O'Hare to a Loop or Michigan Avenue hotel by train
The Blue Line runs 24 hours and reaches downtown in 40 to 45 minutes. The stops the Palmer House and Hilton Chicago give, plus taxi and shared-cab prices.
The L’s Blue Line leaves from the lower level of O’Hare and takes 40 to 45 minutes to reach the Loop. Trains run 24 hours a day, every day, through downtown on the way to Forest Park. The Palmer House and the Hilton Chicago name a Blue Line stop in their own directions. The table below sets them beside three other downtown hotels.
Which stop the hotels give
| Hotel | Blue Line stop in the hotel’s directions | By road from Terminal 5 |
|---|---|---|
| Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel | Monroe, then a walk east along Monroe Street | 17.7 miles, about 34 minutes |
| Hilton Chicago | Jackson, then a 0.6 mile walk southeast | 18.3 miles, about 36 minutes |
| Chicago Athletic Association Hotel | Confirm with the hotel | 17.7 miles, about 34 minutes |
| The Langham, Chicago | Confirm with the hotel | 17.4 miles, about 34 minutes |
| Omni Chicago Hotel | Confirm with the hotel | 17.2 miles, about 33 minutes |
The drive column is the road distance from Terminal 5 on our hotels page. The Omni’s own page gives the drive from O’Hare as 17 miles, about 35 minutes.
The Palmer House’s directions say Monroe/Dearborn, but the CTA’s route diagram names the stop Monroe, so look for that name on the train.
The Hilton Chicago sits on South Michigan Avenue over Grant Park. The Omni is on the Magnificent Mile at Huron Street, and the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel is on South Michigan Avenue. For those two and the Langham, confirm the closest Blue Line stop with the hotel before you leave, or take a cab.
How to get on the right train
Follow the signs for Trains to City from Terminal 1, 2 or 3. The CTA says the walk from baggage claim takes under ten minutes. From Terminal 5, you’ll ride the free Airport Transit System to Terminal 2 first.
Any train from the O’Hare station goes through downtown, so board the one signed for Forest Park or, in some hours, UIC-Halsted. Both pass Monroe and Jackson. Our Blue Line page has the fares and the station details.
Boarding at O’Hare costs $5 on a Ventra card, a contactless bank card or a single-trip Ventra ticket, and the ticket covers up to three rides in two hours. A 1-day CTA and Pace pass, also $5, covers the O’Hare entrance with nothing extra. The CTA allows two free transfers within two hours on the same card.
What the train saves against a cab
| Option | Cost to downtown | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Line | $5 or less (CTA) | 45 minutes (CTA) |
| Shared taxi | $30 flat to downtown or McCormick Place | Not published |
| Taxi | Around $40 (CTA’s estimate) or about $50 (the airport’s average metered fare) | 25 to 90 minutes (CTA) |
| Shuttle van | Over $25 (CTA) | 25 to 90 minutes (CTA) |
| Rideshare | Around $35 to $50, surging to $140 or more (CTA) | 25 to 90 minutes (CTA) |
The CTA’s taxi, shuttle and rideshare costs leave out tips, and its times assume common conditions. The airport says a taxi fare follows traffic and puts its average to downtown at $50, so it’s safer to plan on the higher number. Our taxi page lists the meter rates and the shared flat fares.
Sources
- This site: Hotels, CTA Blue Line, Taxi, Airport Transit System
- Chicago Transit Authority: Airport transit, Blue Line and Fares pages
- Chicago Department of Aviation: Public Transit and Taxi, Limo, Rideshare pages
- Hotel pages for Palmer House, a Hilton Hotel, Hilton Chicago, Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, The Langham, Chicago and Omni Chicago Hotel