O'Hare terminals are easy once you know the pattern. United flies from Terminal 1, American from Terminal 3, and Delta, Frontier and most international airlines from Terminal 5. Terminal 2 handles Air Canada, JetBlue and many United Express flights. Below is every airline at O'Hare, the terminal it uses, where its flights land, and what changed in 2026.
Last checked: . Airlines change terminals from time to time, and we update this page when they do.
The quick answer
| Terminal | Main airlines | Gates |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | United, plus Lufthansa and ANA departures | Concourses B and C |
| Terminal 2 | Air Canada, JetBlue, United Express and some United flights | Concourses E and F |
| Terminal 3 | American, American Eagle, Alaska, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Japan Airlines and some United flights | Concourses G, H, K and L |
| Terminal 5 | Delta, Frontier, Sun Country and almost every other international airline. All international arrivals that need US customs. | Concourse M |
There is no Terminal 4. It was a temporary international terminal on the ground floor of the main parking garage. It closed when the international terminal, now Terminal 5, opened in 1993.
What changed at O'Hare in 2026
This was a big year for airline moves at O'Hare. Here is what is different from older guides you may find online.
- Spirit Airlines is gone. Spirit stopped flying on May 2, 2026. The city's aviation department said every city Spirit served from O'Hare is still served nonstop by other airlines.
- Southwest left O'Hare. Southwest's last O'Hare flights were on June 3, 2026. All of its Chicago flights now use Midway Airport (MDW). If you are flying Southwest, do not go to O'Hare.
- United moved into Terminal 3. Some United flights now use Terminal 3. Early in 2026, United agreed to buy two of Spirit's old gates there.
- New flights from Toronto's downtown airport. Air Canada scheduled O'Hare flights from Toronto Billy Bishop starting June 1, 2026. Porter Airlines moved its Billy Bishop flights from Midway to O'Hare starting September 1, 2026, with three flights a day.
- New overseas routes. EgyptAir (Cairo) and HiSky (Bucharest) were both scheduled to start O'Hare flights in June 2026.
- Middle East flights are coming back. Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways cut flights in early 2026 because of the conflict in the region. Service to Chicago has been returning since spring. Check your flight status before you leave home.
If an O'Hare guide still lists Southwest or Spirit, it is out of date.
Every airline at O'Hare, A to Z
Find your airline below. The terminal shown is where you check in and depart. If your flight is international, read the note: many international flights land at a different terminal than they leave from.
| Airline | Terminal | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Aer Lingus | Terminal 3 | Flights from Dublin clear US customs in Ireland before takeoff. |
| Aeromexico | Terminal 5 | |
| Air Canada | Terminal 2 | Flights from Canada clear US customs in Canada before takeoff. |
| Air Canada Express | Terminal 2 | Includes flights from Toronto Billy Bishop, scheduled from June 2026. |
| Air France | Terminal 5 | |
| Air India | Terminal 5 | |
| Air Serbia | Terminal 5 | |
| Alaska Airlines | Terminal 3 | Uses the G gates, right next to Terminal 2. Follow your boarding pass. |
| All Nippon Airways (ANA) | Terminal 1 | Departs from Terminal 1. Lands at Terminal 5 for customs. |
| American Airlines | Terminal 3 | O'Hare hub. International flights land at Terminal 5 for customs. |
| American Eagle | Terminal 3 | American's regional flights. |
| Arajet | Terminal 5 | |
| Austrian Airlines | Terminal 5 | |
| Avelo Airlines | Check your booking | Seasonal flights to New Haven. |
| Avianca | Terminal 5 | Includes Avianca Costa Rica and Avianca El Salvador. Some routes are seasonal. |
| British Airways | Terminal 3 | Departs from Terminal 3. Lands at Terminal 5 for customs. |
| Cathay Pacific | Terminal 5 | |
| Copa Airlines | Terminal 5 | |
