The History of CHICAGO O�HARE INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
In 1942, the War Production Board of the United States of America purchased a plot of undeveloped Cook County prairie land called Orchard Place. The 1,790 acres of flatland was well suited for a huge airplane factory the government needed for the production of military aircraft, specifically Douglas C-54s, during World War II. The facility was also the site of the Army Air Force�s 803 Special Depot that stored many rare or experimental planes, including captured enemy aircraft. These historic aircraft would later be transferred to the National Air Museum to eventually form the core of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum�s collection.
During the war, the airport was known as Orchard Place/Douglas Field, hence the airport�s identification ORD which remains today. After the war in 1945, the production of aircraft ceased and the U.S. Government transferred 1.080 acres of airport land to the City of Chicago. The facility was chosen by the City as the site to meet future aviation demands, additional land was purchased, and the airport was renamed Orchard Field. |
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In 1949, the airfield became Chicago O�Hare International Airport named in honor of Lieutenant Commander Edward "Butch" O�Hare, a young Navy flier who gave his life in defense of his country. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 1942 and is credited with saving the aircraft carrier USS Lexington in the South Pacific by shooting down six of nine enemy bombers. O�Hare International opened to commercial air traffic in 1955 and was formally dedicated on March 23, 1963, by President John F. Kennedy. |
Today�s airport includes 6 runways and 162 gates covering approximately 7,700 acres. It serves more than 50 domestic and foreign carriers along with a variety of cargo and general aviation aircraft. To meet the ever-growing demands of the aviation community, we are now in the midst of the O�Hare Modernization Project that will dramatically change the runway and taxiway configuration of the airport. |
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O�Hare has had the distinction of being one the world�s busiest since the early 1960�s. Approximately 200,000 travelers and 4,300 metric tons of cargo pass through O�Hare each day. In TRAFFIC count Peak operations exceed 200 take offs and landings per hour. |
Page Last Modified: 09/13/10 10:37 EDT