Summer travel is in full swing at O’Hare and Midway International Airports, as both hubs are prepared to welcome more than 1.49 million passengers between Friday, June 30 and Wednesday, July 5, based on airline projections. 

"We are thrilled to welcome more than one million visitors to our great city during the July 4 holiday weekend, and hope they enjoy all that Chicago has to offer," said Mayor Brandon Johnson. "Thank you to all of the dedicated workers at our airports and transit agencies who have prepared for the long weekend to ensure that visitors are able to get where they need to go safely and efficiently." 

When compared to the same weekend in 2022, those figures represent a slight increase in passenger traffic of 2.4% at Midway, and a slight decrease in traffic of 1.7% at O’Hare. The busiest travel day at O’Hare is projected to be Friday, June 30, when the airport is projected to welcome about 231,000 passengers. At Midway, the busiest travel day is projected to be Saturday, July 1, when the airport will process about 58,000 passengers. 

“Chicago’s airports continue their tremendous growth, and we thank passengers for their business and their support as we continue to reimagine concessions and facilities at both O’Hare and Midway,” said Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA), which owns and operates both of Chicago’s airports. “The CDA would also like to thank all of our elected officials and partner agencies at the federal, state and local level, whose support for our airports makes these improvements possible.” 

Visitors and locals alike are reminded of the following tips when traveling through Chicago’s airports this weekend: 

Prevent Traffic Congestion 

Help the CDA and fellow travelers avoid traffic back-ups into O’Hare and Midway by considering the following tips: 

• Cell Phone Lots are 100% free at both airports. Avoid circling and wait in the convenient parking lots until arriving passengers call to say they are ready for pickup. The O’Hare Cell Phone Lot is at 560 N. Bessie Coleman Dr., and the Midway Cell Phone Lot is located at West 61st Street and South Cicero Avenue. 
• Kiss n’ Fly drop-offs are located at both airports. At Midway, passengers can be dropped off at West 59th Street and South Kilpatrick Avenue and take a short walk into the terminals. At O’Hare, passengers can be dropped off at the Multi-Modal Facility, 10255 W. Zemke Blvd., and board the Airport Transit System (ATS) for a short ride to all terminals. 
• The CTA Blue Line offers 24/7 service to O’Hare, while the CTA Orange Line services Midway. Both offer frequent and fast service and can help passengers avoid curbside crowds and reduce congestion. 
• Metra’s North Central Service offers weekday service between Union Station in downtown Chicago and the O’Hare Transfer station adjacent to the airport’s Multi-Modal Facility, with access to the ATS 

Plan for Parking 

Departing passengers seeking to park their vehicle at O’Hare are encouraged to check the status of parking lots before leaving for the airport at FlyChicago.com/ORDparking. Economy Lots often reach capacity during busy holiday travel periods. Passengers should consider booking a parking spot ahead of time for O’Hare at FlyChicago.com. Lot status and advance parking reservations for Midway are also available on FlyChicago.com. 

Locals picking up arriving passengers at Terminal 5 should be aware that parking is extremely limited at Lot D while construction continues on a new, six-story parking garage that will serve the facility. Drivers are encouraged to wait for arriving passengers in the Cell Phone Lot at 560 N. Bessie Coleman Dr., or to park in hourly parking in the Main Parking Garage and board the ATS for a short trip to Terminal 5. 

New Concessions Cleared for Take Off at Midway 

Passengers traveling through Midway can expect to see a fair amount of construction, particularly near the airport’s Central Market at the intersection of Concourses A and B. The CDA announced this month that work is underway on the final phase of the Midway Modernization Program, which includes a series of concessions upgrades featuring a mix of new and existing brands with diverse ownership teams. 

Construction on the following food and beverage locations is underway, with locations opening or re-opening in phases this fall:  

• Garrett Popcorn Shops, near Gate B14  
• Connie’s Pizza, Central Market  
• America’s Dog and Burger, Central Market  
• White Sox Bar and Grill, Central Market  
• M Burger, Central Market  
• Beecher’s Handmade Cheese, Central Market  
• Dunkin’, Central Market  
• Reilly’s Daughter, Central Market 

Construction on the following retail locations is underway, with locations opening in phases this summer and fall:  

• Hudson, near Gate B9  
• Evolve, Central Market  
• Tumi, Central Market  
• MAC/Jo Malone, Central Market  
• Southside News, near Gate A11  
• Atrium, near Gate A5 

Kennedy Expressway Construction 

Construction continues on the inbound Kennedy Expressway, with two lanes blocked between the Edens Junction and Ohio Street. Travel between O’Hare and the Loop can be substantially delayed, particularly during rush hour, with travel times topping hour and 20 minutes. 

