How to Get to Downtown Chicago from O'Hare Airport

How to Go from O’Hare to Downtown Chicago

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If you’re at O’Hare Airport and wondering how much it would cost you or how to get to downtown Chicago areas such as the Loop, Magnificent Mile, or River North, there are a few ways you can go about it. Here’s a helpful guide on the various transportation options, their rates, and their duration so you can pick what works best for you.

This guide is part of our travel guides at O’Hare International Airport.

Also read: How big is O’Hare Airport?

Where is O’Hare in respect to Downtown Chicago:

Downtown Chicago is along the Atlantic seaboard, while O’Hare is situated to the northwest of the city. If you take a bird’s eye view of the area, you’ll notice that O’Hare actually forms a triangle with two other airports – Midway Airport being one of them.

This is a link to Google map of the directions from the airport to Downtown Chicago.

To give you an idea of how far these two locations are from each other, it would approximately take you an hour to get from O’Hare to downtown Chicago by car – and that’s without traffic! If you were to take public transport, the CTA Blue Line ‘L’ Train is the most direct route but even that would take close to 45 minutes.

So if you’re pressed for time, your best bet would be to take a taxi or an Uber/Lyft. But of course, this comes at a price.

5 Travel Options from O’Hare to Downtown Chicago:

ModeCost between
O’Hare & downtown		Travel time:
O’Hare to downtown		Cost:
Midway to downtown		Travel time:
Midway to downtown
CTA trains$5 or less*45 min$2.50 or less*25 min
Taxiaround $4025-90 minaround $2515-40 min
Shuttle Van Servicesover $2525-90 minover $1515-40 min
Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.)around $35-50 (surges to $140 or more)25-90 minaround $25-40 (surges to $100 or more)15-40 min

Option 1: Use Chicago Transit Authority(CTA) Trains:

  • Cost: $5
  • Time it takes: 45 mins

The ‘L’ service can take you directly from both O’Hare and Midway airports to Downtown Chicago area. There are machines at the station that will help get you a new Ventra Card or load fare or passes onto your card. You have the option of buying a Ventra Ticket that gives access to CTA—airport station ticket options include:

  • Single-Ride CTA Tickets (includes 2 transfers to bus and/or another train ride within two hours)
  • 1-Day CTA Tickets (good for unlimited rides for one person for 24 hours)
  • 3-Day CTA Tickets (good for unlimited rides for one person for 72 hours)

Option 2: Taxi

  • Cost: $40 to $50
  • The time it takes: 25 to 60 mins

The most popular (and convenient) way to get from O’Hare to downtown Chicago is probably by taxi, which will only cost you $40-50. From O’Hare International, the taxi fare should be approximately $50 + tip, and the journey should take about 35 minutes. If you choose to travel with one other person, there is a flat rate of $24 per person for shared taxis.

Option 3: Shuttle van services:

  • Cost: $27
  • The time it takes: 45 to 60 mins

There are various shuttle services available that will take you from the airport to your hotel in downtown Chicago. This is a more affordable option if you’re travelling solo, and will cost you around $27. The journey time is about 45-60 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.

Option 4: Rent a car:

Cost: $60 to $70

The time it takes: 45 to 60 mins

If you’re planning on staying in Chicago for more than a few days or if you’re travelling with a group, then renting a car might be the best option for you. You can easily find rental car companies near the airport. The journey to downtown Chicago would take about 45-60 minutes, and the cost would be around $60-70. Just remember to factor in the cost of parking as well!

Option 5: Take an Uber/Lyft

Cost: $35 to $40

The time it takes: 30 to 40 mins

If you’re taking an Uber or Lyft from O’Hare to downtown Chicago, the journey will cost you between $35 and $40. The duration of the trip will be about 30-40 minutes, depending on traffic conditions.

Use the L Train at Night from Ohare to Downtown area:

At night, use the Blue Line or L Trains by CTA as they operate 24-hour rapid transit train service between Chicago-O’Hare International Airport and the Forest Park terminal, via downtown Chicago.

The trains schedule runs every 7 to 10 mins as shown in the schedule snapshots below;

Mon to Friday Schedule from O’Hare to Downton area:

Blue Line Train Schedule from O'Hare to Downtown Chicago on Mondays to Fridays
A snapshot of Blue Line Train Schedule from O’Hare to Downtown Chicago on Mondays to Fridays

Saturday CTA schedule from Ohare:

A snapshot of Blue Line Train Schedule from O'Hare to Downtown Chicago on Saturdays
A snapshot of Blue Line Train Schedule from O’Hare to Downtown Chicago on Saturdays

Sunday Train Schedule from Ohare to Downtown:

A snapshot of Blue Line Train Schedule from O’Hare to Downtown Chicago on Sundays

If you’re taking a taxi, it will be more expensive as there is a 50% surcharge from 9pm to 6am.

Blue Line O’Hare Schedule:

To board the Blue Line train serving all stations along the route to the Downtown area, use the Terminal 2 station or Terminals 1, 2, 3 stations accessible by underground pedestrian walkways.

Below is a condensed version of the updated schedule of the L Train serving OHare Airport provided by CTA:

If you’re traveling during the day, all the options mentioned above are available to you. However, do note that traffic conditions might impact your journey time and cost.

ModeCost between
O’Hare & downtown		Travel time:
O’Hare to downtown		Cost:
Midway to downtown		Travel time:
Midway to downtown
CTA trains$5 or less*45 min$2.50 or less*25 min
Taxiaround $4025-90 minaround $2515-40 min
Shuttle Van Servicesover $2525-90 minover $1515-40 min
Rideshare (Uber, Lyft, etc.)around $35-50 (surges to $140 or more)25-90 minaround $25-40 (surges to $100 or more)15-40 min
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