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ORDKORD

O'Hare International Airport

Chicago, US

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Security

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ORDKORDNormal

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Chicago, United States · North America

Solid major hub (84.9 million passengers in 2025) with a free 24/7 people mover, CTA Blue Line, and three Terminal 5 Priority Pass rooms — still punished by T5 isolation, gate sprawl, and an Air France midday PP lockout.

Airportist Score

7.2/ 10

Solid

Ease of use6.8
Comfort & amenities7.0
Food & retail7.5
Ground access7.8
Reliability7.0
Lounges7.3

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare ORD with another airport

Arrive

Security

Fastest

Cheapest

Lounges

On time

ORDGuide

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All airports Official site

ORDKORDNormal

Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Chicago, United States · North America

Solid major hub (84.9 million passengers in 2025) with a free 24/7 people mover, CTA Blue Line, and three Terminal 5 Priority Pass rooms — still punished by T5 isolation, gate sprawl, and an Air France midday PP lockout.

Airportist Score

7.2/ 10

Solid

Ease of use6.8
Comfort & amenities7.0
Food & retail7.5
Ground access7.8
Reliability7.0
Lounges7.3

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare ORD with another airport

Typical security
15 min
editorial average, not live
Fastest to city
25-60 min
Uber/Lyft
Cheapest to city
CTA Blue Line
$ · 40-45 min
Lounges
9
3 rated worth it
On time
75%
of departures
Terminals
4

12 photos

Alternatives

Nearby airports

Passenger airports within about 150 km. Scored airports show their Airportist Score so you can weigh a switch.

PWKChicago Executive Airport
Chicago
16 km
MDWChicago Midway International Airport
Chicago
25 km
DPADuPage Airport
Chicago
30 km
LOTLewis University Airport
Romeoville
44 km
UGNWaukegan National Airport
Waukegan
49 km
AUZAurora Municipal Airport
Aurora
52 km

Compare ORD vs MDW

PWKChicago Executive Airport
Chicago
16 km
MDWChicago Midway International Airport
Chicago
7.425 km
DPADuPage Airport
Chicago
30 km
LOTLewis University Airport
Romeoville
44 km
UGNWaukegan National Airport
Waukegan
49 km
AUZAurora Municipal Airport
Aurora
52 km

ORDGuide

ORDGuide

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Build 2 hours domestic / 3 hours international — T5 customs is the wildcard

Domestic ~2 hours; international ~3 hours; T5 connections need the bus clock or a second TSA screening.

TSA PreCheck and CLEAR are the useful domestic shortcuts. Peak security is typically 07:00–09:00 and 15:00–18:00. International arrivals into T5 can take 30–60+ minutes through CBP on a busy bank. Same-day T5↔T1/T3 connections should use the Terminal Transfer Bus only while it is running (11:30–21:30); overnight connections exit and re-clear via ATS.

Terminal

Confirm T1 / T2 / T3 / T5 before you book a curb

T1 United, T3 American / BA departures, T5 international arrivals + Delta / foreign-flag — ATS links them all.

United is T1 with overflow into T2. American and BA/Iberia/Aer Lingus departures are T3. Delta and most foreign-flag departures plus all international arrivals are T5. British Airways moved departures to T3 on 25 April 2024 — arrivals still use T5. Screenshot the terminal in the airline app before you instruct a rideshare.

Food

Eat in T1 or T3 airside; T5 is thinner and pricier

T1/T3 win on everyday food; T5 is a lounge-or-markup problem.

Giordano's / Lou Malnati's-class Chicago pizza still lives in the domestic terminals. T5 has more international brands but weaker value. If you hold Priority Pass and are actually departing T5, use Air France (outside the noon lockout), Wingtips, or Swissport instead of a full sit-down.

Status

PP is T5-only — and Air France closes the door at midday

Three T5 PP rooms; Air France noon lockout; no Maple Leaf / BA / Emirates rooms.

Open Priority Pass the day you fly. Air France Lounge is the strongest PP room but lists a hard 12:00–17:00 cardholder lockout. Wingtips (M19, 09:00–22:00) is the midday fallback. Swissport (M13, 07:00–00:00) is basic and often capacity-restricted 15:00–20:30. United Club / Polaris and Admirals Club / Flagship are airline products, not PP. There is no Air Canada Maple Leaf or dedicated BA / Emirates lounge at ORD.

Live conditions

Right now at ORD

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Honest verdict

Who this airport works for

Best for

United and American domestic connections
CTA Blue Line value
Lounge variety for premium flyers
24/7 operations

Watch out for

T5 has no airside walk to T1–T3 — use the 11:30–21:30 transfer bus or re-clear TSA
Priority Pass is T5-only; Air France blocks cardholders 12:00–17:00
No Maple Leaf, BA, or Emirates lounge — those rows are closed
Peak-hour security and curb congestion
Frequent gate changes across terminals

Airportist Score

Why this score

Overall is the published weighted sum of six categories. No holistic fudge on top.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

6.8

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

7.0

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

7.5

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

7.8

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

7.0

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

7.3

Key stats

Editorial reference figures, not live readings.

