Public Transportation From O’Hare Airport (ORD) to Downtown Chicago

ORD or Chicago O’Hare International Airport offers train service via the Blue Line train to downtown. L-system-map-Mar2015 file is currently unavailable.

 

Travel time is approximately 45 minutes.

 

O’Hare station is accessible from airport terminals 1,2 and 3. Terminal 5 requires travel by the free shuttle train to the O’Hare station.

 

Train station turnstiles do not accept cash, so you will need to get a transit card. 

 

Full-fare riders boarding the Blue Line 'L' at O'Hare Airport pay $5.00 (plus 25 cents for an optional transfer) if using a Transit Card which may be purchased from the Transit Card vending machines at the station. Reduced fare riders and those with unlimited ride passes do not pay a higher fare at O'Hare.

 

A good value for visitors - CTA Visitor Passes offer you the most economical travel value. With unlimited rides, the more you ride, the more you save!

 

1-Day Visitor Pass for $10.00
3-Day Visitor Pass for $20.00
7-Day Pass for CTA only is $28.00
7-Day Pass for CTA and Pace for $33.00

 

The 3- and 7-day passes are sold in special "Visitor Pass Vending Machines" at certain CTA rail stations. 

 

Your pass activates the first time you use it. Just dip your pass into the bus farecard machine or the train station turnstile---and go! The pass is good for the number of consecutive days shown on the front of the card. As an example, a 3-day pass is valid for 72 hours from the time of first use and the expiration date and time is printed on the back of the card after it is used.

 

You can order passes ahead of time. There’s no charge for shipping.

 

The Chicago Transit Authority's (CTA's) official name for its train system is The 'L' (written with single quotation marks). The name derives from the system of elevated train tracks the CTA inherited from its predecessors. Today, the CTA operates a system of elevated, subway, at-grade, and below-grade train lines, but still refers to them all as The 'L.'

 

If you’re staying in the city, there’s no real reason to have a car. Parking downtown is very expensive. If you are driving downtown, the underground parking garage at Millenium Park is less expensive than most lots.