Airport Car Service
Chicago O’Hare International Airport is the most connected airport in the United States as of 2024. It is also the 5th most connected airport in the entire world! Keeping this in mind, it comes as no surprise that O’Hare has non-stop flights to about 249 destinations which include, but are not limited to North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean.
Now, an airport this busy and big is bound to be more than a little confusing to navigate. That’s exactly why we have this guide here to help you understand the basics about the ORD Airport. After reading this article, you will have all the important information you need, so let’s dig right in!
Here’s an interesting fact about Chicago O’Hare Airport: This airport has been used as a US Air Force base in the past and that’s where it got its name from. O’Hare comes from Edward ‘Butch’ O’Hare, who was the US Navy’s first flying ace. ORD comes from the airport’s former name, Orchard Field Airport. Pretty interesting, right?
What’s more, is that this airport serves as a hub for American Airlines and United Airlines. In contrast, it serves several airlines such as Air New Zealand, Air Canada, Air France, Air India, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, Spirit Airlines, and many more.
O’Hare Airport is located approximately 15-17 miles away from downtown Chicago. This means it’s probably just a 40 to 50-minute drive to the heart of the city, The Loop. The Loop is an area of Chicago with high-rise buildings, restaurants, bars, and many other tourist attractions.
O’Hare Airport has a total of 4 terminals, 9 concourses, and 213 gates. So, let’s get into the details of the terminals.
The terminals are numbered as 1, 2, 3, and 5.
Terminal 1 has 52 gates on two concourses, B and C. It is mainly used by United Airlines and Lufthansa, along with some All Nippon Airways flights.
In terms of food options, you will find quite a selection of restaurants, cafes, eateries, and fast food at the terminal. But if you want a selection of some fan-favorites, here are some options:
Terminal 2 has 41 gates on two concourses, E and F. It is mainly used by United Express, United, and Air Canada, along with some Alaska Airlines and JetBlue flights.
Finding good food at this terminal won’t be very difficult as you will find a range of cuisines here. Nonetheless, here are some of the popular options you can explore:
Terminal 3 has 80 gates on four concourses, G, H, K and L. It is mainly used by American Airlines, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Japan Airlines, British Airways, and Spirit Airlines.
Whether you want a healthy smoothie, a cup of coffee, a panini, or just plain Mexican food, you will find a huge selection at this terminal. Here are some of the options picked by other travelers:
Terminal 5 has 35 gates on a single concourse, M. It is mainly used by Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. Other than that, it is used for all international flights that do not depart from the other terminals.
As for eating options at Terminal 4, there are plenty that you can find and explore, but here are some of the popular suggestions for your convenience:
An airport of O’Hare’s caliber is bound to have a lot of travelers and people frequenting it. This is why it is important to have a good parking space and system in place to avoid any unwanted traffic or blockage. At OHD, you will find plenty of parking options, so let’s take a look.
The main parking garage at O’Hare can be found near Terminals 1, 2, and 3. Here, you can park your car either on an hourly basis or based on days.
Hourly parking, on level 1 of the main garage, is perfect for a shorter trip when you just have to pick someone up from the airport, and since the parking lot is closer to the terminals, it won’t take too much time to pick someone up from terminals.
| Time Ranges | Rates |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1 hour | $3.00 |
| 1 to 2 hours | $6.00 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $10.00 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $14.00 |
| 4 to 8 hours | $36.00 |
| 8 to 24 hours | $77.00 |
Daily parking on level 2 of the main garage is perfect if you have to park for a whole week since it is away from ground floor's rush. This allows you to park your car here, go for a short trip for a few days, come back and drive your car back to your destination.
| Time Ranges | Rates |
|---|---|
| 0 to 1 hour | $3.00 |
| 1 to 2 hours | $6.00 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $10.00 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $14.00 |
| 4 to 8 hours | $24.00 |
| 8 to 24 hours | $42.00 |
If you are going to be parking your car for more than a few days for a longer trip, then economy parking is the option you’re looking for. You can find the three lots for economy parking, F, G, and H, on floors 4 and 5 of the Multi Modal Facility (MMF).
