Written by Sam Ali
Published: October 2, 2026
Read Time: 15 minutes
The history of O’Hare International Airport begins with wartime aircraft production, an airfield known as Orchard Field and Chicago’s need for a larger aviation gateway. Long before millions of passengers rolled suitcases through Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5, the land northwest of downtown Chicago served an entirely different role in American aviation.
O’Hare’s development tells a larger story about Chicago itself. As commercial aviation expanded after World War II, the city transformed a military-era airfield into an airport that would become one of the most recognizable aviation hubs in the world.
The airport changed repeatedly along the way. Runways multiplied. Expressways connected the airfield to downtown. New terminals appeared. Rail service arrived. International travel expanded. Modern airport transportation changed with it.
Quick answer: The history of O’Hare International Airport begins with Orchard Field, a wartime airfield associated with a Douglas aircraft assembly plant. Chicago selected the site for its new airport in 1945. It was renamed Chicago O’Hare International Airport in 1949 to honor naval aviator Edward H. “Butch” O’Hare, opened officially to commercial air traffic in 1955 and became the world’s busiest airport by passenger volume in 1962. Its familiar airport code, ORD, preserves the Orchard Field name.
How the History of O’Hare International Airport Began at Orchard Field
Before O’Hare became a passenger airport, the site was closely connected with World War II aircraft manufacturing.
A Douglas Aircraft plant operated there during the war, producing military aircraft. The surrounding airfield had concrete runways that allowed aircraft associated with the plant to operate from the site.
The name Orchard Field became attached to the airfield, and that early name left a permanent mark on aviation history.
Even though passengers today know the airport as O’Hare, its three-letter airport identifier remains:
ORD
That code reaches back to Orchard Field.
It is one of those Chicago details that can confuse travelers who naturally expect the airport code to resemble “O’Hare.” Instead, ORD preserves a piece of the airport’s earliest identity.
Why Did Chicago Need Another Airport?
Chicago already had an important airport: Midway.
In the years before O’Hare became dominant, Chicago Municipal Airport—later renamed Midway International Airport—handled enormous amounts of commercial aviation traffic.
But commercial airplanes were becoming larger, aviation demand was increasing and Chicago needed room for a much bigger airport.
Midway’s location within an already-developed part of the city limited how far its runways and facilities could expand.
Orchard Field offered something Chicago urgently needed:
space.
The former wartime site northwest of the city gave planners the opportunity to develop a much larger airport with room for additional runways, terminals, parking areas and future growth.
In 1945, Chicago selected Orchard Field as the site of its new airport.
That decision would eventually transform aviation throughout the region.
Who Was Butch O’Hare?
The airport is named after Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare, a U.S. Navy aviator and Medal of Honor recipient.
On February 20, 1942, O’Hare was flying a Grumman F4F Wildcat while defending the aircraft carrier USS Lexington. With limited support, he attacked an approaching formation of enemy bombers and was credited with shooting down five aircraft and severely damaging another.
His actions earned him the Medal of Honor.
O’Hare continued flying combat missions during World War II and was killed in action in November 1943.
In 1949, the Chicago City Council renamed Orchard Field as Chicago O’Hare International Airport in his honor.
The airport’s name changed.
Its ORD identifier did not.
Why Is O’Hare’s Airport Code ORD?
This is one of the most common questions about the airport.
Why isn’t O’Hare:
OHA?
Or:
OHR?
Because airport identifiers often preserve earlier names.
The ORD code is tied to Orchard Field, the name used before the airport became O’Hare International Airport.
When the airport was renamed for Butch O’Hare, the identifier remained ORD.
That makes every ORD luggage tag, airline reservation and boarding pass a small connection to the airport’s wartime origins.
When Did O’Hare Begin Commercial Passenger Service?
O’Hare officially opened to commercial air traffic in 1955.
The Chicago Department of Aviation records 176,902 passengers during that first year.
Compared with today’s massive passenger volumes, that number seems almost modest.
But Chicago was preparing for explosive growth.
Runways were expanded, additional airport property was acquired and passenger infrastructure continued to develop. By 1959, O’Hare covered approximately 7,200 acres.
