CHICAGO — Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is one of the busiest in the world.
Those who have traveled in and out of O’Hare know its airport code well. ORD is seen on flight reservations, luggage tag info, airfare tickets and more.
But unlike some other airports who have more straightforward airport codes — LAX for Los Angeles International and DFW for Dallas-Fort Worth, come to mind — O’Hare’s code is a little more mysterious.
Why is O’Hare called ORD?
O’Hare was build on a site called Orchard Field, also known as Orchard Place, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Orchard = ORcharD.
The Chicago Department of Aviation says the Chicago City Council officially renamed Orchard Field as O’Hare International Airport in 1949. The name honors World War II naval aviator Lieutenant Commander Edward “Butch” O’Hare, a Medal of Honor recipient from Chicago.
Photo courtesy of Chicago Department of Aviation
Photo courtesy of Chicago Department of Aviation
O’Hare officially opened to commercial air traffic in 1955 and served 176,902 passengers in its first year.