The Chicago Airport Transfer Guide: Timing, Terminals and All Four Airports

Written by the All Star Limo Service dispatch team. Updated September 29, 2026.

The Chicago Airport Transfer Guide: Four Airports, Both Directions

Quick answer: Chicago has four airports worth planning around — O’Hare (ORD), Midway (MDW), Chicago Executive (PWK) and DuPage (DPA). From downtown, allow 3 hours before a domestic O’Hare departure and 3 hours 30 minutes for international; Midway needs about 30 minutes less. Add 30 minutes if you are travelling between 7–9 a.m. or 3–6 p.m. Every transfer we run includes real-time flight tracking, meet-and-greet and luggage assistance at no extra charge — so a delayed flight costs you nothing, and nobody is waiting at a kerb guessing.

The Four Airports

The honest advice on O’Hare versus Midway: if your route flies from both, Midway is usually the easier airport — one terminal, a shorter walk, a faster exit. From the south and southwest suburbs it is also 20 to 30 minutes closer. O’Hare wins on international, connections and schedule depth. See Midway limo service and O’Hare limo service.

What Time to Leave

These are pickup times, not arrival times. Add 30 minutes in peak traffic, 45 in snow, and 20 during a holiday week. The number most people miss: boarding typically closes 15 to 20 minutes before departure, so the real deadline sits earlier than the ticket says.

Tell dispatch your check-in deadline rather than a departure time, and we build the pickup backwards from it.

Arrivals: Where Your Chauffeur Meets You

Meet-and-greet is included on every transfer — it is commonly a $25 to $35 upgrade elsewhere, so it is worth knowing you are not paying for it here.

• O’Hare has five terminals and the pickup zones move with construction — your chauffeur confirms the current spot by text on the day
• Check your boarding pass for the terminal. Airlines change them, sometimes between routes on the same carrier
• Midway is a single terminal, which removes the most common airport pickup problem entirely
• International arrivals: allow 45 to 75 minutes from landing to curb for passport control, baggage and customs
• Private jet arrivals at PWK or DPA are coordinated runway-side with your FBO

When the Flight Changes

You do not need to call when you land. We track O’Hare and Midway arrivals continuously, and the pickup time adjusts on its own.

Departures: Terminal-Door Drop-Off

• Dropped at your airline’s terminal door — no shuttle, no remote lot, no walk from a garage
• Luggage handled out of the vehicle
• Corporate campus pickups — give us the building and entrance, not just the street. Suburban office parks are large
• Hotel pickups — your chauffeur confirms the door by text; many downtown properties have a separate passenger entrance
• Groups — one Sprinter arrives at one door, rather than three cars across twenty minutes

Rates

Rates shown are starting rates and depend on the exact addresses, the vehicle and the timing. Call dispatch on (708) 998-6336 to confirm — and once confirmed, that is what you pay. No surge at any hour, in any weather, on any date. Full detail in what Chicago car service costs.

Choosing the Vehicle

Book by luggage as well as headcount. Six passengers with six large cases need a Sprinter, not an SUV — and sorting that out on a driveway at 4 a.m. is the most common avoidable problem in airport travel.

Private Jet and FBO Transfers

PWK in Wheeling is one of the Midwest’s busiest private jet hubs, and DPA serves the western suburbs. We coordinate runway-side pickups with the FBOs at both.

• Send the FBO name and tail number — that is how we are cleared to the aircraft
• Charter timings move, often late. Dispatch stays on it
• Connecting passengers between a private arrival and a commercial departure are routine work
• Discretion — chauffeurs do not discuss passengers or destinations

See private jet limo service.

Quick Facts

Who Is Driving You

About the Dispatch Team

Written by the dispatch team at All Star Limo Service — the people who track these flights and set these pickup times. We run late-model sedans, SUVs, Sprinters and stretch limousines with licensed, background-checked chauffeurs across Chicago and 100+ surrounding areas. We build the pickup backwards from your check-in deadline, using the hour you are actually travelling rather than an average. 24/7 dispatch: (708) 998-6336.

Chicago Airport Transfer FAQs

What time should I leave for an O’Hare flight?
About 3 hours before a domestic departure from downtown and 3 hours 30 minutes for international, plus 30 minutes in peak traffic.

What about Midway?
About 2 hours 30 from downtown — roughly 30 minutes less than O’Hare.

Which airport should I fly from?
Midway is usually the easier airport if your route flies from both — one terminal and a faster exit, and it is 20 to 30 minutes closer from the south and southwest suburbs. O’Hare wins on international and connections.

Where does my chauffeur meet me?
At baggage claim with a name sign, or curbside if you prefer. Both are included.

Is meet-and-greet extra?
No. Meet-and-greet and luggage assistance are included on every airport transfer.

Do you track my flight?
Yes, continuously. If you land late or early the pickup adjusts automatically — you do not need to call.

How long should I allow after an international landing?
Usually 45 to 75 minutes through passport control, baggage and customs.

Do you serve Chicago Executive and DuPage?
Yes, with runway-side FBO coordination for private jet and charter passengers.

Do you charge more for a 3 a.m. pickup or in snow?
No. There is no surge at any hour, in any weather, on any date.

Which terminal will I arrive at?
Check your boarding pass — airlines change terminals. Send us the flight number and we confirm it.

Can you take a group to one terminal?
Yes, up to 14 in a Sprinter and 22 in a stretch, with multiple vehicles for larger groups.

How far ahead should I book?
24 to 48 hours is usually enough for airport transfers, and same-day bookings are accepted whenever possible.

Book Your Airport Transfer

Book online in 60 seconds · Call or text (708) 998-6336 · Flight tracking & meet-and-greet included · 24/7

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