BlaakLane.com books Chicago Midway car service at a fixed fare you see before you confirm. Give the flight, address and vehicle class; the chauffeur tracks the landing, waits 30 minutes free on domestic flights and 60 minutes on international ones, and meets you at the area Midway designates for pre-arranged cars outside baggage claim.
How do I book car service from Midway?
Open the reservation engine on this page or the book page, choose Chicago Midway (MDW), add the flight number and your address, and pick a class. The fare shown is the fare you pay, whether the Stevenson Expressway is clear or crawling. Add a phone number that will be switched on at landing.
Chicago trips are driven by a vetted local affiliate operator from the LimousineWorldwide.Directory network, held to the BlaakLane.com written standard. Your confirmation names the operator, chauffeur and vehicle, and the Toronto desk is staffed 24/7.
The Midway terminal
Midway is a compact, one-terminal airport on the Southwest Side, about 16 km from the Loop, run by the Chicago Department of Aviation. Three concourses, A, B and C, lead off a central hall; ticketing is on the upper level and baggage claim on the lower level. The terminal sits across Cicero Avenue from the CTA station and the main parking garage, linked by an enclosed walkway. Southwest Airlines carries most of the traffic, with a few other domestic and leisure carriers.
Where does the chauffeur meet you at MDW?
Standard service is curbside at the zone the airport designates for pre-arranged ground transportation outside lower-level baggage claim. After you collect your bags, message the chauffeur, who replies with the door number and car details. The chauffeur waits at the zone, not inside. A name-board welcome at baggage claim is available as the meet and greet add-on; add-ons are only available in selected locations, and the booking engine shows when it applies.
International arrivals at Midway
Midway handles a limited number of international flights, mainly to and from Mexico and the Caribbean, through its own federal inspection area. If your flight arrives from abroad, the 60-minute international waiting allowance applies, starting at actual touchdown. Most passengers on these smaller flights clear immigration and customs within 30 to 45 minutes. Long-haul international travellers land at O'Hare.
Drive times from Midway
| Destination | Typical drive |
|---|---|
| The Loop and the West Loop | 20-40 min |
| River North and the Magnificent Mile | 25-45 min |
| McCormick Place | 20-35 min |
| Hyde Park and the University of Chicago | 20-30 min |
| Oak Brook | 25-40 min |
| Naperville | 35-55 min |
| O'Hare Airport | 35-60 min |
| Evanston | 40-65 min |
| Milwaukee | 1 h 40 to 2 h 15 |
The Stevenson (I-55) is the usual route downtown; Lake Shore Drive can be better for the Near North Side outside rush hour. Most Chicago-area expressways are free, but routes through Indiana or onto the Illinois Tollway pass electronic toll points.
Train alternatives: the CTA Orange Line and Metra
The CTA Orange Line starts at Midway and reaches the Loop elevated tracks in about 25 minutes, making it a good choice for a light traveller staying near a Loop station; timetables are on the CTA site. Metra commuter trains serve the suburbs from downtown terminals, and Amtrak trains leave from Chicago Union Station, 20 to 35 minutes from Midway by car. A car makes more sense for McCormick Place with display cases, for the suburbs, and for late arrivals.
Which vehicle class suits a Midway trip?
- Standard Sedan (2 pax, 2 bags): solo trips downtown.
- Luxury Executive Sedan (2/2): client visits and board meetings.
- Executive First Class Sedan (Maybach) (2/2): VIP arrivals.
- Standard Black SUV (6/6): families, winter luggage and ski bags.
- Executive Black SUV (6/6): senior teams and trade-show exhibitors with sample cases.
- Luxury Stretch Limo (8 pax): weddings and celebrations.
- Sprinter Van (12 pax, 12 small bags): convention delegations and sports teams.
- Party Bus (14 pax): bachelor and bachelorette weekends.
- Sprinter Luxury Jet Van (7 pax, carry-on only): small executive groups travelling light.
Hourly bookings start at three hours; see the fleet and rates.
Conventions and Chicago's event calendar
McCormick Place, the largest convention centre in North America, is closer to Midway than to O'Hare, which is why many exhibitors fly into MDW. Big shows fill the hotels on Michigan Avenue and around the convention campus. Lollapalooza takes over Grant Park in early August, and the Chicago Marathon usually runs on a Sunday in October, closing streets across the city. For conference groups, a coordinator plans multi-vehicle shuttles and confirms them in writing; see event transportation.
Winter at Midway
Snow and freezing rain from December to March can hold departures and slow every expressway. Because the chauffeur tracks the flight, a de-icing delay or diversion is followed automatically, and the fixed fare does not rise with the weather. SUVs are a sensible choice for winter families with heavy coats and extra bags.
Departing from Midway: timing your pickup
Midway's checkpoints can build long queues early on weekday mornings, when the first wave of flights leaves before 8 am. For a domestic departure, a pickup two hours before the flight from the Loop or River North is usually comfortable; from Naperville or Evanston, allow two and a half hours, and more in snow. Tell us the airline so the chauffeur drops you at the right door on the upper-level departures road. If you are coming from a show at McCormick Place with crates or display cases, ship them separately and keep the car for people and personal bags.
Waiting, delays and cancellation
Included waiting is 30 minutes after a domestic landing and 60 after an international one; extra time is charged in 15-minute blocks. Cancellation: more than 72 hours before pickup, no charge; 72 hours or less, 10%; 48 hours or less, 50%; 24 hours or less, or a no-show, 100%.
Other Chicago pages
See Chicago chauffeur service for hourly hire, Chicago Executive Airport for private jets, and Milwaukee for trips north. Visitor information is on Choose Chicago.
