O'Hare Airport in Chicago: CTA and Metra Trains

As the air-to-ground gateway for millions of Chicago visitors, O’Hare Airport can be a daunting hub if you’re unaccustomed to giant international airports. Some travelers, eager to leave the crowded airport behind, grab their bags and head right to the taxi stand so they can take a cab to the Loop (around $40) or to another destination equally pricey. But O’Hare Airport enjoys a solid connection to public transit, so visitors can easily connect to CTA and Metra trains to save money and, in some cases, time.

O’Hare Airport and CTA Train Transportation

O’Hare is served by Chicago’s Blue Line, one of the two 24-hour trains provided by the CTA. O’Hare is one terminus of the line, which makes a few suburban stops before traversing the northwest side of the city. The train initially follows the freeway before crossing through neighborhoods like Logan Square and Wicker Park and then heading into the Loop via subway. The Blue Line then continues beyond the Loop to serve the University of Illinois at Chicago and other destinations on two branches (one of which is only offered during rush hours).

For the typical tourist or business traveler headed to a hotel in downtown Chicago, the ride between O’Hare Airport and the Loop area takes about 45 minutes. There are admittedly a lot of stops along the Blue Line’s O’Hare branch, but the trains operate with such frequency that the travel time compares favorably with taking a cab, especially during rush hours and other times when the freeway system is backed up. Throughout most of the day, the trains run every 7-8 minutes, with rush hour service operating more frequently (every 5-6 minutes) and late-night service operating less frequently (every 10-20 minutes).