"Solid pick at O'Hare. The rental building is easy to navigate, Preferred membership skips the counter, and the score backs it up. One thing to know going in: Chicago adds around 27% in taxes on top of whatever rate you see — that's city taxes, not the supplier."
Avis scores 8.3 out of 10 at O'Hare on DiscoverCars — the second-highest in its US network, behind only Las Vegas. For a major international hub handling tens of millions of passengers a year, that's a meaningful result. The airport's consolidated rental facility makes pickup cleaner than most large airports, and Avis Preferred members skip the counter entirely. What catches people at ORD isn't the process — it's two things that are easy to sort before you arrive: the fuel option at the counter, and the gap between the quoted rate and the total, which runs higher in Chicago than most US airports.
Midway is a separate operation — smaller, shuttle-based, closer to downtown, with counter hours that close at 7pm. Most travellers renting a car in Chicago are at O'Hare. This page covers both, starting with ORD.
Getting your Avis at O'Hare
From the terminal to the MMF
Avis is currently in the Multi-Modal Facility (MMF) at 10255 W. Zemke Blvd — not at any terminal. From any terminal, follow signs for the Airport Transit System (ATS), the free automated train that connects all terminals to the MMF. It runs 24 hours. The ride takes a few minutes. Follow the Avis signs from the MMF ground floor.
Some older travel guides describe a shuttle bus to an off-airport location. That's the pre-MMF workflow — if you see conflicting instructions online, the ATS to the MMF is current.
At the counter
Avis Preferred members bypass the counter at ORD — go straight to the parking level, find the car assigned to your name, and drive out. Non-members check in at the ground floor counter. Peak periods — Friday evenings, Sunday nights, holiday weekends — can push that queue to 45 minutes. At quieter times it's 10 to 15.
Two things to watch at sign-off. First, the fuel service option: travellers at ORD have reported agents describing it as a "full to full" arrangement — implying no charge if you return with a full tank — while the contract records it as a paid fuel plan. Read the fuel line before you initial, not after. Second, check which protection options are selected on the tablet before you sign. Options can appear pre-selected. What you initial is the contract.
Returning the car
Back to the same building, follow Avis return signs. An agent inspects the car and closes the rental on the spot. The return queue moves faster than pickup. The main risk is time: the expressways near O'Hare back up during rush hour, so leave more buffer than you think you need.
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What Chicago adds to the price
Chicago is one of the most heavily taxed rental car markets in the US. The gap between the rate you see when searching and the total at checkout isn't an Avis pricing decision — it's a layer of municipal, county, and state taxes that apply to every brand at every Chicago airport. They're itemised before you confirm, so nothing is hidden. But the jump from search price to checkout total is large enough that it's worth knowing what each line is before you get there.
On a standard 7-day rental at ORD, the unavoidable charges break down as follows:
- Airport Concession Recovery Fee (around 11%) — the airport access cost, passed through to the renter.
- Customer Facility Charge ($56 flat) — funds the MMF facility. Applied per contract, not per day.
- Vehicle License Fee ($16.45) — Illinois vehicle registration recovery.
- Local Tax ($175.43 on a 7-day rental) — the combined Chicago personal property lease transaction tax, MPEA, and Cook County ART charges. This is the largest single line.
Together these add around 27% to the base rate on a standard airport rental. The local tax line alone accounts for the majority of that. A $67/day car runs closer to $85/day all-in before optional add-ons.
Everything beyond that is optional. LDW, liability cover, fuel plans, toll pass — you can decline all of them. The Avis review covers each one, what it costs, and what to check before you decide.
Midway (MDW) — what's different
Avis at Midway currently operates from a separate off-airport rental car facility at 5150 W. 55th St — verify against your booking confirmation before you travel. After baggage claim, exit near carousel 3 and board the shared rental car shuttle — a four-minute ride to the facility. The Avis counter is inside. Return the vehicle to the same facility on level 4, then take the elevator down to the shuttle back to the airport.
