O'Hare International Airport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Chicago O'Hare International Airport
Satellite image of O'Hare in 2023
IATA: ORD ICAO: KORD FAA LID: ORD WMO: 72530
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner/Operator	Chicago Department of Aviation
Serves	Chicago metropolitan area
Location	O'Hare, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Opened	February 1944; 81 years ago (1944-02)
Hub for	American Airlines United Airlines
Focus city for	Polar Air Cargo
Time zone	CST (UTC−06:00)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC−05:00)
Elevation AMSL	204 m / 668 ft
Coordinates	41°58′43″N 87°54′17″W / 41.97861°N 87.90472°W / 41.97861; -87.90472
Map
FAA airport diagram
Runway
Runway Length Surface m ft 4L/22R 2,286 7,500 Asphalt 4R/22L 2,461 8,075 Asphalt 9L/27R 2,286 7,500 Concrete 9C/27C 3,427 11,245 Concrete 9R/27L 3,432 11,260 Asphalt 10L/28R 3,962 13,000 Asphalt 10C/28C 3,292 10,800 Concrete 10R/28L 2,286 7,500 Concrete
[[Helipad|]]
Number Length Surface m ft H1 61 200 Concrete
Statistics (2024)
Passenger volume 80,043,050 Aircraft movements 776,036 Cargo (metric tons) 2,074,005.7
Source: O'Hare International Airport

Chicago O'Hare International Airport is a huge airport that serves the city of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It's located about 17 miles (27 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. The airport is managed by the Chicago Department of Aviation and covers a massive area of 7,627 acres (3,086 hectares).

O'Hare offers direct flights to 249 places across North America, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. In 2024, it was named the most connected airport in the U.S. and the fifth most connected in the world. It's also the world's fourth busiest airport.

This airport was planned to replace Chicago's Midway International Airport, which was once called the "busiest square mile in the world." O'Hare started as an airfield for a factory that built military transport planes during World War II. It was first called Orchard Field Airport. In 1949, it was renamed after Edward "Butch" O'Hare, a U.S. Navy pilot who received the Medal of Honor during the war.

O'Hare was one of the first major airports designed after World War II. It introduced new ideas like separate terminal areas (concourses), direct roads to the terminals, jet bridges (those walkways connecting the plane to the terminal), and underground fueling systems. These ideas are now used at airports all over the world.

During the "jet age," O'Hare was known as the world's busiest airport for passengers from 1963 to 1998. It's still one of the busiest airports today. In 2019, O'Hare had over 919,000 aircraft movements, which means about 2,520 planes took off or landed every day. This high number is partly because of many regional flights. You can get to the airport by shuttle, bus, the Chicago "L" train, or taxi. Interstate 190 goes right into the airport. O'Hare is a main hub for American Airlines and United Airlines.

History of O'Hare Airport

How the Airport Started

Grumman F4F-3 Wildcat on display in O'Hare's Terminal 2, restored in the markings of "Butch" O'Hare's plane

Chicago realized it needed a bigger airport soon after Chicago Municipal Airport opened in 1926. But not much happened until the U.S. entered World War II.

O'Hare began as a factory that built Douglas C-54 Skymaster planes during World War II. It was next to an airfield called Douglas Field. The area was originally a small farming community. The factory needed to be close to Chicago's workers and far from enemy threats. Over 650 C-54s were built there. The airfield had four runways, each about 5,500 feet (1,676 meters) long. This site also stored captured enemy aircraft.

After the war, the Douglas Company stopped using the site. The complex was then called Orchard (Douglas) Airport, and it got the airport code ORD. The only building left from the Douglas Aircraft Factory is now used by the City of Chicago's Department of Aviation.

The United States Air Force used the airfield a lot during the Korean War. It was a base for fighter planes. By 1960, as more commercial flights started, the Air Force moved its active units out. The site was then used for reserve and Air National Guard units. In 1997, the reserve base closed, and the land became part of the Chicago Department of Aviation.

Early Commercial Flights and Growth

In 1945, Chicago's mayor decided to find a spot for a new airport. They chose the Orchard Field site and bought most of the land from the government in 1946. The military kept a small part and could use 25% of the airfield for free.

