|
Home |
 |
| Info |
| General Information |
| Contact Addresses |
Travel - International
|
| Social Profile |
| Climate |
| Resorts & Excursions |
| Introduction |
| City Guide |
| Chicago |
| Airport Guide |
| Chicago O'Hare International Airport |
| Country Guide > North America > United States of America > Illinois |
|
Travel - International Air International airports: Chicago O’Hare International (ORD) (website: www.ohare.com/ohare/home.asp), 27km (17 miles) northwest of downtown Chicago, is the world’s second-busiest airport for total passengers, handling over 66 million passengers in 2003. It is also the US headquarters for American Airlines and United Airlines. Lower-level pedestrian passageways inside the airport terminals lead directly to the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) station; the free Airport Transit System (ATS) also links the terminals and station. The CTA Blue Line train provides a 24-hour service between central Chicago and O’Hare (travel time - approximately 40 minutes). Most major car hire firms have offices at the airport. Taxis and limousines are also widely available, as are shuttle buses and buses serving regional destinations. Connections from O’Hare to Midway International (see below) are provided by the Omega Airport Shuttle bus, which operates an airport transfer service every hour 0700-2200 (travel time – 30 minutes to one hour), and Coach USA Wisconsin, with an hourly service between the airports from 0800-2200. Domestic airports Midway International (MDW) (website: www.ohare.com/midway/home.asp), 16km (10 miles) southwest from downtown Chicago, handles regional and local flights. Massive redevelopment of the Midway Airport Terminal, including a new terminal building and a Federal Inspection Services Facility, were completed in 2004. Transport to the city is available on the CTA’s Orange Line (travel time – 20 to 30 minutes), which connects with other CTA rail and bus routes serving the city and 40 suburban communities. Continental Airport Express shuttles run between Midway International and downtown Chicago and the northern suburbs every 15 minutes daily 0600-2330. Taxis are also readily available; a number of other buses serve regional destinations. Major car hire firms are also represented. Approximate flight times From Chicago to Anchorage is seven hours, to Honolulu is nine hours 20 minutes, to London is eight hours 40 minutes, to Los Angeles is four hours 20 minutes, to Miami is three hours, to Montral is two hours, to New York is two hours, to Toronto is one hour 30 minutes, to Vancouver is four hours 30 minutes and to Washington, DC is one hour 50 minutes. Rail Downtown Chicago’s Union Station is the focal point of the Amtrak rail passenger network (tel: (800) 872 7245 (toll-free); website: www.amtrak.com); three of the four transcontinental lines converge here and it is also the northern terminus of north–south lines to San Antonio and New Orleans. A sixth line runs northeast to Toronto (Canada), with connections to Montral. Services to neighbouring cities are limited. Approximate rail travel times From Chicago on the ‘Three Rivers’/‘Pennsylvanian’ to Pittsburgh is nine hours 40 minutes, to Philadelphia is 18 hours and to New York is 21 hours; on the ‘Lake Shore Limited’ to Toledo is four hours 20 minutes, to Cleveland is seven hours, to Buffalo is 10 hours and to New York is 19 hours; on the ‘Cardinal’ to Indianapolis is five hours, to Cincinnati is eight hours 35 minutes and to Washington, DC is 23 hours; on the ‘Capitol’ to Pittsburgh is nine hours 45 minutes and to Washington, DC is 17 hours 45 minutes; on the ‘City of New Orleans’ to Memphis is 10 hours 30 minutes and to New Orleans is 19 hours 40 minutes; on the ‘International’ to Kalamazoo is two hours 20 minutes, to Port Huron is six hours 20 minutes and to Toronto is 12 hours 20 minutes; on the ‘Ann Rutledge’ to St Louis is seven hours and to Kansas City is 12 hours; on the ‘Empire Builder’ to Minneapolis/St Paul is eight hours 15 minutes, to Spokane is 37 hours 30 minutes, to Seattle is 46 hours and to Portland is 46 hours. Approximate times for Chicago–Los Angeles and Chicago–Oakland (San Francisco) services may be found in the California section. Road Long-distance bus companies operating in the State include Greyhound (tel: (800) 229 9424 (toll-free); website: www.greyhound.com), with services across the USA, and Trailways (tel: (703) 691 3052; website: www.trailways.com), with services to neighbouring States. There is a 24-hour bus terminal at 630 West Harrison Street in Chicago. Approximate driving times From Chicago to Milwaukee is two hours, to Madison is three hours, to Indianapolis is four hours, to Detroit is five hours, to St Louis is six hours, to Des Moines is seven hours, to Cleveland is seven hours, to Nashville is nine hours, to Kansas City is 10 hours, to New York is 16 hours, to Dallas is 19 hours, to Miami is 27 hours, to Seattle is 44 hours and to Los Angeles is 44 hours. All times are based on non-stop driving at or below the applicable speed limits. Approximate bus travel times From Chicago to Milwaukee is two hours, to Indianapolis is three hours 30 minutes, to St Louis is five to seven hours, to Detroit is six to eight hours, to Cleveland is seven to eight hours, to Omaha is 10 hours, to Memphis is 10 to 11 hours and to New York City is 17 hours. Urban Bus: A wide network of bus routes run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) (tel: (312) 836 7000; website: www.transitchicago.com) covers the city on the major north–south and east–west streets. Train: The CTA runs both subway trains and elevated trains from ‘The Loop’ in downtown Chicago to the suburbs. The CTA system uses a transit card system for fare payment, these are available at all elevated train stations. Commuter rail services are run by METRA. Car hire: Cars and motor campers are available. |