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O'Hare International Airport facts for kids

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Chicago O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport Logo.svg
O'Hare International Airport (Iss069e037725) (cropped).jpg
Satellite image of O'Hare in 2023
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
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

F4F-3WildcatOHareAirport-DLighting
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.

United Airlines corridor, Chicago OHare Airport (6196116901)
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

O'Hare Control Tower 2022
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

Concourse at O'Hare International Airport near gates B11 and B12
United Airlines Terminal 1, Concourse B
Chicago Airport - ND0 5470
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.

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

Airlines Destinations Refs
Aer Lingus Dublin
Aeroméxico Guadalajara, Mexico City
Air Canada Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson, Vancouver
Air Canada Express Montréal–Trudeau, Toronto–Pearson
Air France Paris–Charles de Gaulle
Air India Delhi
Air Serbia Belgrade
Alaska Airlines Anchorage, Portland (OR), San Diego (begins October 4, 2025), San Francisco (ends August 20, 2025), Seattle/Tacoma
All Nippon Airways Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
American Airlines Albuquerque, Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Cancún, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Des Moines, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Grand Rapids, Hartford, Honolulu (resumes October 26, 2025), Houston–Intercontinental, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City (resumes October 26, 2025), Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montego Bay, New Orleans, New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Orange County (CA), Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Punta Cana, Raleigh/Durham, Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San José del Cabo, San Juan, Seattle/Tacoma, Spokane, Tampa, Tucson, Washington–National, West Palm Beach
Seasonal: Anchorage, Aruba, Athens, Baltimore, Barcelona, Boise (begins August 6, 2025), Bozeman, Buffalo, Calgary, Charleston (SC), Cincinnati (begins August 6, 2025), Cozumel, Curaçao (begins December 6, 2025), Destin/Fort Walton Beach, Detroit, Dublin, Eagle/Vail, Glacier Park/Kalispell, Grand Cayman, Guatemala City (resumes November 6, 2025), Jackson Hole, Jacksonville (FL), Liberia (CR), Madrid, Memphis (begins August 14, 2025), Naples, Nashville, Nassau, Omaha, Palm Springs, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Providence, Providenciales, Puerto Vallarta, Querétaro (begins December 12, 2025), Rome–Fiumicino, St. Croix (begins December 6, 2025), St. Maarten (begins November 8, 2025), St. Thomas, San José (CR) (resumes November 2, 2025), Sarasota, Savannah, Vancouver
American Eagle Akron/Canton (begins October 6, 2025), Albany, Appleton, Asheville, Aspen, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Bangor, Birmingham (AL), Bismarck, Bloomington/Normal, Boise, Boston, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Champaign, Charleston (SC), Chattanooga (resumes October 6, 2025), Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbia (MO), Columbus–Glenn, Dayton, Des Moines, Detroit, El Paso, Evansville, Fargo, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Flint, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Harrisburg, Hartford, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Jacksonville (FL), Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Knoxville, La Crosse, Lansing, Lexington, Little Rock, Louisville, Madison, Manhattan (KS), Marquette, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Moline/Quad Cities, Mosinee/Wausau, Nashville, New Orleans, Newark, Norfolk, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Providence, Raleigh/Durham, Rapid City, Richmond, Roanoke (begins August 6, 2025), Rochester (MN), Rochester (NY), St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Sioux Falls, Springfield (IL), Springfield/Branson, Syracuse, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Tulsa, Waterloo (IA), White Plains, Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton
Seasonal: Albuquerque, Billings, Bozeman, Burlington (VT), Calgary, Dallas/Fort Worth, Halifax, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Hilton Head, Houston–Intercontinental, Hyannis, Idaho Falls (begins August 6, 2025), Key West, Manchester (NH), Martha's Vineyard, Missoula, Montréal–Trudeau, Myrtle Beach, Nantucket, Panama City (FL), Pensacola, Portland (ME), Québec City, Santa Fe (begins December 18, 2025), Sun Valley (begins December 18, 2025), Wilmington (NC)
Arajet Punta Cana (begins November 15, 2025)
Austrian Airlines Vienna
Avelo Airlines Seasonal: New Haven
Avianca Bogotá
Avianca Costa Rica Seasonal: Guatemala City, San José (CR)
Avianca El Salvador Seasonal: San Salvador
British Airways London–Heathrow
Cathay Pacific Hong Kong
Contour Airlines Burlington (IA), Cape Girardeau, Fort Leonard Wood, Kirksville, Manistee, Marion, Owensboro
Seasonal: Lewisburg (WV)
Copa Airlines Panama City–Tocumen
Delta Air Lines Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles (begins June 7, 2026), Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York–LaGuardia, Salt Lake City, Seattle/Tacoma
Delta Connection New York–JFK, New York–LaGuardia
