---
title: "Short-term parking at O'Hare: the hourly rates"
description: "Main Garage Level 1 charges $3 for the first hour and $79 for 8 to 24 hours. The daily levels charge $43 for that band. Rates, payment and clearances."
url: "https://ordairportguide.com/guides/short-term-parking-at-ohare-hourly-rates/"
updated: "2026-10-31"
airport: "ORD"
type: "guide"
---

> Independent guide, not the official ORD website. All pages: https://ordairportguide.com/llms.txt

# Short-term parking at O'Hare: the hourly rates

Main Garage Level 1 charges $3 for the first hour and $79 for 8 to 24 hours. The daily levels charge $43 for that band. Rates, payment and clearances.

Updated October 31, 2026

![The stacked concrete decks and red railings of the Main Garage at O'Hare, where hourly and daily parking apply.](https://ordairportguide.com/images/ord/main-garage-level-1-v6.webp)

Main Garage, O'Hare

[ORD parking cost calculator](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/#stay-cost): 7 days from $112.00 at Economy Lot G. Pick your days and compare every lot.

Short-term parking at O’Hare is Level 1 of the [Main Garage](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/main-garage-hourly/), next to the domestic terminals, and it’s meant for stays under three hours. It starts at $3 for the first hour. Terminal 5’s garage charges the same rates up to 8 hours, then $43 for 8 to 24 hours.

## What each stay costs

| How long you stay | Level 1, hourly | Main Garage Levels 2 to 6, Lots B and C, Terminal 5 garage |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Up to 1 hour | $3 | $3 |
| 1 to 2 hours | $6 | $6 |
| 2 to 3 hours | $10 | $10 |
| 3 to 4 hours | $14 | $14 |
| 4 to 8 hours | $36 | $36 |
| 8 to 24 hours | $79 | $43 |

Every rate includes taxes. The two columns match until the 8-hour mark, so a six-hour stay costs the same on Level 1 as on the [daily levels](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/main-garage-daily/) or in [Lots B and C](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/lots-b-and-c/). The gap opens only after that, and the airport’s page stops at 24 hours and doesn’t say what comes next.

If you’re only meeting a flight, wait for your passenger’s call in the free [cell phone lot](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/cell-phone-lot/). The other short-stay option is the [Kiss ‘n’ Fly](https://ordairportguide.com/transport/kiss-n-fly/) at the northeast corner of the Multi-Modal Facility, off the terminal roadways. Parking there is limited to 15 minutes, and your passenger rides the Airport Transit System from Terminal 1, 2, 3 or 5 to meet you.

## If your stay runs past a few hours

The airport says the Main Garage is a poor choice for extended overnight stays, because its daily rates run higher than the economy lots.

| Lot | Rates | How you get to the terminal |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Economy Lot F | The same steps as above up to 4 hours, then $30 for 4 to 24 hours | Airport Transit System |
| Economy Lots G and H | $3 up to 1 hour, then $16 for anything from 1 to 24 hours | Shuttle to the Multi-Modal Facility, then the Airport Transit System |

That flat $16 means a two-hour stay in Lot G or H costs more than the $6 near the terminal. You won’t save anything there until you’re past about four hours.

## How to pay and what to watch for

- You’ll pay the cashier on the way out. The cashier takes cash and credit cards. The airport’s pages disagree on whether Lot H takes cash, so bring a card.
- Aisle 2, near Elevator Center 3, has 12 Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations. They are on Level 1.
- The Main Garage clears 6 feet 6 inches. Lot B clears 9 feet and Lot C 8 feet 5 inches, which is what the airport suggests for a taller vehicle that still needs to park near the terminals. The Terminal 5 garage clears 8 feet 6 inches.
- Level 1 has 17 accessible spaces, beside the elevator centers.
- Chicago’s boot program is enforced in O’Hare’s lots. The Parking Garage Office at (773) 686-7530 handles booted vehicles, vehicle assistance, accessible parking details and stays over 30 days.

The airport’s own parking page has a real-time status module. Every other garage and lot, with its published rate, is in our [Parking section](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/).

## Sources

- Our pages: [Main Garage hourly parking](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/main-garage-hourly/), [Main Garage daily parking](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/main-garage-daily/), [Daily Lots B and C](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/lots-b-and-c/), [Terminal 5 Parking Garage and Lot D](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/terminal-5-garage/), [Economy Lot F](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/economy-lot-f/), [Economy Lot G](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/economy-lot-g/), [Cell Phone Lot](https://ordairportguide.com/parking/cell-phone-lot/)
- Chicago Department of Aviation: parking page, Main Garage hourly and daily pages, Daily Lot page, drop off and pick up page