CTA – O’Hare

Simple simple simple, this is was wip to leave the airport. It empty once you get on so you can get a seat vs stand. The waiting area was unbearable hot, the machines to get tickets all 6 of them are not super easy to use.

Trains are fairly frequent. 5 dollars going from airport to downtown, $ 3 going back. Watch out for numorous bums and pickpockets.

Last week, I visited Chicago on a day trip for my birthday. Kind of extreme since I took a red-​eye to Chicago arriving in the early morning and then flew back to Seattle that night. If it weren’t for the terrific public transportation available in Chicago (more specifically, the Blue Line), I may not have done it.
The Blue Line is the most affordable way to go into town after arriving at O’Hare Airport. The CTA O’Hare Station is a short walk from the airport terminals at O’Hare. Unlike most cities in the US, the public transportation trains in Chicago run 24 hours meaning you can take a train from O’Hare into the city in the middle of the night.
Trains run from O’Hare frequently so you don’t need to wait too long. This may be as short as 6 minutes if there are no train delays. The trip from O’Hare to The Loop takes about 40 – 45 minutes. In this duration, you will pass through many interesting neighborhoods. One thing I noticed from this ride was the many brick buildings in the city.
There is a surcharge for riding the train from O’Hare. A single ride is $ 5 from O’Hare compared with $ 2.25 with the other lines and going back to O’Hare. You can avoid the surcharge by buying a day pass instead for $ 10 which is what I did which grants you unlimited rides for the day.
While I did encounter delays on another train line, I didn’t have any problems with the Blue Line. After buying my ticket, I entered the station/​train and was headed into the city within minutes. If you don’t have a lot of luggage, taking the Blue Line is a good way to get to O’Hare.
The only thing about taking this train was that you may see things like people soliciting for money, but that is to be expected in a big city like Chicago. I thought it was a bit amusing that every time the train would stop, there would be an announcement broadcasting a different train rule.
If you are looking for cheap dependable transportation into the city from O’Hare, the Blue Line is the best option.

A great convenience, with frequent around the clock service to the Loop via the Northwest Side neighborhoods, with bus and rail connections to all parts of the city.
However, a few downsides:
— A bit of a slog from most of the airline terminals; somewhat ameliorated by long moving walkways.
— Ripoff $ 5 fare for city-​bound passengers, more than double the CTA fare at all other stations.
— Awkward for passengers with a lot of luggage.
–Can be SRO, especially on airport-​bound trips in the evening rush hour.
— About 45 minutes to and from downtown, since all service is via all-​stops locals. The line was built with no provision for express tracks.
–The main downtown station, Clark-​Lake, isn’t very convenient to Magnificent Mile hotels.

$ 5 and it takes me to downtown? Thank you for having a train system, Chicago! This totally saved me some taxi money. I am definitely taking this every time I come back!

The train operates at very fast paste! There are many seats for people to sit. If you’re standing next to the door you are able to feel like you’re at the highway. It is very to easy to understand the stops for the train because their stops are listed in bold words above the doors. The driver of the train will announce the trains’ current stop and the next destination.

Super simple! We grabbed the Blue Line from O’Hare to downtown. Since O’Hare is it’s last stop, it’s super convenient and empty when you hop on — plenty of room for your luggage. Our tickets were $ 5.00 a piece which struck me as odd since we had read that they were $ 2.25. Regardless it’s less than taking a taxi or ubering in. We were to our stop in about 35 minutes. We also rode it back to the airport which was fine, if you can deal with public transpo you’ll be fine.

Great metro that goes straight from/​to the airport! We had an overnight layover and decided to go into Chicago for a few hours and some deep dish. The subway lines run 24 hours!
Just tap and go — none of the finesse required for the NYC subway swipe and go. It’s also only $ 10 for a day pass!

