Travel time to O'hare (Chicago, Schaumburg: transfer, shops, airport)

[katie565]

I'm picking up a friend at O'hare tomorrow (Friday). The flight is supposed to get in around 6:15, which I have to imagine is the worst possible time to try to get there. Can anybody tell me how long it will realistically take to get to O'hare from the west Lakeview/Lincoln Park area at that time?

I've also been considering ways to spend time close to the airport so I could go earlier and avoid the traffic. Are there any good malls or the like that would help me with this? The only ideas I have are Oakbrook or Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, both of which would be about the same driving distance, but perhaps less traffic than coming straight from the city.

I'd greatly appreciate any input you all may have about this! Thanks in advance.

[aragx6]

I wouldn't go to Oak Brook mall and then try to get to O'Hare, you'd have to use the tri-state which from my experience turns into a parking lot around that time. Not sure about coming from Schaumburg, or a mall closer to O'Hare, I'm sure someone else can help there.

[HOWELL_STREET]

Since I am not familiar with the Lakeview and et al areas, I can't give meaningul advice about your best way of travel. However, I would also agree with the previous post (AragX6?). You will want to arrive at O ' Hare as early as possible. That's to prevent you from getting into a bottleneck / parking lot scenario on the surrounding roads / highways near O' Hare.

Once you are parked in O' Hare's parking lot of your choice - - then first locate the baggage claim areas for the plane that you a waiting for. Instruct your arriving friend that you will have to meet him / her there in the baggage claim area. Do not attempt to meet that person on O' Hare's concourse. You will never make it with all of the red tape in security scrutainy.

For you own entertainment, why not ride the FREE O' Hare electronic loop circuitry that surrounds the perimeter of O' Hare. This is third rail transportation system very similar to "BART" out in California. Your only purpose in riding that system is for fun, education of O' Hare's layout and to kill time.

After your ride on that system (maybe a roundtrip of about 15 minutes ) then return to the baggage claim area with a book to read, bottled water, and perhaps a bag lunch. the await the arrival of your friend in that baggage claim area.

Best Regards,

Carter Glass,
Wheaton, IL

[tcs1366]

even though i have not been to Ohare in years ... i would not drive from the city, to Woodfield then to Ohare.... especially at rush hour. total nightmare. 90 in either direction, inbound or outbound is just nasty at that hour, on top of that, a Friday, on top of that, the Friday of a holiday weekend.

as Carter mentioned ... you can spend it at the airport. they have great shops, and heck -- just watching people is better than fighting traffic on the highways.

[HOWELL_STREET]

...I am always in a hurry in writing since I lose an ISP handshake quite easily. So I forgot to mention that there are TWO third rail / electrified train systems at O' Hare Airport.

One is operated by the "Chicago Transit Authority" (CTA) and will take you into down town Chicago a number of miles away. There is a fee for that train ride and one gets on board on the lower level of the O' Hare Airport. So do not get on this particular train system (information directed to this particular 'O.P').

The second third rail system is at ground level of the airport and is a short perimeter loop around O' Hare. That system is free and provides people a direct link to their air terminal from the somewhat distant parking lots of O' Hare.

[NYrules]

You could stop off a little to the north at Old Orchard Mall or Golf Mill Mall in Skokie/Niles that way you would be able to just run Skokie Blvd, Harlem, or Greenwood south down to Touhy and take Touhy west over to RTE 12/45 and run that into O'Hare.

Otherwise coming out from the city at rush hour on 90 plan on about 60-90 minutes. Here is a helpful little map you may be able to use. http://www.gcmtravel.com/gcm/maps_chicago.jsp

[mdz]

If you can, avoid parking in the parking lots (and pay the exorbitant fees). There is a "cell phone" lot where you can wait until your friend has all his/her bags.

[aragx6]

I'd definitely suggest the cell phone lot unless you decide to hang out at the airport.

[Drover]

Have you considered taking the L out there? Hop the Red Line down to Jackson, transfer over to the Blue Line, take it back out to the airport... Not exactly the most direct route but it quite honestly might be the quickest and least stressful way to get there at that time of day, especially since tomorrow will probably be one of the busiest travel days of the year.

[katie565]

Unless I can get into the terminals without a ticket (which I seriously doubt), I'm thinking that hanging out in the "cell phone" lot is the way to go, with a good book and some snacks! I'd love to take the El, but I'm picking up a friend with whom I'm driving to Michigan from there. Would it be faster to have her take the El to meet me in the city and leave from there? I just don't want to make things more complicated as flying is such a stressful situation for her. Thanks for the input thus far!