ORD Terminal 5

O’Hare Terminal 5 serves as the airport’s main international terminal and is home to airlines such as Delta and Sun Country. Located on the eastern side of ORD, this standalone terminal handles scheduled departures for many global airlines serving Asia, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

As the terminal is far from the other terminals, it connects to them via the 24/7 Airport Transit System (ATS) train and the Terminal Transfer Bus.

Whether you are flying out on a long-haul international flight, boarding a Delta flight, or planning to find parking near the terminal, our ORD Terminal 5 guide will provide you with all the essential details for a smooth departure.

Terminal 5 has two main passenger levels. The upper level features the TSA security checkpoints, airline check-in counters, lounges, self-service baggage drop kiosks, and entry to Concourse M’s departure gates.

All gates in O’Hare Terminal 5 are located along Concourse M, which features 30 gates numbered from M1 to M40. The west wing of the terminal features Gates M1 to M11; Gates M12 to M20 are located at the central concourse, and the new Gates M21 to M40 sprawl across the east wing.

O’Hare Terminal 5 opened as the airport’s first permanent international terminal in 1993. Before that, international flights operated from the temporary Terminal 4 located inside the Main Parking Garage’s lower level.

To handle increasing passenger traffic and modern wide-body passenger jets, the city executed a massive $1 billion redevelopment program under O’Hare 21. As a result, Concourse M expanded by more than 300,000 sq ft, and the project revamped the check-in areas, added 10 new departure gates, and moved the base of Delta Air Lines to this building.

Regional airlines, a few domestic carriers, and many international long-haul carriers operate from O’Hare Terminal 5. The terminal also hosts the operation of all domestic and international departures for Delta Air Lines.

If you are flying out from this terminal, be sure to confirm your departure gate on the airline’s app before driving to the airport. Flight schedule changes are also common at ORD during peak travel periods, so we recommend that you check the live ORD flight status before driving to the airport.

You can find a huge, centralized TSA security screening area at O’Hare Terminal 5’s upper departure level. The checkpoint offers standard passenger screening lanes along with dedicated TSA PreCheck lanes and CLEAR Plus verification kiosks.

Typically, Terminal 5’s TSA wait times at regular hours range between 15 and 25 minutes. However, the wait times can surge to 35 to 45 minutes during the bustling late afternoon and evening departure hours. This is the time when boarding for several wide-body international flights happens. As the wait times can vary based on the time of your travel, we recommend that you check the live ORD TSA wait times before heading to ORD.

For the closest parking to O’Hare Terminal 5, you can use the Terminal 5 Parking Garage and Lot D. Terminal 5 Garage is a six-story parking garage that offers short-term and long-term O’Hare Airport parking spots. An enclosed pedestrian bridge connects the garage to Terminal 5. For outdoor parking, you can use the nearby Lot D, which is a short walk away from the check-in lobby.

Economy Lots F, G, and H offer other suitable onsite parking options if you are flying out from Terminal 5. Economy Lot F offers covered parking spots, whereas G and H offer uncovered parking spots. You can use the ATS train to connect to the terminal from Lot F. From Lots G and H, take the shuttle to the Multi-Modal Facility and then ride the ATS.

If your priority is getting the cheapest parking rates around, then offsite lots are your best bet. Though the offsite lots are a few miles away, most of them offer a free round-trip shuttle service, which helps you reach the terminal on time. Reserving parking at an offsite lot will help you save around 60% on the parking rates.

O’Hare Terminal 5 features many premium lounges for SkyTeam members, international travelers, and airline club pass holders. The Delta Sky Club features a full-service bar, quiet workspaces, hot food buffets, and tarmac views. Some international carriers also have dedicated lounges in the terminal offering light snacks, comfortable seating, and private rest areas before boarding the flight.

Terminal 5 has a variety of dining and shopping choices across Concourse M. You can have a meal at Bar Siena or Hub 51, grab a quick bite from Chick-fil-A, or pick up local popcorn from Garrett Popcorn before boarding your flight.

Getting dropped off at O’Hare Terminal 5 is simple. Taxis, Uber, Lyft, or other vehicles drop you off on the upper-level roadway, outside the main check-in lobby. If you’re coming to ORD on the CTA Blue Line, ride it to the domestic terminal station, then head to the ATS platform and get in the automated train to Terminal 5.

If you’re arriving at the Multi-Modal Facility on a Metra train or regional bus, board the free ATS train, which runs straight to Terminal 5.

You have two options if you are transferring to any other ORD terminals from this terminal. If you have a same-day boarding pass for a flight departing from Terminal 1 or Terminal 3, board the Terminal Transfer Bus near Gate M13 between 11:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m. It will take you to Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 without re-clearing security. If you are outside the security area, board the ATS train, which operates 24/7 from all domestic terminals to the upper level of Terminal 5.

A major $1 billion expansion under the O’Hare 21 program just wrapped up at Terminal 5. It includes the addition of 10 new departure gates, along with a larger overall footprint. The upgrade also added new ticket counters for Delta Air Lines, upgraded the central security checkpoint, and brought fresh dining and shopping options across the eastern wing.