Car Rental at Chicago O’Hare Airport

Airport travel guide

The third-most populous city in the United States and arguably one of the planet’s most interesting travel attractions, Chicago has plenty for any visitor to enjoy. These are three notable attractions of the Windy City:

• Navy Pier. More than 3,300 feet (or 1 km) long, Navy Pier is one of the most visited places in Chicago, and for good reason. Bordering Lake Michigan and over 50 acres (20 ha) large, it provides home to various parks, restaurants, a Ferris wheel, and other tourist attractions. The pier, which welcomes nearly ten million visitors every year, is located in the Near North Side neighborhood.
• Art Institute of Chicago. One of the most notable art museums of its kind in North America, the Art Institute will celebrate its 150th birthday in 2029. Known for the beautiful, purpose-built structure in which it is located, and the Modern Wing which was added in 2009, the Institute showcases some of the most famous American artworks including the Nighthawks by Edward Hopper and American Gothic by Grant Wood. The museum is in Grant Park, itself within the centrally located Chicago Loop.
• Adler Planetarium. A public museum dedicated to all things astronomy, the Adler is one of Chicago’s most popular family attractions. Located on the shore of Lake Michigan in a beautiful Art Deco complex built in the 1930s, the planetarium is home to the Grainger Sky Theater with its 69-foot (21-meter) dome. The museum is on Northerly Island, near the South Loop of Chicago. 

Top international routes

• New York City
• Phoenix
• Orlando
• Los Angeles
• Denver
• Atlanta
• Dallas
• Boston
• Minneapolis
• Toronto

Main airlines

American Airlines, American Eagle, United Airlines, United Express, Spirit Airlines, and Frontier Airlines

Terminals

There are four—Terminal 1 (with concourses B and C), Terminal 2 (with concourses E and F), Terminal 3 (with concourses G, H, K, and L) and Terminal 5, which hosts all international flights (with concourse M). Terminals 1–3 are connected, and it’s possible to walk between all three. Terminal 5 can be reached via the Airport Transit System (ATS) or by a shuttle bus from Terminal 3.

Location

O’Hare is about 14 miles (23 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. Interstate I-90 is the main road connecting the airport to the city.

Most popular types of rental car

• Small cars - from €61 per day
• Medium cars - from €61 per day
• Large cars - from €62 per day
• SUVs - from €65 per day
• Premium cars - from €77 per day

Car rental desks

O’Hare has a brand new facility that contains all of the airport’s ground transportation including all of the car rental desks. It is called the Multi-Modal Facility and can be reached by a free shuttle service that runs 24 hours a day from the curb outside of the Baggage Claim of each terminal.

The Airport Transit System, a people mover system, is currently shut down. However, by the end of 2019, it will be operational again and will take passengers from the terminals to the Multi-Modal Facility replacing the current shuttle buses.

Routes Car Rental is located outside of the airport on Mannheim Road. To reach its location, take the shuttle from the terminals to the Multi-Modal Facility and then call them for a shuttle to their location.

Services and facilities

There are countless restaurants, bars, and cafés, stores, and duty-free shops. You’ll also find lounges, a spa, a yoga room, power stations, ATMs, a currency exchange, a lost and found, a travelers aid office, a kids area, mother rooms, a medical center, and a chapel. Unfortunately, there is no luggage storage service. Many services are accessible to passengers with reduced mobility.

Nearest gas station

What gas station is most convenient at which to fill up prior to returning a rental car depends on whether the rental company you are using is located at the Multi-Modal facility or not and from what direction you are traveling to the airport from.

When coming from downtown Chicago, most will probably prefer to use I-90. I-290 to I294, the Tri-State Tollway, is also an option though it is a toll road. Those choosing the latter can conveniently stop at a Mobil station that is on the Tollway. Those traveling to the airport on I-90 are best served by exiting I-90 onto I-190 and Manheim Road as if they were going to the Multi-Modal facility. Instead of turning into the facility, they should continue north along Manheim road a few blocks to a BP station which is by far the most convenient station to stop at before returning their rental car.

If returning a rental car to Routes’ location, there is another BP station that is two blocks north of the location.

Popular one-way rentals

• Milwaukee (80 miles / 129 km)
• Peoria (166 miles / 267 km)
• Cleveland (361 miles / 581 km)
• Indianapolis (203 miles / 327 km)
• St. Louis (298 miles / 480 km)
• Des Moines (329 miles / 529 km)
• Minneapolis (396 miles / 637 km)
• Detroit (299 miles / 481 km)