O'Hare Airport uses 4 terminals, numbered 1, 2, 3 and 5. Terminal 4 does not exist and this designation was only used for the temporary construction in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
View hotels near Chicago ORD Airport
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are connected by corridors, while Terminal 5 is separate from the main complex and accessible within 4 minutes by a free automated train.
All international arrivals, with the exception of flights from Canada, arrive at Terminal 5, including airlines that check in at other terminals on departure.
The terminals are divided by airline.
- Terminal 1 (gates B,C) - All Nippon (ANA), Ethiopian Airlines, Lufthansa, United
- Terminal 2 (gates E, F) - Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, JetBlue, Southern Airways Express
- Terminal 3 (gates G, H, K, L) - American Airlines, Cape Air, Contour Airlines, Denver Air Connection, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Spirit Airlines
- Terminal 5 (gates M) - Aer Lingus, AeroMexico, Air France, Air India, Air New Zealand, Air Serbia, Austrian, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Copa Airlines, Delta, EVA Air, Emirates, Etihad Airways, Finnair, Frontier, Icelandair, KLM, Korean Air, LOT, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, Swiss, SAS, Southwest, Sun Country, TAP, Turkish Airlines, VivaAerobus, Volaris, Westjet
Terminal map
An interactive map of the entire airport and each terminal can be found on the airport's official website: flychicago.com/ohare/map.
Transfer between flights
Chicago Airport is often a transfer point during your trip. If this is your first contact with the US mainland on your trip, be sure to pick up your luggage on arrival and check it in again at the counter.
Upon your international arrival in Chicago, you'll find yourself in Terminal 5, from which you'll need to take the Airport Transit System (ATS) automated train to Terminals 1, 2 or 3. The free ride takes a maximum of 7 minutes between the outermost terminals.
If you continue from Terminal 5, you don't need to move anywhere. You simply walk out through immigration, pick up and re-check your baggage if necessary, and walk up one level through security back to the departure area.
For layovers longer than 7 hours, it is possible to take a short tour of the centre, but there are no luggage lockers at the airport.
The airport website also provides official transfer information: flychicago.com/ohare/connecting.
Do I need to apply for ESTA?
Every time you transfer from an international flight, you must collect your baggage and exit the transit area.
Therefore, you must have an electronic ESTA to enter the United States (for 21 usd online processing, visit the official website: esta.cbp.dhs.gov).
How long does the immigration check take?
If you arrive during off-peak hours, you can be in the public section in 20 minutes, but especially during the afternoon rush hour for arrivals from Europe, the immigration line can be 2-3 hours long.
If you have less than 1.5 hours to transfer, it is recommended that you tell the informants that you have a tight transfer before you get in the queue. In this case, you may be sent to the priority queue.
If you do not make your guaranteed connection due to the length of the immigration check, the airline will arrange your next flight free of charge. However, accommodation at the airline's expense will not be provided in these cases.
What checks do I go through when I change planes?
What are the exact procedures for each type of transfer?
- International -> International: immigration and security check
- International -> domestic: immigration and security check
- Domestic -> International: security check only if you are transferring to another terminal
- National -> national: security check only if you are moving to another terminal
If you are transferring within domestic terminals from/to Terminal 5, where your aircraft uses departure gate M1-M40, you do not need to leave the transit area.
There is a free shuttle bus that runs every 15 minutes between Terminals 1, 3 and 5 on the tarmac.
- Terminal 1 - stop at gate B1
- Terminal 3 - stop at gates G17 and K20
- Terminal 5 - stop at gate M13
Looking for a hotel to stay overnight during a layover or on an early morning departure?
Hotels near the terminal
There is a hotel located directly in the airport area at Terminals 1, 2 and 3 Hilton Chicago O'Hare Airport ****.
From Terminal 5, the hotel can be reached within 4 minutes by a free automatic train.
Prices range from 300 usd per night upwards.
Hotels near the airport
Lower prices from 160 usd than the Hilton right next to the terminals are offered by hotels in the wider airport area. All hotels listed below offer free private transfers to all terminals.
- Sonesta Chicago O'Hare Airport Rosemont *** - 10 minutes drive from the airport
- Best Western O' Hare *** - 12 minutes from the airport
- Hyatt Regency O’Hare **** - 10 minutes from the airport, the hotel is also near the Rosemont metro station towards the airport and downtown
Hotels in Chicago
If your flight isn't in the early morning or late night hours, stay in downtown Chicago where there is the widest selection.
What to do on a long layover?
O'Hare Airport is only 40 minutes by subway from downtown, so it's definitely worth visiting downtown if you have a day-long layover.
Downtown Chicago isn't too big and even within 2 hours you can see the most famous sights.