Annual passengers

83M (pre-2020 peak; recent ~70M+)

Terminals

4 active terminals

On-time departures

75%

Typical security

15 min

Guide quick facts

From the editorial guide for ORD.

Updated Sep 18, 2026

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (IATA ORD / ICAO KORD) is the city’s primary global hub, operated by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA). Official passenger site: flychicago.com/ohare. Do not confuse ORD with Midway (MDW).
Traffic (CDA official December 2025 year-to-date summary, revised PDF): calendar 2025 total passenger volume 84,856,018 (+5.97% vs 2024), of which 70,007,409 domestic and 14,848,609 international. ACI-NA’s 2025 North American ranking places ORD third by passengers (behind ATL and DFW).
Four passenger terminals: T1 United domestic (B/C concourses), T2 mixed (United / Air Canada / some domestic), T3 American (G/H/K/L), T5 international arrivals plus most foreign-flag and Delta departures. T1–T3 share an airside walk; T5 does not.
Free 24/7 Airport Transit System (ATS) links T1, T2, T3, T5 and the Multi-Modal Facility. Airside Terminal Transfer Bus (connecting passengers with a same-day boarding pass only) runs every 15 minutes 11:30–21:30 between T5 and T1/T3. T1 pickup is at Gate C18B (B1 closed for construction). Outside those hours, ATS plus a second TSA screening.
Priority Pass (live directory, Sep 2026) is Terminal 5 only: Air France Lounge (05:00–20:00; PP blocked 12:00–17:00), Wingtips Lounge Chicago (09:00–22:00, near Gate M19), Swissport Lounge (07:00–00:00 near Gate M13 across from Delta; capacity often restricted 15:00–20:30; max stay 3 hours). There is no Chase or Capital One branded lounge.
Ground: CTA Blue Line from the T1–T3 lower-level station, 24/7, about 40–45 minutes to the Loop; $5 to board at O'Hare (regular $2.50 rail fare elsewhere; a 1-Day CTA/Pace pass is also $5 and covers the airport entry). Shared-ride airport taxi downtown / McCormick Place is $30 per person (official Ride Smart flat fare). Metered taxis use the 1 July 2026 city placard — fuel surcharge ended 23 June 2026.

12 official sources

https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/home/pages/default.aspx
https://www.flychicago.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Business/AccessiblePDFs/FactsandFigures/AirTraffic/1225%20ORD%20SUMMARY%20REVISED.pdf
https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/ServicesAmenities/services/Pages/lounges.aspx
https://www.flychicago.com/ohare/ServicesAmenities/services/Pages/tbt.aspx
https://www.transitchicago.com/airports/
https://www.transitchicago.com/fares/
https://www.chicago.gov/ridesmart
https://www.aa.com/web/i18n/travel-info/clubs/flagship-lounge.html
https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-states-of-america/ohare-international
https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-states-of-america/ohare-international/ord10-swissport-lounge
https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-states-of-america/ohare-international/ord11-air-france-lounge
https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/united-states-of-america/ohare-international/ord12-wingtips-lounge-chicago

Full guide

Explore the ORD guide

Each section answers one trip question in depth.

Map
O'Hare International Airport, the Chicago city center, and 4 other airports in the city
City center4 other airports
View Map
Getting There
3 ways into the city, compared on time, cost, and luggage.
Fastest: Uber/LyftCheapest: CTA Blue Line
View Getting There
Lounges
9 lounges with access rules, hours, and verdicts. 3 rated worth it.
United Polaris LoungeAmerican Airlines Flagship LoungeAir France Lounge
View Lounges
Traveler Tips
Screenshot the terminal before you book a rideshare. BA departures are T3; BA arrivals are still T5.
12 tips & hacks
View Traveler Tips
Amenities
5 rated amenities — food, Wi-Fi, quiet spots, family, and sleep.
United Polaris LoungeCTA Blue LineAirport Transit System
View Amenities
Water
Where to refill for free, and where a bottle costs the least airside.
3 spots2 free or refill
View Water
Reviews
Editorial and traveler reviews — what people actually complain about.
2 published
View Reviews

☀️12°C / 54°F

Security wait times

A current security estimate is not available. Check the official airport site or MyTSA before travel.

Official airport site TSA screening guide

Operational status

Normal operations

No Flighty-reported operational issues for this airport.

Status update: 10:50 CDT

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Oct 21, 15:50 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.