Chicago O’Hare International Airport Map (Most Up-To-Date)
Chicago O’Hare’s layout behaves like a split system: a connected “Domestic Core” (Terminals 1–3) in a broad U-shape around the central roadway/parking, plus Terminal 5 as a separated island across the roadway/taxiway moat. Transfers hinge on vertical moves (basement rail → upper bridges → elevated ATS) and hard security boundaries. Scale warning: ORD is massive; “looks close on a map” can still mean 15–30 minutes of walking before you even board a train or bus.
Map Key
| Terminal | Key Airlines | Primary Function | Transfer Mode |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1 | United, Star Alliance partners | Domestic hub, Concourse B/C, “Neon Tunnel” | Airside walkways to T2/T3; airside Terminal Transfer Bus via Concourse C (C18B); landside ATS via upper bridges |
| Terminal 2 | Delta, Air Canada, select carriers | Connector hinge, CTA Blue Line access zone | Airside corridor to T1; airside continuation to T3; landside bridges to ATS |
| Terminal 3 | American, Spirit, others | Large domestic concourses, Rotunda node | Airside corridors to T2/T1; landside bridges to ATS |
| Terminal 5 | International, widebody banks | International arrivals/CBP, Concourse M (M-extension) | Landside ATS only to/from T1–T3; airside Terminal Transfer Bus node inside secure concourse |
Chicago O’Hare International Airport Map Strategy
- Treat every Terminal 5 transfer as a fork: airside Terminal Transfer Bus (no re-screening) vs landside ATS (re-screening at T5). Choosing wrong is the main failure mode.
- In Terminal 1, don’t “hunt B1” for the bus; identify the current bus access node on the map first, then navigate via the B↔C tunnel to the correct Concourse C pickup.
- From the CTA Blue Line, think “up, then bridge”: basement rail → correct terminal corridor → depart/upper level → skybridge to ATS. Don’t get trapped in parking/garage tunnels.
- In Terminal 5, budget the post-TSA “last mile” to the far M-gates like a separate leg; if your gate is deep in Concourse M, start walking immediately after security.
2025 Chicago O’Hare International Airport Map + Printable PDF
In 2025, ORD remains fully operational but “node volatility” is real: construction has shifted the Terminal Transfer Bus away from the old Gate B1 assumption, and Terminal 5’s Concourse M extension pushes far gates into longer post-TSA walks. Treat any transfer involving Terminal 5 as a decision-tree choice (airside bus vs landside ATS) where one wrong method can trigger re-screening or irreversible backtracking.
2025 Chicago O’Hare International Airport Map Guide
What is the exact airside location of the Terminal Transfer Bus entrance in Terminal 1, relative to Gate B1 (including the specific stairwell/landing shown on the map)?
The Terminal Transfer Bus entrance is not at Gate B1; it’s airside in Terminal 1, Concourse C at Gate C18B, reached via the B↔C “Neon Tunnel.”
From Gate B1 (Concourse B), follow Concourse B south to the B↔C tunnel entrance (near the mid-B gates), take the tunnel into Concourse C, then turn toward the south end of Concourse C for Gate C18/C18B (near the Polaris Lounge area). The bus access is via the C18B portal to a stairwell/adjacent elevator down to the tarmac-level staging/holding area, then you board from that lower landing—not from the concourse level.
What is the walking distance (or fastest walking time) from Terminal 1 Gate B1 to the Terminal Transfer Bus access point (airside)?
Walking takes about 10–12 minutes fast (brisk pace) and 15–18 minutes typical from Gate B1 (Concourse B) to the Terminal Transfer Bus access at Gate C18B (Concourse C).
| Segment | Path fragment | Typical time |
|---|---|---|
| B1 → B↔C tunnel entrance | Concourse B southbound | 4–6 min |
| Through “Neon Tunnel” | B↔C connector tunnel | 4–7 min |
| Concourse C → C18B | southbound to Gate C18/C18B | 1–3 min |
Distance on-foot is roughly 1,700–2,000 ft (0.3–0.4 mi), before any bus wait at C18B.
What is the current Terminal Transfer Bus pickup/drop-off gate inside Terminal 5 (e.g., M-gates vs G-gates), as verified on the most recent map/concourse diagram?
The Terminal Transfer Bus pickup/drop-off in Terminal 5 is at Gate M13 inside the secure Concourse M area.
Gate M13 sits in the central Concourse M hub, near the main food court/core node and between the lower-numbered gates and the start of the higher M-gate run. Arriving by bus, you come up from the tarmac-level drop area into the departures concourse and emerge into this central M13 zone. If construction signage indicates a temporary shift, follow “Terminal Transfer Bus” signs posted around the M12–M18 cluster and confirm on the nearest flight information screens.
