Travel from O'Hare to Evanston
When you arrive at O’Hare airport, there are four options for transit from the airport to Evanston:
(1) Chicago’s subway system, called the “El.” Depending on which terminal your flight lands in, navigate to Terminal 3 and follow signs for “Trains to City / CTA.” You will need to purchase a Metra ticket at one of the machines located outside of the entrance to the subway. It will cost $5 for a one-way trip from O’Hare to Evanston.
Note that there is no direct subway line from O’Hare to Evanston! That makes this the longest trip by duration! You will have to take the Blue Line (which departs from O’Hare) to the Lake station, where you will transfer to the Red Line. You will then take the Red Line to its termination point at Howard station, where you will transfer to the Purple Line, which you will then take to the Davis station in downtown Evanston. From there you can walk to the Hyatt House, your AirBnB, or wherever you are staying. This trip will cost take approximately 2 hours. You can find more information about the El here.
(2) The bus system also travels from O’Hare to Evanston. This is the quickest transit option, though it is still quite a bit slower than taking a taxi or Uber.
When you arrive at O’Hare, exit the terminal and proceed to the “Airport Transit System (ATS),” a free train that connects each terminal with the Multi-Modal Facility. Take the ATS train to the Multi-Modal Facility, where you will wait for the next “Route 250 – Pace Bus,” which travels from O’Hare to Evanston. This journey will cost $4.50 (be sure to have exact change!) and will take approximately one and a half hours.
(3) A ride share (Uber/Lyft) is by far the most convenient (but also most expensive) option for transit from O’Hare to the Hyatt House. When you arrive at O’Hare, go to the upper level of Terminal 2, where you will wait for your driver to pick you up and bring you to Hyatt House Evanston (1515 Chicago Ave, Evanston, IL 60201). Depending on the time of day and surge pricing, you can expect to pay between $38-$50 for a ride share.
(4) O’Hare also has a fleet of taxis that are available in a line at the downstairs of Terminal 2. These will cost approximately $40-50. This is probably the easiest option.
Accommodations
We hope you were able to secure a room within the block of rooms we reserved in the Hyatt House; that block is now full. Please contact the Hyatt House Evanston directly if you still need to inquire into a room reservation. AirBnB also has plenty of options within walking distance to campus.