Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) serves Chicago, Illinois, and the surrounding metropolitan area. Located on the city’s northwest side, the airport covers more than 7,200 acres and is one of the busiest airports in the United States. O’Hare Airport is a major hub for United Airlines and American Airlines, with flights connecting Chicago to destinations across the United States and around the world.

ORD Airport handled more than 86 million passengers in 2024 and 776,036 aircraft operations. The airport has eight active runways, ranging from 7,500 to 13,000 feet in length. These runways support the airport’s large volume of passenger and cargo flights.

The airport is also undergoing major improvements through the ORD Next development program. The work includes new concourses, additional gates, and upgrades to passenger facilities, helping the airport accommodate future growth.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport has four passenger terminals: Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5. Together, they have 199 gates as of April 2026. Terminal 1 includes Concourse B and C; Terminal 2 includes Concourse E and F; Terminal 3 includes Concourse G, H, K, and L; and Terminal 5 includes Concourse M.

The terminal has a wide range of dining and shopping options. These include restaurants, cafés, bars, news and gift shops, specialty stores, duty-free outlets, and automated retail and vending locations. As of January 2026, O’Hare had 149 food and beverage locations, 87 news, gift, specialty retail, duty-free, and service locations, and 151 automated retail and vending locations.

O’Hare Airport provides various options for getting to and from the airport, such as CTA trains, Metra, Pace buses, taxis, rideshare services, rental cars, hotel shuttles, and private transport. Those arriving by vehicle can take advantage of the airport’s parking options for either short-term or long-term durations. The Airport Transit System (ATS) offers complimentary links between passenger terminals and various airport transport services.

ORD Airport began as Orchard Field in 1945 on the site of a former aircraft manufacturing facility. In 1949, the airport was renamed O’Hare Airport in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare, a U.S. Navy aviator and Medal of Honor recipient. Commercial passenger service began in 1955, and the airport handled 176,902 passengers during its first year.

By 1962, airline operations had shifted from Chicago Midway Airport to O’Hare Airport, making it the world’s busiest airport at the time. Since then, this airport has undergone major runway, terminal, and infrastructure improvements to accommodate increasing passenger and cargo traffic.