Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 1 Map (Most Up-To-Date)
Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 1 functions like a long “H” on its side: Concourse B as the connected main spine (ticketing + gates), and Concourse C as a detached satellite island reached only by an underground tunnel. The whole system runs north–south with a critical mid-point crossover at B8/B9 ↔ C18. Scale warning: gate runs feel deceptively long, and a single wrong decision (checkpoint, tunnel node, or T5 transfer method) can add 15–30 minutes fast.
Map Table
| Critical node | Nearest anchors | Connection / constraint | Walk-time band |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ticketing south end | Doors 1F–1G; United Premier counters | closest to Checkpoint 2; landside connector to Terminal 2 | 2–5 min to CP2 |
| Checkpoint 2 (PreCheck/Premier/CLEAR cluster) | airside near Gates B5–B6; United Club B6 nearby | fastest for PreCheck/Premier; limited-hours risk | — |
| B↔C tunnel entrance (B side) | between Gates B8–B9; Starbucks near B9 | only passenger link B↔C; escalators + step-free elevator bank | 3–5 min from CP2 |
| B↔C tunnel exit (C side) | Concourse C center; Gate C18 node | C concourse “hub”; long walks to C1/C31 | 0–3 min to C18-area |
| Terminal Transfer Bus (airside) | Gate C18B | legacy “B1 bus” dead-end; boarding pass required | +15–20 min if wrong-node |
| Polaris Lounge | Concourse C; near Gate C18 | adjacent to tunnel exit zone; not near B6/C10 clubs | 1–3 min from tunnel exit |
Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 1 Map Strategy
- Enter at the south end (Doors 1F–1G) to force the correct security decision early: Checkpoint 2 cluster (PreCheck/Premier/CLEAR) lives at the far-south ticketing edge; drifting toward the central atrium creates line-merges and wrong-lane commits.
- Treat B8/B9 ↔ C18 as the only “crossbar”: tunnel access between Gates B8–B9 (Starbucks/B9 zone) and tunnel exit at the C18 node; no end-of-concourse shortcuts; step-free option via the elevator bank tucked beside/behind the main escalators.
- For Terminal 5 transfers, assume a fork with a penalty: airside transfer bus logic centers on the C18B bus-gate node (not the old B1 expectation); choosing B1 first can trigger a full backtrack to the tunnel and cost a connection.
- Build buffers around vertical transitions and chokepoints: escalator/elevator down-up cycles at the tunnel nodes, moving-walkway congestion, and C-gate extremity distances (C18-to-C1 distance shock) as the default, not the exception.
2025 Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 1 Map + Printable PDF
In 2025, Terminal 1 routing is still heavily influenced by the O’Hare 21 construction footprint: several “known” legacy paths behave differently in practice. The biggest operational map-breaker remains the Terminal Transfer Bus no longer functioning at the old Gate B1 logic, plus security choice clustering at the south ticketing end (Checkpoint 2). Expect changing barricades/signage near inter-terminal interfaces.
2025 Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 1 Map Guide
Where exactly is the dedicated TSA PreCheck checkpoint entrance in Terminal 1 relative to the United check-in hall (precise landmark-based position)?
The dedicated TSA PreCheck entrance is at Terminal 1 Checkpoint 2 on the far south end of the United ticketing/check-in hall, closest to Doors 1F–1G and the United Premier Access check-in zone.
From the upper-level curb, enter through Door 1G (or 1F). Inside the vestibule, keep the United check-in counters on your right and move immediately left into the Premier Access area; the Checkpoint 2 entry is along the back (west) wall of that south-end lobby, near the corridor that continues toward Terminal 2. If you’re standing near the central atrium/dinosaur area, you’re too far north.
What is the exact walking route from the Terminal 1 check-in area to the PreCheck/Premier checkpoint entrance (turn-by-turn decision points, no detours)?
