Newbie to Amtrak - need to get to O'Hare from Union Station

Hi All!

As the topic title states I'm new to the whole train experience. I'm traveling from Michigan to Union Station. I need to get to the O'Hare airport and I thought taking the train would probably be a better idea then hailing a cab. So I've read up on some of the tips so far. I understand that I will have to walk from Union Station to Clinton. Now is that an underground walkway or no. Also I am traveling alone. Should I be worried a single female with luggage walking the roads? Any tips or advise for a Newbie? Please Help! I'm very nervous about this whole experience and could really use some reassurance.

- Kerri

The Blue Line of the CTA runs between ORD airport and downtown Chicago (aka "the Loop"). Union Station is just outside of the Loop and is within easy walking distance of a couple of CTA stations. Although I'm not a Chicago native, my recollection is that Union Station is in a pretty safe, well-populated business district.

Probably the easiest transfer is to come out of Union Station to the west (you should end up on Clinton Street). Turn left and walk three blocks south. You'll see the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) above you and the Clinton-Blue station should be right there (at Clinton and Congress). Get on a Blue Line train heading towards O'Hare and you should get there about 45 minutes later.

Try going to the following Google Map link. Assuming your screen is roughly the size of mine, Union Station should be in the upper middle and Clinton-Blue station should be in the lower middle-left. (The Sears Tower should be to the far right--an interesting sight in satellite imagery!)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&...p;z=17&om=0

Also check out Wikitravel's great guide to Chicago:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Chicago#Get_in

Hope this helps!

jackal said:

The Blue Line of the CTA runs between ORD airport and downtown Chicago (aka "the Loop"). Union Station is just outside of the Loop and is within easy walking distance of a couple of CTA stations. Although I'm not a Chicago native, my recollection is that Union Station is in a pretty safe, well-populated business district.
Probably the easiest transfer is to come out of Union Station to the west (you should end up on Clinton Street). Turn left and walk three blocks south. You'll see the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290) above you and the Clinton-Blue station should be right there (at Clinton and Congress). Get on a Blue Line train heading towards O'Hare and you should get there about 45 minutes later.

Try going to the following Google Map link. Assuming your screen is roughly the size of mine, Union Station should be in the upper middle and Clinton-Blue station should be in the lower middle-left. (The Sears Tower should be to the far right--an interesting sight in satellite imagery!)

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&hl=en&...p;z=17&om=0

Also check out Wikitravel's great guide to Chicago:

http://wikitravel.org/en/Chicago#Get_in

Hope this helps!

Click to expand...

I second all of that above. The Blue Line train is part of the CTA, and is a steal. It will take you downtown to O'Hare for $2. The area around Union Station is well populated. I wouldn't worry at all during the daytime. If you google "CTA", the Chicago Transit Authority's website will contain everything you possibly could need to know. To summarize the highlights, basically when you get to the CTA station you have to get a disposable transit card that you load with $2 and then use to get through the turnstile to get on the train. You can do this at the Clinton station either from a vending machine, or I think there should be a ticket agent there as well. Just get on a train that says "O'Hare" on the front (instead of "Forest Park"). Trains run frequently at all times and are generally safe, clean and efficient.

Taxi cab is another option. Of course then there is very little walking. Fare is $30 - $40 from downtown to O'Hare. You should have no trouble getting a cab especially during the daytime.

A final option is to take the Metra commuter rail North Central line out of Union Station. But you probably don't want to do this. There is an old discussion of why not here: http://discuss.amtraktrains.com/index.php?...amp;#entry81867

I recommend you walk to the Clinton stop and take the Blue Line. Just print off from Google Maps and tick off the streets south of Union Station until you get to expressway and you should see the steps to the subway rising out of the sidewalk. You shouldn't have to worry about your safety during the day if only because of the volume of traffic that will driving along the entire path from Union Station to the subway station. Then once you're on the train you just ride to the end of the line and it drops you off right in center of O'Hare where you need to be. You may consider a cab if it's late or you have obscene amounts of luggage.

Re your question about walking from Union Station to Clinton, Union Station is on Clinton. When you get off the train, if you're like me you'll be turned around and won't know what direction you're heading, but just ask someone and they can tell where to go to get to the Clinton exit. I don't think Clinton has a front entrance anymore, so you'd probably have to go out a side entrance. I'm probably making it sound more complicated than it really is.

You'll be headed on Clinton toward the Blue Line and I have often headed the opposite direction on Clinton to the Ogilvie Transporation Center, which is also about 3 blocks. With one suitcase and a couple of messenger bag types of things over my shoulder, I'm pretty well loaded down, but the walk is ok. I've never felt unsafe. But I wouldn't want to do it at night.

