ORDAirport Guide

Terminal 1 at O'Hare: Concourses B and C, checkpoints and links

Terminal 1 has Gates B1 to B24 and C1 to C31, Checkpoints 1, 2 and 3, a secure walk to Terminals 2 and 3 and a bus to Terminal 5 from Gate C18B.

The white steel arches and glass roof of the barrel-vaulted concourse in Terminal 1 at O'Hare.
Terminal 1 concourse

Terminal 1 asks you to pick one of three checkpoints, and any of them leads to both concourses. Concourse B runs from Gate B1 to B24 and Concourse C from C1 to C31. Once you’re through, you can walk to Terminals 2 and 3 without screening again, and only Terminal 5 needs a bus or a train.

Checkpoints 1, 2 and 3

All three sit on the Departures and Check-In level. Our security page lists every checkpoint in the airport, and these are Terminal 1’s:

Checkpoint Hours Lanes
1 3:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. No PreCheck or CLEAR lane listed
2 4 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. TSA PreCheck lane, 4 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.
3 3:45 a.m. to 8 p.m. CLEAR Plus lane, Sunday to Friday 4:15 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday 4:15 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Checkpoint 1 opens first and closes last, so after 8:30 p.m. it’s the only one of the three listed open. CLEAR also enrolls travelers in TSA PreCheck on the Departures level near Checkpoint 3, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. The airport says these hours “may be affected by day-to-day airport activities” and sends you to your airline for the day of your flight. Our checkpoint guide compares the lanes across terminals.

Concourse B: Gates B1 to B24

The only counters in Terminal 1 listed open around the clock are the two Starbucks at Gates B5 and B9 on Concourse B.

Gate What’s there
B1 Goose Island Beer Company
B5 and B9 Starbucks, open 24 hours (B5, B9)
B6 United Club and an airport information desk (the airport’s terminal map puts the information podium at B8)
B7 A lactation pod, which the airport’s terminal map lists near Gate B6
B10 Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless from 4:30 a.m., a currency exchange and a Mother’s Room.
B11 McDonald’s from 4 a.m.
B12 Terminal Getaway Spa, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
B14 Chili’s, Dunkin’ Express, Great American Bagel Company and Pronto Sandwiches
B18 United Club and Tuscany Café
B19 Galileo Bar & Grill

The airport lists the currency exchange at B10 from 7 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Its terminal map puts the counter at Gate B9 and shows it closing at 3 p.m.

Our food directory lists every shop and restaurant by terminal.

Concourse C: Gates C1 to C31

Gate C19 is Concourse C’s biggest food cluster.

Gate What’s there
C10 United Club, McDonald’s and Goose Island Beer Company. Past Gate C10, a service animal relief area sits on the right of the hallway toward C12
C11 A lactation pod, which the airport’s terminal map lists near Gate C12, with another at C23
C17 America’s Dog, Beaudevin Wine Bar and a Starbucks
C18 United Polaris Lounge, an airport information desk, a currency exchange from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and the Terminal Transfer Bus stop at C18B
C19 Billy Goat Tavern and Grill, Reggio’s Chicago Style Pizza, Jazz Bar, Cafe Zoot!, Salad Works, Manchu Wok and Nuts on Clark
C26 Berghoff Cafe

Polaris Lounge, near Gate C18

The airport lists the United Polaris Lounge at Terminal 1, Gate C18, for “International first and business only.” The lounge page lists no opening hours, but the airport’s terminal map gives daily 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Our Polaris guide sets it beside the United Club in Concourse F.

Walking to Terminals 2 and 3

The airport tells domestic connecting passengers to follow the overhead signage between the terminals instead of leaving security for the train. Its transfer pages give no walking time, and our walking guide covers the walk between Terminals 1, 2 and 3. Terminal 2 has Concourses E and F, and Terminal 3 has G, H, K and L.

The bus to Terminal 5 from Gate C18B

The Terminal Transfer Bus boards at Gate C18B on Concourse C and carries connecting passengers to Terminal 5. It runs every 15 minutes between 11:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m., and you need a boarding pass for a same-day flight from Terminal 5.

Between 9:30 p.m. and 11:30 a.m. the airport says to leave security and take the Airport Transit System, then clear a TSA checkpoint again at the other end. The train costs nothing and runs 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every 3 to 5 minutes at peak times. End to end from Terminal 1, the ride takes about 10 minutes. The airport’s connecting page says the Terminal 1 stop moved from Gate B1 to C18B because of construction, and its transfer page calls the Gate B1 stop temporarily closed.

Information desks

On weekdays the airport’s Travelers Aid page has the desks at Gates B6 and C18 open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Weekends split the airport’s pages. Travelers Aid has 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, but the terminal accessibility page gives Gate C18 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on those days. That page also lists a lower-level desk near Door 1C, open 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day. If you need a desk on a weekend evening, get there before 7 p.m. Our information desks page lists the desks at every terminal.

Getting here and away

United’s Terminal 1 lobby is on the Departures and Check-In level. The lobby has Polaris check-in, Premier Access and Economy bag drops and an agent assistance desk. United also has a Terminal 2 lobby, so confirm which terminal your flight uses. All Nippon Airways and Lufthansa check in on the same level. Baggage claim and the United baggage service office are on the Arrivals and Baggage Claim level. Premier Parking sits under 300 feet from Terminal 1.

For the Blue Line, follow the Trains to City signs through the pedestrian tunnels on the basement level.

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