Chicago O'Hare International Airport Statistics 2024

Page last updated: 8 March 2026

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) stands as one of the world’s busiest airports, serving as a critical hub for domestic and international air travel in the Midwest United States. The airport serves over 80 million passengers annually and operates as the second-busiest airport globally for aircraft movements.

Overview

How many passengers pass through O’Hare International Airport each year?

O’Hare International Airport handles over 80 million passengers annually.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) handled 84.85 million passengers in 2025, a 6.0% increase from 80.07 million in 2024 and continuing its strong post-pandemic growth.
Passenger levels were 84.65 million in 2019, fell to 30.86 million in 2020 at the height of the pandemic.
Traffic then rebounded to 54.02 million in 2021, 68.34 million in 2022, and 73.89 million in 2023.

International vs Domestic Passengers

O’Hare maintains a heavily domestic-focused passenger profile, though international traffic represents a notable portion of operations.

In 2025, domestic travel accounted for 70.01 million passengers (82.5% of the total), underscoring ORD’s role as a national hub.
International passengers numbered 14.84 million (17.5%), a segment that continues to expand.

What is the total number of aircraft operations at O’Hare each year?

O’Hare records over 700,000 aircraft movements annually, making it the second-busiest airport in the world for flight operations.

ORD recorded 857,392 aircraft movements in 2025, a 10.5% increase over 2024 (776,036 movements).
Activity is about 93% of the 2019 pre-pandemic peak of 919,704 movements.
Operations dropped to 538,211 in 2020 before recovering to 684,201 in 2021 and 711,561 in 2022.
Activity continued to rise, reaching 720,582 operations in 2023.

Aircraft Operations by Type

The majority of operations at ORD airport in 2025 were conducted by air carriers in both domestic and international segments, totaling 722,553 and 85,841 respectively.
Moreover, cargo operators accounted for 12,290 and 17,662 movements respectively.
General aviation accounted for10,264 domestic operations, while the domestic miscellaneous segment recorded only 8,782 movements.

Aircraft Operations at O’Hare International Airport by Type (2019-2025)

	Domestic				International
Year	Air Carrier	Cargo Operator	General Aviation	Misc.	Air Carrier	Cargo Operator	Misc.
2019	793,158	11,031	10,130	5,840	86,165	13,380	0
2020	433,804	14,480	4,638	26,953	41,940	15,922	474
2021	569,549	13,667	8,084	15,358	59,458	18,085	0
2022	587,102	14,717	10,276	6,760	76,839	15,867	0
2023	603,057	12,535	9,672	2,050	78,202	15,066	0
2024	648,519	12,609	10,732	5,664	81,649	16,852	11
2025	722,553	12,290	10,264	8,782	85,841	17,662	0

Which airlines operate the most flights out of O’Hare International Airport?

United and American Airlines together dominate O’Hare, controlling approximately 75% of the passenger market in a classic duopoly structure.

Between February 2024 and January 2025, United Airlines led with 37.08 million passengers, capturing 46.3% of the market share.
American Airlines followed with 23.4 million passengers and 29.2% share.
Spirit Airlines and Delta Air Lines were nearly tied, each with around 3 million passengers and 3.7% market share.
Southwest Airlines carried 1.51 million passengers, accounting for 1.9% of the market.

Top 10 Airlines at ORD Airport by Passenger Volume (Feb’24-Jan’25)

Airline	Total Passenger (in Millions)	Market Share
United	37.08	46.3%
American	23.40	29.2%
Spirit	2.98	3.7%
Delta	2.97	3.7%
Southwest	1.51	1.9%
Frontier	1.13	1.4%
Alaska	0.96	1.2%
Volaris	0.57	0.7%
Lufthansa	0.56	0.7%
Air Canada	0.55	0.7%

Monthly Trends in Passenger Traffic at O’Hare

Passenger traffic at O’Hare in 2025 peaks during the summer months, with July (8.26 million), June (8.04 million) and August (8.02 million) being the busiest.
Travel remains high in May (7.99 million) and October (7.92 million).
The least busy months are January (5.58 million) and February (5.11 million), reflecting lower winter demand.

