Car Rental in Chicago

• Suburbs and business parks around O'Hare are hard to reach by transit.
• Indiana Dunes, Milwaukee and Starved Rock are easy day trips.
• Wisconsin's lake country and Galena are great weekend drives.

See all rental types

• Big conventions at McCormick Place.
• Summer weekends and holiday travel.
• O'Hare vs. Midway vs. downtown pickup.
• Car class and rental length — weekly rates often cost less per day
• Driver age — drivers under 25 usually pay a daily surcharge
• Optional extras such as damage waivers, toll programs and child seats

• A valid driver's license, held for at least a year at most companies. Visitors can usually rent on their home license; if it isn't in English, carry an International Driving Permit or official translation alongside it.
• Minimum age is 21 at most major companies, and drivers under 25 pay a daily young-driver surcharge. New York and Michigan require companies to rent to drivers from 18, with surcharges.
• A credit card in the main driver's name. Some locations accept debit cards with extra checks — often a return travel itinerary at airports, a larger deposit or a credit check.
• International renters should also bring a passport.

More detail: What Documents Do You Need to Rent a Car? · What Is the Minimum Age to Rent a Car in the USA? · Can You Rent a Car With a Debit Card? Rules & Tips · International Driving Permit (IDP) — Do You Need One and How to Get It

• Collision and loss damage waivers (CDW/LDW) are optional. Before you accept one at the counter, check whether your own auto policy or a credit card benefit already covers rental cars — many do, with conditions.
• Liability cover varies by state and company. Supplemental liability (SLI) raises the limit and is worth considering if you don't have a personal auto policy, including as an international visitor.
• A security deposit is held on your card at pickup and released after the car is returned and checked. It can take several business days to disappear from your statement, and holds are larger on debit cards and premium cars.

More detail: Do You Need Insurance to Rent a Car? · What Is a Collision Damage Waiver (CDW)? · How Much Is a Rental Car Deposit? How Holds Work

• The Illinois Tollway is fully cashless. Rental cars are billed through the rental company's toll program; the Tollway also lets drivers pay missed tolls online within a set period.
• Downtown garages are expensive — booking ahead through a parking app is usually cheaper. Street parking is metered and paid by app or kiosk.
• Full-to-full is usually the cheapest fuel policy: you collect the car full and return it full. Prepaid fuel only saves money if you return the tank nearly empty, and refueling charges on a car returned short are well above pump prices.
• Airport rentals include airport concession recovery fees and facility charges on top of the rate. State and local rental taxes apply everywhere.
• Other common extras: additional-driver fees, young-driver surcharges, toll-program charges, one-way drop fees, child seats and late-return charges. Read the rental terms before you pay so you know which charges are included and which are added at the counter.

More detail: Car Rental Fuel Policies Explained — Which One Should You Choose? · Hidden Car Rental Fees — The Complete Guide to What to Watch Out For · How are tolls and traffic fines handled? · Can someone else drive the car?

Winter conditions

Snow and ice are common from December to March. Allow extra time, keep your distance, and clear snow off the whole car before driving.

Lower Wacker Drive

GPS often loses signal on Chicago's multi-level downtown streets. Know your exit before you go underneath.

Rush hour on the expressways

The Kennedy (I-90/94) and Eisenhower (I-290) are congested at peak times. Plan airport runs with extra time.

Street-cleaning and snow routes

Signs mark street-cleaning days and winter snow routes where parking is banned after snowfall. Cars get towed.

• Indiana Dunes National Park

  ~50 mi · ~1 hr

  Lake Michigan beaches and dune hikes.

• Milwaukee

  ~90 mi · ~1.5 hr

  The lakefront, breweries and the Harley-Davidson Museum.

• Starved Rock State Park

  ~95 mi · ~1.5 hr

  Sandstone canyons and waterfalls along the Illinois River.

• Lake Geneva, Wisconsin

  ~80 mi · ~1.5 hr

  A classic lake-town weekend.

• Galena

  ~165 mi · ~3 hr

  A preserved 19th-century river town in northwest Illinois.

Distances are one-way and approximate; drive times assume normal traffic.

• Chicago O'Hare Airport Car Rental (ORD)
• Weekend Car Rental
• How are tolls and traffic fines handled?
• How Early Should You Book a Rental Car? A Timing Guide