What had begun as Orchard Field was rapidly becoming a major commercial airport.
The Road to O’Hare Changed Chicago Ground Transportation
Building a huge airport was only part of the challenge.
Chicago also had to make it accessible.
In 1960, an eight-lane expressway connection opened between O’Hare and downtown Chicago.
That road connection fundamentally changed how passengers reached the airport. Business travelers, families, airline employees, hotel guests, taxis and professional car services could move between the airport and the city much more directly.
The development of the highway corridor helped make airport ground transportation a permanent part of Chicago travel.
Today, travelers arranging O’Hare Airport transportation are using a transportation corridor whose importance was recognized more than six decades ago.
The vehicles have changed enormously.
The basic problem—moving travelers efficiently between Chicago and the airport—has not.
O’Hare’s Main Passenger Terminal Arrives
By 1961, construction of O’Hare’s main terminal complex and a 5,000-car parking facility had been completed.
The airport was being designed for a scale of passenger movement that would have been difficult to accommodate at Midway.
Then came the major turning point.
In 1962, scheduled commercial operations at Midway were transferred to O’Hare.
Passenger traffic at O’Hare reached approximately 10 million passengers.
That growth gave O’Hare a title that would become deeply associated with the airport:
the world’s busiest airport.
O’Hare had gone from a wartime aircraft-production site to the center of Chicago commercial aviation in less than two decades.
From 10 Million to 30 Million Passengers
Growth continued at extraordinary speed.
By 1965, annual passenger traffic had doubled to approximately 20 million.
By 1968, O’Hare was serving around 30 million passengers.
Additional runways were constructed as planners attempted to accommodate the constant growth in aircraft movements.
The airport was no longer simply an important Chicago facility.
It was becoming one of the central nodes of the American aviation system.
That scale also meant that transportation around O’Hare increasingly required coordination between terminals, roadways, hotels, parking, taxis, private cars and public transit.
O’Hare Becomes a Dual-Hub Airport
Airline deregulation in the late 1970s changed commercial aviation across the United States.
O’Hare emerged as an unusually important hub for major airlines, eventually becoming strongly associated with both United Airlines and American Airlines.
That dual-hub role contributed to the enormous range of domestic connections available through Chicago.
For passengers, O’Hare increasingly became more than a place where a trip began or ended.
It became a place where journeys connected.
A traveler could arrive in Chicago from a smaller U.S. city, change airplanes at O’Hare and continue across the country or eventually around the world.
The CTA Blue Line Reaches O’Hare
One of the biggest changes to airport access came in 1984, when CTA rail service was extended to O’Hare.
Travelers could now take the Blue Line between the airport and Chicago without using a road vehicle.
That addition created another transportation option alongside taxis, private cars, buses and professional chauffeur services.
O’Hare’s connection to the CTA also demonstrated something important about a successful major airport: the airport cannot function independently from the transportation system around it.
Runways move airplanes.
Terminals move passengers.
Roads, trains, buses and private vehicles connect those passengers to the region.
The “Terminal for Tomorrow”
The 1980s brought major redevelopment.
In 1983, Chicago began a large O’Hare development program designed to prepare the airport for another wave of passenger growth.
An interim international facility known as Terminal 4 opened in 1985 while a new Terminal 1 was being built.
In 1987, United Airlines opened the new Terminal 1, promoted as a state-of-the-art terminal for the future.
Its architecture and connected concourses became some of O’Hare’s most recognizable spaces.
The underground connection between Concourses B and C—with its lighting, moving walkways and famous neon installation—became part of the airport experience for generations of travelers.
What Happened to Terminal 4?
Travelers looking at O’Hare today will notice something strange.
The airport has:
Terminal 1
Terminal 2
Terminal 3
Terminal 5
Where is Terminal 4?
It existed—but it was temporary.
Terminal 4 opened in 1985 to handle international operations while construction reshaped other parts of O’Hare.
It was located in part of the airport parking structure rather than functioning like the permanent passenger terminals travelers know today.
