# Traffic to Midway on Christms Eve **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320 "2014-12-15T19:10:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2014, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/1 "2014-12-15T19:10:37Z")
So, my brother in law continues to refuse to rent a car, and has asked us to pick him up at Midway Airport at 6pm on Christmas. He has also floated the idea of us picking him up at the bus transit station here in NW Indiana. Now, it actually may be better for us to drive all the way Midway, since we are in the southern part of the county, and can drive a diagonal into Illinois and up to Midway. And the bus transit station is about 55 minutes away from us, straight up Route 41, past three different thriving shopping areas. So - how’s traffic near Midway on Christmas Eve? ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2014, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/2 "2014-12-16T16:49:48Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > So - how’s traffic near Midway on Christmas Eve? Not to be snarky, but have you ever been at ANY airport on Christmas Eve? And Midway, more than most, is prone to traffic bottlenecks. Youy can compound the problem if the weather is less than ideal. Seriously, I’d consider any solution that would keep another vehicle away from Midway. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/3 "2014-12-17T01:47:20Z")
Snark away if you must, but clearly, I have not been near Midway, nor ANY airport, on Christmas Eve. Hence the question. I’m just tossing around the options. He can take the bus to Highland (55 minutes from me), but if he’s on a bus in that same traffic, it might save time to just go to Midway, which by map is about 75 minutes away from me. It’s all about timing really - we can pick him up at Midway and have him home by 7:15-7:30 or so, or pick him up on a bus at 7:15 or later (depending on traffic, natch) and be home by 8:00pm. He needs to rent a car, damnit. He’s in town for awhile - and he’s rented one starting on Friday. Awesome. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/4 "2014-12-17T02:37:42Z")
Just to throw out any other options, are there any Metra or Amtrak stations closer to you? He could take the Orange Line downtown and catch a train to Indiana, I just don’t know where they run or when, but maybe it’s an option worth looking into? I just checked Hertz Midway for a pickup on the 24th and they’re sold out, so unless he booked this months ago, he may have been SOL on the car rental anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/5 "2014-12-17T16:43:14Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Not to be snarky, but have you ever been at ANY airport on Christmas Eve? And Midway, more than most, is prone to traffic bottlenecks. Youy can compound the problem if the weather is less than ideal. Seriously, I’d consider any solution that would keep another vehicle away from Midway. Just a thought - the remote parking at Midway is quite a bit away from the actual airport. He could take a shuttle to the remote lot and you could pick him up there, avoiding the airport congestion. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/6 "2014-12-17T20:20:39Z")
Maybe one of the [shuttles to Indiana](http://www.flychicago.com/midway/en/GettingToFrom/RegionalBuses/Regional-Buses.aspx). ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/7 "2014-12-17T22:37:07Z")
Tell him to stick a crowbar in his wallet and rent. ---
**Author:** ![SeaDragonTattoo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@SeaDragonTattoo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SeaDragonTattoo)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2014, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/8 "2014-12-17T23:33:24Z")
Pretty sure he’s SOL on any rentals for Christmas Eve at this point. There aren’t any. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [December 20, 2014, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/9 "2014-12-20T18:13:13Z")
Three years ago, I’d asked for some advice about driving round trip through the city during the Thanksgiving rush: > **[Holiday driving advice - Getting thru the city](https://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=631974)** > > I’m really, really dreading this Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving. You see, I will be working a normal day, getting home about 5 or 5:30 and then have to set off for my relatives in Michigan. I’ll be leaving from roughly the 90/94... TL,DR: There were no traffic delays at all. Sometimes you get lucky. You certainly can’t count on it but it may not be the terrible half day you’re imagining. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2014, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/10 "2014-12-25T03:00:27Z")
Well, how did it work out **Sateryn76**? ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2014, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/11 "2014-12-31T21:30:15Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Well, how did it work out **Sateryn76**? It’s been a week. No reply! I fear the worst. ---
**Author:** ![itsjoan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/6bbea6/32.png) [@itsjoan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/itsjoan)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2015, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/12 "2015-01-10T17:21:18Z")
Certainly not relevant now that it’s 2015 - but I’ve found traffic somewhat light on Christmas Eve because most folks are already where they want to be. BUT it is ‘time dependent’. Just prior to 11-12 PM it picks up as people are on their way back home. ---
**Author:** ![Sateryn76](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e4f/32.png) [@Sateryn76](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sateryn76)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/13 "2015-01-12T01:09:03Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > It’s been a week. No reply! > > I fear the worst. Ha! We made it fine. We elected to go with driving to Midway, and it was smooth sailing the whole way. Until…we hit Cicero. Why in Og’s name would the major route to an airport from the South have 5,000,000 stop lights? Just stupid. I know people hate O’Hare, but I don’t know why. It’s a modern airport, with wonderful highway access, and lots of flights. I flew out of Midway once, and with our recent trip - Midway is just kinda second class. Thanks for the help guys! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/14 "2015-01-12T02:38:29Z")
> [@Sateryn76](#): > > Why in Og’s name would the major route to an airport from the South have 5,000,000 stop lights? Just stupid. Not really that unusual for an older airport. Love Field in Dallas, San Diego and Long Beach in California, Boston (berfore the Big Dig.) Sometimes the trade-off for the convenience of a close-in airport is having a closed-in airport. ---
**Author:** ![Personal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Personal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Personal)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2015, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/traffic-to-midway-on-christms-eve/707320/15 "2015-01-12T03:12:14Z")
I used to run into the stop light problem on Cicero going north off of 294. It was dreadful. Then I tried, from Indiana, going up 90, catching 55, and then taking the Cicero exit so I was headed south on Cicero. Midway is almost right there. The trip that way may be longer mileage-wise, but it is certainly much faster and less stressful.