Two things make MDW meaningfully different from ORD. The counter closes at 7pm — late arrivals after a delayed flight have no option. And Midway is closer to downtown Chicago by about five miles, which matters if you're staying south of the Loop or heading to the south side. MDW makes sense when your flight and your destination both point that way.
The verdict
If you haven't booked yet: Avis at O'Hare is a solid choice — good score, well-organised building, and Preferred membership removes the counter queue entirely. Whichever supplier you go with at ORD, the tax layer is the same — so the base rate is what you're really comparing.
If you're already booked: Join Avis Preferred before you fly if you haven't — it's free and skips the counter on your existing booking. Confirm your credit card's rental coverage so you know your position on the LDW before you get to the desk. At the counter, read the fuel option and the protection items before you initial. Photograph the car at pickup and return. Those four things close off the main risk points before they start.
If you've returned the car and a charge has appeared: Start with your booking platform if you booked through a third party — they have direct leverage. Then contact Avis in writing with your rental agreement and photos. Give them one week. Credit card chargeback with documentation is the next step if nothing moves. Post-return charges can arrive several weeks after the rental closes — check your statements even after the deposit hold has cleared.
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- Read the fuel option at the ORD counter before you initial — not after. It has a documented pattern of being described verbally as full-to-full while the contract records it as a paid fuel plan.
- Chicago airport rentals carry around 27% in taxes on top of the base rate — one of the highest in the US. Every brand at every Chicago airport pays the same layer.
- Avis Preferred members skip the counter at ORD. Non-members should allow 30-45 minutes at peak periods — Friday evenings and Sunday nights are the worst.
- The MDW counter closes at 7pm. Late arrivals or delayed flights after that time cannot pick up a car. Check your flight time before booking MDW.
- More than 29 minutes late on return triggers an extra charge. The expressways I-190 and I-90 near ORD back up fast during rush hour.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I pick up my Avis rental at O'Hare?
After baggage claim, follow signs for the ATS — the free automated train connecting all terminals to the rental car building. It runs 24 hours. Avis Preferred members go straight to the parking level — non-members check in at the counter on the ground floor. Verify the current address and pickup instructions against your booking confirmation before you travel.
I already booked Avis at Chicago — what should I do before pickup?
Three things: join Avis Preferred before you fly — it's free and skips the counter on your existing booking. Confirm your credit card's rental coverage so you can decline the LDW at the counter with confidence. And read the fuel option before you initial at the counter — it has a documented pattern of being described verbally as full-to-full while the contract records it as a paid fuel plan.
How long does it take to get from the terminal to the car at ORD?
For Avis Preferred members: 15-20 minutes from baggage claim to driving away. For non-members at peak times — Friday evenings, Sunday nights, holiday weekends — allow 45-60 minutes. The ATS train is quick. The counter queue is where time goes.
What fees does Avis add at Chicago O'Hare on top of the base rate?
Four unavoidable charges: a Concession Recovery Fee (11.11%), a Customer Facility Charge ($56 flat on a 7-day rental), a Vehicle License Fee ($16.45), and a Local Tax ($175.43 on a 7-day rental). Together around 27% on top of the base rate — figures from a May 2026 booking, subject to change. This is a Chicago municipal tax structure, not an Avis pricing decision.
Is Midway or O'Hare better for an Avis rental in Chicago?
O'Hare for most travellers. The MMF facility means a faster, cleaner pickup process, 24/7 counter hours, and Avis Preferred skip-the-counter. Midway is closer to downtown and makes sense if you're flying Southwest and staying south of the Loop — but the counter closes at 7pm, which is a real constraint for evening arrivals.
Avis charged me after I returned the car at Chicago — what are my options?
If you booked through a third-party platform, start there. Then contact Avis in writing with your rental agreement and pickup and return photos. Give them one week to respond. If nothing moves, a credit card chargeback with your documentation is the next step. Post-return charges at Avis can arrive several weeks after the rental closes — check your statements even after the deposit hold has cleared.
