ORDAirport Guide

O'Hare taxi fares: metered, shared and suburban cabs

What the meter charges at O'Hare, the shared flat fares, how suburban cabs are priced and called, and the curb stand at each terminal.

The empty taxi lane on the lower level at O'Hare Terminal 1, with numbered boards along the yellow kerb and the blue-banded concrete piers.
Taxi stand, Terminal 1

The cab at the stand runs a meter, a shared ride has a flat fare, and a suburban cab is one you call before you reach the curb. The airport puts an average fare from O’Hare to downtown at $50, and it says traffic moves that number.

The stand is on the lower level at every terminal

Taxi stands sit at the lower level curb front, outside baggage claim, at each terminal. The airport says to use the designated stands so you get a licensed driver. It also warns you not to accept a ride from a driver outside the stand or on the departure level, which is the second level of the terminal roadways.

For a wheelchair accessible cab, the airport gives 1-888-928-2227, or you can ask the starter at the rank.

What the meter charges

The airport says every taxi should have a working meter that calculates the fare from time and mileage. These are the City of Chicago’s metered rates.

Charge Amount
Flag pull, covering the first ninth of a mile $3.25
Each further ninth of a mile $0.31
Waiting time $0.31 per 45 seconds
First extra passenger aged 12 to 64 $1.00
Each extra passenger after that $0.50
Card payment fee $0.50
Rush hour surcharge, 3:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. $2.50
Overnight surcharge, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. $1.00
Illinois airport departure tax on fares leaving the airport $4.00

Each mile of driving adds $2.79, which is nine steps of $0.31. The airport’s taxi page also links an information page on changes to the fare rates, so look there if a meter looks off.

The airport’s $50 and the CTA’s $40

Two official pages give different taxi figures for the ride downtown. The airport’s taxi page says an average fare is $50, and the CTA’s airport transit page puts a taxi at around $40. The CTA adds that its taxi, rideshare and shuttle figures leave out gratuity.

Plan on the airport’s $50. It’s the higher of the two, and the CTA calls its figure an estimate built from online rate quotes and price observations. The same CTA chart puts the CTA Blue Line at $5 or less, and our downtown guide sets all five ways side by side.

Shared rides have a flat fare

The shared flat fare is $30 from O’Hare to downtown or McCormick Place, and $45 from O’Hare to Midway. The airport’s taxi page doesn’t mention shared rides. Its page on getting to Midway does, and it says shared ride fares from O’Hare to Midway are $37 per person. The two Midway figures don’t match, and neither source says why. The $45 doesn’t say whether it is per rider, and neither figure says where the ride boards. Ask at the stand whether a shared ride is running and what the fare covers before you plan around it.

Suburban trips come in two kinds

A cab from the stand can go to the suburbs, because the airport says taxi service covers Chicago and suburban destinations. Trips from the airport to most suburbs are charged at the meter plus one half. The city publishes a list of straight meter suburbs, and it includes Des Plaines, Evanston, Oak Park, Park Ridge, Rosemont and Skokie.

The second kind is a cab from a suburban taxi company. The airport says suburban taxis should be pre-arranged by calling the company, either from the baggage claim level or earlier. Pickup is on the lower-level, middle commercial lane at Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and on the inner commercial lane at Terminal 5.

When a cab isn’t the car you want

Rideshare pickup is on the upper level at poles marked in orange at Terminal 2 and in green at Terminal 3, and our Uber and Lyft guide covers which pole to use. The airport publishes no rideshare fare, and the CTA’s chart gives around $35-50 (surges to $140 or more).

A pre-arranged car meets you after you’ve claimed your bags, and the airport publishes no fare for it either. Our pre-booked car guide explains where the driver finds you.

Sources