Chicago City Wire

O’Hare International Airport reported its highest-ever monthly passenger volume in July 2025, according to data released by the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and Mayor Brandon Johnson. The airport processed more than 8.26 million passengers during the month, surpassing its previous record set in July 2019. This equates to an average of over 266,000 travelers each day.

“More travelers than ever are choosing Chicago—whether they’re visiting our city or connecting to destinations across the globe,” said Mayor Brandon Johonson. “The greatest city in the world deserves the world’s greatest airport. I am grateful to the more than 46,000 O’Hare employees whose dedication and professionalism made this milestone possible.”

“With more than 266,000 travelers passing through O’Hare each day this July, the record-setting traffic underscores why continued investment in our terminal facilities is so essential,” said CDA Commissioner Michael McMurray. “I am grateful to our airline partners for their strong commitment to Chicago and for advancing the customer experience through the ORDNext program. As Commissioner, I am committed to doing everything in my power to strengthen the dual-hub ecosystem that has enabled American Airlines and United Airlines to flourish in the Chicago market.”

Between January and July 2025, O’Hare saw over 48.3 million passengers pass through its terminals—a year-over-year increase of 6.4%. In July alone, there were more than 78,000 aircraft takeoffs and landings at O’Hare, marking a rise of 13.2% compared with July last year. Overall flight operations for the first seven months reached over 485,000 movements, up nearly 11% from a year earlier.

The summer surge was driven by both connecting passengers and those starting their trips in Chicago. According to officials, all ten of O’Hare’s busiest days for TSA screenings occurred this summer; on August 4—the day after Lollapalooza—117,871 people passed through security checkpoints at O'Hare.