Few airports have such a rich history as OโHare International Airport. Initially, the area in which the airport currently stands was called โOrchard Place.โ It served as a manufacturing plant in World War 2 to produce Douglas C-54, which was primarily used by United States Army Air Forces in World war 2. Nonetheless, the field was still in active use during the Korean war. The airport acted as an active fighter base for the Air Force in the area. However, by the 1960s, there was less use of the base as an active fighter base. Simultaneously, the airportโs use for commercial business was picking up, and eventually, the Air Force removed their active-duty units.
With the rise of commercial business, the need to meet the ever-increasing demands in aviation was necessary. As a result, in 1945, the mayor of Chicago, Edward Kelly, created an official board to choose a site to create a new facility to meet future demands. Ultimately after many proposals were considered, the Orchard Field site was chosen to house the new facility.
OโHare International Airport acquired its name in 1949 after Chicago renamed it in honor of Edward โButchโ OโHare, who had been awarded the first U.S. Navyโs flying ace and had also earned the famed Medal of Honor in WW2. It was the first significant airport planned in the world, and as such, OโHare International Airport covered the way for many innovations in the field of aviation after the end of World War 2. The revolutionary idea was introduced as the โSplit Finger Terminals,โ Robert H. Burke came up with an innovative Airport blueprint. This idea included the introduction of Concourses, allowing the terminal buildings to be connected to the airline wings to provide space for planes and gates. These designs are still being used in all the Airports worldwide and included the establishment of underground refueling, direct access of rails from downtown, and direct access from the highway to the front of terminals. In 1958, OโHare International Airport became the worldโs first jet bridge. It also successfully managed to adapt slip form paving, developed for smoother concrete runways by the countryโs latest Interstate highway system.
The city of Chicago currently has the rights to OโHare International Airport and is maintained by the Chicago Department of aviation. Currently, OโHare International Airport provides non-stop flights to about 228 destinations across the globe to six different continents like Asia, Africa, Europe, South America, North America, and Oceania. It also serves as a hub for American Airlines, United Airlines, and Atlas Air and function as a center city for Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.
OโHare International Airport hotel
OโHare International Airport is one of the few Airports with its on-site hotels that can be used by the passengers. The Hilton Chicago OโHare Airport hotel is located between the parking garage and terminal core, directly across from the three terminals 1, 2, and 3. It is inside a walking distance of all the domestic terminals of the OโHare Airport via underground walkways and the International terminals by the Airport Transit System. The Hilton Chicago hotel also provides downtown Chicago access via an indoor walkway to the CTA Blue Line train for a short and convenient ride.
The Chicago OโHare Hotel is also owned by the Chicago Department of Aviation and handled by the Hilton Hotel under a shared agreement. As of 2018, the agreement with the city of Chicago has been extended by ten years.
The Hotel is filled with amenities and accommodations to fits its customer needs:
Amenities:
Fitness Center which includes Sauna, Steam room, massages, and lap pool
Sports bar
Gaslight Club
Caffe Mercado
Andiamo
Barber Shop
ATM
Business Center and Meeting Rooms and others
The hotel rooms are fitted with sound resistant windows and provide a calm and quiet respite. The FAA regulations ban any plan traffic directly above the Hotel. The blackout curtains provide some much-needed privacy. Free Wifi services are also available. Hilton Chicago OโHare Hotel has successfully won several awards for the Best Airport Hotel in the nation.
Nearby Hotels near OโHare International Airport
Alongside the on-site Hotel, there are also plenty more hotels available near the OโHare International Airport. These hotels provide complimentary shuttle service to/from the OโHare airport for the passengers.
Some of the Hotels are available near OโHare International airport are:
Sheraton Suites Chicago OโHare
Best Western at OโHare
Four Points by Sheraton
Holiday Inn Express and Suites
Rose Chicago, Tapestry Collection by Hilton
Holiday inn Hotel and Suites Chicago-OโHare/Rosemont
Motel 6-Schiller Park
Hyatt Place
Quality Inn
OโHare Inn and Suites
Oโhare International Airport car rental:
OโHare International Airport also provides car rental services to its passengers. This service is very convenient for anyone looking to explore Chicagoโs city during their vacations or any other business-related purposes.
The passenger can reach the Car Rental service in OโHare via a free 24-hour shuttle service available at the airport. It can be accessed from the Baggage claim(lower level) area. The shuttle service will drop off the passengers in the airportโs Multi-Model Facility, where the rental car desks are found. Passengers can then choose from different rental companies and pick their own choice of vehicle. Some of the Car rental companies are as follows:
1. Avis- 773-825-4600
2. Firefly- 847-928-3320
3. ACD Rent a Car- 877-822-3872
4. National- 888-826-6890
5. Enterprise- 847-233-7399
6.Thrifty- 877-283-0898
7. Payless- 224-220-0603
8. Advantage- 800-777-550
9. Dollar- 866-434-2226
10. Hertz- 773-686-7272
Oโhare International Airport parking:
OโHare International Airport currently offers two services of parking:
Long term parking:
Long term parking is often used when the passengers travel out of the state or city for an extended period. It is generally cheaper based on the cost per day hence more cost-effective.It is recommended that passengers can reserve Long term Parking in advance as it can be tougher to locate an available space on the go.
OโHare offers Economy parking in Lot F and G.
Short term parking:
Short term parking is usually for hourly or daily parking. Its rate is generally a bit more expensive than the Long term parking on the cost per day. Short term parking space is more available than the Long term Parking.
Hourly parking is available in level 1, and Daily parking is available from level 2-6 of the Main Garage. Lot B and C are also used for daily parking. Lot D is used for International parking for short term parking.
Conclusion
OโHare International Airport is one of the best Airports in the world with its rich history and success. It has served the country in both military and commercial use and made it is country proud. As the significant airport planned after WW2, OโHare International Airport pioneered how the current airport operates. It is globally recognized and respect and holds the title for being the sixth busiest airport in the world and served around 84.65 million passengers in the year 2019.
