Midway (MDW) on the CTA Orange Line, and the N62 when it is not running
The Orange Line runs 20 to 25 minutes to downtown from a station connected to the terminal by an enclosed walkway. The N62 Archer bus covers the night.
- The CTA Orange Line is the cheapest and easiest way between Midway and downtown.
- 20 to 25 minutes to the Loop.
- It runs from about 04:00-04:30 to about 01:00 every day, more often at weekday peaks.
- Overnight the N62 Archer bus covers the route.
- The station is just east of the terminal, at the Midway Transportation Center, connected by an enclosed walkway. Follow the signs saying "CTA Trains" or "Trains to City".
- The station is fully accessible.
- Buy at the vending machines outside the station - they take cash or card.
- Trains run into the Loop on elevated tracks, go clockwise round it, and come back out to Midway making all stops.
- The Orange Line connects to most other CTA lines in the Loop.
- Nine CTA bus routes serve Midway, plus several Pace buses, all from the same Midway Transportation Center.
- With a stored-value Transit Card you get up to two transfers within two hours for 25 cents.
The train
- The Orange Line is Chicago's Midway airport train, and the CTA describes it as the easiest and most affordable way in.
- 20 to 25 minutes to downtown.
- Service runs from roughly 04:00-04:30 until about 01:00, every day, more frequently during weekday morning and evening peaks.
- The trains run into the Loop on elevated tracks, travel clockwise around it, and then make all stops back out to Midway. Once in the Loop you can change to most of the rest of the CTA network.
Finding the station
- It is just east of the terminal building, at the Midway Transportation Center, and it is connected to the airport by an enclosed walkway - which matters in a Chicago January.
- Follow the signs that read "CTA Trains" or "Trains to City".
- The station is fully accessible.
- Vending machines outside the station sell fares and take cash or card.
Overnight
- When the Orange Line stops, the N62 Archer bus takes over as the "owl" service along the same corridor.
- That is the answer to a 02:00 arrival, and it is worth knowing before you land.
The buses
- The CTA runs nine bus routes serving Midway, and several Pace suburban buses also call.
- They all use the Midway Transportation Center, the same place as the train station.
- Transfers: with a stored-value Transit Card or an unlimited ride pass you can make up to two transfers within two hours for 25 cents. Paying a single cash fare gets you no transfer.
Midway and O'Hare
- Midway is the close one, about 16 km south-west of the Loop, and it is Southwest Airlines' Chicago base.
- O'Hare is 27 km north-west on the Blue Line, and it is the big international hub.
- The two are not close to each other. A same-day transfer between them means crossing Chicago.
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