ORD · Layover Guide
Chicago
Stop in Chicago.
Best layover: 4–24h
LayoverScore™
Base city score. Your route score varies by savings and timing.
Exit realism
Comfortable window
Enough room in Chicago for a real stop. Keep the buffer at the end anyway.
Landside playbook
If time slips
- Drop the last stop. Go straight to the train, taxi rank, or ride pickup you already chose.
- Add 15 minutes to map ETAs for the return leg at rush hour.
- One ticket for the whole trip protects you when the inbound is late. Separate tickets do not.
Worth knowing
- Do not stack three stops. One solid block in the city beats a rushed loop.
- Do not treat one map time as gospel for immigration lines. Pad on your first pass through this hub.
Planning a stop in Chicago?
We'll alert you when fares drop through ORD.
Places to stay
Search hotelsLayoverScore™ breakdown
Score 76 · Discover 53 · Ease 5
Why Chicago scores 76
Getting there
CTA Blue Line $5 · Taxi $45
min to center
metro- 01CTA Blue Line train (45 min to downtown, $5)
- 02Taxi/Uber (30-45 min, $40-60)
- 03Airport Express shuttle ($35)
48 min by CTA Blue Line
- 01Walk the Chicago Riverwalk and catch an architecture boat tour
- 02Deep-dish pizza at Lou Malnati's or Giordano's
- 03Millennium Park's Cloud Gate sculpture and Crown Fountain
- 04Art Institute of Chicago – world-class Impressionist collection
- 05Willis Tower Skydeck with glass ledge 103 floors up
Experiences in Chicago
Timed tours and tickets for Chicago are listed on our partner site.
Open listingsOpens in a new tab.
- DUNKIN'~60 min1 min walk
- Bistro Monadnock~60 min1 min walk
- RA Sushi~75 min1 min walk
- Chicago Bar Association~75 min1 min walk
- Insidechicagowalkingtours~90 min1 min walk
- Midwest Ballooning Adventures~90 min1 min walk
- Navy Pier4.6
- Millennium Park4.8
- Shedd Aquarium4.5
- Willis Tower4.5
- Lincoln Park Zoo4.6
Need a room for your layover? Browse hotels near the airport.
Where to stay →Drop your luggage. Don't drag it around the city.
Bagbnb / Bounce
Multiple downtown locations near Millennium Park
$6/bag
5 min walk
Union Station Amtrak Luggage
Union Station (Canal St)
$10/day
10 min walk
Hilton Chicago day use
720 S Michigan Ave
$89/day
0 min walk
From the terminal to the good part.
CTA Blue Line
to Loop/downtown
Runs 24/7, trains every 5-10 min during day
45 min
$5.00
Taxi
Flat rate to downtown; traffic can add 20+ min during rush hour
35 min
$45.00
Uber/Lyft
Pickup at designated rideshare areas in each terminal
35 min
$35.00
Chicago CityPASS
Shedd Aquarium, Skydeck, Field Museum, Art Institute or 360 Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry or Shoreline Sightseeing
Valid 9 consecutive days; saves ~50% if visiting 4+ attractions
$98
per day
Getting there
Get an Uber from the airportAt the airport
- 01Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless (Terminal 1 & 3) – excellent Mexican
- 02Neon light tunnel between Terminals B and C
- 03Yoga room in Terminal 3
- 04Urban Garden with real plants in Terminal 2
Read more about Chicago
More North America layovers
Ready to book?
Search layovers through Chicago
