Transportation - Getting There and Getting Around
Quick Links on this page: (or just read down the page)
Getting to Chicago
Getting to the Hilton Hotel from Airport (O'Hare & Midway)
Getting to conference venue (Illinois Institute of Technology) from Hilton hotel:
----By Bus
----By "L" Train
Map of Hilton area
Map of IIT (Illinois Institute of Technology) campus
Map of IIT parking
Chicago Public Transportation Info. (costs, purchasing passes, link to official website with route maps)
By Air:
You can fly into either O'Hare International Airport, or Midway Airport.
O'Hare is about 19 miles from the Hilton Hotel, while Midway is about 11 miles from the Hilton Hotel.
By Train:
Amtrak trains arrive in Chicago at Union Station. Union Station is 1.3 miles from the Chicago Hilton. This is very walkable.
We don't recommend driving to Chicago if you can help it. It will cost you $41 per day to park at the Chicago Hilton. A little less around town, but not much less. If you're local with a car, check out the Parking Instructions for IIT.
Sample Amtrak fares one-way:
$27 Detroit - Chicago
$18 Kalamazoo - Chicago
$21 Milwaukee - Chicago
$53 St. Paul/ Minneapolis - Chicago
$23 St. Louis - Chicago
Directions from Airport to Hilton Hotel:
When taking public transportation from O'Hare International Airport:
Take CTA BLUE LINE TRAIN (TO 54TH/CERMAK) to JACKSON/DEARBORN. Walk 0.6 miles Southeast to 720 S MICHIGAN AVE.
(or just take the Blue Line Train to the LaSalle station beyond Jackson, exit the LaSalle station on Congress Pkwy. and head left/East to Michigan Ave., then turn right/South and you'll arrive at the Hilton in 2 or 3 blocks; Note: the Jackson station has a elevator available if you have luggage, the LaSalle station does not)
When taking public transportation from Midway Airport:
Take CTA ORANGE LINE TRAIN to ROOSEVELT. Walk 0.5 mile N to 720 S MICHIGAN AVE.
When taking a taxi from the Airports to the Hilton, it will cost:
Taxi Fare from O’Hare to downtown is about $35-40.
Taxi Fare from Midway to downtown $25-28.
(subject to change with rapidly rising gas prices!)
View/Print Large Google Map of Hilton Location
The ACT SI4 conference location at the Illinois Institute of Technology is 4.5 miles straight south from the Hilton Hotel.
From the hotel to IIT via bus: The bus runs every 10 minutes during rush hour and every 10 – 15 minutes the rest of the day (except the wee hours 2:00 – 5:00 am when it runs every 30 minutes)
Exit the back of the hotel, you will be facing west; take Balbo St. (the north side of the hotel) west two blocks, turn right on state and look for signs on the west side of the street for bus route #29/State Street and stop at Illinois Institute of Technology stop (33rd street) (watch the street signs out the window and make sure you ring the bell when approaching 33rd Street) when you get off you will be on State St. and as you look towards the campus you will see the "Hermann Hall/ IIT Conference center" about 100 yards in front of you. For the return trip wait across the street from where you got off of the bus at the stop in from of the McCormick Campus Center and exit at the Balbo/Harrison stop.
To take the “L” to IIT: The L runs every four minutes during rush hour and every five to 8 minutes most of the rest of the day.
Exit the back of the hotel, you will be facing west; take Balbo St (the north side of the hotel) west two blocks, turn right on State on either side of State Street you will see a staircase going underground with a red sign above it that says “Red Line Trains”. This is the Harrison Street stop. Trains in both directions stop on the same platform so make sure you get on a southbound train to Dan Ryan/95th street. Get off at the third stop, Bronzeville/Sox Park/IIT/35th street. When you step off of the train walk left/North to the 33rd street exit. Once at 33rd head East (right of station exit) two blocks and the "Hermann Hall/ IIT Conference center" will be on your left at Federal Street.
To return, simply reverse directions taking Northbound train to Howard and exit Harrison Street.
If you prefer a taxi the fare is approximately $10.00 each way.
Public Transportation Costs & Passes:
You'll need to use public transportation to reach the conference venue. The ACT SI4 conference location at the Illinois Institute of Technology is 4.5 miles straight south from the Hilton Hotel. You can catch a bus headed south on State St. (this street is at the rear of the Hilton) and get off at 33rd St. It's a straight shot.
Unless you have a "Chicago Card" public transportation card, all Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) fairs are $2.00 cash. Exact fare is required, no change is given.
CTA passes offer the best value for CTA riders. "Passes" are available in 1-day, 7-day and 30-day versions. "Visitor Passes" are available in 1-day, 2-day, 3-day, and 5-day versions. These passes cannot be shared or recharged. They are activated the first time they are used at a train station or on a bus.
7-day passes cost $20 (less than $3 per day) and allow unlimited rides on CTA buses and trains.
5-day passes cost $18 (less than $4 per day) and allow unlimited rides on CTA buses and trains.
You can purchase your passes here. The website states that if you order it online they will mail it to you within 10 days. I ordered from Reno, Nevada, and received it within 8 days. An attendee in Australia ordered it, and received it in 9 days. (I highly recommend getting it by mail, then you don't have to fuss with dollar bills every day.)
For more info than you ever wanted to know, check out the Chicago Public Transportation official website. You can find schedules, maps, etc.
