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List of airports in the Chicago area
In the 20th century, Chicago, Illinois, held on to its status as a transportation hub with the building of two major airports. Chicago is now working to maintain its status as a transportation hub in the Uni ted States by expanding O'Hare Airport. Additionally, a new airport has been proposed for Peotone, and the city is working toward expanding its ties with the Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, Indiana.
Major airports
O'Hare International Airport, which is the busiest airport in the world by one measure, is a major airport serving numerous domestic and international destinations. It is a hub for United Airlines and American Airlines. Construction is underway for a major expansion. O’Hare Airport Map
Midway International Airport serves primarily domestic destinations. It is a major hub for Southwest Airlines and ATA Airlines, as well as a focus city for AirTran Airways.
Minor airports
There are several minor airports in the Chicago area with either limited or proposed commercial service. These include:
Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, Indiana, located about 25 miles from Chicago. Gary/Chicago is operating as the "third airport" for the Chicagoland area. While Gary/Chicago Int. Airport's current operations do not include scheduled commercial passenger service, it is currently undergoing much federally funded expansion, and the administration is courting airlines aggressively. Boeing and Whiteco, already base their corporate fleets here. The National Guard is constructing facilities to base their Chicagoland air operation there as well.
Northwest Chicagoland International Airport at Rockford in Rockford, supports scheduled airline service to Denver International Airport. Rockford officials are positioning the airport to attract customers from Chicago's western suburbs.
Meigs Field, was formerly another minor Chicago airport. In a controversial move in 2003, Mayor Richard Daley ordered crews to destroy the runway during the night, bulldozing large X's into the runway's surface. No notice was given to the owners of airplanes tied down at the field, and as a result sixteen planes were left stranded at an airport with no operating runway. They were later allowed to depart from Meigs' taxiway. Meigs Field was unique for its proximity to Chicago's downtown, and was one of the busiest airstrips for private planes in the world. The land was converted into a lakeside park, although recent proposals suggest that a new airstrip and aviation museum may be opened alongside the park.
Proposed airports
There have been two airports proposed to be built from scratch in the last twenty years:
Calumet Airport was to have been built in what is now Lake Calumet on the South Side of Chicago as a replacement for O'Hare. Plans were shelved in favor of a plan for expanding O'Hare.
Peotone South Suburban Airport has been proposed as a regional airport in far-south-suburban Peotone, Illinois.
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