Chicago has 2 subway lines and a variety of elevated train lines. As far as I know both subway lines (red and blue) run 24 hours.
The O’Hare station is at one end of the Blue line and runs all the way to Clark/​Lake in the Loop and then back out west to Forest Park.
The prices have gone up for one time rides OUT of O’Hare where as in the past it was a regular fare out but now it’s 5 dollars for a single ride ticket at the Ventra machines.
There are 3 rows of machines, 2 facing each other and one row facing south. For some reason the 2 rows facing each other have less people waiting for them probably because there’s less room for line ups there.
These Ventra machines can get very busy. If you’re only looking for a one time ride out of O’Hare then the 5 dollar Ventra ticket option is the way to go. If you have normal money loaded on your Ventra card, you’ll be deducted 5 dollars instead of the normal fare.
If you have a day pass, 3 day pass or 7 day pass you can ride out of O’Hare normally without the extra surcharge taking effect.
Keep in mind a brand new Ventra card costs 5 dollars anyway but you are refunded the 5 dollars if you register your card with Ventra which can be done over the phone or online at
I recently called Ventra to find out the best way to get a 7 day card purchased at O’Hare and this is what I was told to do:
–Use the Ventra vending machine for a NEW Ventra Card
–Start with adding VALUE (not a pass)
–insert payment of 28 dollars (a new Ventra card will cost 5 making the value 23 on the card)
–repeat this process for my second card (for my wife)
–call Ventra Customer service to activate both cards and gain 5 dollars back on each card bringing the value back to 28 dollars while they activate both cards with 7 day passes
Calling Ventra took me 15 minutes to get a hold of a CS agent but only 5 minutes to activate and register both cards with 7 day passes.
I was only in Chicago for 5 days but was more feasible to get the 7 day pass for 28 dollars rather than the 3 day pass for 20 and to do it again for another 20.
Basically for 28 dollars each (one for me and my wife) we were able to leave O’Hare (normally 5 dollar charge, higher than normal fare), use the CTA every day (and we did) for both L trains and buses AND return back to O’Hare on the 5^th day.
It all started for us at O’Hare though from the initial ride out and purchasing our Ventra cards for the fares and 7 day passes we purchased.

This is the first time i had rode the CTA system and i really enjoyed it. They can basically get you anywhere in the city. They are busy and you have to stand sometimes but that is part of a busy city. They are reasonably priced too and very clear on which train, bus, tram etc to get onto. If I lived in Chicago, i would probably never have to drive a car! I wish more major cities were like this!

As an out of town visitor, I found the entire system to be easy to use. Took the blue line straight into down town for $ 5. Loved speeding past all the stopped traffic on the expressway. Purchasing a centra card was simple. I used my smartphone to register the card and receive the extra fee back as transit value. All station personnel were helpful and friendly. Chicago is lucky to have their airports linked to the city by such a good transit system

It always smells like urine in the several years I take the blue line to ORD. Why is that? I don’t see port a potties nor homeless people. Who’s peeing at the ORD CTA stop?!
2 stars off for the smell and no ventilation. It’s dank, warm, humid, smelly air.
3 stars for getting me to the airport for $ 2.25 and conveniently.

There is a 20 minute wait on Ventra machines… should have taken a picture, the lines are outrageous and there are about 6 cta employees just standing there (not that there’s much they can do, but really?-I would take exact change passengers with 2 witnesses to be deposited thereafter), they should add more machines, there are only 9, and sometimes 1 or 2 are out of order) for the amount of traffic that originates there… tsk tsk tsk… Cta buearocracy at it’s finest.

Dear, dear Chicagoans– please do not visit Washington, D. C with the preconceived notion that our metro employees are as patient or as kind as your CTA folks. Don’t get me wrong, some of our Washingtonians who work for metro are upstanding citizens, but they’ve never been as personable as the nice folks in Illinois. This CTA stop was one of my first points of contact before getting into downtown. I never had to ask for help because the CTA employees realized that I was in my hour of need and came to my rescue. With such a great city, I’m glad that Chicagoans have great CTA employees. If only D. C’s public transport was as cost efficient as yours…
The metro is also more modern and easier to use compared to the flawed system to which I’m accustomed and it looks like there are plans in place to make it even easier to buy and use your Ventra cards as well. Way to go CTA!

I generally prefer taking public transportation from an airport in a major city. It gives me a chance to check out the town a bit at a relaxed pace, learn more about the transit system, and it’s way cheaper than taking a cab. CTA was relatively easy to navigate at the airport and it was a comfortable ride.
I opted for the Ventra card, which costs $ 5 (refundable as transit value when you register online). Disposable paper tickets are still available, but there is a $.50 fee per transaction, so you have to figure out whether your trip warrants the plastic card.
It took about 45 minutes to get to my hotel and it was painless. I definitely recommend it.

