SUVs in Chicago
All-wheel drive confidence for lake-effect snow and the run to Wisconsin's lake country.
from $45 /day
See Cars →Chicago rewards drivers who venture past downtown. Yes, the lakefront, the museums and the deep-dish legends are here — but so are Route 66's starting point, Indiana Dunes' beaches and Wisconsin's lake towns, all an easy drive from O'Hare.
Our ORD pickup connects straight to the Kennedy Expressway for the run downtown, or to I-294 and I-90 for the suburbs and beyond. Business travelers use us for the office parks of Schaumburg and Oak Brook; families head for the Wisconsin Dells and Michigan's beach towns.
Chicago driving has seasons: summer construction and winter lake-effect snow. Our fleet includes plenty of all-wheel-drive SUVs for the cold months, and every car leaves with a full tank and a scraper in winter — small things that matter here.
Renting in Chicago: What Locals Know
Chicago drivers speak in expressway nicknames: the Kennedy, the Dan Ryan, the Stevenson, the Eisenhower — traffic reports make no sense until you learn them. The grid system is your friend once you know State and Madison is zero-zero, and that addresses count eight blocks to a mile. Lake Shore Drive (officially Jean Baptiste Point du Sable Lake Shore Drive) is the city's front porch, running from Hollywood Beach down past Museum Campus to Hyde Park. In winter, 'dibsing' — residents marking shoveled street spots with chairs and crates — is a sacred, if unofficial, institution; leave the chairs alone. Wrigleyville on game days, the Magnificent Mile in December and Taste of Chicago week all bend traffic around them, and the city's red-light and speed cameras are plentiful, so ease off the accelerator near schools and parks.
Driving Tips for Chicago
- The Kennedy Expressway into downtown can take 30 minutes or 90 — check traffic before you leave, and the Blue Line is a solid backup into the Loop.
- Winter renters: brush snow off the roof too, not just the windows — it is the law and it keeps the car behind you safe.
- Indiana Dunes trips cross a state line with tolls on the Skyway and Indiana Toll Road — the toll pass keeps it simple.
Day Trips from Chicago
- Indiana Dunes National Park — about an hour southeast, Lake Michigan beaches and trails
- Milwaukee — 1.5 hours north, breweries, lakefront and the Harley-Davidson Museum
- Starved Rock State Park — 1.5 hours southwest, canyons and waterfalls
Good to Know at ORD
Pick-up is at the O'Hare International Airport rental car center. Counters are open daily from 6:00 AM to 11:00 PM local time, and WhatsApp support runs 24/7 if your flight lands late. O'Hare's rental facility is reached by the free ATS train from every terminal; in winter, ask the counter for the ice scraper and give the car five minutes to warm while you clear every window, mirror and the roof. A popular local pick is the Toyota RAV4 — see why on its page. Planning a longer stay? Monthly rates apply at this location too.
More locations: Los Angeles · New York · Miami. Or browse the full fleet and current offers.
