O'Hare vs Midway: Which Chicago Airport Is Right for Your Trip?
O'Hare vs Midway usually comes down to your airline: Southwest flyers use Midway, while United, American, and most overseas flights use O'Hare. If you can use either, pick the one closer to where you start.
O'Hare vs Midway: the quick answer
- Flying Southwest? Most likely Midway.
- Flying United, American, or overseas? Most likely O'Hare.
- Flying Porter to Toronto? It now leaves from O'Hare, not Midway.
- North or northwest suburbs? O'Hare is usually closer.
- Downtown, south, or southwest suburbs? Midway is usually closer.
- Want the simplest airport? Midway has one terminal.
| O'Hare (ORD) | Midway (MDW) | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance to the Loop | About 18 miles | About 11 to 12 miles |
| Typical drive to the Loop | 30 to 50 minutes | 20 to 35 minutes |
| Passengers in 2025 | About 84.9 million | About 19.4 million |
| Layout | Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5 | One terminal, three concourses |
| Main airlines | United and American hubs, plus Delta, Frontier, Porter, and many international airlines | Southwest (about 93 percent of passengers), plus Delta, Frontier, Allegiant, and Volaris |
| International | Nearly all arrivals at Terminal 5 | Limited, mainly Volaris flights to Mexico |
Drive times are typical ranges and change with traffic.
Sources: Chicago Department of Aviation 2025 traffic data (O'Hare total as reported by CAPA). Chicago Department of Aviation, Midway December 2025 traffic summary.
Choose by airline first
Your airline usually decides for you. Here is who flies from each O'Hare terminal:
- Terminal 1: United, plus Lufthansa and ANA.
- Terminal 2: most United Express, some United, and Air Canada.
- Terminal 3: American, plus partners like British Airways, Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Japan Airlines.
- Terminal 5: Delta, Frontier, and most other international airlines. Nearly all international arrivals land here.
Midway is a Southwest base, with Delta, Frontier, Allegiant, and Volaris (to Mexico) too. Porter moved its Toronto flights from Midway to O'Hare on September 1, 2026, so check your ticket.
Then choose by where you start
If you can fly from either, pick the shorter drive. O'Hare is on the far Northwest Side, so it is easier from Schaumburg, Rosemont (about five minutes away), Evanston, and Lake Forest.
Midway is on the Southwest Side. It is usually closer from downtown, the South Side, and southwest suburbs like Orland Park, often 20 to 30 minutes away. From Hinsdale and Oak Brook, either airport works.
From downtown, O'Hare is up the Kennedy (I-90/94) and Midway is out the Stevenson (I-55). Both drives take longer at rush hour, so allow more time for an early O'Hare flight, and even more for an international one.
Think about airport size
O'Hare is huge. It has Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5 (there is no Terminal 4), and Terminal 5 is about a mile from the others. A free train runs 24 hours between all four terminals, the parking lots, and the rental car center. Some walks are long, like the one to Concourse L in Terminal 3.
O'Hare is also under construction. Terminal 3 is being redone through summer 2027, and a new Concourse D is due in late 2028. Leave extra time for detours inside.
Midway is much simpler: one terminal, three connected concourses, and one security checkpoint. A 2023 upgrade doubled its security screening capacity. The longest walk end to end is about 15 to 20 minutes.
Where your ride picks you up
- O'Hare, black cars: lower level, center lane, at every terminal, Terminal 5 included.
- O'Hare, Uber and Lyft: only the upper level of Terminals 2 and 3. Since February 2023, Terminal 5 riders must take the airport train to Terminal 2 first.
- Midway, black cars: lower-level center lane, Doors 1 and 2.
- Midway, Uber and Lyft: lower-level center lane, Doors 2 to 4.
Uber and Lyft rides to or from either airport also carry a $5 city surcharge.
No car? The CTA Blue Line runs 24 hours from O'Hare, about 40 to 45 minutes to downtown. The Orange Line from Midway takes about 20 to 25 minutes but does not run overnight.
Sources: Chicago Department of Aviation ground transportation pages, flychicago.com. Daily Herald on the Terminal 5 rideshare change, February 2023. Time Out Chicago on city rideshare surcharges, January 2026. CTA airport travel page, transitchicago.com.
How a car service makes either airport easier
- Flight tracking: your pickup moves with early arrivals and delays.
- A set meeting point: at the arrivals door or the curb, your choice.
- A flat rate: set before you ride, at either airport.
See our full guides to O'Hare airport car service and Midway airport car service.
See the fleet up close.
Every vehicle is a 2025 or 2026 model, cleaned and checked before each trip. See all vehicles.