A man named Ralph H. Burke created a new airport design. He came up with "split finger terminals," which are like fingers (concourses) sticking out from a main building. This design allowed for more gates and planes. His plan also included underground fueling, direct road access to terminals, and direct train access from downtown. These ideas are now common at airports worldwide. O'Hare was also the first airport to use a jet bridge in 1958.

In 1949, the city renamed the airport O'Hare Airport to honor Edward "Butch" O'Hare. He was the first U.S. Navy pilot to become a flying ace and receive the Medal of Honor in World War II. Even with the new name, the airport's code (ORD) stayed the same.

Regular passenger flights started in 1955, but it grew slowly at first. Airlines didn't want to move from Midway until O'Hare had better roads and other improvements. In 1958, O'Hare's first international terminal opened. By 1959, the airport had grown to 7,200 acres (2,914 hectares) with new buildings and parking. The expressway to downtown Chicago, now called the Kennedy Expressway, was finished in 1960. New Terminals 2 and 3 opened in 1962.

The biggest reason airlines moved to O'Hare was the new jet planes. Midway Airport was too small for the long runways that jets like the Boeing 707 needed. By July 1962, all scheduled airline flights in Chicago had moved from Midway to O'Hare. This quickly made O'Hare the world's busiest airport, serving 10 million passengers a year. Within two years, that number doubled. O'Hare remained the world's busiest airport until 1998.

Changes After Deregulation

In the 1980s, after new airline rules were passed, some airlines like TWA and Northwest moved their main hubs away from O'Hare. Delta also had a hub at O'Hare for a while, even building a new Concourse L in 1983. But eventually, Delta also moved its main operations elsewhere.

The Terminal 1 underground tunnel connects Concourses B and C.

Today, United Airlines and American Airlines are the main airlines at O'Hare. United built a new Terminal 1 between 1985 and 1987. This terminal has 50 gates and is known for its curved glass design. It also has a cool underground tunnel between Concourses B and C, lit up with a neon art display called Sky's the Limit. American Airlines updated its facilities in Terminal 3 around the same time.

For a while, international flights used a "temporary" Terminal 4 in the parking garage. This changed in 1993 when the new 21-gate International Terminal (now Terminal 5) was finished. It has all the customs facilities. A special train system, the Airport Transit System, was built to connect the main terminals with Terminal 5 and other parking areas.

Since the late 1980s, O'Hare faced delays because its runway layout wasn't very efficient. The runways crossed each other, which could be dangerous and slow things down. In 2001, the Chicago Department of Aviation started a big plan called the O'Hare Modernization Plan (OMP). This plan aimed to completely change the airfield. It included building four new runways, making two existing ones longer, and closing three old ones. The goal was to have six parallel runways and two crosswind runways.

The OMP faced some challenges, including legal issues with nearby towns and even a cemetery that needed to be moved. These issues and a drop in air travel slowed down the project. The last parallel runway was finished in 2020, and an extension of another runway was completed in 2021, marking the end of the OMP.

Future Expansion Plans

Control tower and Terminals 3 and 2 seen from ATS (Airport Transit System)

In 2018, the city and airlines started a new plan called O'Hare 21. This plan includes building two brand new satellite concourses and expanding Terminals 2 and 5. Terminal 5 already has ten new gates and can handle very large planes like the Airbus A380.

The expansion will make it easier to transfer between international and domestic flights. It will also improve security checks and customs. A major part of the plan is to create an "alliance hub" by building the O'Hare Global Terminal (OGT) where Terminal 2 is now. This new terminal and the satellite concourses will help American and United Airlines work better with their partner airlines. This means passengers won't need to switch to Terminal 5 for international flights.

The project will add over 3 million square feet (278,709 square meters) to the airport's terminals. It will also add a new customs center in the OGT and increase the number of gates from 185 to 235. The new concourses will be wider, and there will be more space at each gate for larger aircraft. The total cost of the project is about $8.5 billion.

