If I land at Chicago O’Hare International Airport between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. on a weekday, there’s no way I’m considering a rideshare or cab. Instead of sitting in traffic, I’d much rather take a comfortable seat on the train and get home in about a half-hour.
Chicago is the rare American city where it’s easy to get between both Chicago airports and the city center on public transit. Yes, Chicago has two international airports—O’Hare at the edge of the suburbs and Chicago Midway International Airport on the southwest side of the city. I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes for a Chicago Transit Authority train at either airport station.
At $5, the Blue Line is the cheapest, most environmentally friendly ride into the city from O’Hare. At $2.50, the Orange Line CTA train from Midway is even cheaper. And you’ll already have completed one iconic Chicago experience—a ride on the city’s iconic elevated train system—by the time you check-in.
If you’re flying to Chicago O’Hare
Chicago O’Hare is a United Airlines hub northeast of the city. To get to downtown from O’Hare, take the Blue Line CTA train from the airport station. This train stops in Logan Square, one of the coolest neighborhoods in the world according to Time Out, and Wicker Park, an artsy neighborhood filled with shops, restaurants, and bars between downtown and the airport.
To get to Lakeview from the Blue Line, which runs around the clock, take the 77 Belmont bus. To get to Wrigleyville, where you’ll find Wrigley Field—home of the Chicago Cubs—152 bus toward Lake Shore Drive. If you’re heading to Hyde Park, switch from the Blue to the Red line at Washington.
Chicago trains generally run north and south outside the Loop where they loop around the downtown business district.
If you’re flying to Chicago Midway
Midway is a hub for Southwest Airlines, which operates most of this airport’s flights. Porter Airlines, my favorite ride to Toronto, also is based at Midway. Porter flies small planes into Billy Bishop International Airport, giving travelers an opportunity to walk into town or take the world’s shortest ferry ride.
Frontier uses the airport as a hub, and Delta also flies from Midway.
From Midway, take the Orange Line CTA train to get downtown. The ride takes under a half-hour. Switch to the Red Line at the State/Lake station to get to River North, Lakeview and Wrigley Field.
The Orange Line CTA doesn’t run overnight, in which case you’ll want to take the N62 bus toward downtown.
If you’re thinking of renting a car
Don’t. It’s easy to get around the city without a car. Chicago’s train system isn’t as extensive as New York’s, but combine trains and buses and you can get just about anywhere.
Uber and Lyft are widely available in Chicago. Uber is generally quicker but can sometimes be more expensive than Lyft. Expect to pay between $50-$70 for a rideshare to downtown from O’Hare and $25 to $30 from Midway to downtown.
You can rent a car at either airport, but you might regret the decision when it comes time to pay for parking. Overnight parking can easily set you back $50 a night or more downtown. At Navy Pier, 18 to 24 hours of parking costs $65.
There are parking meters in Chicago, but they have time limits and can be hard to get in some areas. Do keep track of your time. I’ve never seen parking enforcement work as hard as it does in Chicago.
Safe travels!
Meena Thiruvengadam co-authored the 2025 edition of the Lonely Planet Chicago guidebook.
