O'Hare transportation options range from a $5 train ride to a private chauffeur waiting at the terminal door. The right choice depends on your budget, your bags, how many people are with you, and what time you land. This guide compares every way to get in and out of O'Hare, with real costs, travel times, and where to find each one at the airport.
O'Hare transportation options at a glance
Here is how each option compares for a trip between O'Hare and downtown Chicago, about 18 miles away.
| Option | Cost to downtown | Travel time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTA Blue Line train | $5 | About 45 minutes | Solo travelers with light bags |
| Taxi | About $50 plus tip (metered) | 30 to 60 minutes | A quick ride with no booking |
| Uber or Lyft | Changes with demand | 30 to 60 minutes | App users at quiet times |
| Limo or black car | $89 flat in a sedan, tolls included | 30 to 50 minutes | Families, groups, business, early flights |
| Metra train | Zone-based fare | Depends on the schedule | North suburbs, weekdays only |
| Pace bus | Low bus fare | Varies by route | Des Plaines, Evanston, west suburbs |
| Hotel shuttle | Usually free | Varies | Guests at hotels near O'Hare |
| Rental car | Daily rate, gas and parking | 30 to 60 minutes | Long stays with lots of driving |
Drive times grow at rush hour and in bad weather. The taxi average comes from the Chicago Department of Aviation, and the train fare from the CTA.
CTA Blue Line: the cheapest way downtown
The Blue Line train runs from O'Hare to downtown Chicago 24 hours a day. A ride from the O'Hare station costs $5, which is more than the regular $2.50 fare at other stations. You can pay with a Ventra card or tap a contactless bank card or phone at the gate.
The ride to the Loop takes about 45 minutes. Trains come often during the day and less often late at night.
Where to find it: The station is under the main parking garage. From Terminals 1, 2, and 3, follow the "Trains to City" signs through the walkways on the lower level. From Terminal 5, ride the free Airport Transit System (ATS) train to Terminal 2 or 3 first.
Good to know: The Blue Line is great for one person with a carry-on. It is harder with big suitcases, small children, or a group. Some downtown hotels are also a long walk from the nearest station.
Taxis at O'Hare
Taxis wait at the stand on the lower-level curb outside baggage claim at every terminal. You do not need to book ahead. The fare runs on a meter based on time and distance, so traffic changes the price. The Chicago Department of Aviation puts the average fare to downtown at about $50, before tip.
Good to know: Only take a taxi from the official stand. Do not accept rides from drivers who walk up to you inside the terminal or on the departures level.
Uber and Lyft at O'Hare
Rideshare cars pick up on the upper (departures) level at Terminals 2 and 3. At Terminal 2, look for the orange poles marked 2A to 2G. At Terminal 3, look for the green poles marked 3G to 3K. If you land at Terminal 1, walk to Terminal 2. If you land at Terminal 5, ride the ATS train to Terminal 2 or 3.
Prices change with demand. At busy times, surge pricing can push the fare above a taxi or even a booked car service. Our guide to Uber and Lyft pickup at O'Hare covers the walk from each terminal.
Limo and black car service
A booked limo or black car service gives you a fixed price before you ride, a professional chauffeur, and a car that is waiting for you instead of the other way around. With our O'Hare airport transportation, every ride is a flat rate with tolls included and no surge pricing.
- Price: A luxury sedan between O'Hare and downtown Chicago is $89. Towns next to O'Hare start at $55. See all flat rates.
- Flight tracking: We watch your flight, so an early or late landing is covered.
- Where we meet you: On the lower (arrivals) level. Choose meet and greet, where your chauffeur waits at the terminal door with a name sign, or curbside pickup, where we pull up once you have your bags.
- Room for everyone: Sedans seat 3, SUVs seat 6 or 7, and a Sprinter van carries up to 14 with their luggage.
For two or more people, a flat-rate car often costs about the same per person as a taxi or rideshare, without the wait, the surge, or the second car for luggage.
Metra train
Metra's North Central Service stops at the O'Hare Transfer station. To get there, ride the free ATS train from any terminal to the Multi-Modal Facility. The station is just behind it.
The line runs to Union Station downtown in one direction and the north suburbs, ending at Antioch, in the other. It only runs on weekdays, with a handful of trains each way, so check the Metra schedule before you plan around it. Fares are based on zones.
Pace buses
Pace buses leave from bays 8 and 9 at the Multi-Modal Facility. Route 250 runs daily to the Des Plaines Metra station and on to downtown Evanston along Dempster Street. Route 330 runs on weekdays and Saturdays south to Summit. Buses are cheap but slow, and they work best if you live along the route.
Hotel shuttles
Many hotels in Rosemont and Des Plaines run free shuttles to and from O'Hare. Ask your hotel where the shuttle picks up and how often it runs, since times and pickup spots differ. If you are flying out early, read our guide to where to stay near O'Hare before an early flight.
Rental cars
The rental car companies at O'Hare are all in the Multi-Modal Facility, a short ride on the free ATS train from every terminal. A rental car makes sense if you will drive a lot during your stay. For a trip that stays downtown, remember to add the cost of hotel parking, which can be steep in Chicago.
Driving and parking at O'Hare
If you live in the area, you can drive yourself and park at the airport. Daily parking adds up fast on a long trip, and you still have to get from the lot to the terminal. Our guide on O'Hare parking vs car service compares the real cost for trips of different lengths.
Which O'Hare transportation option is right for you?
- Traveling alone with a carry-on: The Blue Line is the cheapest and avoids road traffic.
- Family with kids or lots of bags: A booked car or SUV, so no one carries bags through a train station. We provide child seats on request.
- Group of 6 or more: One SUV or Sprinter van keeps everyone and their bags together, instead of splitting into several rideshares.
- Business travel: A black car with a fixed price and a chauffeur who tracks your flight. See our corporate car service.
- Late night or very early flight: A booked car is there on time, and the Blue Line runs all night too.
- Going to the suburbs: A flat-rate car is usually the simplest. See O'Hare to the suburbs for fares and drive times.
- Staying downtown: See fares to every neighborhood on our O'Hare to downtown Chicago page.
Getting to O'Hare for a flight
The same options work in reverse. Trains, taxis, and rideshares drop off on the upper (departures) level, and the Blue Line brings you into the garage below the terminals. Leave enough time for traffic and security. Our guide on how early to leave for O'Hare has suggested times by area.
O'Hare transportation in short
- Cheapest: the CTA Blue Line, $5 from O'Hare, open 24 hours.
- No booking needed: taxis at the lower-level stand, about $50 to downtown plus tip.
- Rideshare: upper level at Terminals 2 and 3, with prices that change with demand.
- Fixed price and the least hassle: a booked limo or black car, $89 to downtown in a sedan with tolls included.
- Suburbs: Metra on weekdays, Pace buses, hotel shuttles, or a flat-rate car.
The takeaway
The best of the O'Hare transportation options depends on who is traveling and what you are carrying. A solo traveler with a backpack will do fine on the Blue Line. A family, a group, or anyone on a tight schedule will usually be happier with a booked car that is waiting when they land. If you want a fixed price with tolls included and a chauffeur who tracks your flight, we are here 24/7.
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