Car hire prices at Chicago O'hare Airport

A good price at Chicago O'hare Airport in October 2026 is around £44 a day for an Intermediate car, such as a Volkswagen Jetta, booked about a month before your trip. An Economy car like a Mitsubishi Mirage is £40 a day, while a Fullsize Chevrolet Malibu is about £54. Wait until the last 2 weeks and the Intermediate drops to £41 a day. Across the year, October 2026 is the cheapest month for an Economy car at £47 a day, whereas August 2027 reaches £84 for a higher-spec car class. Check our price checker for your exact dates.

For October 2026 at Chicago O'hare Airport, book in the last 2 weeks: an Intermediate car is £41 a day then, saving £3 a day over booking a month ahead. Booking 9 months ahead costs about £63 a day across the year, so waiting saves money rather than costing you. Across the 395 airports we track car hire prices for, 48% of our customers book within 14 days of pickup. If you are travelling in October 2026, you hit the cheapest month of the year, compared to August 2027 when prices reach £84 a day.

Budget is the cheapest company at Chicago O'hare Airport for an Intermediate car, averaging £45 a day over the last 12 months from 1,870 prices. That rate requires a credit card because Budget does not take debit cards for the deposit. Thrifty costs £46 a day and accepts debit cards, while National charges £64 a day. All 10 suppliers operate desks directly at the airport.

The cheapest company can cost you a longer queue or a bigger deposit, so check the review score and desk wait beside each car in the results before you book.

Budget is the best-reviewed company at Chicago O'hare Airport, scoring 82 out of 100 from 42 reviews, with an average desk wait of 18 minutes. Budget is also the cheapest option for an Intermediate car at £45 a day over the last 12 months. Other well-reviewed desks like National and Alamo have enough reviews but lack overall scores in recent checks, with National averaging a 34-minute wait and Alamo 25 minutes. Hertz manages the shortest queue at 7 minutes, with an Intermediate at £54 a day.

Review scores are CarTrawler customers' own, from the last five months; the score and the desk wait sit beside each car in the results.

At Chicago O'hare Airport, deposits held on your card range from £0 with Europcar to £222 with Avis, and 4 of the 10 desks accept debit cards. Another 3 desks take debit cards for some cars only, while 3 require a credit card. Filter for a debit card before comparing prices so you only see cars you can release. Any optional extras charged at the desk appear listed with their prices under each vehicle.

If you bring your own child seat, check your airline's rules first: most carry one free, some charge.

Long counter queues and card rules catch people out at Chicago O'hare Airport, where 3 of the 10 desks refuse debit cards completely. National keeps people waiting an average of 34 minutes at the desk, while Hertz takes just 7 minutes. Another 3 desks take debit cards only on certain models, making it easy to arrive with the wrong plastic. Landing late after a long flight and spending over half an hour in line for a car you cannot collect is a miserable start to your trip.

Only 51% of prices at Chicago O'hare Airport are full tank out, full tank back, so read the fuel line under the car before you book.

For comfort on the motorways leaving Chicago O'hare Airport, pick an Intermediate like a Volkswagen Jetta, which seats 5 with 4 bags at £44 a day in October 2026. A Compact car such as a Nissan Versa costs £41 a day but limits you to 3 bags, while stepping up to a Fullsize Chevrolet Malibu costs £54. Every car offered at this airport is an automatic, so you will not pay extra to avoid shifting gears. No electric or hybrid cars are offered across the counters, so plan on petrol for the drive.