Betty

The easiest way to get to Clinton street is to enter the Great Hall from the train gate area, turn left when you get into the Great Hall and walk all the way to the far wall. There is a colonnade you take to the right and doors onto Clinton Street at the end of that walkway. Follow Clinton two blocks south to the freeway and the Blue Line entrance is right under the Expressway. Can't miss it.

CTA and metra as these fine men have stated are good resources, and cheap. Don't count on your safety in Union Station because the Amtrak / Metra cops are chickens afraid of their own shadow, I know from experience.

One other option you have for getting to ORD is to get to a nearby hotel and take the Airport Express shuttle out there. This will cost more than the other two transit options, but still an option none the less.

Edit: if you have any trouble once at ORD, I know everyone out there, especially the people who count. PM me for more info if you think you may need it.

Why is it that Metra looks like it's about to fall apart financially and the El looks like it's been fed gold? When you look at the two websites (www.transitchicago.com and www.metrarail.com), it's pretty clear that Metra seems to be the Chicago step child and that the El is the love child. Ironically, when you ride them, it seems to be the other way around. LOL

Just a casual observation. I suspect that Metra costs more to operate and that with Chicago already pumping bazillions into the El, there's just not as much money left over for the Metra. But the Metra covers a larger politcal region, so I'd think that they'd actually be better off, financially. Maybe the El has 10x the ridership... I don't know. Anyone with any guesses?

As many folks stated above, its a fairly easy and I think relatively safe walk from CUS to the Clinton Station (Blue Line). You should not have any difficulties if carrying "carry-on" type bags, but you may some challenges if you are lugging large duffel bags.

As MrFSS indicated, head towards the Great Hall when you arrive in the station. Once in the Great Hall, head to the left - your 10-11 o'clock position if you follow my meaning. Upon exiting CUS on Clinton, take a left. You'll pass a parking garage on your left. The street level stairs down to the Blue Line are directly under the expressway bridge. I think there is an elevator, but I don't recall.

Hope this helps!

Deimos

deimos said:

As many folks stated above, its a fairly easy and I think relatively safe walk from CUS to the Clinton Station (Blue Line). You should not have any difficulties if carrying "carry-on" type bags, but you may some challenges if you are lugging large duffel bags.
As MrFSS indicated, head towards the Great Hall when you arrive in the station. Once in the Great Hall, head to the left - your 10-11 o'clock position if you follow my meaning. Upon exiting CUS on Clinton, take a left. You'll pass a parking garage on your left. The street level stairs down to the Blue Line are directly under the expressway bridge. I think there is an elevator, but I don't recall.

Hope this helps!

Deimos

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I have never seen an elevator at that Clinton Street Station, and the web page for the Blue Line indicates it is NOT handicap friendly.

MrFSS said:

deimos said:

The street level stairs down to the Blue Line are directly under the expressway bridge. I think there is an elevator, but I don't recall.
Hope this helps!

Deimos

Click to expand...

I have never seen an elevator at that Clinton Street Station, and the web page for the Blue Line indicates it is NOT handicap friendly.

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No elevator at Clinton. From the token booth level down to the platform there are escalators, assuming that they are working. But from the street to the token booth level only stairs.

VentureForth said:

Why is it that Metra looks like it's about to fall apart financially and the El looks like it's been fed gold? When you look at the two websites (www.transitchicago.com and www.metrarail.com), it's pretty clear that Metra seems to be the Chicago step child and that the El is the love child. Ironically, when you ride them, it seems to be the other way around. LOL
Just a casual observation. I suspect that Metra costs more to operate and that with Chicago already pumping bazillions into the El, there's just not as much money left over for the Metra. But the Metra covers a larger politcal region, so I'd think that they'd actually be better off, financially. Maybe the El has 10x the ridership... I don't know. Anyone with any guesses?

Click to expand...

Actually, L ridership is only about double Metra's ridership, 500-600k for the L and between 250-300K for Metra (weekday daily).

Metra has a lot of riders from within the city proper, so it competes head-to-head with the CTA.

Conversely, L ridership isn't as high as one would expect because the densest-populated neighborhoods on the lakefront are about a mile from the L; people in these neighborhoods tend to go downtown on CTA express buses that use Lake Shore Drive, an expressway in all but name.

As to the websites, CTA just got a new one while Metra has been using the same one (with a few tweaks) for years. Metra is a very traditional organization; they don't take credit cards and still take checks!

How much would a cab be to run to Jackson or Grand? Probably less than $10, and both those stations are listed as accessible.

OK - Answered my own question. Looks like it would be about a $5 cab fare to Jackson and $6 to Grand. With tip. Not bad...

I was just thinking there is another way between CUS and O'Hare by both Metra and CTA. Go out the Madison entrance to CUS, cross the street to the Olgive Transit Center and take Metra to either Irving Park or Jefferson Park station and transfer to the CTA blue line there as IIRC it's a same station facility connection between both.