Travel by Plane

ORD

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is one of the largest airports in the nation. Since it is a hub airport for United Airlines, and American Airlines there is usually a non-stop from most anywhere in the United States. It even has its own Die Hard movie.

The on-campus hotel at ORD is the Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport.

You can take the ‘L’ to and from ORD and downtown Chicago.

MDW

Chicago Midway Airport (MDW) is Chicago’s second airport. Midway is a hub for Southwest Airlines. It is closer to downtown Chicago than O’Hare.

You can take the ‘L’ to and from MDW and downtown Chicago.

MKE

The Amtrak Hiawatha stops at Milwaukee Mitchell airport every couple of hours on its way to and from downtown Chicago.

Flying into Milwaukee on your way to downtown Chicago isn’t the best idea. If your plane was late, you could easily end up waiting a couple hours for the next train.

On the other hand, flying out of Milwaukee when traveling from downtown Chicago would be super easy if the timing happens to work for you. Unlike longer Amtrak routes, the Hiawatha is a commuter train with fairly reliable travel times. The Hiawatha route is more reliable and less stressful than driving to O’Hare in Chicago traffic.

The Milwaukee Mitchell airport website has more details on the Airport Rail Station.

Consider Taking Amtrak

If you live along one of many direct Amtrak routes to Chicago, consider taking the train in a sleeping car instead.