Walking goes straight to the far south end of the United ticketing hall and into Checkpoint 2 (the PreCheck/Premier/CLEAR cluster) near Doors 1F–1G.
| Step | Decision point | Exact move | Anchor cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United ticketing hall (upper level) | head to the far south end of the check-in row | United Premier Access counters zone |
| 2 | Doors 1F–1G vestibules | position yourself at Door 1G (or 1F) area | “Premier Access / Star Alliance Gold” roadside/overhead cues |
| 3 | Inside the south-end lobby | turn left toward the south wall, away from the main atrium | economy/check-in banks staying to your right |
| 4 | Back wall of the south lobby | walk straight to the security entry lanes | Checkpoint 2 entrance with PreCheck/CLEAR signage at the queue split |
| 5 | Queue split | choose the PreCheck lane within the CP2 cluster | Touchless ID/CLEAR typically adjacent to PreCheck at this node |
Where is the Concourse C tunnel entrance on the B side (exact point you leave the B concourse public spine to go underground)?
The Concourse C tunnel entrance is between Gates B8 and B9, at the central mid-concourse “pit” where you descend by escalator or elevator.
From the B concourse spine, walk to the B8/B9 gate zone and look for the large escalator bank dropping below the floor with overhead signs for “Concourse C.” The most reliable anchor is the Starbucks near Gate B9; if you’re at Starbucks/B9, the tunnel-down access is in that same widened node. If you continue north past B9 toward B11–B12, you’ve walked beyond the only B-side tunnel entrance.
What is the exact walking distance from the Concourse C tunnel exit to Gate C1 (shortest step-by-step path)?
Walking distance is roughly 1,000–1,200 feet (about 300–360 meters) from the tunnel exit at the central Concourse C node (near Gate C18) to Gate C1 via the straight northbound concourse corridor.
Exit the tunnel escalator/elevator into Concourse C at the Gate C18 area. Turn left (northbound, toward decreasing gate numbers) and stay on the main corridor past the C18 gate frontage, continuing straight by the sequence of gates counting down toward C1. Use the moving walkway when it’s flowing; otherwise, stay to the side of it and keep straight—there are no faster cut-throughs because C is a single linear island.
Where exactly is the airside Terminal Transfer Bus pickup point near Gate B1 inside Terminal 1 (precise location relative to gates/signage)?
Dealbreaker: the airside Terminal Transfer Bus pickup is not at Gate B1 anymore; the B1 stop is closed, and the active pickup is at Gate C18B in Concourse C.
Go to the Gate C18 area (the Concourse C central node right by the tunnel exit) and look for signage that explicitly says “Terminal Transfer Bus,” “Shuttle to T5,” or similar bus-gate wording. The pickup is at the C18B bus gate (a ground-boarding bus position) adjacent to Gate C18, not at the Gate B1 south end of Concourse B.
What is the exact indoor route from the Concourse C tunnel exit to the Terminal Transfer Bus corridor leading toward B1 (no “follow signs” hand-waving)?
Dealbreaker: there isn’t a current “bus corridor toward B1” to reach the Terminal Transfer Bus; the active pickup is at Gate C18B, essentially at the Concourse C tunnel-exit node, so you should not route toward B1 at all.
Exit the B↔C tunnel escalator/elevator into Concourse C at the Gate C18 central atrium. Stay in the C18 gate area and identify the separate bus-gate labeling for C18B (not the standard C18 jet-bridge gate). Move to the C18B entrance point (often a distinct ground-boarding access that may require a short down-step or elevator transition) and enter the waiting area for the Terminal Transfer Bus; if you start walking away down the C concourse toward C10 or toward the ends, you’re moving away from the pickup node.
From Terminal 1 ticketing level, what is the exact path to the ATS/train access point used to reach the Rental Car Center (identify the specific escalator/elevator/bridge transition)?
ATS access starts on Terminal 1’s ticketing/departures level and uses the enclosed skybridge into the parking garage; going down to the arrivals level sends you toward the CTA subway, not the rental-car ATS.
| Step | Exact move | Anchor cue |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | stay on the upper (ticketing/departures) level | overhead signs: “Parking Garage,” “ATS,” “Public Transit” |
| 2 | walk to the enclosed pedestrian bridge that crosses the departure roadway | glass/enclosed skybridge entrance off the ticketing hall |
| 3 | cross the bridge into the parking garage structure | transition from terminal interior to garage lobby zone |
| 4 | continue through the garage lobby to the ATS station entrance and go up/down to the platform level as signed | “ATS Station” wayfinding inside the garage |
| 5 | board ATS to the Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) stop for Rental Cars | MMF / Rental Car Center destination |
What is the shortest landside walking route from Terminal 1 ticketing to Terminal 2 security (exact connector path and entry point)?