From the CTA Blue Line O’Hare station exit, what is the single correct corridor/bridge connection that leads to the ATS (Airport Transit System) platform for Terminal transfers?
The correct connection is the upper-level pedestrian skybridge signed “ATS / Airport Transit System” that leaves the domestic terminal frontage and crosses into the parking/garage complex where the ATS platform sits. From the Blue Line, the only reliable method is going up into Terminal 2, then up again to Departures, then out to the skybridge.
| Step | Exact path | Anchor point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | CTA turnstiles → follow “Terminals 1, 2, 3 / Airline Terminals” | CTA station exit hall |
| 2 | Enter Terminal 2 interior → escalator/elevator up to baggage/arrivals, then up to Departures | Terminal 2 vertical core (main escalators) |
| 3 | On Departures level, follow overhead signs “ATS / Airport Transit System” toward exterior doors | Ticketing/Departures hall |
| 4 | Cross the skybridge over the roadway into the garage-side ATS station | Glass pedestrian bridge to ATS platform |
On the ATS platform, which platform side/direction goes to Terminal 5 (as shown on wayfinding signage and platform layout maps)?
The Terminal 5 train is the direction signed “Terminal 5 / Multi-Modal Facility (MMF)” from the Terminal 1–2–3 stations.
Follow the overhead electronic signs on the ATS platform and stand on the side marked for trains departing toward Terminal 5, typically shown in the sequence Terminal 1 → Terminal 2 → Terminal 3 → Terminal 5 → MMF. If you see signage or screens indicating the next stops are Terminal 1/Terminal 2/Terminal 3 only, you’re on the return direction. A quick visual check: the Terminal 5-bound train leaves the tight domestic terminal cluster and heads across the open taxiway/roadway “moat” toward the separate Terminal 5 building.
What is the walking time from the Terminal 5 TSA exit to Gate M40 (or the farthest M-gate shown), based on the map scale and concourse layout?
Walking takes about 15–20 minutes from the Terminal 5 TSA exit to Gate M40, and 25–30 minutes at a slow pace or with kids/carry-ons.
After TSA, turn toward Concourse M high-numbered gates (left from the checkpoint flow), pass the central hub around M12–M18, then continue straight into the long Concourse M extension to the far end. The “distance shock” happens after you leave the central food court zone: once you’re beyond the mid-M gates, it’s a single long corridor run with no shortcut, and intermittent moving walkways don’t cover the full span.
In Terminal 5 international arrivals, where exactly is the post-customs bag recheck counter located on the map (relative to the customs exit doors)?
The post-customs bag recheck counter is immediately after the CBP/customs exit doors but before the final public Arrivals Hall doors, positioned right in the “sterile” handoff zone.
As you exit customs through the frosted/controlled exit doors (after the green/red channel), look immediately to the left for the airline bag recheck counter line. The key boundary is the second set of sliding glass doors that opens into the public meet-and-greet crowd: if you pass through those public doors, you’ve gone too far and you can’t return to the recheck area without a major detour.
After exiting customs in Terminal 5, what is the shortest mapped route to the ATS Terminal 5 station entrance (including the correct level change points)?
The shortest route to the ATS from Terminal 5 customs is up to Departures, then across the skybridge to the ATS station; the ATS is never on the basement level.
| Step | Route fragment | Anchor point |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Customs exit → enter public Arrivals Hall | CBP exit doors |
| 2 | Follow “ATS / Trains to Terminals 1–3 / Parking” signs to escalator/elevator | Arrivals Hall vertical core |
| 3 | Go up to Departures/Ticketing level | Departures lobby edge |
| 4 | Walk out to the pedestrian skybridge | Exterior-facing doors with ATS signage |
| 5 | Cross the bridge into the ATS Terminal 5 station | ATS platform entrance in garage-side structure |
Where is the airside corridor connection between Terminal 2 and Terminal 1 located on the map (the one that confirms you do not need to exit/re-clear security)?
The airside corridor connection is at the south end of Terminal 2 near Gate E1 and links into Terminal 1’s secure area near the Gate B5/B6 node.
In Terminal 2, follow the secure concourse toward E1 and look for the hallway signed toward Terminal 1. In Terminal 1, the connection emerges near Gates B5–B6, typically reading as a side corridor off the main Concourse B spine (often adjacent to a retail/food storefront rather than a wide-open gate lane). Using this connector keeps you inside the secure zone—no TSA re-screening required for T2↔T1.
Archive Chicago O’Hare International Airport Maps
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.
Chicago O’Hare International Airport Maps 2024
