Chicago was for a century America’s rail center, and is now along with Atlanta one of the two major hubs for air transportation. The city is linked with the world by two large airports, O’Hare and Midway. O’Hare is the main international facility and in most years is the busiest airport in the world in terms of arrivals and departures. It opened in 1955 is located 17 miles or 27 km northwest of central Chicago (the Loop). Midway Airport, 10 miles (13 km) southwest of the Loop, opened in 1931 and was until 1960 the world’s busiest airfield. It handles primarily domestic air traffic. Most locals access the airports by private car, but public transportation is also available.
O’Hare international airport is served by the Kennedy Expressway (Interstate 90) and Edens Expressway (I-94), and is about an hour by car from downtown Chicago, often more. Metered taxicab service to locations on the Near North Side and in the Loop costs around $35 plus tip; there is a $1 surcharge on all cab fares to and from the airport. Taxis can be shared by up to 4 individual passengers, and then cost only $19 plus tip. Airport Express coaches take about an hour and a half and cost $21 one way and $39 round trip. Several companies run shuttle vans to and from the Loop, the Hyde Park area on Lake Michigan and the South side as well as Midway, and cost around $20 plus tip ($15 from Midway to O’Hare). Blue Line trains of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) leave from an underground station between the air terminals and take 45 minutes to the Loop. It is a long walk from baggage claim and there is no bag storage on the trains, but trains run 24 hours a day and cost $2.25. However, you can also book for Chicago airport taxi for reliable and safe transportation.
Midway is reached by car on the Stevenson (I-55) and then Kennedy (I-90) Expressways. Taxi fare is around $25 plus tip and a $1 charge, while the shared-taxi fare is about $14. Express coaches from hotels take 30-45 minutes and cost $15 ($27 round trip), and the fare for a 30-60 minute shuttle van trip is $15-20. The CTA Orange Line elevated train (“the El”) costs $2.25 and takes 25 minutes to the Loop. Unlike the trains to O’Hare, the Orange Line does not run between 1:00 and 4:30 a.m.