Walking takes about 3–5 minutes using the enclosed landside connector that links the south end of Terminal 1’s ticketing hall to the north end of Terminal 2’s ticketing hall.
From Terminal 1 ticketing (upper level), walk south past the United Premier Access check-in zone toward Doors 1F–1G and the Checkpoint 2 area. Instead of entering Checkpoint 2, continue straight into the enclosed connector corridor; when the flooring/signage style shifts, you’ve entered Terminal 2’s ticketing area. From there, proceed a short distance to Terminal 2’s security entrance (commonly used for Checkpoint 5 access).
After clearing security in Terminal 2, where is the first airside junction that leads back toward Terminal 1 B gates (exact corridor choice at the split)?
The first airside junction is the signed connector corridor near the Terminal 2 post-security area by Gate E1 that routes to “Terminal 1 / Gates B1–B24.”
After Terminal 2 security, orient to the E-concourse and move toward the Gate E1 end where the inter-terminal connector begins. At the first major corridor split, take the branch with overhead signs for “Terminal 1” and “Gates B1–B24” (not the branch continuing deeper into Terminal 2’s E gates). Stay on that dedicated connector until it deposits you into Terminal 1 near the Gate B5–B6 area by the United Club at B6.
Where are the step-free (elevator) access points that connect Terminal 1’s main level to the B↔C underground tunnel (exact elevator bank locations)?
Step-free access uses the large elevator banks at both tunnel nodes: on Concourse B beside/behind the main escalators between Gates B8 and B9, and on Concourse C beside the tunnel exit at the Gate C18 central atrium.
On the B side, go to the B8/B9 tunnel node (Starbucks near Gate B9) and look just off the escalator “pit” for the oversized stainless elevator doors with accessibility markings. Ride it down to the tunnel level. On the C side, at the tunnel exit near Gate C18, use the matching elevator bank adjacent to the tunnel escalators to go between the concourse and tunnel level; it opens directly into the same neon tunnel corridor.
From Terminal 1 baggage claim, what is the exact exit/door path to rideshare pickup (which doors and which curb zone, by terminal-side markers)?
Dealbreaker: rideshare pickup for Terminal 1 arrivals is not at Terminal 1 baggage-claim doors; standard Uber/Lyft pickup is consolidated at Terminal 2 Upper Level (Departures) in the lettered/color-coded zones outside Doors 2A–2E.
From Terminal 1 baggage claim (lower level), do not exit to the lower curb. Take an elevator/escalator up to Terminal 1 Departures (ticketing level), then walk south through the enclosed landside connector into Terminal 2. Exit Terminal 2 to the upper curb at the rideshare vestibules (Doors 2A–2E) and match your app’s pickup instruction to the zone markers: Zone A (Black) north of 2A, Zone B (Blue) at 2A, Zone C (Orange) at 2B, Zone D (Green) at 2E.
Where exactly is the United Polaris Lounge entrance in Concourse C relative to nearby gates (map-verified position for “closest gate” navigation)?
The United Polaris Lounge entrance is in Concourse C at the central C18 node, immediately adjacent to the B↔C tunnel exit area.
Come up from the neon B↔C tunnel into Concourse C near Gate C18. The Polaris Lounge entry is in that same C18 cluster (closest practical gate: C18), positioned as the first premium facility you encounter after exiting the tunnel. If you’re near the Concourse C United Club by Gate C10, you’ve walked too far away from the tunnel/C18 hub for Polaris.
Archive Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 1 Map
Below are all historical map versions for Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Each year includes the official map available for that period, presented as both WebP and PDF.
2024 Chicago O’Hare International Airport Terminal 1 Map
