Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD / KORD) Plane Spotting Map & Live Active Runway Predictor
Chicago, United States of America
O'Hare
ORD/KORD
Updated Tue 27 Oct, 13:40 local
- Active runway
- 10C / 10R
- METAR wind
- 170° @ 6 kt
- Best spot
- West of the 10s
- Sun
- 199° / 33°
D-ATIS · +1 kt headwind
VFR
Side-lit
Golden hour in 3h 35m
Side-litWant a Telegram ping when KORD flips runways? Subscribe for $3/mo
Best O'Hare (ORD) plane spotting locations by time of day & sun angle
Live weather
VFR170° @ 6 kt
18°C · 10+ sm · 1024 hPa
SCT180 OVC250
Golden hour in 3h 35m
Runway alerts for Chicago O'Hare International Airport
$3/mo
Spotting guideRunway windsATC frequencies
Lighting schedule
Morning 07:00-11:00, midday 11:00-14:00, afternoon 14:00-18:00 at ORD, scored from each spot's view bearing.
| Spotting Location | Morning (07:00-11:00) | Midday (11:00-14:00) | Afternoon / Golden Hour (14:00-18:00) | JetPhotos / Camera Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West of the 10s Runway 10L, 10C, 10R, 09L, 09C, 09R | BACKLIT / GLARE | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 16:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Schiller Park southeast Runway 22L, 22R | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-10:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
| Bensenville east Runway 27L, 27C, 27R, 28R, 28C | SIDE LIGHT | SIDE LIGHT | BACKLIT / GLARE | Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-09:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. |
Runway winds and thresholds
Land 10C / 10R · Dep 10C / 10R
| End | Hdg | Length | Headwind | Crosswind | Role |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10L | 90° | 13,000 ft | +1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 28R | 270° | 13,000 ft | -1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 09R | 90° | 11,260 ft | +1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 27L | 270° | 11,260 ft | -1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 09C | 90° | 11,245 ft | +1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 27C | 270° | 11,245 ft | -1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 10C | 90° | 10,800 ft | +1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Both |
| 28C | 270° | 10,800 ft | -1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 04R | 42° | 8,075 ft | -3.7 kt | 4.7 kt | Standby |
| 22L | 222° | 8,075 ft | +3.7 kt | 4.7 kt | Standby |
| 04L | 39° | 7,500 ft | -3.9 kt | 4.5 kt | Closed |
| 22R | 219° | 7,500 ft | +3.9 kt | 4.5 kt | Closed |
| 09L | 90° | 7,500 ft | +1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Closed |
| 27R | 270° | 7,500 ft | -1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
| 10R | 90° | 7,500 ft | +1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Both |
| 28L | 270° | 7,500 ft | -1.0 kt | 5.9 kt | Standby |
Recommended camera lenses & ATC radio frequencies for O'Hare (KORD)
| Facility | MHz | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Tower | 126.900 | Published |
| Approach | 119.000 | Published |
| Departure | 125.000 | Published |
| Ground | 121.675 | Published |
| Delivery | 121.600 | Published |
| ATIS | 135.400 | Published |
Lens for the top pin: Sony FE 200-600mm, Uniden Bearcat BC125AT, FlightAware Pro Stick. Sony FE 200-600mmUniden Bearcat BC125ATFlightAware Pro Stick
Open the ATC frequency pageFrequently asked questions about plane spotting at O'Hare (ORD/KORD)
Which runway is active at O'Hare (ORD/KORD) right now?
As of Tue 27 Oct, 13:00 local, D-ATIS confirms landing and departure 10C+10R. The METAR wind is 170° at 6 kt. 10C shows +1.0 kt headwind and 5.9 kt crosswind from the right. Closed runways: 04L, 22R, 09L.
Where is the best place to plane spot at O'Hare (ORD) in the morning vs. afternoon?
At 08:00 local the sun is at 114° azimuth and 6° elevation. West of the 10s scores 65/100, 1205 m from runway 10C, view bearing 99.9°, best as a afternoon spot with a 150-600mm lens. At 16:00 the sun is at 233° and 18°. West of the 10s scores 88/100 on a 99.9° view. Morning and afternoon picks follow that bearing: a view that wants the sun in the east is a morning spot, and a view that wants it in the west is an afternoon spot.
What is the best time to plane spot at Chicago O'Hare International Airport?
The best time to plane spot at Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD/KORD) is the window marked CLEAN FRONT LIGHT for the fence you are using. Morning (07:00-11:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Afternoon / golden hour (14:00-18:00) front light: no listed spot stays fully front-lit. Midday (11:00-14:00) is HIGH SUN / TOP LIGHT at 0 of 3 spotting locations. Read the Best Time of Day & Lighting Schedule by Spot table for the lens and the hours to avoid harsh backlit contrast.
What is the sun direction at KORD spotting locations?
KORD spotting locations sun direction: West of the 10s (runway 10L, 10C, 10R, 09L, 09C, 09R) is BACKLIT / GLARE in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and SIDE LIGHT in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 16:00-18:00 local. Avoid 08:00-11:00 harsh backlit contrast. Schiller Park southeast (runway 22L, 22R) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-10:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast. Bensenville east (runway 27L, 27C, 27R, 28R, 28C) is SIDE LIGHT in the morning, SIDE LIGHT at midday, and BACKLIT / GLARE in the afternoon. Recommended focal length 150-600mm. Crisp fuselage illumination 08:00-09:00 local. Avoid 15:00-18:00 harsh backlit contrast.
What lens focal length do I need for plane spotting at O'Hare (ORD)?
West of the 10s is 1205 m from the 10C centerline, so the lens is 150-600mm. The bands are fixed from that distance: 70-200mm inside 250 m, 100-400mm from 250 m to 450 m, and 150-600mm beyond 450 m. The aircraft itself is about 508 m from this pin on a 700 m final.
What ATC radio frequencies should I monitor while spotting at O'Hare (KORD)?
Monitor Tower 126.9 MHz, Ground 121.675 MHz, Approach 119.0 MHz, ATIS 135.4 MHz. Online streams lag by 30 seconds or more. A handheld VHF airband scanner at the fence is the zero-delay way to hear a runway change on Tower 126.9 MHz.
How do I know when O'Hare (ORD) switches active runways?
No TAF wind shift in the next 6 hours flips the flow. Wind stays near 170° at 6 kt, so 10C remains the favored arrival. The $3/mo Telegram Runway-Shift Alert pings you when D-ATIS or the METAR wind vector changes the active runway: https://planespottingmap.com/airport/KORD#runway-alerts