| Delta Air Lines | Terminal 5 | Domestic flights too. Some older guides still say Terminal 2 or 3. |
| Delta Connection | Terminal 5 | Delta's regional flights. |
| EgyptAir | Terminal 5 | New route to Cairo, scheduled from June 2026. |
| Emirates | Terminal 5 | Middle East schedules changed in 2026. Check your flight status. |
| Ethiopian Airlines | Terminal 5 | |
| Etihad Airways | Terminal 5 | Middle East schedules changed in 2026. Check your flight status. |
| EVA Air | Terminal 5 | |
| Finnair | Terminal 5 | Seasonal. |
| Frontier Airlines | Terminal 5 | Domestic flights too. |
| HiSky | Terminal 5 | New route to Bucharest, scheduled from June 2026. |
| Iberia | Terminal 3 | Departs from Terminal 3. Lands at Terminal 5 for customs. |
| Icelandair | Terminal 5 | |
| ITA Airways | Terminal 5 | Seasonal. |
| Japan Airlines | Terminal 3 | Departs from Terminal 3. Lands at Terminal 5 for customs. |
| JetBlue | Terminal 2 | Flights to Boston and New York JFK. |
| KLM | Terminal 5 | |
| Korean Air | Terminal 5 | |
| LOT Polish Airlines | Terminal 5 | |
| Lufthansa | Terminal 1 | Departs from Terminal 1. Lands at Terminal 5 for customs. |
| Porter Airlines | Check your booking | New at O'Hare from September 2026, with flights from Toronto Billy Bishop. |
| Qatar Airways | Terminal 5 | Middle East schedules changed in 2026. Check your flight status. |
| Royal Jordanian | Terminal 5 | |
| Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) | Terminal 5 | |
| Sun Country Airlines | Terminal 5 | Flights to Minneapolis. |
| SWISS | Terminal 5 | |
| TAP Air Portugal | Terminal 5 | |
| Turkish Airlines | Terminal 5 | |
| United Airlines | Terminal 1 | O'Hare hub. Some flights use Terminal 2 or 3. International flights land at Terminal 5 for customs. |
| United Express | Terminal 2 | Most flights use Terminal 2. Follow your boarding pass. |
| Viva (VivaAerobus) | Terminal 5 | |
| Volaris | Terminal 5 | |
| WestJet | Terminal 5 | Seasonal flights to Calgary. |
| Small regional airlines | Check your booking | Contour Airlines and Denver Air Connection fly small planes to smaller cities. Gates can change. |
No longer at O'Hare: Southwest Airlines (moved to Midway in June 2026) and Spirit Airlines (stopped flying in May 2026).
Seasonal means the airline flies the route only part of the year. Airlines can change terminals with little notice, so always check your boarding pass or airline app on the day you fly.
O'Hare terminals one by one
Terminal 1: United
Terminal 1 is United's home at O'Hare. It has 52 gates on Concourses B and C. A lighted underground walkway with music links the two concourses. United's partners Lufthansa and ANA also depart from here.
United's international flights leave from Terminal 1. When they come back, most land at Terminal 5 for customs.
Terminal 2: Air Canada, JetBlue and United Express
Terminal 2 has 41 gates on Concourses E and F. It sits between Terminals 1 and 3. Air Canada, JetBlue and most United Express flights use it, along with some United flights.
Terminal 2 will not be here forever. It is set to be torn down and replaced by the new O'Hare Global Terminal.
Terminal 3: American
Terminal 3 is the largest terminal, with 80 gates on Concourses G, H, K and L. It is American Airlines' hub. American's partners British Airways, Iberia and Japan Airlines depart from here, and so do Aer Lingus and Alaska Airlines. Some United flights now board here too.
The concourses spread out a long way. Check your gate letter and give yourself time to walk.
Terminal 5: Delta, Frontier and international flights
Terminal 5 is O'Hare's international terminal. All of its gates are on Concourse M, and it is the only terminal with a US customs hall. Delta, Frontier and Sun Country fly their domestic flights from here too.
Terminal 5 is a separate building. There is no walkway between it and the other terminals. You get there by train, bus or car.
Departing vs. arriving: why your terminal can change
This is the part that trips people up. The terminal on your boarding pass is where you leave from. Your flight home may land somewhere else.
