O’Hare vs. Midway: Which airport should I fly into?

Visitors to Chicago have two airports to choose from: O’Hare International Airport (ORD), a sprawling complex in Chicago’s northwest corner, or Midway International Airport (MDW), which offers more convenient access to the city but with fewer flights.

Different airlines generally focus on different airports; for example, Southwest Airlines flyers have the best selection out of Midway, while those flying American Airlines, United Airlines or internationally will likely end up at O’Hare. But the two are approximately 30 miles apart — so it’s important to plan strategically for your needs.

This guide examines the pros and cons of each airport.

Distance to downtown and transportation options

Chicago stretches north, south, and west, roughly partitioned into thirds by branches of the Chicago River. O’Hare is in the far northwest of the city, while Midway sits deep in the Southwest Side.

The Loop is Chicago’s central downtown business district. Using the Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park, also known as “the Bean,” as our reference point, we measured the distance from each airport. The Bean is two blocks south of the river and within walking distance of Navy Pier, Museum Campus and the Magnificent Mile shopping district.

Here’s how the two airports stack up:

Since O’Hare has multiple terminals, it might take five to 10 minutes to get in and out of the airport area. Regardless of timing, you’re likely to encounter rush hour traffic en route to O’Hare throughout most mornings and evenings. Therefore, I would plan for 45 minutes to an hour to get downtown from O’Hare. Cabs charge a flat rate to go downtown — around $40 — while ride-hailing services can cost anywhere between $35 and $60.

The cheapest option is taking the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line rail, available from Terminals 1, 2 or 3 or via a free airport shuttle from Terminal 5. Travel time is about 50 minutes to an hour, depending on the time of day. However, if you have a lot of checked luggage, a cab may be advisable, as the trains do not have luggage racks and some of the stations are only accessible via stairs.

Midway, on the other hand, is roughly 30 minutes from The Loop and generally less prone to traffic delays than O’Hare — but I would still expect to encounter some traffic. This is especially true if you’re traveling on a Sunday when the Chicago Bears are playing at Soldier Field. Interstate 55 runs past the field en route to the airport and will get backed up. You can also take the Orange Line to downtown or consider an Uber or Lyft for approximately $30 or a cab for $35 to $40.

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Winner: Regardless of how you plan on traveling to the city from the airport, Midway comes out ahead — less traffic, shorter drives, cheaper Ubers and less time spent on the train if you’re headed downtown. Travelers to other Chicago neighborhoods or the suburbs may feel differently, though. For example, those headed to northwest neighborhoods might find O’Hare more convenient — even if the traffic adds an unwanted headache when getting to or from the airport.

Airlines and flight options

When it comes to airlines, O’Hare and Midway could not be more different. According to OAG’s 2024 annual report of the world’s busiest airports, O’Hare was the 10th-busiest airport in 2024. Per data sourced by analytics firm Cirium, 735,881 planes departed from ORD in 2024.

O’Hare also stands out among U.S. airports as a major hub for two different airlines, United and American. Southwest Airlines started flying out of O’Hare in 2021 as well, adding to the competitive mix.

Midway sold 26.6 million seats across 166,453 departures in 2024, per Cirium. Southwest remains the dominant carrier at Midway with 23.5 million seats and nearly 150,000 departures in 2024, followed by Frontier (1.4 million seats and 7,785 departures), Volaris (689,694 seats and 3,775 departures), Delta Air Lines (642,784 seats and 7,054 departures) and Porter (131,742 seats and 1,689 departures).

Of the nearly 94 million seats sold out of O’Hare in 2024, United served 44 million across more than 352,000 departures, followed by American (28.1 million seats and 255,061 departures), Spirit (3.6 million seats and 17,816 departures), Delta (3.5 million seats and 27,476 departures) and Southwest (2.2 million seats and 13,687 departures). United is the clear winner among U.S. carriers that fly internationally.

When it comes to international flights, ORD has several notable carriers operating from the airport to destinations around the world, including:

• Aeromexico
• Aer Lingus
• Air Canada
• Air France
• Air India
• Air New Zealand
• Alaska Airlines
• ANA
• Avianca Airlines
• British Airways
• Cathay Pacific
• Emirates
• Etihad Airways
• Finnair
• ITA Airways
• Iberia
• Icelandair
• Japan Airlines
• JetBlue
• KLM
• LOT Polish Airlines
• Lufthansa
• Qatar Airways
• Royal Jordanian Airlines
• Swiss
• Scandinavian Airlines
• TAP Air Portugal
• Turkish Airlines

No matter where in the world you’re heading, there’s a good chance you can fly directly from O’Hare.

Midway, on the other hand, is a key part of Southwest’s network, which operates an overwhelming majority of the flights out of the airport. Delta Air Lines — which has a relatively small presence at O’Hare — is another of the seven airlines to operate from Midway.

Winner: For AvGeeks and road warriors, there’s something special about O’Hare. American and United have expansive domestic route networks and there aren’t many destinations you can fly to from Midway that you can’t fly to from O’Hare. Add in the host of international carriers, and O’Hare likely wins for many. However, as a local, I much prefer Midway for the shorter commute. With fewer people, there seem to be fewer problems, and this creates an easier, more pleasant airport experience overall.

Airport amenities and perks

In my opinion, neither airport is a place I love spending more time than I have to, but others may disagree.