Denver Air Connection Dubuque, Ironwood, Jackson (TN), Muskegon, Watertown (SD) (ends August 1, 2025)
Emirates Dubai–International
Ethiopian Airlines Addis Ababa
Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi
EVA Air Taipei–Taoyuan
Finnair Seasonal: Helsinki
Frontier Airlines Atlanta, Austin, Cancún, Charlotte, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Fort Myers, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville, Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Punta Cana, Salt Lake City, San Diego, Sarasota, Tampa, West Palm Beach
Seasonal: Baltimore
Iberia Madrid
Icelandair Reykjavík–Keflavík
ITA Airways Seasonal: Rome–Fiumicino
Japan Airlines Tokyo–Haneda, Tokyo–Narita
JetBlue Boston, New York–JFK
KLM Amsterdam
Korean Air Seoul–Incheon
LOT Polish Airlines Kraków, Warsaw–Chopin
Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich
Qatar Airways Doha
Royal Jordanian Amman–Queen Alia
Scandinavian Airlines Copenhagen
Southern Airways Express Quincy, West Lafayette
Southwest Airlines Austin, Baltimore, Cancún, Dallas–Love, Denver, Las Vegas, Nashville, Orlando, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Spirit Airlines Baltimore, Cancún, Dallas/Fort Worth, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Houston–Intercontinental, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Orlando, San Juan, Tampa
Seasonal: Myrtle Beach, Phoenix–Sky Harbor
Sun Country Airlines Minneapolis/St. Paul
Swiss International Air Lines Zurich
TAP Air Portugal Lisbon
Turkish Airlines Istanbul
United Airlines Albany, Albuquerque, Amsterdam, Aruba, Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Bozeman, Brussels, Buffalo, Burlington (VT), Calgary, Cancún, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Columbus–Glenn, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Des Moines, Detroit, Dublin, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Frankfurt, Grand Rapids, Guatemala City, Harrisburg, Hartford, Honolulu, Houston–Intercontinental, Jacksonville (FL), Kahului, Kansas City, Las Vegas, London–Heathrow, Los Angeles, Madison, Memphis, Mexico City, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montego Bay, Munich, Nashville, New Orleans, New York–LaGuardia, Newark, Norfolk, Omaha, Ontario, Orange County (CA), Orlando, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Pensacola, Philadelphia, Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Portland (OR), Puerto Vallarta, Punta Cana, Raleigh/Durham, Reno/Tahoe, Richmond, Rochester (NY), Sacramento, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose (CA), San José del Cabo, San Juan, São Paulo–Guarulhos, Sarasota, Savannah, Seattle/Tacoma, Sioux Falls, Syracuse, Tampa, Tel Aviv (suspended), Tokyo–Haneda, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Vancouver, Washington–Dulles, Washington–National, Wichita, Zurich
Seasonal: Anchorage, Athens, Barcelona, Belize City, Boise, Colorado Springs, Cozumel, Dayton (begins September 25, 2025), Eagle/Vail, Edinburgh, Edmonton, Fairbanks, Fresno, Glacier Park/Kalispell, Grand Cayman, Green Bay (begins September 26, 2025), Greenville/Spartanburg, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Indianapolis, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Jackson Hole, Kailua-Kona, Key West, Knoxville, Liberia (CR), Milan–Malpensa, Missoula, Montréal–Trudeau, Montrose, Myrtle Beach, Nassau, Palm Springs, Panama City (FL), Providence, Providenciales, Rapid City, Reykjavík–Keflavík, Rome–Fiumicino, St. Lucia–Hewanorra, St. Maarten, St. Thomas, San José (CR), Shannon, Tucson, West Palm Beach,
United Express Akron/Canton, Albany, Allentown, Appleton, Asheville, Billings, Birmingham (AL), Boise, Buffalo, Cedar Rapids/Iowa City, Charleston (SC), Charleston (WV), Charlottesville (VA), Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Colorado Springs, Columbia (MO) (resumes September 25, 2025), Columbia (SC), Columbus–Glenn, Dayton, Decatur, Des Moines, Detroit, Duluth, Eau Claire, El Paso, Fargo, Fayetteville/Bentonville, Flint, Fort Dodge, Fort Wayne, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Greensboro, Greenville/Spartanburg, Gunnison/Crested Butte, Harrisburg, Houghton, Huntsville, Indianapolis, Johnstown (PA), Joplin, Kansas City, Knoxville, Lexington, Lincoln, Little Rock, Louisville, Madison, Mason City, Memphis, Milwaukee, Moline/Quad Cities, Monterrey, Montréal–Trudeau, Morgantown (WV), Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, Omaha, Ottawa, Peoria, Pittsburgh, Portland (ME), Providence, Richmond, Roanoke, Rochester (NY), Saginaw, St. Louis, Salina, Savannah, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, South Bend, Springfield/Branson, State College, Syracuse, Toronto–Pearson, Traverse City, Tucson, Tulsa, Watertown (SD) (begins August 1, 2025), West Lafayette (begins August 5, 2025), Wichita, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Winnipeg
Seasonal: Albuquerque, Aspen, Bangor, Bozeman, Burlington (VT), Glacier Park/Kalispell, Great Falls, Halifax, Harlingen, Hartford, Hayden/Steamboat Springs, Hilton Head, Jacksonville (FL), Key West, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Montrose, Myrtle Beach, Nantucket, New York–LaGuardia, Norfolk, Panama City (FL), Pellston, Québec City, Raleigh/Durham, Rapid City, Rhinelander, Salt Lake City, San Antonio, Sault Ste. Marie (MI), Spokane, Sun Valley, Wilmington (NC)
Viva Guadalajara, León/Del Bajío, Mexico City, Mexico City–AIFA (begins November 13, 2025), Monterrey, Morelia
Volaris Guadalajara, León/Del Bajío, Mexico City, Morelia, Querétaro
WestJet Seasonal: Calgary, Edmonton

