Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD): Terminal Guide

Chicago O'Hare (ORD) is one of the busiest airports in the world, and it's easy to get turned around if you don't know the layout. The single most useful thing to know: Terminals 1, 2, and 3 connect after security, but Terminal 5 does not.

Get that straight before you land, and most of the confusion disappears. This guide walks you through the maps, which airline sits in which terminal, how to connect, how to get downtown, and where to eat and relax.

Key takeaways

• O'Hare has four terminals, numbered 1, 2, 3, and 5. There is no Terminal 4.
• Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are linked by walkways after security. Terminal 5 is reached by the free Airport Transit System (ATS) train or an airside transfer bus.
• United's hub is Terminal 1 and American's is Terminal 3. Delta moved to Terminal 5 in 2022, alongside most international carriers.
• The CTA Blue Line (“L”) runs downtown in about 45 minutes for $5. It’s available 24 hours a day.
• Give yourself two hours for a domestic departure and more for international, especially with ongoing construction.

About Chicago O'Hare Airport

Chicago has two airports, so make sure you're headed to the right one. O'Hare is the larger, farther-out hub with the most flights and nearly all international service, while Midway (MDW) is smaller, closer to downtown, and built mostly around Southwest. If your ticket says ORD, this is your airport.

Keep in mind that O'Hare is in the middle of an $8.5 billion modernization known as O'Hare 21, so gates and paths can shift.

Chicago Airport Map

Below are the maps most travelers need. For the highest-resolution, always-current versions, use O'Hare's official printable maps, which include separate maps for Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5, plus a full directory.

Chicago O'Hare Airport parking map

Parking ranges from about $15 a day in Economy Lot G to roughly $42 a day in the Main Parking Garage next to Terminals 1–3. Economy parking and rental cars sit at the Multi-Modal Facility, connected to the terminals by the ATS train.

Chicago Airport terminal map

O'Hare has four terminals numbered 1, 2, 3, and 5, with no Terminal 4. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 form the connected domestic core. Terminal 5 is the standalone international terminal.

→ Heading to Chicago? Let Going track fares to ORD and alert you to deals so you spend less getting there.

Walking map: how long between terminals

• Terminals 1, 2, and 3 connect on foot after security. The Terminal 1 to Terminal 2 walkway is on the departure level near gates B5 and B6, and the walk runs roughly 5–15 minutes end to end.
• Terminal 5 is separate. Take the free ATS people mover (landside, 24/7) or the airside terminal transfer bus, which runs about every 15 minutes with no re-screening.
• If you arrive internationally at Terminal 5 and connect to a domestic flight, you must clear customs, collect and re-check your bags, and clear security again at the next terminal, so budget more time.

Walking times vary, so confirm current walk and ATS details on the official O'Hare maps.

Chicago Airport gate map

Gate letters follow the concourses: Terminal 1 has Concourses B and C (United); Terminal 2 has E and F; Terminal 3 has G, H, K, and L (American), and Terminal 5 has Concourse M. Always check your boarding pass and departure boards in the terminal for your gate, as assignments move during construction.

Chicago Airport food map

The strongest dining clusters are in Terminals 1, 3, and 5. We cover specific spots in the food section below, but the official maps note each restaurant by gate.

Chicago Airport smoking area map

O'Hare is smoke-free inside all terminals. If you need to smoke, you'll have to exit to the designated areas outside on the arrivals and departures curbs, then re-clear security to return airside.

Which terminal is my airline at O'Hare?

Assignments shift during the O'Hare 21 work and with seasonal schedules, so always confirm on your boarding pass or at flychicago.com the day you fly.

Security, TSA PreCheck, and customs at O'Hare

Each terminal has its own security checkpoint on the departure level, so you clear security in the terminal your flight leaves from. Give yourself about two hours for a domestic flight and more for international travel. International arrivals clear US Customs and Border Protection in Terminal 5.

Checkpoints in Terminals 1, 2, and 3 generally run from about 3:30am to 11:00pm, while Terminal 5 security operates 24 hours a day.

Confirm exact checkpoint locations and hours at flychicago.com before you travel, and if you skip PreCheck and CLEAR, arrive earlier during morning and evening peaks.

O'Hare arrivals and ground transportation

When you land: terminals and baggage claim

Domestic flights arrive in Terminals 1, 2, or 3, with baggage claim on the lower level of your terminal. International flights arrive at Terminal 5, where you clear customs before reaching baggage claim and the arrivals hall.

There is signage for ground transportation (taxis, rideshare, shuttles, and the ATS to parking and rental cars) from baggage claim.