The O'Hare 21 project is expected to finish the two satellite terminals by 2028, with the whole project completed by 2030. In May 2024, American Airlines and United Airlines agreed with the City of Chicago to speed up the replacement of Terminal 2 with the OGT. The design for Satellite 1 concourse was shown to the public in May 2024, and it is planned to be finished by 2028.

Airport Facilities

United Airlines Terminal 1, Concourse B

American Airlines Terminal 3 main hall

Terminals for Passengers

O'Hare has four main passenger terminals with nine concourses and a total of 215 gates. This is the most gates of any airport in the world.

• Terminal 1 is mainly used by United Airlines, Lufthansa, and All Nippon Airways. It has 52 gates across two concourses, B and C.
• Terminal 2 is used for most United Express and some United flights. It also handles all Air Canada, Alaska Airlines, and JetBlue flights. It has 41 gates on concourses E and F.
• Terminal 3 is where American Airlines, Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Japan Airlines, and Spirit Airlines operate. It has 80 gates on four concourses: G, H, K, and L.
• Terminal 5 is for Delta Air Lines, Frontier Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. It also handles all other international airlines that don't use Terminals 1–3. This terminal has the airport's U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities for international arrivals. It has 35 gates on Concourse M, including three gates that can fit the huge Airbus A380.

Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are connected by walkways inside the airport. Terminal 5 is separate. If you need to go between Terminal 5 and the other terminals, you can take a shuttle bus or the Airport Transit System train.

Runways at O'Hare

O'Hare has two groups of parallel runways, one on each side of the terminals. Each group has three parallel east-west runways and one crosswind runway. The airport has three FAA air traffic control towers to manage all the planes. O'Hare also has a program to reduce noise at night.

In 2015 and 2019, two older runways were closed. Currently, O'Hare has eight runways, which is the most of any civilian airport in the world.

Airport Hotel

The Hilton Chicago O'Hare is the only hotel right at the airport. It's located between the main terminals and the parking garage.

Getting Around the Airport

The Airport Transit System (ATS) takes passengers between Terminals 1–3, Terminal 5, and the O'Hare Multi-Modal Facility (MMF). This train system reopened in November 2021 after a long renovation. Free shuttle buses also run 24/7. The MMF is where you can find car rental companies and extended parking.

The CTA Blue Line train has a station at O'Hare. It provides direct service to downtown Chicago and runs 24 hours a day. The station is on the lower level of the parking garage.

Other bus services like Pace also stop at the MMF. O'Hare is also directly connected to Interstate 190, which links to other major highways.

Cargo Facilities

O'Hare has two main areas for cargo. The South Cargo Area was moved and rebuilt to make space for new runways. It has facilities for many airlines and shipping companies like FedEx and UPS.

The Northeast Cargo Area (NEC) used to be a military base. It's a new facility designed to increase O'Hare's cargo capacity by 50%. It has large buildings for warehouses. O'Hare shipped over 1.7 million tons of cargo in 2018, making it one of the busiest cargo airports in the U.S.

Other Cool Features

In 2011, O'Hare became the first major airport to have an apiary (a place for bees) on its property. Every summer, it has up to 75 beehives and a million bees. These bees are cared for by people learning new job skills. They turn the honey into products like bottled honey, soaps, and lip balms.

Airlines and Destinations

Passenger Flights

Cargo Flights

Airport Statistics

Busiest Destinations from O'Hare

Busiest Domestic Routes from ORD (January 2024 – December 2024)

Rank	Airport	Passengers	Carriers
1	New York–LaGuardia, New York	1,315,000	American, Delta, Spirit, United
2	Los Angeles, California	1,171,000	American, Spirit, United
3	Denver, Colorado	1,046,000	American, Frontier, Southwest, United
4	Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas	953,000	American, Frontier, Spirit, United
5	San Francisco, California	932,000	Alaska, American, United
6	Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona	898,000	American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
7	Newark, New Jersey	852,000	American, Spirit, United
8	Boston, Massachusetts	845,000	American, Delta, JetBlue, United
9	Orlando, Florida	813,000	American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
10	Las Vegas, Nevada	812,000	American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United

Busiest International Routes from ORD (October 2022 – September 2023)