The sprawl of runways and terminals at O’Hare often leads to long taxi times and random delays. Plus, it lacks much of the high-end shopping you can find at newer and international airports. Still, there are some great lounges at O’Hare.

It’s also worth noting that the airport is currently undergoing a 10-year major modernization project that will add 19 new gates to its existing Concourse C. The O’Hare 21 Terminal Area Plan includes two satellite concourses, a new O’Hare Global Terminal (replacing Terminal 2) and an underground tunnel connecting the new facilities. Construction is expected to be completed in 2028.

An obvious win for O’Hare is the city being home to the United HQ, which makes the airport the obvious choice for United flyers. As a result, you can find four United Clubs and the country’s first revamped Polaris Lounge. In 2024, I visited all of the United Clubs and the high-end Polaris Lounge. The four United Clubs are relatively similar, varying minimally in size, design and newness. The latest club, which opened in 2023, boasts plenty of natural light and space for travelers in Terminal 1.

The Polaris Lounge is luxurious, with private shaded daybed rentals atop 145-degree heated Saks Fifth Avenue linens, showers and warm towels upon checking in. Plus, it’s the only Polaris in the country with a chandelier, where every ball represents a city street in Chicago. The Polaris Lounge is across from the duty-free store, accessible to international customers traveling in United Polaris and premium Star Alliance cabins.

United Club℠ Infinite Card holders ($525 annual fee) receive unlimited complimentary United Club access for themselves and up to two guests per visit. Meanwhile, the United℠ Explorer Card includes two single-use United Club passes yearly. You can also pay for a United Club membership with either cash or miles, with prices varying by United Premier elite status level.

O’Hare also has three American Airlines Admirals Clubs and one American Airlines Flagship Lounge, all in Terminal 3.

In our experience, there is usually room to sit down and grab a bite to eat. The food and drink selection is basic, but you won’t go hungry with a selection of cold cuts, soups and other snacks.

Those with the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard® (see rates and fees) receive complimentary Admirals Club access, as do Concierge Key members.

The only other free way to access a club is by holding an eligible premium ticket, specifically business- and first-class tickets on international American- or Oneworld-operated and domestic flagship-ticketed flights for specific routes.

Otherwise, AAdvantage members can pay for access in various ways, ranging in price from $550 to $650, depending on their status level.

Regardless of how you gain access to the Admirals Club, travelers must present a same-day American, JetBlue or other Oneworld carrier boarding pass to do so, excluding lifetime Admirals Club members (who have lifetime access, as the name suggests).

The Flagship Lounge is a step above with fewer crowds, dedicated service desks and great views of the airport.

You’ll also find an elevated selection of food and drinks with buffet-style dishes laid out in a huge spread.

O’Hare also has a Delta Sky Club, one of our favorites in the system. This lounge has more than 22,000 square feet of space, showers, great views of the airport and Delta jets and two bars. There’s even a Chicago-style hot dog vendor.

Related: Delta unveils Sky Club and Terminal 5 gates at Chicago’s O’Hare airport

Our favorite feature of this club is that it also has two boarding gates! One is used for flights to its hub at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), and the other is for international Delta partners like Air France.

Top-tier Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion members can redeem Choice Benefits for a Delta Sky Club membership, while any Delta status holder can pay cash or redeem miles for a Delta Sky Club membership.

Some premium credit cards provide complimentary lounge access, and there are also a variety of paid options to enter a Sky Club, so long as you are not flying basic economy.

For example, The Platinum Card® from American Express, The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, Delta SkyMiles® Reserve American Express Card and the Delta SkyMiles® Reserve Business American Express Card all provide complimentary access for same-day Delta-operated flights or Delta-marketed WestJet flights, excluding Delta basic economy or equivalent partner fares.

As of Feb. 1, 2025, Delta has capped Sky Club visits yearly (Feb. 1 to Jan. 31) to 10 visits for Amex Platinum and Amex Business Platinum and 15 visits for Delta Reserve Amex and Delta Reserve Business Amex cardholders.

Finally, there’s a Swissport Lounge in Terminal 5 accessible via the Priority Pass. This lounge is skippable, in my opinion — we peeked in, and the lounge was pretty sad-looking..

Finally, a lounge at Midway

As of September, Midway has its first lounge after 96 years of existence. The Club MDW is in Concourse B and is open daily from 4 a.m. until 10 p.m. for all travelers. It’s part of the Priority Pass network; non-Priority Pass members can also access the club for $50 daily.

The Club MDW is certainly a welcome addition after nearly 100 years. I would expect capacity issues over time, though, as I found it very crowded on a recent visit, with few places to sit.

Winner: Although most of O’Hare’s lounges are off-limits unless you’re flying in a premium cabin or hold top-tier elite status, there are at least a variety to choose from. The addition of Midway’s inaugural lounge may encourage travelers to get to the airport earlier than they would have previously, however — and I suspect the Club will work out its initial kinks in time.

Bottom line

After nearly three years in Chicago, I have a love-hate relationship with O’Hare, despite my growing allegiance to United. But the annoyance I feel every time I order an Uber to or from O’Hare is unmatched, as I anticipate invariable traffic.

Since I primarily flew Southwest growing up, I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the airline and, thus, Midway.

If you’re flying internationally or you are loyal to United or American, you’ll be flying out of O’Hare. But if Southwest is a good option for domestic travel, the often-overlooked Midway is worth paying attention to.

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