Terminal 5 has O'Hare's only customs hall. So any international flight that needs US customs lands at Terminal 5, whatever terminal it left from. A British Airways flight leaves from Terminal 3 but lands at Terminal 5. A Lufthansa flight leaves from Terminal 1 but lands at Terminal 5. United and American international flights work the same way.
The exception is preclearance. Some airports abroad, including several in Canada and Ireland, let you clear US customs before you take off. Those flights land at O'Hare like domestic flights. You skip customs at O'Hare and walk straight to baggage claim. Read more in our guide to Preclearance Flights to O'Hare: Which Terminal You Land At.
Picking someone up from an international flight? Go to Terminal 5, not the airline's departure terminal, unless the flight cleared customs before takeoff.
How long does customs take? The airport says it is rare for immigration and customs to take more than two hours. When we pick up international travelers, we track the landing and plan for the wait.
Getting between terminals
- Walk between Terminals 1, 2 and 3. These three are connected, so you can walk between them without leaving security.
- Take the ATS train. The Airport Transit System is free and runs 24 hours a day. It links Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 with the Multi-Modal Facility, where you find rental cars and economy parking. The train is outside security, so you go through TSA again at your next terminal.
- Take the Terminal Transfer Bus. This bus runs between Terminal 5 and Terminals 1 and 3 inside security, so you do not need to be screened again. It runs from 11:30 am to 9:30 pm daily. Show your boarding pass to ride.
Connecting from an international flight to a domestic one? You claim your bags at Terminal 5, go through customs, drop your bags at the recheck counter, then head to your next terminal. Our Chicago travel guide for international visitors walks through it step by step.
Where to get picked up at each terminal
Every O'Hare terminal has two levels. Departures and check-in are upstairs. Arrivals and baggage claim are downstairs.
- Car service. With our O'Hare limo service, your chauffeur meets you downstairs at your own terminal. That is either at the terminal door with a name sign, or at the lower-level arrivals curb. See the full O'Hare terminal pickup guide.
- International arrivals. At Terminal 5, we meet you at the terminal door after you clear customs. Meet and greet is the easiest way to find your driver there.
- Rideshare. Uber and Lyft pickups work differently. They use upstairs zones at Terminals 2 and 3 only, which can mean a long walk with bags. Here is Uber and Lyft Pickup at O'Hare: Where to Go.
The easiest step of all: give your driver your flight number, not a terminal. We track the flight and meet you where it actually lands.
What is coming next at O'Hare
O'Hare is in the middle of a long rebuild, and airlines will move as new space opens.
- Concourse D. A new 19-gate concourse, now under construction, set to open in late 2028.
- A new Concourse E. A second new concourse, with work set to start in 2026.
- The O'Hare Global Terminal. It will replace Terminal 2 and is set to open in 2033. United, American and their partners will be able to handle international flights there, so fewer travelers will need Terminal 5.
When these open, this list will change. We will keep it up to date.
Before you head to O'Hare
- Check your boarding pass or airline app for your terminal on the day you fly.
- Flying Southwest? Go to Midway, not O'Hare.
- Flying Delta or Frontier? Go to Terminal 5, even for a domestic flight.
- Meeting an international flight? Go to Terminal 5 unless it cleared customs before takeoff.
- Changing terminals? Allow extra time for the train and a second security line.
- Booking a ride? Share your flight number so your driver follows the real landing.
The takeaway
Finding your terminal at O'Hare comes down to a few rules. United is in Terminal 1, American is in Terminal 3, and Delta, Frontier and most international airlines are in Terminal 5. International flights that need customs land at Terminal 5 no matter where they left from. Southwest and Spirit no longer fly from O'Hare. When in doubt, your boarding pass has the final word. Plan your timing with our guide on how early to leave for O'Hare.
We already know your terminal
We track your flight, meet you at the right terminal, and get you home at a flat rate.
Book Your RideRelated reading: O'Hare terminal map and directions, O'Hare airport pickup, How Long From Gate to Baggage Claim at O'Hare?, and the full O'Hare airport guide.
A travel guide from O'Hare Limo Service, the flat-rate ORD car and limo service covering Chicago and the suburbs.