O'Hare to Midway
O'Hare to Midway by CTA costs $5 and the airport says to allow up to two hours. Shared taxi, rideshare and Peoria Charter Coach compared.
The airport calls the CTA the most economical way between Chicago’s two airports: the Blue Line, then the Orange Line, with a free transfer downtown. It tells riders to allow up to two hours and publishes no door-to-door time for anything else.
Your options side by side
| Option | Cost | Time | Starts at |
|---|---|---|---|
| CTA Blue Line, then Orange Line | $5 to board at O’Hare | Up to two hours, says the airport | The Blue Line station on the lower level |
| Taxi | Metered, and the airport says rates vary with time of day, weather and cab service | None published | The taxi stand on the lower-level curb at every terminal |
| Shared taxi ride | $37 per person on the airport’s Midway page, $45 on the city’s fare list | None published | The same taxi stand |
| Rideshare | No fare published | None published | Poles on the upper level of Terminals 2 and 3 |
| Peoria Charter Coach | No fare published | None published | The Multi-Modal Facility |
How the CTA trip works
From Terminals 1, 2 and 3, follow the Trains to City signs. CTA says the walk from baggage claim to the Blue Line station takes under ten minutes. From Terminal 5, ride the free Airport Transit System to Terminal 2 first, then follow the same signs.
Ride the Blue Line to Clark/Lake downtown and change to the Orange Line toward Midway. Get off at Midway Station, which joins the terminal by an enclosed walkway.
The $5 fare includes the Orange Line transfer, which is free within two hours on the same Ventra card, ticket or contactless payment. CTA’s one-day pass also costs $5 and covers boarding at O’Hare, so it makes sense if you plan more rides.
CTA’s own times for the two legs are 40 to 45 minutes on the Blue Line from O’Hare to downtown and 20 to 25 minutes on the Orange Line between downtown and Midway. That’s 60 to 70 minutes on the trains. The walk to the station and the change at Clark/Lake come on top of that.
The Blue Line runs 24 hours a day. The Orange Line stops overnight, and CTA says the N62 Archer bus covers those hours.
If you’re changing airports on a connecting flight, the airport says only to leave adequate time. It sets no minimum.
Taxi, shared ride and rideshare
The airport publishes no road time to Midway. CTA’s comparison chart shows how wide road times run, with 25 to 90 minutes by taxi or rideshare from O’Hare to downtown.
The two shared taxi fares in the table disagree, so confirm the fare at the stand before you get in. Our taxi page carries the city’s rates.
Neither the airport nor CTA gives an Uber or Lyft fare between the airports. CTA prices a rideshare from O’Hare to downtown at around $35 to $50, with surges to $140 or more, and from Midway to downtown at around $25 to $40. Those are CTA’s figures for each half of the trip.
Peoria Charter Coach lists Midway as a stop
The airport’s regional bus list shows Peoria Charter Coach serving Midway Airport and Union Station among its Chicago stops. It doesn’t say whether you can ride only between the two airports, so call Peoria Charter Coach on 1-800-448-0572 before you count on it. Scheduled coaches board at the Multi-Modal Facility, which the free train reaches from every terminal.
Sources
- ORD Airport Guide: CTA Blue Line, taxis, rideshare, regional buses and Airport Transit System
- Chicago Department of Aviation: “O’Hare to Midway,” “Midway to O’Hare,” “Taxis,” “Shuttles and Regional Buses” and “Public Transit”
- Chicago Transit Authority: Airport transit, Blue Line and Fares