Getting a Taxi in Chicago:
In General
In downtown Chicago, cabs are easy to find and hail. Farther out of the core it’s trickier, so you may want to call a company and even schedule in advance to make sure you get to your destination on time.
About Fares
Fares start at $2.25 and increase 20¢ for each 1/9th of a mile. Each passenger over the age of 12 and under the age of 65 gets charged an additional $1, and for each passenger after that, there’s a 50¢ charge (but some cab drivers won’t charge these extra passenger fees). For every half minute or so you have a driver wait, it’ll be 20¢.
Some average fares include:
- State and Madison to O’Hare airport: $30–$35.
- State and Madison to Midway airport: $22–$28.
- State and Madison to the United Center: $8–$10.
To find out specific fares, check out Taxiwiz for Chicago.
Quirks
Though all Chicago cabs are required to accept credit cards, Chicago is one city where you’ll run into the infamous, “Sorry, the machine is broken—cash only” from time to time. Make sure to confirm at the start of the trip that you’ll be paying by credit card if that’s your preference.
We’ve heard people say that you can’t really tell if a cab is available by whether or not its roof light is on—drivers in this city seem to be unpredictable this way. So don’t be too distracted by roof lights if you’re trying to flag a cab.
If You Need to Rant
If you get terrible service, you can file a complaint by dialing 311 from any Chicago landline.
Got a Chicago taxi tip? Send it our way!