Elgin: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
Elgin is a city of 112,111 people in United States (Illinois), 229 m (751 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), 32 km (20 mi) from the centre. It has 3 railway stations on record, including Elgin.
Key facts
Daylight in Elgin runs from about 9 h 10 min a day in late December to 15 h 18 min in late June (computed for 42.04° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
Elgin is served by 4 airports with scheduled flights within 100 km. The closest large one is Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), 32 km (20 mi) from the centre, whose 13,000-ft runway is long enough for long-haul wide-body aircraft. The alternatives are Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW, 52 km), Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD, 70 km), Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY, 86 km).
Flights to Elgin: every airport, routes and times
By rail: stations on record include Elgin, National Street, Big Timber Road. Trains to Elgin
Buses to Elgin · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Chicago, 56 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Indianapolis, 309 km — flights
- Milwaukee, 116 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Madison, 147 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Toledo, 394 km
- Fort Wayne, 281 km — trains · tours
- Aurora, 31 km — buses · car rental · tours
- Grand Rapids, 238 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Rockford, 72 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
- Joliet, 59 km — trains · buses · car rental · tours
Common questions
Which airport serves Elgin?
Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), 32 km (20 mi) from the centre, plus 3 other airports with scheduled flights within 100 km.
How big is Elgin?
About 112,111 people live in Elgin, across 98 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is Elgin in?
America/Chicago, currently UTC-5.
What currency is used in Elgin?
The Dollar (USD). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near Elgin?
Chicago (56 km), Indianapolis (309 km), Milwaukee (116 km), Madison (147 km), Toledo (394 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.