Travel Information
See below for information on airport transportation, parking at or taking METRA to the McCormick Place Convention Center, and a link for driving directions to the convention center.
Airports & Ground Transportation
There are two commercial airports serving Chicago, Illinois:
1. Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is the largest passenger airport in the Chicago area and is served by numerous airlines in 5 terminals. Located 17 miles northwest of downtown Chicago, the commute time takes approximately 30 – 60 minutes depending on traffic. For more information on the O'Hare Intercontinental Airport, click here.
Several ground transportation options from O'Hare Airport are available including:
Airport Shuttles: Go Airport Express provides transportation to downtown Chicago from O'Hare International Airport. The shuttle fare to the city is approximately $25 each way, advanced reservations are recommended. WINDPOWER attendees can make their reservations here and automatically receive up to a 10% discount - or through the main site with the code AWEA. Go Airport Express will be operating direct service from McCormick Place to O'Hare on May 6,7, & 8 from Gate 3. For more information, call (888) 284-3826 or click here.
Train: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), a rapid transit train between downtown and O'Hare takes just 45 minutes and costs only $2.25 each way. Follow overhead signs that read "Trains to the City" to the CTA station. CTA also offers an unlimited ride pass which allows you to ride as many CTA trains and buses as you would like for $6 per day. Click here for more information.
Taxis: Taxicabs are available on a first come, first serve basis from the lower level curbfront of all terminals. Shared ride service is available. There are no flat rates because all taxicabs run on meters. Expect to spend approximately $35 to $40 for a taxicab ride to downtown Chicago, although this could be higher depending on traffic.
Rental Cars: All 7 rental car companies operating at ORD (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, and National) are located on the lower level near the baggage claim areas of Terminals 1, 2, and 3. Please look for signs and courtesy phones. From Terminal 5, rental car agencies are available by courtesy telephones located on the lower level.
2. Midway International Airport (MDW) is Chicago's second largest airport and is located six miles closer than O'Hare to downtown. For more information on Midway, click here.
Several ground transportation options are offered from Midway Airport:
Airport Shuttles: Go Airport Express provides transportation to downtown Chicago from Midway Airport. The shuttle fare to the city is approximately $19 each way, advance reservations are recommended. WINDPOWER attendees can make their reservations here and automatically receive up to a 10% discount - or through the main site with the code AWEA. Go Airport Express will be operating direct service from McCormick Place to Midway on May 6,7, & 8 from Gate 3. For more information, call (888) 284-3826 or click here.
Train: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), a rapid transit train between downtown and Midway takes just 25 minutes and costs only $2.25 each way. Follow overhead signs that read "Trains to the City" to the CTA station. CTA also offers an unlimited ride pass which allows you to ride as many CTA trains and buses as you would like for $6 per day. Click here for more information.
Taxis: Taxicabs are available on a first come, first serve basis from the lower level curbfront of the terminal. Shared ride service is available. There are no flat rates because all taxicabs run on meters. Expect to spend approximately $28 to $30 for a taxicab ride to downtown Chicago.
Rental Cars: All 8 rental car companies operating at MDW (Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty) are located inside the terminal on the lower level.
Parking at McCormick Place Convention Center
AWEA WINDPOWER 2013 will take place at the McCormick Place Convention Center, located at 2301 S. Lake Shore Drive, Chicago, IL 60616. There are 3 main parking lots on the convention center campus, with Lot A as the primary parking location for the North and South buildings. The parking fee is $21 for up to 16 hours and $32 from 16 - 24 hours. There are no in-and-out privileges but overnight parking is available in this lot. Lot B is an outdoor surface parking lot with a $14 flat fee per day, no in-and-out privileges and no overnight parking.
There are also a limited number of guaranteed parking spaces available for exhibitors for $26.25 per day by advance order of an Exhibitor Parking Permit (which allows garage access with in-and-out privileges). Exhibitors are now allowed to unload and load small privately-owned vehicles without hiring labor at designated areas in the building (consult the official WINDPOWER exhibitor kit for more information).
METRA to McCormick Place Convention Center
Located on Level 2.5 of the Grand Concourse in the South Building, the METRA Electric commuter railroad provides direct service within seven minutes to and from downtown Chicago. Service from the Randolph Station (near the Fairmont Hotel) to McCormick Place begins early morning, with more frequent pick-ups during rush hours. Shuttle connections (via CTA bus) can be made to the METRA system at Chicago Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center and LaSalle Street Station. METRA services the Midwest as far north as Kenosha, Wisconsin; northwest to Fox Lake and Harvard; west to Elgin, Geneva and Aurora; southwest to Joliet and Orland Park; south to University Park; and east to South Bend, Indiana. For more information on METRA, click here.
For more information on getting to the McCormick Place Convention Center, including "door to door" driving directions, click here
