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(WGN) — If you’ve experienced the relief of landing at Chicago O’Hare International Airport only to have it followed by the frustration of a seemingly endless taxi to the gate, you’re not alone.
“I think the worst ones are when I’m coming back from Minneapolis, and the flight is 40 minutes and the taxi time is longer than the actual flight was, which happens!” said frequent flyer Pan Fanshaw.
A WGN Investigates analysis of FAA data found that the amount of time it takes planes to move around the airfield is higher than at any other airport in the nation.
In 2018, the average time from gate to runway was 22 1/2 minutes. This year, it’s climbed to more than 28 minutes. Taxi times after landing have also increased, from 13.6 minutes to more than 18 minutes on average.
“This issue, unfortunately, is not going to go away. In fact, it could get a little worse,” said DePaul University transportation expert Joe Schwieterman. “With all the increased flights and planes forced to use farther out runways, it’s a fairly stressful time for passengers. Add construction to the mix, and boy, we’re unfortunately the highest in the country for travel time right now.”
FAA data show that 16 percent of flights had taxi times from the gate to takeoff of over 40 minutes.
Upon landing, it took 10 percent of flights more than 30 minutes to reach the gate.
Why so long?
Construction on the new concourse D is partially to blame and so are increased operations from airlines enjoying a record number of flights. Mix in bad weather, a runway re-assignment or lack of an open gate, and the delays worsen.
The new concourse is expected to be complete in late 2028. It will add 19 new gates, which will ease the frustrating feeling of landing only to learn your airplane has no place to park.
When concourse D is complete, another major project is set to begin: Construction that will transform Terminal 2 into a new international terminal.
“The most significant airfield construction work at O’Hare International Airport has been completed, and construction of the New Concourse D and other future facilities is expected to have minimal impact on day-to-day airfield operations,” the Chicago Department of Aviation wrote in an e-mailed statement.
More flights, more delays
In some ways, O’Hare has become a victim of its renewed success. The airport reclaimed its title as “world’s busiest” in 2025.
United and American have also been in a fevered pitch for customers, leading each carrier to add flights.
The competition became so intense that the FAA grew concerned about whether the airfield could handle the increased operations and capped summer flights at 2,708 per day.
As O’Hare’s biggest airline, United has tried to ease some of the delays by pouring new pavement near some gates and adding gate arrival time information to its app for passengers to see after landing.
Passengers kill time logging delays
Traveler Pat Fanshaw and some friends have started a text stream cataloging their long taxi times.
“We’re in the remote parking lot,” one wrote.
“The pilot didn’t mention that they would just taxi to Canada,” another texted.
“I think we’ve been so beaten down by how long it takes to taxi that you just kind of expect a half-an-hour, 40 minutes,” Fanshaw said. “Maybe we’re setting ourselves up psychologically, like ‘It only took 10 minutes, oh my gosh, that was amazing!'”
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