Getting around · Chicago · Midway
Getting to and from MDW: taxi, rideshare, transit & the cell-phone lot
The quickest way to Chicago · Midway airport is usually a taxi or a rideshare: a taxi runs about $35–$40 to Downtown Chicago (The Loop), and Uber & Lyft pick up in a marked pickup zone. Picking someone up instead? Wait free at the Midway Cell Phone Lot. Below: every way to and from the airport, what it costs, whether to park or grab a ride, and how to fold the drive into your Leave-By Time so you reach security with room to get through the line. Check MDW TSA wait times today before you decide when to leave.
- Terminal
- 1
- Checkpoints
- 2
- PreCheck
- Yes
- CLEAR
- Yes
- Global Entry
- On site
- Wait data
- Predicted
Taxis from MDW — fare and where to find the stand
Typical taxi fare
~$35–$40
to Downtown Chicago (The Loop)
Drive time
20–45 min
11 mi to Downtown Chicago (The Loop)
A taxi is the simplest door-to-door option and needs no app. Expect about $35–$40 to Downtown Chicago (The Loop) on the meter, before tolls and tip — more in heavy traffic.
Taxi stands are on the lower-level curb front (inner lane, Door 2), first-come first-served; use the marked stand only, not the departures roadway. Wheelchair-accessible cabs via Curb Mobility, 888-928-2277. Suburban taxis pick up on the lower-level center lane (Doors 1-2).
The MDW cell-phone waiting lot
Picking someone up? Wait free at Midway Cell Phone Lot. Free 90-space lot near 61st Street and Cicero Avenue (about 6101-6145 S. Cicero Ave.), just south of the main airport entrance and roughly four minutes from the terminal; vehicles must stay attended or be ticketed/towed. Wait there until your traveler texts that they're at the curb, then loop in once. From the terminal, head south on Cicero Ave. to about 61st St.; the lot entrance is on the south side of the airport entrance area, roughly a four-minute drive back to the lower-level curb.
Leaving a car for the trip instead of getting dropped off? It's worth checking the lots: compare MDWparking by price & distance.
Where to catch Uber & Lyft at MDW
Uber/Lyft pick up on the Lower Level center lane outside Baggage Claim, sorted into color zones: Blue A&B (Doors 2-3), Orange C&D (Doors 3-4) and Green E&F (Door 4). Unlike O'Hare, Midway rideshare is simple curbside on the lower level with no train or shuttle ride required; just match the zone letter your app assigns.
Dropping off? Departures drop-off is the upper-level curb front by concourse (follow Departures signs); the CTA Orange Line Kiss-and-Ride at 59th & Kilpatrick is a congestion-avoiding alternative. Curbside waiting is prohibited. Chicago · Midwayhas a single terminal, so there's no wrong-curb risk — any door gets you to check-in and security.
Driving to MDW — routes & drive time
MDW sits about 11 miles from Downtown Chicago (The Loop), a drive of roughly 20–45 minutes via Cicero Ave. to I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) northeast into downtown — closer to the high end at rush hour. That drive time is the first input into your Leave-By Time, so the calculator counts it backward from your flight along with today's security wait and the walk to your gate.
Getting to MDW by train or transit
By rail, your option is CTA Orange Line — figure about 22 minutes to Downtown Chicago (The Loop). Follow 'CTA Trains/Trains to City' signs through the enclosed walkway to the Midway Transportation Center; the Orange Line reaches the Loop in 20-25 minutes for $2.50. It currently runs about 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. (CTA is rolling out 24-hour Orange Line service during 2026), with the overnight N62 Archer bus filling any gap.
Fare: $2.50 one-way with a Ventra card (no airport surcharge applies at Midway; the proposed Feb 2026 fare increase was suspended).
Hotel and city shuttles to MDW
Hotel shuttles use the upper Departures/Ticketing level (Door 2); Pace suburban buses and River Valley Metro regional buses serve the Midway Transportation Center. No single branded downtown city shuttle. If a shuttle is part of your plan, add its ride time to your Leave-By Time — it's easy to forget the 15–20 minutes between the curb and the terminal.