Rank	Airport	Passengers	Carriers
1	London–Heathrow, United Kingdom	1,008,885	American, British Airways, United
2	Cancún, Mexico	862,563	American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
3	Toronto–Pearson, Canada	704,364	Air Canada, American, United,
4	Mexico City, Mexico	667,260	Aeroméxico, United, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
5	Frankfurt, Germany	586,239	Lufthansa, United
6	Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France	438,682	Air France, American, United
7	Dublin, Ireland	411,649	Aer Lingus, American, United
8	Tokyo–Haneda, Japan	396,394	ANA, Japan Airlines, United
9	Istanbul, Turkey	386,478	Turkish
10	Munich, Germany	378,187	Lufthansa, United

Airline Popularity at O'Hare

Yearly Airport Traffic

Traffic by Calendar Year

Year	Passenger Volume	Change from Last Year	Aircraft Operations	Cargo Tonnage
2000	72,144,244	00.64%	908,989	1,640,524
2001	67,448,064	06.51%	911,917	1,413,834
2002	66,565,952	01.31%	922,817	1,436,386
2003	69,508,672	04.40%	928,691	1,601,736
2004	75,533,822	08.67%	992,427	1,685,808
2005	76,581,146	01.38%	972,248	1,701,446
2006	76,282,212	00.30%	958,643	1,718,011
2007	76,182,025	00.15%	926,973	1,690,742
2008	70,819,015	07.03%	881,566	1,480,847
2009	64,397,782	09.07%	827,899	1,198,426
2010	67,026,191	03.83%	882,617	1,577,048
2011	66,790,996	00.35%	878,798	1,505,218
2012	66,834,931	00.04%	878,108	1,443,569
2013	66,909,638	00.12%	883,287	1,434,377
2014	70,075,204	04.45%	881,933	1,578,330
2015	76,949,336	09.81%	875,136	1,742,501
2016	77,960,588	01.31%	867,635	1,726,362
2017	79,828,183	02.40%	867,049	1,950,137
2018	83,339,186	04.40%	903,747	1,868,880
2019	84,649,115	01.69%	919,704	1,788,001
2020	30,860,251	063.54%	538,211	2,052,025
2021	54,020,399	075.06%	684,201	2,536,576
2022	68,340,619	026.50%	711,561	2,235,709
2023	73,894,226	08.13%	720,582	1,906,463
2024	80,043,050	08.56%	776,036	2,074,006

On-Time Performance for Flights

Notable Aviation Events

Here are some important events involving planes at O'Hare, or nearby:

• On September 17, 1961, a Lockheed L-188 Electra plane crashed shortly after takeoff.
• On August 16, 1965, a Boeing 727 plane crashed into Lake Michigan while approaching the airport.
• On December 27, 1968, a Convair CV-580 plane crashed into a hangar at O'Hare.
• On December 20, 1972, a Douglas DC-9 plane crashed during takeoff after hitting another plane that was moving on the runway.
• On May 25, 1979, an American Airlines Flight 191 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 had an engine problem during takeoff and crashed. This was a very serious aviation event in U.S. history.
• On March 19, 1982, a United States Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker plane crashed while approaching O'Hare.
• On February 9, 1998, an American Airlines Flight 1340 Boeing 727 crashed upon landing, injuring some passengers.
• On July 23, 2006, there was a close call between a United Airlines Boeing 737 and an Atlas Air Boeing 747. Everyone on board survived.
• On October 28, 2016, American Airlines Flight 383 had a fire in its engine during takeoff, and some passengers and a flight attendant were injured.
• On June 13, 2022, an American Airlines flight from Paris experienced very strong turbulence during landing due to a severe storm. One passenger was seriously injured.
• On May 18, 2025, a delivery driver accidentally drove past a security checkpoint and onto a secure area of the airport. The driver was following GPS directions. No one was hurt, and the security company's contract was ended.

See also

In Spanish: Aeropuerto Internacional O'Hare para niños

• List of airports with triple takeoff/landing capability
• List of airports in Illinois
• List of the world's busiest airports, for a complete list of the busiest airports in the world
• Transportation in Chicago