Cargo Flights

Airlines Destinations Refs
AeroLogic Frankfurt
AeroUnion Mexico City–AIFA
AirBridgeCargo Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston–Intercontinental, Luxembourg (all suspended)
Air Canada Cargo Toronto–Pearson
Air China Cargo Anchorage, Beijing–Capital, Frankfurt, New York–JFK, Shanghai–Pudong, Tianjin
Air France Cargo Dublin, Glasgow–Prestwick, New York–JFK, Paris–Charles de Gaulle
ANA Cargo Tokyo–Narita
Asiana Cargo Anchorage, Atlanta, New York–JFK, Seattle/Tacoma, Seoul–Incheon
ASL Airlines Belgium Liège
Atlas Air Amsterdam, Anchorage, Cincinnati, Dallas/Fort Worth, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Liège, Miami, Milan–Malpensa, New York–JFK, Seoul–Incheon, Stuttgart, Tokyo–Narita
Cargolux Anchorage, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Hong Kong, Indianapolis, Kuala Lumpur–International, Los Angeles, Luxembourg, New York–JFK, Singapore, Zhengzhou
Cathay Cargo Anchorage, Hong Kong, New York–JFK, Portland (OR)
China Airlines Cargo Anchorage, Houston–Intercontinental, Nagoya–Centrair, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Taipei–Taoyuan
China Cargo Airlines Anchorage, Atlanta, Dallas/Fort Worth, Shanghai–Pudong
China Southern Cargo Guangzhou, Shanghai–Pudong
DHL Aviation Anchorage, Calgary, Cincinnati, Newark, New York–JFK
Emirates SkyCargo Copenhagen, Dubai–Al Maktoum, Maastricht/Aachen, Miami
Etihad Cargo Frankfurt
EVA Air Cargo Anchorage, Dallas/Fort Worth, Taipei–Taoyuan
FedEx Express Appleton, Fort Worth/Alliance, Greensboro, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Memphis, Milwaukee, Newark, Oakland, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Portland (OR), Seattle/Tacoma
Korean Air Cargo Anchorage, Halifax, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Seoul–Incheon, Toronto–Pearson
LATAM Cargo Chile Campinas
LOT Polish Airlines Warsaw–Chopin
Lufthansa Cargo Anchorage, Atlanta, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, Los Angeles, Manchester (UK), Mexico City–AIFA, New York–JFK
Martinair Oslo
MSC Air Cargo Indianapolis, Liège
Nippon Cargo Airlines Anchorage, Dallas/Fort Worth, Edmonton, Los Angeles, New York–JFK
Qantas Freight Anchorage, Auckland, Chongqing, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Melbourne, Sydney
Qatar Airways Cargo Amsterdam, Brussels, Doha, Los Angeles, Milan–Malpensa, Ostend/Bruges, Singapore
Silk Way Airlines Baku
Singapore Airlines Cargo Anchorage, Atlanta, Brussels, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, Seattle/Tacoma
Suparna Airlines Anchorage, Shanghai–Pudong
Turkish Cargo Istanbul, Maastricht/Aachen, Shannon, Toronto–Pearson
UPS Airlines Cologne/Bonn, Columbus–Rickenbacker, Dallas/Fort Worth, Louisville, Miami, Philadelphia, Portland (OR)

