Traveling through Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport this Thanksgiving? You may be in for a headache ahead of the Thursday, November, 26 holiday.
A recent study of U.S. airports determined which airports are the most hectic during the Thanksgiving travel rush, and O’Hare topped the list.
Here’s a look at the data and what it means for your upcoming travel plans.
O’Hare is America’s most chaotic airport for Thanksgiving travel
O’Hare International Airport is the most chaotic airport for Thanksgiving travel in the U.S. according to a recent study from international cell data provider Nomad eSim.
The study analyzed data from 50 of America’s busiest airports during Thanksgiving travel periods from 2023-2025.
The study weighed factors like passenger volume, flight delays, cancellations, average delay lengths, and negative flyer reviews.
Of the airports included in the report, O’Hare received the highest chaos score of 96.73 out of 100.
The study found O’Hare saw delays across nearly 28% of flights over the last three Thanksgiving travel periods. Delays lasted 93 minutes on average.
Additionally, O’Hare saw 6.13% of scheduled departures cancelled during the same travel periods.
Overall passenger volume also contributed to O’Hare’s high chaos score. Nearly 600,000 flyers made their way through airport security during Thanksgiving week in 2025.
Thanksgiving 2025 was a particularly tumultuous travel period for O’Hare. 988 flights were cancelled and nearly 44% of departures were delayed by at least 15 minutes, according to the report.
O’Hare ranked significantly higher on the chaos index than its smaller counterpart, Midway International Airport, which ranked 17th nationally and received a chaos score of only 54.30/100.
Looking ahead to Thanksgiving 2026
Bearing Nomad eSim’s findings in mind, it’s safe to bet that the 2026 Thanksgiving travel period may be a turbulent time at O’Hare.
While official passenger volume predictions from the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) are still pending, we can look to past years for some perspective.
The busiest days at O’Hare during the Thanksgiving travel period typically fall on the Wednesday before the holiday, and the Sunday after.
During past Thanksgiving travel surges, the CDA has recommended that flyers arrive at O’Hare earlier than the standard 2 hours before departure.
This will allow passengers extra time in the event of security checkpoint delays, flight changes, or other roadblocks.
Travelers should also prepare for added congestion along highways and roadways, and consider taking the Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line to O’Hare to bypass the traffic.
For more travel tips and information about O’Hare visit FlyChicago.
