Driving Directions to O'Hare International Airport

As a native Chicagoan or frequent visitor to the Windy City, it is likely that you will be forced to make the drive to O'Hare International Airport on several occasions. Nestled between Interstates 90, 190, and 294 on the far Northwest Side, the drive into O'Hare is one of the nation's worst commutes. The O'Hare area mixing bowl of locals, long-haul truckers, and passenger airline traffic makes for a contentious mix of gridlock in all directions. You should schedule two hours worth of travel time to make the drive between Chicago Loop and O'Hare.

Driving Directions to O'Hare International Airport From Chicago Loop

The I-90 -- Kennedy Expressway forms a direct link between O'Hare and the Loop. From downtown, you will link up with I-90 / 94 heading west from any major street. The I-90 / 94 -- Kennedy Expressway West may be signed as Wisconsin to O'Hare Airport. You can find major Kennedy entry points at Roosevelt Road, I-290 -- Congress Parkway, and the Ontario Street feeders.

Once on the I-90 / 94 -- Kennedy, you will trace a northwesterly path through the City. Eight miles after leaving downtown, you will come up on The Junction, where I-90 and 94 diverge from each other. For O'Hare, you will bear left and continue on the I-90 / Kennedy Expressway. After The Junction, you will stay on I-90 West for another six miles until the I-190 exits. Bear right for I-190 West, which leads directly into Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

Driving Directions to O'Hare International Airport From Chicago -- North Side

From the North Side, you will look to connect with the I-90 / (94) Kennedy Expressway West for O'Hare Airport. On the North Side, you can pick up The Kennedy at North Avenue, Fullerton Avenue, Belmont Avenue, and Irving Park Road. Far North Side O'Hare traffic from the Rogers Park neighborhood will cut across the city via Devon Avenue, before making a sharp left and then a sharp right turn between Milwaukee and Nagle Avenues. Nagle Avenue meets up with the Kennedy Expressway on the Northwest Side.

You will stay on the I-90 -- Kennedy Expressway for O'Hare International Airport. Immediately before the airport, you will exit onto I-190 West for O'Hare parking, rental cars, and terminals.

Driving Directions to O'Hare International Airport From Chicago -- South Side

On the South Side I-90/94 is signed as the Dan Ryan Expressway. I-55, I-57, I-90, and I-94 all feed into the Dan Ryan heading west for O'Hare Airport. From local streets, you can pick up I-90/94 at 95th, 87th, 79th, 71st, 63rd, 55th, and 35th Streets. Once on The Ryan, you will continue past Chicago Loop and into the Kennedy Expressway. After downtown, the Kennedy divides into the I-90 -- Kennedy and the I-94 -- Edens. You will bear left to stay on the I-90 -- Kennedy Expressway for O'Hare Airport. Six miles west of The Junction, you will exit I-90 for I-190 heading west and directly into O'Hare.

Driving Directions to O'Hare International Airport From Chicago -- Suburbs

As a suburbanite, you will generally take the I-294 -- Tri State Tollway into the O'Hare Airport area. I-294 forms a belt around the Chicagoland area -- with important interchanges at I-80, I-55, I-88, I-290, I-90, and I-94. From the South and West suburbs, you will take I-294 North for Wisconsin and O'Hare Airport. From the North Shore, you will take I-294 South for Indiana and O'Hare Airport. At O'Hare, you will exit off I-294 for I-190 West, which feeds directly into the terminals.

Airport traffic from Elgin, Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, and Palatine will converge onto the I-90 -- Jane Addams Tollway heading east for Chicago and O'Hare Airport. Near the airport, you will exit I-90 onto a collector ramp that divides into I-294 and I-190. For O'Hare, you will take I-190 West, which will take you directly into the airport terminals.

Driving Directions to O'Hare International Airport, Sources:

Chicago Department of Aviation: About O'Hare

City of Chicago: Interactive Map

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