How to Get Between Midway and O’Hare Airports

When this post first went up, the question came up on Twitter: is it worth switching between Midway and O'Hare to get a lower fare? It still depends on how much you'd save, how much time you have between flights, and how much the hassle is worth to you. The two airports are on opposite sides of the city, and nothing connects them directly. Every option goes by road or through downtown. Here's what the trip looks like in 2026. For more on each airport, see our airports page.

One thing first. If your two flights are on separate tickets, the airlines owe you nothing if the first one runs late and you miss the second. The Chicago Department of Aviation says to allow up to two hours for the trip on the L alone. Add time to collect bags, check in again and clear security, and I wouldn't book a switch with less than four hours between flights. In winter, when a snowstorm can back up either airport, leave even more.

By taxi or rideshare

It's about 24 miles by road, almost all of it on expressways. Uber puts the typical drive at around 45 minutes, and its route page gives an average price of about $63. That's an average, and surge pricing at a busy time can push it well past that. In rush hour, especially 3:30 to 7pm on weekdays, allow an hour or more.

Taxis run on the meter. The city raised meter rates on July 1, 2026, so the old $55 to $65 figure this post used to quote is long out of date. On top of the meter, there's a $4 state departure tax on any cab leaving the airport, a $2.50 rush-hour surcharge from 3:30 to 7pm, and a $1 overnight surcharge from 8pm to 6am (city rate sheet). Ask the driver for an estimate before you set off.

If you're traveling alone and not in a hurry, ask the taxi dispatcher about a shared ride. It's a flat $45 per person between the two airports, in either direction, when there are other passengers to share with. At O'Hare, cabs wait on the lower level outside baggage claim, and rideshare pickups are on the Upper Level at Terminals 2 and 3. At Midway, cabs are at Door 2 and rideshare pickups are on the lower level center lane at Doors 2 to 4.

By L train

O'Hare is at the end of the Blue Line and Midway is at the end of the Orange Line, and the two lines meet at Clark/Lake in the Loop. When the first version of this post was written, the advice was to get off the Orange Line at Library, walk to the Blue Line at Jackson and climb a lot of stairs. You don't need to do that anymore. Clark/Lake has transfers within the station between the elevated Loop platforms and the Blue Line subway underneath, so you never go outside.

From Midway to O'Hare: follow the "Trains to City" signs through the enclosed walkway to the Orange Line. Stay on as the train goes around the Loop and get off at Clark/Lake. Go down to the Blue Line and take a train toward O'Hare to the end of the line. The Orange Line takes 20 to 25 minutes to reach the Loop, and the Blue Line takes about 40 minutes from downtown to O'Hare. With the transfer and waiting, count on about 1.5 hours, and up to two when trains are spread out.

From O'Hare to Midway: the Blue Line station is under the main parking garage, reached through the tunnels from Terminals 1, 2 and 3. From Terminal 5, take the Airport Transit System to Terminal 2 or 3 first. Ride the Blue Line to Clark/Lake, then go up to the Orange Line platform and take a train to Midway.

Cost: $2.50 if you start at Midway, $5 if you start at O'Hare, since the CTA charges more for boarding at O'Hare. Either way, the transfer is free as long as you pay with a contactless card, a phone or a Ventra card and make the connection within two hours (CTA fares). If you'll use the L again that day, a $5 1-Day pass costs the same as the O'Hare fare and covers everything for 24 hours.

Watch the clock at night. The Blue Line runs 24 hours, but the Orange Line still stops around 1am. The last train leaves Midway at about 1:05am and the last one from the Loop to Midway leaves around 1:30am (CTA). The CTA has promised 24-hour Orange Line service sometime in 2026, but it hadn't started as of mid-September. Late at night, a cab is the easier choice.

A few tips

• This whole trip is much less stressful with only a carry-on. If you've checked in online for the second flight and don't have a bag to drop, you can go straight to security.
• For a taxi or rideshare, the rush hours are when to add time. For the L, it's the opposite. Trains run less often late in the evening and early in the morning, so leave extra time then.
• Switching from O'Hare to Midway is the easier direction. Midway is smaller, and the walk from the curb to the gate is short. I've made it from the curb to the gate at Midway in five minutes before 7am, but don't plan on that. O'Hare is big, the walks are long, and checkpoint lines at peak times can take a while. If you're checking a bag or need to talk to an agent, leave a lot more time at either airport, and check the TSA or your airline's app for wait times.
• If the connection is too tight to be comfortable, spending the night is sometimes the better call. See our lists of hotels near O'Hare and hotels near Midway.

Photo by: pantagrapher