All O’Hare passengers should consider utilizing public transportation options to enter or depart from the city, including the CTA Blue Line and Metra’s North Central Service. If traveling by car, passengers should budget extra time for travel, particularly those leaving from the city for O’Hare during the evening rush hour, and those entering the city from O’Hare during the morning rush hour. Motorists should also expect delays associated with NASCAR Street Race Weekend, which takes place on Saturday, July 1 and Sunday, July 2. 

More information on the Kennedy construction schedule is available from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT). 

O’Hare Rideshare 

All pickups for rideshare apps like Uber and Lyft at O’Hare continue to take place in the Upper Level Departures section of Terminal 2. This designated rideshare area is a short walk from Terminal 1 and Terminal 3. Passengers arriving into Terminal 5 will need to transfer to Terminal 2 aboard the ATS to for rideshare pickups. All rideshare apps can drop off at all terminals as usual, and taxi and black car pickups are still offered at all of O’Hare’s terminals. 

Entertainment and Promotions 

Passengers passing through O’Hare Terminal 3 on Thursday, June 29 can hear live music from local folk bank Albion West in the Rotunda from 1 to 4 p.m. On Friday, June 30, Terminal 1 passengers will hear the music of singer-songwriter Jonas Friddle from 1 to 4 p.m. And families connecting through O’Hare can meet Uncle Sam himself for a juggling act at the Terminal 2 Family Lounge from 9 a.m. to noon on Friday, June 30. 

At Midway, Faces in Focus will draw digital caricatures of passengers near the Central Market from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, June 30. 

Seeking some ORD swag? CDA customer service representatives will be handing out fun items from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. past security near the Chili’s restaurant in the Main Hall of Terminal 3. 

Regional Bus Pickups 

All passengers that need to connect to a regional bus service will need to transfer from the terminals to the Multi-Modal Facility aboard the ATS. Regional buses now providing departing service from the MMF include: 

• Coach USA/Van Galder — with service to Rockford, Ill., South Beloit, Ill., Janesville, Wis., and Madison, Wis. 
• Express Air Coach (EAC) — with service to Champaign/Urbana, Ill., Elgin, Ill., West Lafayette, Ind., and Hammond, Ind. 
• Lafayette Limo — with service to locations on Purdue University’s campus in West Lafayette, Ind. 
• Peoria Charter Coach — with service to Peoria, Ill., Normal, Ill., and Champaign/Urbana, Ill. 
• Reindeer Shuttle — with service to Purdue University’s campus in West Lafayette, Ind., and continuing service to Indianapolis International Airport. 
• Wisconsin Coach USA — with service to Kenosha, Wis., Racine, Wis., Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport, Milwaukee, Wis., and Brookfield, Wis. 

Travel Safely With Families 

O’Hare International Airport offers a Family Lounge, a designated play area for toddlers and young children. The lounge also offers device charging outlets for grown-ups, and stroller parking for those traveling with infants. 

Nursing parents will also find lots of locations to safely care for or nurse their young children. At Midway, a Mother’s Room is located in Concourse C, next to the airport’s Yoga Room, and a Lactation Pod is available near Gate A5 in Concourse A. O’Hare offers nearly 20 Mother’s Room and Lactation Pod locations, a full list of which is available at FlyChicago.com. 

Arrive Early 

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) may experience longer wait times at checkpoints given the influx of travelers. Real-time updates for O’Hare TSA checkpoints are available at FlyChicago.com. 

At O’Hare, a CLEAR Lane and enrollment options are now available in Terminal 5 for PreCheck-eligible travelers and standard security. CLEAR Lanes are also available at O’Hare Terminals 1 and 2, and at Midway. 

To expedite the screening process, travelers should consult TSA guidelines to ensure there are no prohibited items in their carry-on or checked baggage, and that all foods are packed in accordance with the TSA’s rules regarding liquids. 

General Information 

Travelers bound for O’Hare or Midway can make the most informed decisions about how to access airport services by visiting FlyChicago.com. The website contains real-time information about flights, parking, taxicab wait times, concessions, and other special alerts for the traveling public. The “My Flight” search page for each airport shows specific flight updates, along with amenities located near the flight gate and other targeted travel resources.