Once you have your bags, how you get downtown usually comes down to three things: your budget, how much luggage you have, and how much patience is left after the flight. Here is how each option actually works, with the figures from the transit agency, the airport and the city.
The train: CTA Blue Line
The cheapest way in. The fare from O’Hare is $5 (CTA), trains run 24 hours a day, every 15 to 20 minutes overnight (CTA timetable), and the normal ride to downtown is 40 to 45 minutes (CTA), whatever the traffic is doing.
The station is not inside a terminal. It is in the lower-level concourse under the parking garage, connected by walkways to Terminals 1, 2 and 3; from Terminal 5, take the airport train to Terminal 2 first (CTA, flychicago.com). With several big bags, that walk and a busy train are the catch.
Taxis
Taxi stands are at the lower-level curb outside baggage claim at every terminal, and the airport puts the average fare to downtown at about $50 (flychicago.com). The meter charges for time as well as distance, $0.31 for every 45 seconds, so traffic adds up; since July 1, 2026 there is also a $2.50 surcharge from 3:30 to 7 pm and $1.00 from 8 pm to 6 am, plus a $4.00 Illinois airport departure tax on each trip (City of Chicago).
Ride apps
At O’Hare, Uber and Lyft pick up on the upper level of Terminals 2 and 3, not at the arrivals curb (flychicago.com). The CTA puts the fare to downtown at about $35 to $50, rising to $140 or more when prices surge (CTA). You see the price before you book (Uber).
A rental car
Worth it if you are heading for the suburbs or out of town. If you are staying downtown, check the hotel’s parking first: overnight valet at three downtown hotels we checked runs $85 to $86 a night (Loews, Palmer House, theWit).
A booked car
At O’Hare, pre-arranged cars meet passengers on the lower level, in the center lane (flychicago.com). We track your flight, so the pickup moves with an early or late landing; your chauffeur loads the bags and drives you to the hotel door. You see the price before you book, and nothing is charged until you confirm. It suits families with car seats and several bags, business travelers who want to take calls on the way, groups, and anyone landing late at night.
| Option | Cost | Time to downtown | Where it picks up |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTA Blue Line | $5 | 40–45 min | Lower-level concourse, walkway from Terminals 1–3 |
| Taxi | About $50 on average, plus surcharges and $4 tax | 25–90 min | Lower-level curb outside baggage claim |
| Ride app | About $35–50; surges to $140 or more | 25–90 min | Upper level, Terminals 2 and 3 |
| Booked car | Shown before you book | Same roads as a taxi | Lower level, center lane |