Chicago O'Hare Airport: Finding Your Way to it & Around it

For those who have been following this series, you'll recall that O'Hare only had three terminals which then grew to four and is currently at five terminals.
There are many ways to get to O'Hare Airport. Here's a general common list of those transport modes with directions for fast access which I hope will speed up your experience, simplify life while at O'Hare, and also be able to say good-bye to feeling stupid because everyone there who thought they knew everything sent you the wrong way.

The most common modes of transport into O'Hare are:

1. Personal vehicle
2. Taxi
3. Limo
4. Metra
5. CTA
6. RTA
7. Hotel courtesy transport
8. Airport Express (A private company that charges for rides to / from O'Hare)
9. Bike Ride I only recommend this method for locals unless you have a trusted party to take your bike, this is your responsibility.

All the information you need about the CTA's O'Hare "L" Station will show you the very first of a big series of changes that has been the overall growth of O'Hare for greater public access.

Here is a breakdown of gates and all available information available about their past use: Also use this link to the left as a great guide by Wikipedia about O'Hare Airport because there just isn't enough room here!

O'Hare Airport gates number 186 in 4 Terminals: T1 / T2 / T3 / T5. There are 9 total concourses: (B / C in terminal 1 "T1") (E / F in Terminal 2 "T2") (G / H / K / L in Terminal 3 "T3") and concourse M in Terminal 5 ("T5"). Here is a breakdown of the number of gates per terminal as compared to decades ago: Terminal 1 holds 53 Gates. Terminal 1 has existed since the 1960's and expanded through the 70's and 80's. United was not always the only airline in this terminal. Terminal 2 came about in 1962 as part of O'Hare expanding. Terminal 2 at one time was the only terminal United airlines had. Terminal 2 provides 33 gates, Terminal 3 holds 77 gates, Terminal 5 holds 21 gates. Terminal 4 opened in 1984 and closed in 1993.*

According to Wikipedia, United had some portion of terminal 3.

(*= All information taken from Wikipedia)

So, as we can se here, O'Hare has grown into a city to itself. "City to itself" can't be used enough because if you wanted to, you could live there. Look at the facts. Everything you need is there. This author remembers a time when the work schedule was so heavy due to severe weather and many thousands of stranded passengers that he had to spend a night or three. Company expense of course! Yes, I know I keep going off on a tangent here and there, but why shouldn't an article be fun?

The most coveted part of this section is here right now!

Directions to get you around O'Hare:

From the CTA turnstiles once you exit the train and enter the passenger pedway, you want to go.....

Left if you want Terminal 3 baggage and Terminal 3 concourses. If you haven't been around this airport in say the last many years, some things have changed. The Security checkpoint that was at first located at the H&K concourse split right at the escalators down to baggage from T3 is no longer there. It's a Chili's restaurant! Once you get up to the terminal, go right just a bit past some of the American Airlines ticket counters and you'll see it.

Right if you want to navigate over to Terminal 1. Go all the way down to the very last set of doors and follow the big signs. The first concourse will be the B concourse. If you want the "United Express" service, make a left when you get on the concourse and make a left. Go all the way down and keep looking to your right. You'll find yourself right at the place you wanna be. As with Terminal 3, the first level once you get on the escalator or elevator will be baggage. You'll need to go to the left once you are at that level to get to the B and C concourses. If you need the C concourse once you get on the B concourse....make a right and follow the hallway while peeking over to your left to see the escalators / elevators that will take you through what we call "The Twilight Zone". This is a long, neone lighted hallway with moving walkways, pastel colored walls, and also some room to walk if you don't want the moving walkways. Once you get to the C concourse at the other end, gate C32 is to your left, and the rest of the gates are to your right.

An interesting fact about the C concourse is that part of this structure is in a different county! In effect, O'Hare takes up two counties. Cook county and Kane county.

Go straight and just slightly to your left for Terminal 2 and go through the double doors. Here's a good point of interest in O'Hare's growth. This gives everyone VERY easy access to the O'Hare Hilton Hotel. At the very level you find yourself on are several very nice amenities. You'll find the ORD Store. In the store will be everything aviation related to include shirts, jackets, posters, model airplanes, pins, etc. The shop will be to your left once you enter the hallway, and to your right will be the hallway marked by a general store. This will be to your right. If you follow this hallway you'll find meeting rooms, a gym, elevators and an escalator that will take you to the check in desk of the Hilton. Also found here is a nice buisness center where you can make teleconference calls, make copies, etc.

Part four to come as quickly as these first three came!