Wrigley Field, Midway & O'Hare
 

I was planning on taking a weekend in May to Chicago & catching the ChiSox-Cubs game on May 21st. I can't fly out until that Saturday morning & the game starts at 12:20. Southwest & US Airways have the same price. Southwest flies into Midway & US Airways into O'Hare. Which airport would be better? SW's flight arrives in MDW @ 8:10am & US's arrives in ORD @ 8:32am

O'hare is closer, since they are the same price, I would choose USAir. Providing they are still in business.

Check out the Pace/Metra routes on-line for this. I'm not sure if closer is the real criteria. Are you cabbing? That's much more expensive.

If you go Midway, you can take the orange line directly to downtown (very fast) and then another public venue straight to Wrigley. I do that Orange line is straight and quick.

O'Hare is closer, but if you're going to take the train (el) to WF, you'll have to take the O'Hare train into the Loop )(Washington St.) and then hoof it thru the tunnel to get the line that will backtrack you to WF. So it might end up being about the same amount of time as training in from M'way. (You'll still have to transfer, I think).

That's, I do know that the Orange Line is fast. It's the el from Midway to downtown and the newest in the system. That station is very easy to walk to from the plane and you won't be dealing with O'Hare quantity crowds or traffic.

I would think that several other bus/ el routes might go North from the Loop and be pretty fast for the rest of the trip. There are probably a number to pick from as most of the lines are in that direction and South or Southwest, but I seldom go up there so I'm not the person to tell you which. But I do think that any transportation from O'Hare to downtown to Wrigley would be more time consuming because of what it transverses. Doubt if there is a faster O'Hare to Wrigley connect without a lot of transfers etc. Possible, but doubtful.

It would be expensive to cab it, but you might do that from O'Hare if money was no object. Otherwise, the CTA/MTA routes online are your best bet to decide which flight.

See, I knew someone who does North would know, and I thought you would have to backtrack.

I bet the Midway orange line to downtown to North is faster. I believe that connect would be singular and would not include backtracking.

The orange line (midway)is faster than the blue line (ohare), plus you don't have to backtrack to go up to Wrigley (unless I'm forgetting something, you would have to take the Blue Line into the loop and transfer to the red line to go back north.(I'm assuming the game is at Wrigley.) There may be a bus you could pick up at a blue line stop further north to avoid the back track though. Either way, transfer to the Red line in the Loop for the game. Anyone know the north side bus routes?

I will assume somebody looked this up to make sure this game is not at the Cel.....

You can catch the train that leaves the cumberland station and get off at Addison where you can catch a bus.

No, it's at Wrigley. The Cell games are always near the end of June or in July- as they are this year.

If you are flying in to O'Hare you can take the Blue Line to Addison and take the Addison bus right to the ballpark. You will be one of many fans on the train so you won't be able to miss it. If you are staying downtown you can take the Blue Line all the way into the city, drop off your bags, and head back up on the train. You will not be able to bring your bags into the park. Security is tight for those games. Hope you already have a ticket!

From O'Hare, take the Blue Line to Addison, change to the 152 bus which takes you right to Wrigley. I used to live right off of Addison and that is how we went to the airport (in reverse obviously). It's very easy.

The bus may be easy, but service can be sporadic. You may spend an hour waiting for a bus that's supposed to come every ten minutes. I would reccomend Midway. For one thing, you know Southwest will be in business in May. Also, Midway is less crowded and it's easier to get to the El station. Just take the Orange line to Roosevelt than go downstairs to to take the Red line to Addison.

Either airport/train combo takes you through the Loop, where you'll transfer to the northbound Red line. Both trains take about 40 minutes from the airport to downtown. You might want to stay at a Loop hotel convenient to the subway so you can drop your bags quickly. You'll have plenty of time with either flight - Loop train to Wrigley takes only 20 minutes.