When the new international terminal opened in 1993, temporary Terminal 4 was no longer needed.
It closed.
The numbering moved forward to Terminal 5 rather than reusing 4.
That unusual sequence remains one of the airport’s most interesting pieces of trivia.
Terminal 5 Changes International Travel
In 1993, O’Hare opened International Terminal 5.
The new terminal gave international arrivals a purpose-built facility as global travel through Chicago continued to expand.
Terminal 5 became especially important for passengers arriving from outside the United States who needed to complete immigration and customs procedures.
Over the years, its role has continued to evolve and expand.
For professional transportation companies, international arrivals also created different ground-transportation considerations. Flight timing, customs processing, baggage collection and passenger communication can all influence when a traveler is actually ready to leave the terminal.
That is one reason an international arrival can require more planning than simply looking at the scheduled landing time.
O’Hare Gets Its Airport Train
The Airport Transit System, commonly called the ATS, also opened in 1993.
The automated train connected airport terminals with parking facilities and made movement around the enormous airport complex easier.
The system later underwent substantial modernization and was extended to the Multi-Modal Facility.
Today’s airport is so large that moving between parking, rental cars and terminals can itself become a transportation journey.
That was difficult to imagine when O’Hare handled fewer than 200,000 commercial passengers during its first year.
The Airport Keeps Rebuilding Itself
Large airports are never truly finished.
By the beginning of the 21st century, O’Hare once again faced questions about capacity, runway configuration and future demand.
The O’Hare Modernization Program was announced in 2001. Its major goal was to reconfigure the airfield from a complicated system of intersecting runways toward a more efficient parallel-runway arrangement.
Construction began in the following years, with new and extended runways gradually transforming the airfield.
The airport’s physical layout continued to evolve because the demands placed on it were dramatically different from those of the 1950s.
Jet aircraft became larger and more capable.
Passenger volumes increased.
International service expanded.
Cargo operations grew.
Security requirements changed.
And the airport had to keep operating while major construction occurred around it.
Why O’Hare Has So Many Runways
O’Hare’s runway system is one reason the airport can handle such large volumes of aircraft.
Its earliest configuration came from Orchard Field’s intersecting concrete runways.
As the airport developed, additional runways were constructed and later reconfigured.
Modern airport planning increasingly favored parallel runway operations because aircraft can arrive and depart more efficiently when runway geometry reduces crossing conflicts.
The modernization effort therefore changed not only how many runways O’Hare had, but how those runways worked together.
Most passengers never see that planning directly.
They experience it as aircraft taxiing, taking off, landing and moving across an airfield that operates almost like a city of its own.
O’Hare Is Larger Than the Terminals
Travelers naturally think of an airport as terminals and gates.
O’Hare is much more than that.
The airport occupies more than 7,200 acres and contains runways, taxiways, cargo facilities, maintenance areas, parking, roads, train infrastructure, hotels, rental-car operations and support facilities in addition to passenger terminals.
Its size is one reason a traveler can technically be “at O’Hare” while still being a significant distance from the terminal they actually need.
Knowing the airline and terminal matters.
So does allowing time for traffic, roadway congestion and terminal access.
O’Hare Became More Than an Airport
As O’Hare grew, it became much more than a collection of runways, gates and baggage claims. The airport developed into a large commercial environment where travelers can eat, shop, work, meet colleagues and handle everyday travel needs without leaving the terminal complex.
Dining became a major part of that experience. One of O’Hare’s best-known Chicago-connected names is Tortas Frontera by Rick Bayless, which has locations inside the airport. O’Hare’s dining options have expanded considerably from the simpler airport concessions common during the early decades of commercial aviation. Fly Chicago
Retail developed alongside dining. Travelers can now find newsstands, travel-necessity shops, specialty retailers, duty-free stores and other services throughout the terminals. For passengers with long connections, international arrivals or unexpected delays, those businesses have become part of the airport experience rather than an afterthought.
The growth of dining and retail also reflects O’Hare’s enormous scale. A modern international airport functions almost like a small city, with travelers and employees moving through restaurants, stores, lounges and passenger services throughout the day.