Airport Statistics

Busiest Destinations from O'Hare

Busiest Domestic Routes from ORD (January 2024 – December 2024)
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 New York (state) New York–LaGuardia, New York 1,315,000 American, Delta, Spirit, United
2 California Los Angeles, California 1,171,000 American, Spirit, United
3 Colorado Denver, Colorado 1,046,000 American, Frontier, Southwest, United
4 Texas Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas 953,000 American, Frontier, Spirit, United
5 California San Francisco, California 932,000 Alaska, American, United
6 Arizona Phoenix–Sky Harbor, Arizona 898,000 American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
7 New Jersey Newark, New Jersey 852,000 American, Spirit, United
8 Massachusetts Boston, Massachusetts 845,000 American, Delta, JetBlue, United
9 Florida Orlando, Florida 813,000 American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
10 Nevada Las Vegas, Nevada 812,000 American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
Busiest International Routes from ORD (October 2022 – September 2023)
Rank Airport Passengers Carriers
1 United Kingdom London–Heathrow, United Kingdom 1,008,885 American, British Airways, United
2 Mexico Cancún, Mexico 862,563 American, Frontier, Southwest, Spirit, United
3 Canada Toronto–Pearson, Canada 704,364 Air Canada, American, United,
4 Mexico Mexico City, Mexico 667,260 Aeroméxico, United, Viva Aerobus, Volaris
5 Germany Frankfurt, Germany 586,239 Lufthansa, United
6 France Paris–Charles de Gaulle, France 438,682 Air France, American, United
7 Republic of Ireland Dublin, Ireland 411,649 Aer Lingus, American, United
8 Japan Tokyo–Haneda, Japan 396,394 ANA, Japan Airlines, United
9 Turkey Istanbul, Turkey 386,478 Turkish
10 Germany Munich, Germany 378,187 Lufthansa, United

Airline Popularity at O'Hare

Top Airlines at ORD (February 2023 – January 2024)
Rank Airline Passengers Percent of Market Share
1 United Airlines 23,788,000 40.58%
2 American Airlines 13,342,000 22.76%
3 SkyWest Airlines 5,447,000 9.29%
4 Envoy Air 2,773,000 4.73%
5 Delta Air Lines 2,538,000 4.42%
Other 10,479,000 18.27%

Yearly Airport Traffic

Traffic by Calendar Year
Year Passenger Volume Change from Last Year Aircraft Operations Cargo Tonnage
2000 72,144,244 Decrease00.64% 908,989 1,640,524
2001 67,448,064 Decrease06.51% 911,917 1,413,834
2002 66,565,952 Decrease01.31% 922,817 1,436,386
2003 69,508,672 Increase04.40% 928,691 1,601,736
2004 75,533,822 Increase08.67% 992,427 1,685,808
2005 76,581,146 Increase01.38% 972,248 1,701,446
2006 76,282,212 Decrease00.30% 958,643 1,718,011
2007 76,182,025 Decrease00.15% 926,973 1,690,742
2008 70,819,015 Decrease07.03% 881,566 1,480,847
2009 64,397,782 Decrease09.07% 827,899 1,198,426
2010 67,026,191 Increase03.83% 882,617 1,577,048
2011 66,790,996 Decrease00.35% 878,798 1,505,218
2012 66,834,931 Increase00.04% 878,108 1,443,569
2013 66,909,638 Increase00.12% 883,287 1,434,377
2014 70,075,204 Increase04.45% 881,933 1,578,330
2015 76,949,336 Increase09.81% 875,136 1,742,501
2016 77,960,588 Increase01.31% 867,635 1,726,362
2017 79,828,183 Increase02.40% 867,049 1,950,137
2018 83,339,186 Increase04.40% 903,747 1,868,880
2019 84,649,115 Increase01.69% 919,704 1,788,001
2020 30,860,251 Decrease063.54% 538,211 2,052,025
2021 54,020,399 Increase075.06% 684,201 2,536,576
2022 68,340,619 Increase026.50% 711,561 2,235,709
2023 73,894,226 Increase08.13% 720,582 1,906,463
2024 80,043,050 Increase08.56% 776,036 2,074,006

On-Time Performance for Flights

On-Time Performance by Calendar Year
Year Percent of On-Time Flights Average Delay (minutes) Percent of
Cancelled Flights
Departures Arrivals Departures Arrivals
2017 79% 81% 69.43 77.38 1.40%
2018 77% 77% 69.15 77.91 2.14%
2019 75% 75% 73.69 86.01 3.11%
2020 84% 85% 65.36 78.36 6.18%
2021 81% 82% 70.40 82.42 1.93%
2022 78% 79% 70.26 80.29 2.75%

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

Kids robot.svg 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
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O'Hare International Airport Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.