Chicago Airport Transfers

Chicago’s two main passenger airports are O’Hare International Airport (ORD) and Midway International Airport (MDW). O’Hare is 17 miles northwest of downtown; Midway is 10 miles from downtown. The arrival airport determines your direct rail route: O’Hare uses the CTA Blue Line, while Midway uses the CTA Orange Line. (Chicago Department of Aviation airport overview, checked 2026-09-28)

At O’Hare, follow signs for “CTA Trains.” The Blue Line station is inside the airport complex. The free Airport Transit System (ATS) connects Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 with the Multi-Modal Facility, rental cars, Pace buses and Metra’s O’Hare Transfer station. Terminal 5 passengers take the ATS to Terminal 3, then follow the pedestrian route to the Blue Line. (O’Hare public transit, checked 2026-09-28; O’Hare ATS, checked 2026-09-28; O’Hare Terminal 5 map, checked 2026-09-28)

Midway’s Orange Line station is just east of the terminal at the Midway Transportation Center, linked by an enclosed walkway. CTA buses and Pace services also use the transportation centre, making them useful when the final address is away from the Orange Line. (Midway public transit, checked 2026-09-28)

A taxi or rideshare provides a door-to-door trip from either airport. Use the airport taxi stand, not a driver soliciting passengers elsewhere. Rideshare vehicles use designated lower-level pickup zones; follow the terminal and zone shown in the app. (O’Hare taxi and rideshare, checked 2026-09-28; Midway taxi and rideshare, checked 2026-09-28)

Midway publishes a normal CTA Orange Line journey of 20–25 minutes to downtown. This is the rail leg to the Loop, not a hotel-door estimate. Add the terminal walk, waiting time, the walk from the downtown station and any final CTA connection. (Midway public transit, checked 2026-09-28)

O’Hare’s terminal information publishes approximately 45 minutes from Terminal 5 to downtown on the Blue Line. Passengers arriving at Terminals 1–3 can reach the station without the Terminal 5 ATS connection, but the final journey still includes walking and any onward transfer. (O’Hare Terminal 5 map, checked 2026-09-28)

The O’Hare ATS takes 10 minutes from Terminal 1 to the Multi-Modal Facility. It is an airport circulation service, not a train into central Chicago. Use it for Terminal 5 connections, rental cars, parking, Pace buses or Metra. (O’Hare ATS, checked 2026-09-28)

Road transport has no fixed airport-to-hotel time published by the airport. Traffic, construction, weather, departure time and the exact address change the result. For rideshare, use the live estimate in the app; for a taxi, allow additional time during busy road periods. (O’Hare taxi information, checked 2026-09-28; Midway taxi information, checked 2026-09-28)

CTA’s fare page lists a full rail fare of $2.50 and a bus fare of $2.25 when paid from a Ventra account or by eligible contactless pay-as-you-go. The O’Hare station fare is $5. The 1-Day CTA/Pace Pass costs $5, the 3-Day Pass costs $15 and the 7-Day Pass costs $20. Unlimited passes can be used to board at O’Hare without paying the additional station premium. (CTA fare information, checked 2026-09-28)

At O’Hare, a single-trip Ventra ticket bought at the airport costs $5 and allows up to three rides within two hours. A 1-Day Ventra Ticket costs $5, and 3-Day Ventra Tickets are sold at Ventra machines at both O’Hare and Midway. Contactless bank cards, mobile wallets, Ventra products and cash are listed payment methods, with cash bus fares having separate transfer rules. (CTA fare information, checked 2026-09-28)

CTA permits up to two additional rides within two hours after a full fare. A transfer from Pace to CTA has a separate 25-cent full-fare charge. Check the product in Ventra before combining a suburban bus with the airport train. (CTA fare information, checked 2026-09-28)

Taxi meters calculate the fare from time and mileage. O’Hare publishes an average downtown fare of $50; Midway publishes $35–40. Shared-ride fares are $24 per person from O’Hare to downtown and $18 per person from Midway to downtown, when enough parties are available. The airport also publishes $37 from O’Hare to Midway and $35 from Midway to O’Hare. Rideshare fares are not fixed on the airport pages, so use the current app quote. (O’Hare taxi information, checked 2026-09-28; Midway taxi information, checked 2026-09-28)

O’Hare’s Blue Line operates 24 hours a day. The current CTA timetable lists Sunday and holiday trains every 10–15 minutes in the morning, every 6–10 minutes at midday, every 10–15 minutes in the evening and every 15–20 minutes overnight. Weekday rush-period service is more frequent, at roughly 3–10 minutes in the morning and 3–8 minutes in the afternoon. (CTA Blue Line timetable, checked 2026-09-28)

Midway’s Orange Line timetable lists first departures at 03:30 on weekdays, 04:00 on Saturdays and 04:30 on Sundays and holidays. Midday Sunday trains run every 10–12 minutes; Sunday morning and evening trains run every 12–15 minutes. The last listed departure from Midway is 01:05 every day. (CTA Orange Line timetable, checked 2026-09-28)

The airport describes Orange Line service as approximately 04:00–04:30 until approximately 01:00 every day, with more frequent weekday rush-period trains. The N62 Archer bus provides alternate overnight service. CTA’s timetable is the better source for the exact departure pattern at your station. (Midway public transit, checked 2026-09-28)

O’Hare’s ATS runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with service every 3–5 minutes during peak hours and a published 10-minute end-to-end journey. Pace Route 250 serves O’Hare daily; Route 330 operates on weekdays and Saturdays. Use the named operator’s planner for those routes rather than applying the rail interval. (O’Hare ATS, checked 2026-09-28; O’Hare public transit, checked 2026-09-28)

O’Hare is the airport with published all-night rail access: the Blue Line continues overnight, with trains roughly every 15–20 minutes during the overnight period. Service alerts can change the practical route, so check CTA arrivals before leaving the terminal. (CTA Blue Line timetable, checked 2026-09-28)

Midway’s Orange Line does not operate all night. The airport publishes daytime and evening service until approximately 01:00, while CTA lists the final Midway departure at 01:05. For later arrivals, use the N62 Archer bus, a taxi or a designated rideshare pickup. Confirm the bus route and stop in CTA’s planner. (Midway public transit, checked 2026-09-28; CTA Orange Line timetable, checked 2026-09-28)

Sunday service is included at both airports. Blue Line trains run all day and overnight, with Sunday intervals less frequent than weekday rush periods. Orange Line Sunday service starts at 04:30, runs through the day and ends at 01:05 in the published timetable. Check the live timetable for planned work or alerts before boarding. (CTA Blue Line timetable, checked 2026-09-28; CTA Orange Line timetable, checked 2026-09-28)

At O’Hare, taxi stands are outside baggage claim on the lower level. At Midway, city taxi stands are on the lower-level inner lane, while rideshare pickup uses lower-level zones outside baggage claim. Keep the terminal door or zone instruction visible in the app before walking outside. (O’Hare taxi and rideshare, checked 2026-09-28; Midway taxi and rideshare, checked 2026-09-28)