Unlike for hourly and daily parking, these lots are much farther from the terminals, however, there is a shuttle service that runs 24 hours a day to all the terminals. There is also an Airport Transit System (ATS train) that connects the economy lots to all the other terminals. The rates for economy lot F, G, and H are as follows:
| Economy Lots | Time Ranges | Rates |
|---|---|---|
| F | 0 – 1 hour | $3.00 |
| 1 – 2 hours | $6.00 | |
| 2 – 3 hours | $10.00 | |
| 3 – 4 hours | $14.00 | |
| 4 – 24 hours | $22.00 | |
| G & H | 0 – 1 hour | $3.00 |
| 1 – 24 hours | $15.00 |
For people who are in a rush and don’t have the time to go around and look for a parking spot, valet parking has got you covered. You will find this at any terminal from 1 to 3 and the charges for this service are $60.
As for premium parking, the rate for this service is the same as valet parking, which is $60. When you choose premium parking, you get access to Terminals 1 and 3, and the spots are taken on a first-come, first-serve basis.
Finding a parking spot at the airport is one thing, but if you want to skip that hassle, you can opt for one of these options:
Now, this option is quite flexible, especially in terms of your destination. Booking a private car service, or more specifically a black car service, not only gives you the privacy and comfort of a luxury car but it also gives you the options of multiple services. A good private car service will offer many different types of services.
Prestige Ride, for example, not only offers ORD Airport Transfers but also offers Chicago city tour services for people who wish to explore and make the most of their time in Chicago. Not only this, but you can find plenty of these services and more offered in many different states and cities. If you wish to travel from Chicago to another city, even that can be arranged!
Best of all, if you are in Chicago on business, you probably have to work on the go and make use of precious time and money. In that case, you can book for a chauffeur service with Prestige Ride, and you will get all the perks of a professional chauffeur along with a luxury car of your choice!
The CTA Blue Line Train, otherwise known as the Chicago Transport Authority Blue Line Train, runs 24/7 from the airport to downtown Chicago. It takes about 45 minutes to reach the airport from downtown and vice versa. The fare is as low as $5 and the train station is located inside O’Hare’s lower level concourse of Terminal 2. You can find the station after following the signs for “Trains to the city”. As for the payment system, simply buy a ticket via a contactless card like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay, or you can buy a Ventra ticket or top up a Ventra card.
If you are staying somewhere that isn’t close to the city center, then Pace buses are the perfect mode of transportation to the airport and vice versa. You will find that the Pace buses operate in many different suburban locations around Chicago, so it’s not hard to find one.
An airport express shuttle is best if you want to skip the hassle of a bus or train or simply if you have a lot of luggage and you don’t want to make the journey difficult. Carrying your luggage on a train or bus is obviously not convenient, and that’s why this option would work better. Taking the airport express shuttle means you can estimate an hour’s ride from downtown to the airport.
Just as the CTA Blue Line operates from downtown Chicago to ORD, the Metra North Central Service or NCS train runs from the northern suburbs of Chicago to the airport. It takes about an hour to get to the destination, and unfortunately, the train doesn’t run 24/7, so it is recommended that you check the schedule ahead of time.
At O’Hare, you will find some of the best lounges that you can use to relax or work in before your flight. So, let’s take a look at which lounge you will find at which terminal.
If you’re on a United flight, you will find the United Club Lounge at this terminal. You can access these lounges at gates B6, B18, and C16. The lounge has a full-service bar, along with snacks, food, Wi-Fi, and printers.
The United Polaris Lounge is perfect for business travelers, and it can be found near gate C18. Just like the United Club lounge, this lounge includes a full-service bar along with multi-course meals, rest pods, and even shower facilities.
You can find another United Club lounge here at Terminal 2. It has the same amenities and costs, and it can be found at gate F9.
Delta has a Sky Club lounge at O’Hare Airport near gate E6. This lounge offers complimentary food and drinks.
If you are flying with American Airlines, you will find multiple American Admiral Lounges at this terminal. You will find them at gates G8, L1, H6, and K6. In all these lounges, you will get complimentary food and drinks, while only the ones at H6 and K6 offer additional business facilities.
This lounge is located between gates M7 and M8 and it provides free Wi-Fi and international newspapers to their guests.
This lounge can be found next to gate M13, and it offers Wi-Fi, snacks, and newspapers to its customers.
There you have it! Undoubtedly, you now have a better idea of O’Hare Airport and what you can expect. Since you have the information needed, it is advised to plan ahead if you do have a trip through O’Hare, so you can enjoy some of the amenities at the fancy, elite lounges, while also getting to your flight on time.
If there is some question that has still gone unanswered for you, or something specific you need to know, you can always get in touch with the officials at the airport on this number: (773) 894-9111.