Hotels, Business Travel and the Growth Around O’Hare
The development of O’Hare also transformed the area surrounding the airport.
The Hilton Chicago O’Hare Airport is located directly at O’Hare and offers lodging, dining, meeting rooms and business facilities. That makes the hotel part of the airport’s broader business-travel infrastructure, serving passengers with early departures, overnight connections, meetings and other airport-related stays. Hilton
Just beyond the airport, Rosemont developed into one of the Chicago area’s most concentrated hospitality, convention and business districts. The village’s official hotel directory currently lists numerous properties only minutes from ORD, reflecting how strongly airport traffic helped support hotel and convention development around the area. Rosemont
One of the best-known properties is the Hyatt Regency O’Hare Chicago in Rosemont. The hotel has more than 1,000 rooms, substantial meeting and event space and proximity to O’Hare, making it especially relevant to conventions and business travel. Hyatt
Travelers can also explore the broader Rosemont hotel district, which includes properties serving airport passengers, convention attendees, corporate travelers and visitors to nearby entertainment and shopping areas.
Rosemont’s growth demonstrates how O’Hare influenced development beyond the airport fence. What began primarily as an aviation hub helped support a larger economy of hotels, restaurants, offices, conventions, retail and entertainment surrounding ORD.
How Airport Transportation Changed With O’Hare
Ground transportation around O’Hare has evolved along with the airport.
In the early decades of commercial aviation, travelers relied heavily on taxis, hotel vehicles, private automobiles, buses and traditional limousine services.
As business travel expanded, the black executive sedan became a familiar airport vehicle.
The Lincoln Town Car era made discreet professional sedan service especially recognizable around American airports.
Later, large luxury SUVs such as the Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Navigator became important because passengers increasingly wanted additional luggage capacity and space without giving up a private chauffeured experience.
Sprinter vehicles added another option for families, corporate teams and larger groups.
A modern Chicago limo service therefore looks very different from airport transportation in the 1950s, even though the goal remains familiar: connect the passenger, luggage and schedule with the destination beyond the airport.
Business Travel Helped Shape the O’Hare Transportation Market
O’Hare’s importance to Chicago commerce also made the airport central to executive ground transportation.
Travelers land at ORD and continue to destinations such as the Loop, West Loop, River North, Rosemont, Oak Brook, Schaumburg, Naperville and corporate offices throughout the region.
For an executive, landing is often only the first stage of the workday.
The next stage may involve a hotel, meeting, convention, dinner or multiple business stops.
That is why executive transportation in Chicago developed alongside the airport’s growth.
The vehicle became a bridge between aviation and the business schedule waiting on the ground.
Families Changed Airport Vehicle Needs Too
Airport transportation is not only about executives.
A family traveling through O’Hare can have very different requirements.
They may have several suitcases, child seats, strollers and multiple passengers. A sedan that works perfectly for one traveler may be completely impractical for a family returning from a long trip.
That helped make larger SUVs increasingly relevant to modern airport service.
Groups can have even greater needs, particularly when several travelers arrive on one flight with luggage.
The Chicago limo fleet now includes SUVs, sedans, Sprinter-style group vehicles and larger transportation options that would have looked very different from the airport limousines of O’Hare’s early commercial era.
O’Hare and Midway Developed Different Roles
Chicago’s two major commercial airports share a connected history.
Midway was already an enormously important airport before O’Hare became Chicago’s primary aviation gateway.
O’Hare’s vast land area and ability to accommodate expanding jet traffic eventually shifted the balance.
But Midway never disappeared.
It remained an important part of the Chicago aviation system and today continues serving millions of travelers.
Passengers still choose between O’Hare and Midway Airport transportation depending on airline, route, destination and travel plans.
The relationship between ORD and MDW is therefore not simply one airport replacing another.
Together, they became the foundation of Chicago’s commercial aviation network.
Why the History of O’Hare International Airport Still Matters to Travelers
Understanding the history of O’Hare International Airport explains many things that otherwise seem strange.
Why is the airport code ORD?
