Food at O'Hare before 6 a.m.

Every checkpoint is open by 4 a.m., the hour the first scheduled food opens, and each terminal has after-security places open from then, a few of them all night. Before security, Terminal 5 has three places open before 6 a.m., Terminal 1 has one, and Terminals 2 and 3 don’t have any in the airport’s directory. Vending machines open 24 hours are the exception, and Farmer’s Fridge stands before security at Terminals 2, 3 and 5.

Hours below are daily unless a row says otherwise. The airport says checkpoint hours are generally as listed but can shift with day-to-day airport activity, and it suggests asking your airline about the date you’re flying. Our security page lists every checkpoint with its PreCheck and CLEAR hours.

Terminal 1: Checkpoint 1 opens at 3:30 a.m.

Checkpoint 3 opens at 3:45 a.m. and Checkpoint 2 opens at 4 a.m. Terminal 1 has two Starbucks counters that stay open all night.

Terminal 2: one checkpoint, open from 3:15 a.m.

Checkpoint 5 is the only checkpoint the airport lists for Terminal 2.

Terminal 3 opens its first checkpoints at 3:30 a.m.

Checkpoint 6 opens at 3:45 a.m. and Checkpoint 8 opens at 4 a.m. Terminal 3 has four McDonald’s open from 4 a.m., and its Dunkin’ and one Starbucks never close.

Terminal 5 never closes its checkpoint

The airport lists Checkpoint 10 as open 24 hours, so in Terminal 5 the wait is for the food, not the checkpoint. Three Terminal 5 food listings print no hours at all, so they aren’t in the table: Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless near Gate M18, Big Bowl near Gate M11 and Tocco near Gate M11.

What else is open all night?

The airport’s directory lists Farmer’s Fridge as open 24 hours in every terminal. The directory gives no menu and doesn’t say which side of security each one is on, but the airport’s terminal map does. The map describes them as a fresh and healthy selection of salads, wraps and breakfast choices.

The airport’s terminal map lists more machines open 24 hours before security. Starbucks coffee machines are at Terminal 2 near Door 2C and Terminal 3 near Door 3G, with Canteen drinks and snacks beside each. Terminal 2 also has Windy City Mart snacks and drinks near Door 2A, and Terminal 1 has Nuts on Clark chocolate and nuts near Door 1C.

Sources

• ORD Airport Guide: Security checkpoints, Food and shops directory, Terminal 1, Terminal 2, Terminal 3, Terminal 5, and the venue pages linked in the tables
• Chicago Department of Aviation: security checkpoint hours, eat directory and terminal map