How to ride the CTA Blue Line from O'Hare

O’Hare is where the Blue Line starts, so every train you board here heads for downtown. Signs reading “Trains to City” lead to the station from Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and the CTA puts the normal ride to downtown at 40-45 minutes. Boarding at O’Hare costs $5, and it’s the one L station that charges extra to board.

Walk from Terminals 1, 2 or 3

Follow “Trains to City” on the overhead signs and take the pedestrian tunnels on the Basement Level. The CTA also words the sign as “CTA Trains”. It puts the walk from baggage claim at under ten minutes from any of the three terminals.

The airport places the station on the lower level of the parking garage. The CTA describes it as sitting in the lower level concourse, which connects directly to Terminals 1, 2 and 3. The CTA calls the station accessible. The airport’s accessibility page adds an elevator to the platform and says to ask CTA personnel for gap filler boards, which bridge the space between platform and train.

Terminal 5 starts with a train ride

The airport says Terminal 5 passengers must ride the Airport Transit System to Terminal 3 or 2. The train is free and runs 24 hours a day. It comes every 3 to 5 minutes at peak times. The CTA names only Terminal 2 and says to ride the next train there, exit at the station and follow the signs. Terminal 2 is the stop both pages name, so it’s the safe pick. From there, follow “Trains to City” through the pedestrian tunnel on the Basement Level.

International arrivals clear customs first, and our Terminal 5 arrivals guide walks through passport control, baggage claim and the customs check in order. The CTA notes that O’Hare has no Terminal 4.

Which ticket fits your stay

The O’Hare charge comes off when you enter the station, from a Ventra account or a contactless bank card or phone wallet. The reduced fare at O’Hare is $1.25 and the student fare is $0.75. Contactless payment covers only the full and reduced fares. The CTA says students, older adults, people with disabilities and military personnel may be eligible for reduced or free rides.

A 1-Day pass lasts 24 hours from first use. The CTA’s own tip is to use an unlimited pass to board at O’Hare for no additional charge, and every later boarding in those 24 hours is free. Boarding anywhere else on the L costs $2.50, which also makes the ride back to the airport cheaper than the ride out.

The airport says the machines stand outside the station and take cash or credit. They sell tickets, issue new Ventra Cards and load passes onto cards. The 1-Day Ventra Ticket is sold at any Ventra Vending Machine. The 3-Day Ventra Ticket is sold at the machines at O’Hare and Midway. A new Ventra Card costs $5, returned as transit value if you register it within 90 days.

On the platform and on board

The Blue Line operates around the clock, seven days a week. The airport adds that trains come more often during weekday morning and evening rush hours.

All trains from the O’Hare station go through downtown on their way to Forest Park, or during some hours to UIC-Halsted, so whichever train’s waiting, you’re heading the right way. Transfers to another CTA train or bus are free, up to two within two hours, on the same Ventra Card, Ventra Ticket, bank card or wallet. The Blue Line connects to most other CTA lines.

Which downtown stop suits your hotel is a separate choice, and our Loop and Michigan Avenue hotel train guide matches hotels to the stop they name. If you’d rather skip the tunnel walk, the CTA’s chart puts a taxi at around $40 and rideshare at around $35-50 (surges to $140 or more), while the average metered fare to downtown is about $50 (see the taxi page). Our downtown guide lines up all five ways to get there.

Sources

• O’Hare Airport Guide: CTA Blue Line, Airport Transit System, Terminal 5 and taxi
• Chicago Department of Aviation: Public Transit
• Chicago Transit Authority: Airport transit, Blue Line and fares