Chicago O'Hare International Airport

Chicago O'Hare International Airport (KORD) is one of the busiest commercial airports in the world, sitting 17 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. Commercial service is dominant — KORD is a major hub for United and American — and the field is generally not the Chicago-area business-aviation default. Charter and corporate traffic for the metro typically routes through KMDW (Midway, 10 miles southwest of downtown), KPWK (Chicago Executive in Wheeling, 20 miles north), or KDPA (DuPage, 30 miles west), all of which have dedicated FBO infrastructure and far less congestion.

The eight runways at KORD accommodate every current business jet without restriction. Signature is the principal private terminal. KORD makes sense for private aviation in two main cases: international arrivals that need CBP on a major hub, and VIP movements where the passenger prefers the iconic O'Hare experience over the suburban relievers. The operational realities are well known — slot pressure, taxi delays measured in tens of minutes during peak banks, and weather impacts (winter snow, summer thunderstorms in the Midwest convective belt) that can drive significant holds and diversions. Field elevation is 672 feet, no density-altitude concerns. Ground time to downtown Chicago is 25–45 minutes via I-90 / I-294.

Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, United States, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately 17 miles (27 km) northwest of downtown. The airport is operated by the Chicago Department of Aviation and covers 7,627 acres. It is the airport with the most runways in the world, with eight.