Because O’Hare used to be Orchard Field.
Why does the airport have no active Terminal 4?
Because Terminal 4 was an interim international facility.
Why is the airport so enormous?
Because Chicago intentionally chose a site that could grow beyond the physical constraints facing Midway.
Why are highways, trains, parking systems and private transportation so important?
Because an airport moving tens of millions of travelers must also move those travelers between the airfield and the surrounding region.
The history is visible in the airport every day.
A Short O’Hare History Timeline
A few milestones show just how quickly Orchard Field became a global airport:
- 1945: Chicago selects Orchard Field as the site of its new airport.
- 1949: The airport is renamed Chicago O’Hare International Airport in honor of Edward “Butch” O’Hare.
- 1955: O’Hare officially opens to commercial air traffic and serves 176,902 passengers in its first year.
- 1959: The airport expands to approximately 7,200 acres.
- 1960: An eight-lane expressway connection opens between O’Hare and downtown Chicago.
- 1962: Scheduled Midway operations shift to O’Hare; passenger traffic reaches 10 million and O’Hare becomes the world’s busiest airport.
- 1965: Passenger traffic reaches approximately 20 million.
- 1968: Passenger traffic reaches approximately 30 million.
- 1984: CTA Blue Line service reaches O’Hare.
- 1987: The new Terminal 1 opens.
- 1993: International Terminal 5 and the Airport Transit System open.
- 2001: The O’Hare Modernization Program is announced.
- 2018: The O’Hare 21 modernization program begins a new phase of terminal and passenger-experience development.
Looking at the history of O’Hare International Airport through these dates makes the scale of the transformation remarkable. In roughly one generation, a former wartime aircraft-production site became one of the defining airports of the jet age.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was O’Hare Airport originally called?
It was known as Orchard Field before being renamed Chicago O’Hare International Airport.
Why is O’Hare’s airport code ORD?
ORD comes from Orchard Field, the airport’s earlier name. The code remained after the airport was renamed for Edward “Butch” O’Hare.
Who was O’Hare Airport named after?
The airport was named for Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O’Hare, a U.S. Navy fighter pilot and Medal of Honor recipient who served during World War II.
When did O’Hare Airport open?
O’Hare officially opened to commercial air traffic in 1955.
When did O’Hare become the world’s busiest airport?
Passenger traffic reached approximately 10 million in 1962, when O’Hare became the world’s busiest airport by the measure cited in Chicago’s official airport history.
Why is there no Terminal 4 at O’Hare?
Terminal 4 was a temporary international facility opened in 1985. It closed after the permanent International Terminal 5 opened in 1993.
When did the CTA begin service to O’Hare?
CTA Blue Line rail service reached the airport in 1984.
When did Terminal 5 open?
The current International Terminal 5 opened in 1993.
Was O’Hare built before Midway?
No. Midway was Chicago’s major commercial airport before O’Hare. O’Hare was developed in part because Chicago needed more room for the expanding aviation industry.
Is ORD still connected to the old Orchard Field name?
Yes. The ORD identifier continues to preserve the airport’s Orchard Field heritage.
What the History of O’Hare International Airport Tells Us About Chicago Travel
The history of O’Hare International Airport is a story of constant expansion.
Orchard Field began with wartime aviation. Chicago saw the site’s potential for commercial travel. The airport was renamed for a decorated naval aviator, opened to passengers in the 1950s and rapidly became one of the world’s great aviation hubs.
Roads followed.
Terminals expanded.
Rail service arrived.
International facilities grew.
Runways were rebuilt and reconfigured.
Ground transportation evolved from traditional airport cars and taxis into modern sedans, luxury SUVs, Sprinters and larger group vehicles.
O’Hare today may look completely different from Orchard Field, but every traveler using the ORD code is still carrying a small piece of that original history.
For airport transportation questions or to arrange an upcoming ORD pickup or departure, call (773) 800-7475 or contact the reservation team.
Oreo’s Limo
825 N Cass Ave #209, Westmont, IL 60559
Phone: (773) 800-7475
Email: [email protected]
Reservations: 24/7
