at which point you can pick up your friend curbside without circling endlessly. Shuttle buses run from lot F to E.

=Long-term=

If leaving a vehicle at the airport during a trip, numerous options are available.

• The upper levels of the main garage (lot A) and the adjacent surface lots (lots B and C) charge $40/day.
• International Lot D charges $74/day.
• Remote economy lots E and H charge $17/day, remote lot G charges $10/day. A shuttle takes you between lots G, H, and the ATS terminus in lot E.
• And if money is no object, valet parking is available at $26 for up to 9 hours and $61 for the day.

Visitors are advised to notify the parking hotline if they plan to park for longer than thirty days.

Wait

O'Hare doesn't have much in the way of amenities, but there are at least a few distractions:

• Kids Play interactive exhibits are in Terminal 2 ("Kids on the Fly"), operated by the Chicago Children's Museum from Navy Pier. They're open during airport hours.

See Aeroponic Garden

In Terminal 3 and want a respite from the airport chaos? In the mezzanine level of the Terminal 3 rotunda, in between the G and H gates, lies the O'Hare urban garden, an aeroponic oasis where vegetables and herbs are grown and then used in a few of the terminal's restaurants. There are a few small tables and it is considerably quieter than the rest of the airport. If you need further R&R, there is a yoga room on the same level.

⚠ Last checked Jun 2019 — confirm before you go

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Lounges

Terminals 1-3

Terminal 5

Nearby

Chicago's Far Northwest Side is the closest part of the city to O'Hare. While it does have some charms, the most popular attractions for tourists are much further on, in the Loop, Near North, and Near South.