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Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)

The airport code for Chicago O’Hare International Airport is ORD.

There is one on-site hotel at Chicago O’Hare (ORD). The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport Hotel is within walking distance of the domestic terminals via underground walkways, or it can be accessed from the international terminal via the Airport Transit System. The hotel has room service, a gym, and an indoor pool. Room rates start at around $220 per night.

Terminal 1: In Terminal 1, there are three United Clubs and a United Polaris Lounge, which include a full-service bar, snacks, and WiFi. The Polaris Lounge also features a buffet, pre-flight dining options, quiet suites, and showers. The Polaris Lounge is available only to international first and business-class passengers only, but when space is available at the United Club, one-time passes can be purchased for $59 per person. Annual membership to the United Club is $650 or 85,000 miles.

Terminal 2: Terminal 2 is home to Delta’s Sky Club as well as another United Club. Sky Club access is available to annual SkyClub members; Delta passengers with a business or first class boarding pass; Delta SkyMiles Reserve Card members; Amex Platinum cardholders with a Delta boarding pass; or Air France business or first class passengers.

Terminal 3: American Airlines has three Admirals Club lounges in Terminal 3 as well as an American Flagship Lounge. All serve snacks and have a full-service bar and WiFi. Access is available to Admirals Club members; Citi/AAdvantage Executive World Elite MasterCard cardholders flying AA; ConciergeKey members flying AA; AirPass members with Admirals Club privileges; or AA customers with a business or first-class boarding pass. Day passes are available for $59; annual memberships start at $550.

Terminal 5: The international terminal has two lounges: the SAS Lounge and Swissport Lounge, which host a number of international airline members, including Asiana Airlines, Air India, Alitalia, Royal Jordanian, Etihad Airways, LOT Polish Airways, Turkish Airlines, Emirates, Finnair, and Priority Pass customers flying these airlines. The lounge has a full bar, snacks, and WiFi.

Service animals must be leashed at all times. Non-service animals must be in a kennel. There are several pet relief areas throughout the airport, both outside and inside security.

Pet relief areas:

• Terminal 1 lower level Door 1A (outside security)
• Terminal 2 lower level Door 2A (outside security)
• Terminal 5 lower level Door 5B (outside security)
• Rental Cars Lot F
• Terminal 3 Rotunda between Terminal 2 and Terminal 3 (inside security)
• Terminal 3 Main Hall next to the Lotto booth, down the hall from Gate K1 (inside security)

Chicago O’Hare has four terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, and Terminal 5.

Terminal 1: Domestic and international terminal with 55 gates split between concourses B and C. It’s used mostly by United, along with ANA and Lufthansa. Along with several restaurants and shops, it has three United Clubs and a United Polaris lounge. It is connected by a pedestrian tunnel to Terminals 2 and 3. There’s a range of food options, from fast food to Chili’s Too.

Terminal 2: Domestic terminal with 45 gates spread over concourses E and F. It’s used by Air Canada, Alaska, and JetBlue and has a USO Lounge and United Club. It is connected by a pedestrian tunnel to Terminals 1 and 3. Terminal 2 has several dining options, including a sports bar and there’s even a barbershop.

Terminal 3: Domestic terminal with 76 gates spread over concourses G, H, K, and L. It has three American Airlines Admirals Clubs, an American Airlines Flagship Lounge, and a USO Cyber Canteen. It is linked to Terminals 1 and 2 by the pedestrian tunnel. It is used mostly by American, as well as Spirit, JAL, and others. Terminal 3 is the largest of ORD’s terminals and has a smoothie and salad shop, a bakery, a Mexican restaurant (Tortas Frontera by local celeb chef Rick Bayless), an output of Chicago’s Goose Island brewery, a pub, a yoga room, and more.

Terminal 5: Terminal 5 is Chicago O’Hare’s international terminal, with 40 gates in concourse M. It has a British Airways Terraces Lounge, British Airways First Lounge, SAS Lounge, and Swissport Louge. Nearly two dozen food options include Burger King, McDonald’s, Dunkin’ Donuts, Wow Boa, another Tortas Frontera outpost, and more.

CLEAR is available at Terminal 1 at O’Hare. It’s open from 4am-8pm, including for enrollment.

TSA Precheck is available at ORD at checkpoints 2 and 3 in Terminal 1, checkpoint 5 in Terminal 2, and checkpoints 7A and 8 in Terminal 3.

Global Entry is available for international arrivals at Chicago O’Hare in Terminal 5. Enrollment is available in Terminal 5 at the Global Entry desk between 8:15am and 3:30pm Monday-Friday.

Most airlines recommend you arrive at the airport two hours before a domestic flight and three hours before an international flight. But whether you really need to be there that early depends on a number of factors.

How big is the airport, and where is your gate? O’Hare is pretty large, and the walk from security to some of the farthest gates can take 15-20 minutes. If you’re arriving via the Blue Line, you’ll also need to add some extra time for walking from the train terminus to security; this takes about five minutes on average.

Are you checked in? Every airline has a check-in cutoff, typically 30-60 minutes before departing. If you can’t check in online, you’ll need to arrive at the airport before this cutoff time.

Are you checking luggage? Similarly, every airline has a cutoff time after which they will not accept checked luggage. Typically this is 45-60 minutes before the flight.

How busy is the airport? On an average day, the security wait at O’Hare is about 10-15 minutes. But if you’re traveling around a holiday, during summer, or on busier days like Friday and Sunday, it can be much, much longer. At these times, it’s better to err on the side of arriving early.

At the bare minimum, it’s wise to arrive at O’Hare at least one hour before your flight, but 1.5-2 hours is a safer bet on most days. During peak times, 3-4 hours in advance may be necessary.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is 17-20 miles from downtown Chicago, depending on where in the city you’re departing from.

There are several options for traveling from Chicago to ORD.

• By taxi or ride share: Downtown Chicago is less than 20 miles from the airport, and you can get there by car in about 30 minutes with no traffic, though we suggest allowing at least 45 minutes at most times. Costs range from about $35-$50, depending on demand.

• By public transportation: From downtown and much of Chicago’s west side, it’s a straight shot to the airport on the Blue Line, which runs 24 hours and takes about 45-50 minutes. Full-fare tickets are $2.50 per ride or $5 when departing from O’Hare. Metra's North Central Service train line connects downtown Chicago's Union Station to the airport in 35 minutes and costs $6.25.