Business Travel to Chicago: The Complete Guide
Everything a business traveler needs for Chicago — getting around, where to stay, the companies you'd visit, and the conferences that land here.
Getting around Chicago
Chicago is a rare US city where the train from the airport is often the right call: the Blue Line runs 24/7 from O’Hare to the Loop (~45 min), the Orange Line from Midway (~30 min). For downtown or Near North, skip the cab. For the suburbs — Deerfield, Schaumburg, Lake Forest, the North Shore — the L does not reach; that is Metra if the office is near a station, otherwise a rideshare or rental.
Where to stay in Chicago
Match the hotel to the office, not the reflex booking. Our where to stay in chicago guide maps the metro by submarket and employer, with a verified shortlist for each company.
Who you're visiting: Chicago's headquarters
Each company below has a complete visit guide — the hotel, the airport route, and the meeting. Pick your client.
| Abbott Laboratories | Abbott Park, far-north Lake County |
| AbbVie | North Chicago, beside Abbott Park |
| Allstate | Northbrook, on Sanders Road |
| Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) | downtown Chicago, on Wacker Drive |
| Baxter International | Deerfield |
| CDW | Vernon Hills, on Milwaukee Avenue |
| CME Group | downtown Chicago, on Wacker at the CME Center |
| Conagra Brands | downtown Chicago, in the Merchandise Mart |
| Discover Financial Services | Riverwoods, on Lake Cook Road |
| Exelon | downtown Chicago, on Dearborn in the Loop |
| Illinois Tool Works (ITW) | Glenview, in the North Suburbs |
| Kraft Heinz | downtown Chicago, in the Aon Center |
| McDonald's | the West Loop / Fulton Market |
| Mondelēz International | the West Loop / Fulton Market |
| Motorola Solutions | downtown Chicago, on Monroe at the West Loop's edge |
| Northern Trust | downtown Chicago, on LaSalle in the financial district |
| United Airlines | downtown Chicago, in Willis Tower |
| US Foods | Rosemont, by O'Hare |
| W.W. Grainger | Lake Forest, in the North Suburbs |
| Walgreens Boots Alliance | Deerfield, in the North Suburbs |
| Zurich North America | Schaumburg, in the Woodfield area |
A free evening in Chicago
Chicago is a walking city in the warm months: the Riverwalk and the lakefront trail are the reset. For dinner, the West Loop's Fulton Market or River North rarely miss. Millennium Park and the Art Institute are the half-day.
More on working the city and recovering on the road.
Before you book
Every trip here is a spend against a quota. Score it with the Trip ROI Scorecard, then plan the airport-to-office run and book to the right submarket.
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