Getting from O'Hare to downtown Chicago

The cheapest, most traffic-proof option is the CTA Blue Line, Chicago’s “L” train, which has a station beneath the terminals. Here's how the main options compare.

The Blue Line runs 24/7 and takes roughly 40–45 minutes to the Loop for $5 from O’Hare, while taxis and rideshares take 30–60 minutes depending on traffic.

Food at Chicago Airport

O'Hare has some of the best food options of US airports. The standout is Tortas Frontera, chef Rick Bayless's Mexican torta counter, with locations near Gate B11 in Terminal 1, near Concourse G in Terminal 3, and in Terminal 5.

Garrett Popcorn is the classic take-home snack, and Terminal 5 adds sit-down options like Wolfgang Puck. Keep in mind that, late at night, choices thin out fast, so eat before an evening flight rather than counting on something near your gate.

Lounges at Chicago Airport

O'Hare has more than 20 lounges. If you're flying internationally from Terminal 5, you can't reach the Terminal 1 or 3 lounges airside without the transfer bus or re-clearing security.

→ For the full rundown of ways into an airport lounge, see our guide on how to get airport lounge access.

O'Hare lounges by terminal

Two things to know: O'Hare has no Amex Centurion Lounge, and Priority Pass only works in Terminal 5. Hours change seasonally, so confirm current times with the lounge or airline before you rely on one.

Sleeping at Chicago Airport

O’Hare isn’t the best airport for sleeping, but you can’t always avoid an overnight layover. Terminal 5 closes overnight, but Terminals 1–3 remain open.

If you're stuck, Concourse K has some quieter corners and padded benches, perfect for a few hours of rest. However, there are no nap pods or other sleep-friendly options in O’Hare airport.

Best hotels near the Chicago Airport

The only onsite hotel is Hilton Chicago O'Hare, connected to Terminals 1, 2, and 3 by a pedestrian tunnel, which makes it the easiest choice for an early flight or a long layover. Here are other alternatives nearby:

• Loews Chicago O’Hare
• Hyatt Regency O’Hare 
• Comfort Suites Chicago O’Hare
• Crowne Plaza Chicago O’Hare
• Chicago Marriott Suites O’Hare

Shopping at Chicago Airport

The shopping at Chicago O’Hare is relatively limited, with newsstands, tech and travel-gear kiosks, and Chicago-branded gift shops across all terminals.

Terminal 5 has the widest selection, including Duty Free for international departures. It's a fine place to grab a forgotten charger or a last-minute gift, not a destination in itself.

Other amenities at Chicago Airport

O'Hare offers free Wi-fi (Fly Chicago Wi-Fi) throughout, plus charging points and power at many gates and restaurants. Restrooms are on every concourse, as well as lactation pods and a Mother's Room to give nursing parents a private space. 

Kids play areas

Families can decompress at the free Butch O'Hare Family Lounge in Terminal 2, a kid-friendly space that needs no membership.

Pet relief areas

Both indoor and outdoor pet relief areas are available across the terminals for service animals and traveling pets. Signage points the way from the concourses.

Car rental stands

Rental cars are consolidated at the Multi-Modal Facility, reached by the free ATS train, rather than at the individual terminals.

Things to do at Chicago Airport

A long layover at ORD doesn't have to be a waste of time. Here are some interesting options:

• The aeroponic Urban Garden in the rotunda between Terminals 2 and 3. The world's first airport aeroponic garden, with 26 towers growing roughly 1,100 plants that supply airport restaurants.
• “The Sky’s the Limit” is a neon light installation over the moving walkway connecting Concourses B and C in Terminal 1, and it’s O'Hare’s most photographed sight. 
• The Yoga Room in the Terminal 3 rotunda mezzanine is open roughly 6am to 10pm, with mats provided and guided poses on screen.
• The Butch O'Hare plane exhibit is a restored World War II fighter in the Terminal 2 main hall.

Plus, you can also find dozens of works from Chicago's airport art program.

What works and what doesn't at ORD

• What works: The airside connection between Terminals 1–3 makes domestic connections a breeze, the Blue Line is a cheap and reliable link downtown, and the food and art are a cut above similarly sized US airpots.
• What doesn't: Security lines can be long during morning and evening peaks, holidays, and bad weather, and late-night food is limited. Terminal 5's separation is the other recurring headache, especially for international arrivals connecting to a domestic flight. Plan for both, and O'Hare is very manageable.

→ You can also check out our guide to Chicago to know what to do once you land in the Windy City.