Chicago eSIM
In Chicago you connect to T-Mobile or AT&T, whichever is performing better where you are standing. The typical speed across the country is 64 Mbps. Your data starts working the moment you land, before you reach the immigration hall.
- Networks
- T-Mobile and AT&T
- Typical speed in United States
- 64 Mbps typical, 11 Mbps at busy times
- 5G
- yes, non standalone
- Throttle
- None on metered plans
- Tethering
- Allowed on every plan
Plans that cover Chicago
| Data | Validity | Price per GB | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | Never expires | $6.89 | $6.89 | |
| 3 GB | Never expires | $3.30 | $9.89 | |
| 5 GBMost travellers | Never expires | $2.58 | $12.89 | |
| 10 GB | Never expires | $1.99 | $19.89 | |
| 20 GB | Never expires | $1.64 | $32.89 | |
| 50 GB | Never expires | $1.52 | $75.89 |
How United States compares across North America
- Regional typical speed
- 33 Mbps
- Upstream networks
- 2, T-Mobile, AT&T
- 5G
- Yes, non standalone
- Next slowest nearby
- Canada, 58 Mbps
- Cities with their own page
- 6: New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago
Landing at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
- Airport
- ORD / KORD
- Distance
- 27 km from the centre of Chicago
- Wifi on arrival
- Free wifi in the terminalUnlimited free Wi-Fi provided by the Chicago Department of Aviation with Boingo Wireless, available in the terminals both pre- and post-security.
- Also serves
- Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)
Getting into Chicago
- CTA Blue Line, O'Hare to downtown Chicago (ORD), about 45 minutes. Runs through tunnels, where a signal drops
- CTA Orange Line, Midway to downtown Chicago (MDW), about 25 minutes
- CTA N62 Archer overnight owl bus, alternate service when the Orange Line is not running (MDW)
- Taxi from O'Hare to downtown Chicago, 25 to 90 minutes depending on traffic (ORD)
- Taxi from Midway to downtown Chicago, 15 to 40 minutes depending on traffic (MDW)
Underground and on the metro
Chicago "L" (Chicago Transit Authority) runs 8 lines. It opened in 1892. The operator states mobile coverage throughout the tunnels.
Worth knowing about Chicago
- CTA completed 4G equipment installation in December 2015 covering all 13 miles of Blue Line subway and stations and all 9 miles of Red Line subway and stations, paid for by T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint.
- Blue Line trains between O'Hare and downtown run 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with a normal travel time of 40-45 minutes.
- The Orange Line reaches downtown from Midway in 20-25 minutes but does not run overnight; the N62 Archer bus covers those hours.
- CTA lists the Blue Line fare from O'Hare as $5 or less and the Orange Line fare from Midway as $2.50 or less.
- Both Chicago airports offer unlimited free Wi-Fi through Boingo Wireless, available before and after security.
- The Blue Line's O'Hare station sits on the lower level concourse linked to Terminals 1, 2 and 3, under ten minutes' walk from any baggage claim. Arrivals at international Terminal 5 ride the Airport Transit System to Terminal 2 first. O'Hare has no Terminal 4.
- O'Hare's Airport Transit System people mover is free and has run around the clock since April 2022, every 3 to 5 minutes at peak, linking Terminals 1, 2, 3 and 5 with the Multi-Modal Facility for rental cars, Pace buses and Metra in about 10 minutes end to end.
- Anyone collecting a passenger at O'Hare cannot wait at the curb, where unattended cars are ticketed and towed. They can wait free in the cell phone lot, or meet arrivals at the Kiss 'n' Fly lot, reached from the terminals on the Airport Transit System, with a 15 minute limit.
- CTA's own comparison puts a taxi from O'Hare to downtown at around $40 and 25 to 90 minutes, and rideshare at around $35 to $50, with surges to $140 or more. From Midway, a taxi runs around $25 and 15 to 40 minutes.
- CTA sells 1-Day, 3-Day and 7-Day passes valid on CTA and Pace for $5, $15 and $20. Boarding at O'Hare with an unlimited pass avoids the $5 airport fare, which is otherwise charged only when entering the O'Hare station.
- A contactless bank card or phone wallet works directly at CTA turnstiles and on buses, and tapping the same card again gives up to two free transfers to another train or bus within two hours.
- Midway's Orange Line station stands just east of the terminal building, joined to it by an enclosed walkway, and trains run on elevated track all the way to the downtown Loop.
Sources for this page
Other cities in United States we cover
- New York
- 1146 km from Chicago, nearest airport LGA
- Miami
- 1914 km from Chicago, nearest airport MIA
- Las Vegas
- 2446 km from Chicago, nearest airport LAS
- Los Angeles
- 2802 km from Chicago, nearest airport HHR
- San Francisco
- 2983 km from Chicago, nearest airport SFO