Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) serves Chicago, United States, and sits about 17 miles from the city center at an elevation of 668 feet. It ranks among the major air hubs in the country, handling a substantial mix of connections that stretch across the domestic network as well as long-haul international links.

The traffic pattern at O'Hare reflects a dual role as both a domestic connector and an international gateway. Departures and arrivals span a wide geographic range within the United States, linking Chicago to destinations across nearly every region of the country, from coast to coast. Alongside this domestic density, the airport maintains meaningful transatlantic connectivity, with routes reaching into Western Europe. This combination of extensive short- and medium-haul domestic service paired with select long-haul international flights is characteristic of a major connecting hub, where passengers frequently transfer between continental and intercontinental services.

For travelers, this scale means O'Hare experiences a high volume of daily operations, drawing traffic from diverse climates and air corridors. Those flying through the airport, whether on domestic hops or transatlantic journeys, should expect a facility built around heavy connecting traffic, with flight patterns influenced by conditions across a broad swath of North America and the North Atlantic corridor.