Terminal 4 at Chicago O’Hare: An Interesting History

While it may not be the most pressing or confusing of issues at Chicago O’Hare Airport, one thing is noticeably missing: Terminal 4.

Travelers at the airport will pass through Terminals 1, 2, 3, and 5, but they will never fly out of Terminal 4. This is primarily because it no longer exists.

The Brief Existence of Terminal 4

The phantom Terminal 4 did exist at one point in O’Hare airport’s history.

Up until 1985, O’Hare only had three terminals, named Terminals 1, 2, and 3. However, that year, the airport chose to expand by adding a new international terminal. From 1985 to 1993, Terminal 4 served as a temporary international terminal while O’Hare constructed a larger, improved international terminal.

Nevertheless, the temporary Terminal 4 was small, and foreign airlines complained about the lack of operating space. Consequently, airport officials decided to open half of the new terminal to alleviate congestion in the temporary one. During the summer of 1993, international flights began arriving at the finished half of the new international terminal while still departing from the temporary Terminal 4.

Transition to Terminal 5

To prevent any confusion between the two international terminals (they couldn’t label both as Terminal 4), the new terminal was designated Terminal 5. Once construction was completed and the international flights could operate from the new terminal, the temporary one was shut down. By that point, the name “Terminal 5” had already taken hold.

Current State of Terminal 4

Today, the remnants of Terminal 4 are visible as a bus shuttle center, which is connected to a short-term parking garage.

“Many times people ask me that question: ‘What happened to Terminal 4?’” said a representative for O’Hare International Terminal, as reported by local news channel WGN9. “My answer to that is, ‘Does it really matter? As long as you know what terminal you’re going to, it doesn’t make much difference.’”