Park or ride to MDW?
Here's the math. Parking starts around $7/day, while a round-trip taxi or rideshare to Downtown Chicago (The Loop) runs about $75. So a round trip by car comes out ahead once you're away more than about 11 days — for a quick trip, parking usually costs less; for a long one, getting a ride does.
Want the exact trade-off for your dates? compare MDWparking by price & distance — the closest lot isn't always the one that costs the least.
Accessibility and late-night rides at MDW
All concourses are accessible; wheelchair-accessible taxis are dispatched through Curb Mobility (888-928-2277), and accessible rideshare uses the same lower-level zone pickup as standard Uber/Lyft.
Late or overnight arrival? The Orange Line currently stops around 1:00 a.m. and resumes ~4:00 a.m. (24-hour service is being phased in during 2026), bridged overnight by the N62 Archer owl bus; taxis and rideshare run 24/7.
Returning a rental on the way out? Return rental cars at the consolidated rental car facility at 5150 W. 55th St.; rental shuttles pick up/drop off on the lower-level inner lane at Door 3. (We cover where to return a car, not where to book one.)
Recently changed: City of Chicago taxi metered rates increase about 20% on July 1, 2026; Midway's daily parking lot at 5400 S. Kilpatrick Ave. is temporarily closed; CTA is introducing 24-hour Orange Line service to Midway during 2026; and a proposed 2026 CTA fare increase was suspended, so the rail fare stays $2.50. Pickup zones and curb rules change — we verified MDW's ground-transport details as of June 27, 2026. Always check the in-app pickup pin and posted signs when you land.
Flying out of a nearby airport instead?
If a fare or a schedule points you elsewhere, the closest airport we cover is ORD (Chicago O'Hare), about 15 miles from MDW in a straight line. The same math on this page — drive time, ride cost, security wait — decides whether the extra distance is worth it.
Other airports nearby
Straight-line distance from MDW — check current waits before switching airports.
Before you go MDW
MDW TSA wait times todaySee today's security wait by checkpoint, then time your ride to the airport.Getting-around FAQ MDW
How much is a taxi to or from MDW?
A metered taxi to Downtown Chicago (The Loop) typically runs about $35–$40, before tolls and tip and more in heavy traffic. Taxi stands are on the lower-level curb front (inner lane, Door 2), first-come first-served; use the marked stand only, not the departures roadway.
Where do you catch Uber and Lyft at MDW?
Uber/Lyft pick up on the Lower Level center lane outside Baggage Claim, sorted into color zones: Blue A&B (Doors 2-3), Orange C&D (Doors 3-4) and Green E&F (Door 4). Unlike O'Hare, Midway rideshare is simple curbside on the lower level with no train or shuttle ride required; just match the zone letter your app assigns. Open the app after you land and follow its pickup pin, not the curb out front.
Where is the MDW cell-phone lot?
Midway Cell Phone Lot — Free 90-space lot near 61st Street and Cicero Avenue (about 6101-6145 S. Cicero Ave.), just south of the main airport entrance and roughly four minutes from the terminal; vehicles must stay attended or be ticketed/towed. It's free, and you wait there until your traveler texts that they have their bags.
How far is MDW from Downtown Chicago (The Loop)?
MDW is about 11 miles from Downtown Chicago (The Loop) — roughly 20–45 minutes by car depending on traffic, via Cicero Ave. to I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) northeast into downtown.
Is there a train from MDW to Downtown Chicago (The Loop)?
Yes. Follow 'CTA Trains/Trains to City' signs through the enclosed walkway to the Midway Transportation Center; the Orange Line reaches the Loop in 20-25 minutes for $2.50. It currently runs about 4:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. (CTA is rolling out 24-hour Orange Line service during 2026), with the overnight N62 Archer bus filling any gap.