Try the Web App

Gary/Chicago International Airport

Discover cities like never before.

Enjoy over self-guided city exploration with our app ‘Explory’. Learn all about the history and discover hidden more than 500.000 hidden gems, that only locals know about. Build custom tours, find nearby places, and start exploring instantly.

Try the Web App

What if you could fly straight out of Chicago, but instead of bustling O’Hare, you took off from a smaller airport? This is Gary/Chicago International Airport, a joint civil-military airport in Gary, Indiana. The airport was opened in 1954 and was initially considered a “third airport,” supporting the main ones in Chicago: O’Hare and Midway. It was designed with growth in mind and has attracted several businesses, including Boeing, Menards, and White Lodging Services, who base their corporate aircraft here. You’ll also find a military section, a reminder of its past. Gary/Chicago boasts an extended runway, allowing it to handle larger aircraft. This runway is 8,859 feet long, longer than the famous 7,000 feet originally built in 1954, and is a key advantage for the airport. Throughout the years, passenger service has been on and off. From having many airlines, including Pan Am and Allegiant Air, it eventually lost its scheduled service to Chicago O’Hare. The last scheduled flight from Gary departed in 2013. But hope still lingers for the return of passengers as the airport is trying to rebuild passenger service in the near future. In the meantime, the international airport serves cargo flights, with airlines such as UPS and AirNet Express serving the Midwest. While this airport might fly below the radar of the Chicago area, it makes a remarkable contribution to Chicago’s aviation history.

After discovering the story of Gary/Chicago International Airport in Chicago, you may wonder how to explore even more. Explory makes it simple: our digital Chicago guide connects culture, history, and unique experiences. With the interactive Chicago city guide, you can dive deeper into the local atmosphere and follow curated routes that turn your visit into a memorable Chicago city tour. Explory is designed for authentic Chicago exploration. Each Chicago guide highlights iconic places and uncovers Chicago hidden gems that many visitors never find. With the immersive Chicago audio guide, stories and sounds bring every step to life. Our flexible Chicago city guide makes it easy to plan routes, discover landmarks, and enjoy storytelling that connects you with the city. Whether your passion is art, history, or local culture, Explory ensures your Chicago city tour is unique. With a strong focus on Chicago exploration and surprising Chicago hidden gems, Explory gives you more than sightseeing – it creates real discovery. Download the Explory App to expand your journey. Discover more than 300 cities and over 500,000 POIs and stories worldwide. Whether you need a Chicago guide, a reliable Chicago audio guide, or a flexible Chicago city tour, Explory is your key to travel differently.

More Places in Chicago

Yeusefiya Cemetery

Were these once vibrant lives, now commemorated beneath our feet? We stand before the Yeusefiya Cemetery, a place where history

Explore

耿辛庄桥

Across the Jiuduhe River stands the majestic Luoshen Bridge. Its elegant arches whisper tales of emperors and dynasties. Luoshen Bridge

Explore

Zion Baptist Church

Founded in 1882 Zion Baptist Church stands proudly in Philadelphia. It’s a testament to faith resilience and community. This wasn’t

Explore

Boat house

The clean lines and simple elegance of the Bauhaus movement are all around us here in Tel Aviv. And yet,

Explore