Which destinations are the most popular from O’Hare International Airport?

Domestic Destinations

The most popular domestic destination from O’Hare International Airport (ORD ) in 2024 was New York (1.32 million passengers).
Los Angeles (1.17 million) and Denver (1.05 million) are the next most traveled routes.
Dallas/Fort Worth (953,000) and San Francisco (932,000) round out the top five destinations.

International Destinations

London, United Kingdom (LHR), with 1.09 million passengers, was the most popular international destination from O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in 2024.
Pearson-Toronto, Canada (YYZ) and Cancún, Mexico (CUN) follow with 910,966 and 875,047 passengers, respectively.
Mexico City, Mexico (756,872) and Frankfurt, Germany (675,967) complete the top five international destinations.

How much cargo does O’Hare International Airport handle annually?

O’Hare International Airport is a premier global air cargo hub handling over 2 million metric tons of cargo annually.

ORD processed 2.23 million metric tons of cargo in 2025, ranking sixth in North America by tonnage and first by cargo value.
Volumes were 1.79 million metric tons in 2019, rising to 2.05 million in 2020 and reaching a record 2.54 million in 2021.
Cargo throughput then totaled 2.24 million metric tons in 2022, 1.91 million in 2023, and 2.07 million in 2024.

Delays and Cancellations at O’Hare

On‑time departures: 77% in 2024 (79% in 2023)
On‑time arrivals: 78% in 2024 (79% in 2023)
Cancellation rate: 1.35%, up from 1.22% in 2023
Average departure delay: 76.4 minutes (71.4 minutes in 2023)
Average arrival delay: 80.5 minutes (78.2 minutes in 2023)

What is the total annual operating revenue generated at O’Hare International Airport?

O’Hare international airport generates over $1 billion in operating revenue annually.

The total annual operating revenue generated at O’Hare International Airport has steadily increased over the years, reaching $1.61 billion in 2024.
This marks a rise from $1.43 billion in 2023 and $1.26 billion in 2022, recovering strongly from $905.6 million in 2020 during the pandemic.
Compared to $1.15 billion in 2021 and $1.25 billion in 2019, the 2024 revenue reflects consistent post-pandemic growth.

What are the notable airport incidents at O’Hare?

On September 17, 1961, Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 706 crashed on takeoff, killing all 37 aboard.
On August 16, 1965, United Airlines Flight 389 crashed into Lake Michigan near O’Hare, killing all 30 on board.
On December 27, 1968, North Central Airlines Flight 458 crashed into a hangar at O’Hare, killing 28 people.
On December 20, 1972, North Central Flight 575 collided with Delta Flight 954 during takeoff, killing 10 passengers.
On May 25, 1979, American Airlines Flight 191 crashed shortly after takeoff, killing 273 people—the deadliest single-aircraft crash in U.S. history.
On March 19, 1982, a U.S. Air Force KC-135 crashed near Woodstock during approach, killing all 27 on board.
On February 9, 1998, American Airlines Flight 1340 crashed while landing, injuring 22 passengers.
On July 23, 2006, a near miss occurred between United Flight 1015 and Atlas Air Flight 6972; all 131 aboard survived.
On October 28, 2016, American Airlines Flight 383 aborted takeoff due to an engine fire, injuring 21 people.
On June 13, 2022, extreme turbulence during the landing of American Flight 151 injured a passenger not wearing a seatbelt; a lawsuit followed in 2024.

How many car rental brands operate at Chicago O’Hare Airport?

11 rental car brands operate at Chicago O’Hare Airport, with a total of over 14 car rental suppliers across Chicago.

What is the average cost of renting a car at Chicago O’Hare Airport?

On average, car rentals at Chicago O’Hare Airport cost around $50 per day, with the lowest-priced rentals available from $4 per day.

Chicago Travel Resources

Other US Airport Statistics

America & USA Travel Statistics Resources

References

FC: Chicago Department of Aviation Air Traffic Data
DT: International Destination of Passenger from O’Hare International Airport
BTS: Top Domestic Destination of Passenger from O’Hare International Airport and On-Time Performance Summary
NTSB: O’Hare International Airport Incident Information