Transportation
Airports: Chicago is serviced by two international airports: O’Hare (ORD) and Midway (MDW). O’Hare is northwest of the city; Midway is southwest of the city. When booking your flight or other travel arrangements, please be mindful the Convention ends at 12pm on Friday. By a conservative estimate, the earliest departing flight you could reasonably catch would be at 3pm on Friday afternoon if you plan to attend the entire Convention.
Public Transit: We are big proponents of public transit, not only as a “green” option, but as a means to avoid the traffic congestion that often surrounds and infiltrates Chicago. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) services the subway system (lovingly called the “L,” as some of the train lines run above ground on an elevated track) and the bus system.
The Blue L line services O’Hare to downtown; the Orange L line services Midway to downtown.
The nearest L stops to the Palmer House Hilton are:
Ventra is the name of the card payment system used to ride CTA trains and buses. You may purchase pay-as-you-go Ventra tickets (paper) at both airports and at most L stations with cash or a credit/debit card. Kiosks are near the L entrance gates. “Passes” that allow unlimited rides on the L and the bus are available in 1-Day, 3-Day, and 7-Day values. To learn more about the CTA, click on any of these links: CTA homepage/services , fares , and maps. To learn more about Ventra, check out the How-to Videos here.
**Travel Hacking Tip on transit:
Travel Planners Apps: Although the CTA website has its own travel planner app, we highly recommend using Google Maps (click here). In our experience, it is much more accurate. When you search for directions using Google Maps, you may choose between walking, public transit, or car (taxi). It will give you estimated travel times based on traffic.
Parking for Those Staying at a Hotel: If you are driving from out of town and staying overnight, we highly recommend finding a place to park your car and leaving it there. Parking can be costly with in/out fees, and driving in Chicago can be tricky with unannounced construction and traffic. Many hotels offer parking (often at rates of $50 or more per day), but you can also find parking deals ($10 - $20 per day) via apps such as Park Whiz, Chicago Best Parking, or Spot Hero.
**Travel Hacking Tip on parking: Park your car at one of the long-term parking lots at either airport, then take the train to the hotel. Here is one suggested long-term parking lot at Midway recommended by one of our DePaul grad students: https://midwayspeedpark.com/special-offer
Taxis/Ride Shares: As a major metropolitan city, taxis and ride shares abound. Many rides within downtown Chicago will cost between $10-$15; rides from downtown Chicago to North, South, or West neighborhoods will likely cost $15-$25, depending on traffic and peak times. Here are links regarding Passenger Information for Chicago Taxis and Lyft (you can download an app from your phone’s app store).
Note to the Wise on Traffic: if you are traveling from either airport to the downtown area (or vice versa) during weekday rush hour (mornings 6am – 10am; evenings 3pm to 7pm), we highly recommend you check transit times using a travel planner such as Google Maps before you consider taking a taxi or other ground transit. Commute times by car during rush hour from either airport to downtown (or vice versa) can range from 1 hour to 2 hours. The Blue Line train from O’Hare to downtown (or vice versa) consistently takes 1 hour and the Orange Line train from Midway to downtown (or vice versa) consistently takes about 30 minutes.
Commuter Rail: Chicago has two main downtown terminals (within 3 blocks of each other) for commuter trains and Amtrak: (1) Union Station, and (2) Ogilvie. From Union Station to the Palmer House Hilton, it is a 15-minute walk straight east on Monroe Avenue, or a 4-minute taxi/share ride. From Ogilvie to downtown hotels, it is a 20-minute walk (east on Madison, south/right on State Street, left/east on Monroe Avenue), or a 5-minute taxi/share ride. The bus will take you 11-20 minutes from either commuter rail station to downtown hotels, but it isn't worth the hassle because it requires transferring buses on your way to downtown, so walking (if you want the exercise) or taxi/share ride (if you want the convenience) is easiest.
Public Transit: We are big proponents of public transit, not only as a “green” option, but as a means to avoid the traffic congestion that often surrounds and infiltrates Chicago. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) services the subway system (lovingly called the “L,” as some of the train lines run above ground on an elevated track) and the bus system.
The Blue L line services O’Hare to downtown; the Orange L line services Midway to downtown.