Can be tough to get good internet connection on your smartphone, but beyond that, the subway is the MOST reliable and sometimes fastest way to get to downtown Chicago.
IF you’re a tourist staying in the Loop, there are multiple stops to get off at downtown. Be sure to check the in-​car subway maps as they will really help you out.
The rough time to get from O’Hare to the Loop (downtown) is ~45 minutes.
Check out the Damen stop on the way in/​out to O’Hare for a great bite to eat/​drinks/​music!
Most popular downtown stops: Washington (Millennium Park), Clark/​Lake, Jackson.

What a great option! Public Transportation from O’Hare Airport to downtown Chicago.
When I got the itinerary for a conference in Chicago, the conference organizers included the options for transportation from O’Hare to our hotel in downtown Chicago.
Option 1: Shuttles — $ 35.00 per person (there’s 2 of us)
Option 2: Taxi — $ 50.00 approx (a better option than 1)
Option 3: «L» Train — Blue line — $ 5.00 per person
I choose Option 3. It was a no brainer.
It’s easy to get to the the terminal. After getting off the plane, just follow the signs to baggage claim and then follow the signs to the CTA terminal. It’s a long walk, but not bad at all.
When we got to the terminal, I didn’t have a clue what to do next. I asked a transit worker and she was so friendly and nice to give us the 411 on how to buy a ticket and what to do after. Service with a smile, Thank you so much for helping a tired traveler.
The train was clean and it was an enjoyable, stress free ride to our hotel.
What a great option from airport to our hotel in downtown.
I would highly recommend this option to anyone as well.

***Like the BART in San Francisco, this elevated train and subway takes you from the Chicago O’Hare International Airport to the city (and vice versa) very cheaply and fairly quickly; while a taxi might be quicker, you will not have to pay the high taxi fees or deal with uncertainties like traffic; this train is connected directly to the United terminal, which is very convenient since it is only a short walk to get from baggage claim to the train***
I imagine the parking here is expensive like the parking at other major airports.

A 24 hour train that connects from O“Hare to the City?!
I am just so impressed.
The ride takes around 30 – 40 minute but really convenient for tourist like me that is not driving.
I won’t suggest travelling with big luggage though as the train is not design for that and there might be stairs to get in and out of the station you getting off. Good option if you are travelling light.
But aside from using it as a mean to get in and out of O’Hara, it is great to travel to the City if you staying near one of the Airport hotels. I can drink till late without worrying I have to take a cab all the way back!

Although you can enter the «L» system anywhere else in Chicago for $ 2.25, it costs $ 5 to enter at O’Hare. I was told by a local to purchase the 24-​hour $ 10 fun pass, since it would have cost me $ 7.25 just for the ride in/​out that day, and for the extra $ 2.75, I could have unlimited bus/​train rides while galavanting around the city.
Heeding this advice, I found myself looking at probably four different types of ticketing machines. Despite the lack of proper labeling, I later found out that two of them sold fun (unlimited) passes only, while the other two sold single tickets only. For each, there were cash only and credit only variants. Why a single machine couldn’t take cash AND credit is beyond me, but hey, whatever.
Armed with my credit card, I headed over to one of the «fun pass» credit card machines, only to find out that BOTH machines were out of fun passes. OK, so I proceeded to the cash machine with a $ 20 in hand to find out that this machine… actually NONE of the cash machines… give out any change. Somehow, with a bunch of $ 20 bills and several working credit cards, I couldn’t manage to get a fun pass from any of the available machines? Yeah, that makes total sense.
An attendant was on hand, but she was as useless as the chewed up gum stuck to the nearby floors. When asked how I could purchase a pass at either of the machines, she shrugged her shoulders and suggested I call an 800-​number, as she had no means of really doing anything. What a dope… And I don’t mean dope like she’s good looking — I mean dope, like she’s a waste of life. Thanks for nothing.
Fortunately, someone else had a $ 10 bill, so I bought two fun passes and took their $ 10 for one of them. Once on the train (by the way, the 80s called, they want their wood veneer back), I was shocked as to how a train could shake side to side so much despite traveling down a nearly straight track towards Chicago. Stops were clearly announced by a pre-​recorded voice, with periodic safety and information announcements made in-​between stations.
One star for the bizarre machines that should always be stocked with cards and change, and for the staffer that shouldn’t be employed in the first place. Two stars for a train that gets me two and from Chicago for less than $ 10.
Overall, the rickety blue line from O’Hare is simply OK for doing what it’s supposed to do, but nothing more. Don’t consider this an endorsement by me, just simply an acknowledgement that it exists.