What crew need on the ground
O'Hare sits a long way out, but the Blue Line runs around the clock and turns the journey into about 40 minutes instead of a bet on the expressway.
The Blue Line runs 24 hours to downtown in about 40 minutes, and a day pass costs the same as one fare out of the airport.
Cards work in every taxi, so you do not need cash before leaving the terminal.
Updated information about US Hurricane season predictions (‘Safety and security’ page).
Read the full advice at UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office →Enough to get downtown and back, but only because the train time is predictable.
A real layover. Downtown and back with time to eat and still sleep.
A full day. Go beyond downtown, and let the 24-hour service take the pressure off the return.
The central business district and the point the Blue Line runs through from the airport. Chicago's grid counts outward from State and Madison here, at eight blocks to the mile, so it is the easiest place to work out where anything else is.
Dense hotel ground immediately north of the river, which is where a lot of crew are actually put up. Short walk to the Loop rather than a transit decision.
Former market and warehouse district west of the centre, now the city's main restaurant concentration. Worth the trip on a 12 hour layover, not a 6 hour one.
Residential neighbourhood northwest of the centre on the O'Hare side of the city. The realistic answer to a 24 hour layover when you have already seen downtown.
Shopping and lakefront strip running north from the river. Exposed to the wind off the lake, which is a January consideration rather than a detail.
Cannabis is legal to buy in Illinois and will still end your career if you carry it back to the airport.
Illinois sells cannabis legally to adults of 21 and over. A non-resident may possess 30 grams of flower, 500 milligrams of THC in an infused product, and 5 grams of concentrate. The limits for Illinois residents are double that, so the resident figures quoted to you in a shop are not your figures.
The state prohibits use in any public place and in a motor vehicle, and says cannabis is not permitted on federal property at all, including federal parks and buildings. Buying it in the city and walking it back through the terminal are two entirely different legal acts.
Illinois states that cannabis should not be transported across state lines, and that while a motor vehicle is in operation it must be in a secured, sealed, odour-proof, child-resistant container in its original packaging. Crossing a state line with it is a federal matter regardless of what Illinois permits.
TSA states that its officers do not search for illegal drugs, but that any illegal substance or evidence of criminal activity found during screening is referred to a law enforcement officer, and that the final decision on whether an item is allowed through the checkpoint rests with the TSA officer. Legality under state law is not a defence at the checkpoint.
Carrying more than 10,000 US dollars in currency or monetary instruments into or out of the United States must be reported to CBP. Failure to report can mean confiscation of all the currency or monetary instruments, a fine of up to 500,000 dollars, and up to ten years of imprisonment.
CTA runs the Blue Line at all times, every day, between O'Hare and the Forest Park terminal via downtown Chicago. A 0300 arrival is served by the same line as a midday one, which is the whole argument for using it.
Getting out of the airport in fullChoose Chicago states that credit cards are accepted in all Chicago taxis. There is no need to find an ATM in the terminal before getting into one.
Ride-hailing in fullChoose Chicagochecked Sep 2026
Both Chicago airports have unlimited free Wi-Fi throughout their terminals, before and after security.
Staying connected in fullThe 1991 to 2020 normals for Chicago put January at an average high of 31.6F, an average low of 18.8F, a mean of 25.2F, and 11.3 inches of snowfall. The average high is below freezing for the whole month, so an icy platform is the normal condition, not a bad day.
Weather in fullUnder federal law an employer must pay a tipped worker at least 2.13 dollars an hour in cash wage, claiming a tip credit of up to 5.12 dollars against the 7.25 dollar federal minimum. The tip is not topping up a normal wage, it is most of the wage.
Tipping in fullCity law stops alcohol sales between 2:00 and 7:00 a.m. Monday to Saturday and between 3:00 and 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, so Saturday night runs an hour later.
Eating near the crew hotels in fullSales tax is added at the till rather than shown in the displayed price. The Illinois Department of Revenue states that depending on the location of the sale the actual rate may be higher than the fundamental rate because of home rule, non-home rule, mass transit, park district, county public safety, public facilities or transportation, and county school facility taxes, and that units of local government may impose taxes or fees the department does not collect.
What to buy in fullSave the guide and its 8 sections now, and read them on the crew bus before you have a SIM.
Fares, timetables and rules change. Where a figure matters to your plan, the publisher above is the one to check.