The nearest L stops to the Palmer House Hilton are:
- Red Line: Monroe (and State)
- Blue Line: Monroe (and Dearborn)
- Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines: (1) Adams and Wabash, or (2) Washington and Wabash
Ventra is the name of the card payment system used to ride CTA trains and buses. You may purchase pay-as-you-go Ventra tickets (paper) at both airports and at most L stations with cash or a credit/debit card. Kiosks are near the L entrance gates. “Passes” that allow unlimited rides on the L and the bus are available in 1-Day, 3-Day, and 7-Day values. To learn more about the CTA, click on any of these links: CTA homepage/services , fares , and maps. To learn more about Ventra, check out the How-to Videos here.
**Travel Hacking Tip on transit:
- If you want ease of mind and hate doing math under pressure, then pay for a pass.
- If you want to save money and live like a real Chicagoan, then purchase a permanent (plastic) Ventra Card (learn more about Ventra Cards here)
- You can buy a Ventra Card at a vending machine. It charges you a $5 refundable fee for the card, plus your transit value. However, if you register the Ventra Card online or using the Ventra app, then the $5 fee you paid for the card is transferred to transit value. Learn more here.
- Like to plan ahead? Purchase a Ventra Card now online for $5.00. The card is mailed to you within 10 days, and the purchase amount immediately goes toward your transit value. With the Ventra card, you can add more money to your card using a mobile phone app. Learn more here (and when it asks “What would you like to start with?,” click the button for “none” and choose your “Add Transit Value” amount starting as low as $5). With the Ventra app, you can also purchase Metra tickets and use your phone as your ticket.
Travel Planners Apps: Although the CTA website has its own travel planner app, we highly recommend using Google Maps (click here). In our experience, it is much more accurate. When you search for directions using Google Maps, you may choose between walking, public transit, or car (taxi). It will give you estimated travel times based on traffic.
Parking for Those Staying at a Hotel: If you are driving from out of town and staying overnight, we highly recommend finding a place to park your car and leaving it there. Parking can be costly with in/out fees, and driving in Chicago can be tricky with unannounced construction and traffic. Many hotels offer parking (often at rates of $50 or more per day), but you can also find parking deals ($10 - $20 per day) via apps such as Park Whiz, Chicago Best Parking, or Spot Hero.
**Travel Hacking Tip on parking: Park your car at one of the long-term parking lots at either airport, then take the train to the hotel. Here is one suggested long-term parking lot at Midway recommended by one of our DePaul grad students: https://midwayspeedpark.com/special-offer
Taxis/Ride Shares: As a major metropolitan city, taxis and ride shares abound. Many rides within downtown Chicago will cost between $10-$15; rides from downtown Chicago to North, South, or West neighborhoods will likely cost $15-$25, depending on traffic and peak times. Here are links regarding Passenger Information for Chicago Taxis and Lyft (you can download an app from your phone’s app store).
Note to the Wise on Traffic: if you are traveling from either airport to the downtown area (or vice versa) during weekday rush hour (mornings 6am – 10am; evenings 3pm to 7pm), we highly recommend you check transit times using a travel planner such as Google Maps before you consider taking a taxi or other ground transit. Commute times by car during rush hour from either airport to downtown (or vice versa) can range from 1 hour to 2 hours. The Blue Line train from O’Hare to downtown (or vice versa) consistently takes 1 hour and the Orange Line train from Midway to downtown (or vice versa) consistently takes about 30 minutes.
Commuter Rail: Chicago has two main downtown terminals (within 3 blocks of each other) for commuter trains and Amtrak: (1) Union Station, and (2) Ogilvie. From Union Station to the Palmer House Hilton, it is a 15-minute walk straight east on Monroe Avenue, or a 4-minute taxi/share ride. From Ogilvie to downtown hotels, it is a 20-minute walk (east on Madison, south/right on State Street, left/east on Monroe Avenue), or a 5-minute taxi/share ride. The bus will take you 11-20 minutes from either commuter rail station to downtown hotels, but it isn't worth the hassle because it requires transferring buses on your way to downtown, so walking (if you want the exercise) or taxi/share ride (if you want the convenience) is easiest.
