Our Review of O'Hare Airport

Table of contents: Our Review of O'Hare Airport Pros and Cons of O'Hare Airport Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide) How we calculate On Time Performance Some Stats

Our Review of O'Hare Airport

At Plan Your Trips, we have analyzed hundreds of airports around the world, gaining a clear understanding of what passengers truly expect when visiting an airport. Using this experience, we created this guide with one clear objective: putting travelers first and helping simplify the airport experience as much as possible.

Our goal is to present information in a fast, practical, and reliable way. We understand that airport passengers are often in a hurry, under stress, or navigating tight schedules, so we focus on delivering useful information quickly without unnecessary distractions.

Another important part of this guide is highlighting both the strengths and weaknesses of Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD). After analyzing passenger reviews, traveler feedback, Reddit discussions, operational reports, and overall airport performance, O’Hare receives a final rating of:

Overall Airport Rating: 7.8 / 10

O’Hare is consistently praised for its enormous flight network, excellent domestic and international connectivity, strong public transportation access, extensive airline lounge options, and surprisingly good food selection for a US airport. Many travelers also highlight the efficiency of the ATS train system, the iconic Terminal 1 neon tunnel, and the large number of nonstop destinations available worldwide. :contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=0}

However, passengers also frequently criticize long walking distances, occasional overcrowding, weather-related delays, complex terminal transfers, and inconsistent security wait times during peak hours. Severe winter weather in Chicago can sometimes create operational disruptions that affect connections and baggage delivery. :contentReference[oaicite:1]{index=1}

Despite these challenges, most experienced travelers still consider O’Hare one of the most important and functional mega-hub airports in North America. The airport handles enormous passenger volumes daily, and while the experience can occasionally feel chaotic, the airport generally performs well considering its scale and complexity.

Our Verdict: O’Hare is not necessarily the easiest airport in the world, but its global connectivity, transportation options, terminal infrastructure, and airline network make it one of the most powerful and useful hub airports in North America.

Pros and Cons of O'Hare Airport

✓ Pros

Excellent Location

Chicago O’Hare Airport is located around 27 km from downtown Chicago, offering relatively convenient access to one of America’s largest cities and acting as one of the country’s main aviation hubs.

Modern Facilities

The airport includes modern terminals, airline lounges, shopping areas, restaurants, hotels, VIP services, and even wellness spaces for travelers during long layovers.

Good Accessibility

Passengers can reach downtown Chicago through highways, taxis, rideshare services, and the CTA Blue Line train operating 24 hours a day.

Spacious Airport Design

The terminals are generally spacious, bright, and designed to handle huge passenger volumes while maintaining a relatively comfortable travel experience.

✕ Cons

Long Walking Distances

Depending on the gate location, passengers may need to walk significant distances after security checks, especially during terminal connections.

Slow Security Lines

Security checkpoints can become extremely busy during peak periods, particularly in the early morning and during international departures.

Terminal Transfers

Not all terminals are directly connected by walking routes, requiring passengers to use the ATS train system in some situations.

Limited Public Transport Flexibility

While the Blue Line train works well for downtown access, public transportation options toward suburban areas remain more limited compared to some European or Asian airports.

Dining Variety Could Improve

Although O’Hare offers decent food options, some travelers feel the airport could provide a wider and more premium restaurant selection considering its massive size.

Mini-Guide of the Airport (2' Guide)

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is one of the busiest airports in the world and a major hub for domestic and international flights. Here is a quick visual guide with the most important things every traveler should know before arriving.

Quick Tip: O’Hare is huge. Always allow extra time for walking distances, security checks, and terminal transfers.

Quick Facts

Airport Code

ORD

Terminals

4 Passenger Terminals

Main Airlines

United & American Airlines

Distance To Downtown

Approx. 27 km / 17 mi

Terminal Overview

Terminal	Main Use	Highlights
Terminal 1	United Airlines	Neon tunnel & large concourses
Terminal 2	Domestic flights	Usually quieter
Terminal 3	American Airlines	Busy terminal with many gates
Terminal 5	International flights	Customs & duty free shopping

Best Things About O’Hare

Excellent Flight Network

Direct flights to hundreds of destinations worldwide.

Good Food Options

Chicago pizza, burgers, bars, cafés, and local restaurants.

24h Train Connection

The CTA Blue Line connects ORD with downtown Chicago.

Premium Lounges

Multiple airline lounges with showers and relaxation areas.

Things To Know Before Flying

Security can be slow

Morning departures are usually the busiest period. Arrive early, especially for international flights.

Walking distances are long

Some gates require 15-20 minutes of walking after security checkpoints.

Winter weather affects flights

Chicago winters frequently cause delays and cancellations, particularly during storms and snow.

What To Eat At ORD

Deep Dish Pizza

One of Chicago’s most famous local dishes.

Craft Beer Bars

Several terminals feature local Illinois beers.

Grab & Go Options

Fast snacks and cafés are available in every terminal.

Healthy Food

Salads, fresh snacks, and vegetarian meals are available.

Final Advice: Download your airline app before arriving. Gate changes at O’Hare are common during busy travel periods and bad weather.

How we calculate On Time Performance

On various pages of our website, you will encounter a metric widely utilized in aviation and other forms of transportation known as OTP (On Time Performance). We believe that providing this metric assists passengers in planning their trips and exploring alternatives before purchasing their flight tickets.

We calculate the On Time Performance for all flights and airlines, when we have enough data to do so. In certain instances, it may not be feasible to accurately compute the On-Time Performance for a specific flight or airline due to inadequate or non-representative data, which could result in misleading conclusions.

Our calculation of On Time Performance and delay information solely relies on arrival times. This approach is chosen over calculating departure delays, as we consider arrival punctuality to be of primary concern to passengers.

The On Time Performance displayed on our website is calculated as follows:

On Time: Flights that arrive within 15 minutes of their scheduled arrival time, or earlier. In the absence of data for a specific flight, we assume the flight arrives on time, to avoid penalizing airlines for data unavailability.
Moderate Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 15 to 30 minutes.
Significant Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay of 30 to 60 minutes.
Major Delay: Flights that arrive with a delay exceeding 60 minutes.
Average Delay: The average delay is calculated by considering flights that arrive early as having a delay of 0 minutes. Early arrivals do not contribute to reducing the average delay calculation