Don't let this opportunity fly by you. You have a 5+ hour layover at Chicago O'Hare Airport (ORD). You don't want to sit, read, or sleep during that time. What to do?...I suggest you leave the airport to go take a selfie in front of Cloud Gate and get a slice of Chicago's famous deep dish pizza!
You might be thinking, "What if I miss my flight?" . If I could do it, you can do it too. As long as you are prepared, know where you want to go, and have good time management you can make it back on time for your next flight!
*REMINDER: Once you leave the airport, you will be required to go through TSA again. Keep this in mind, make sure you take this into account when planning to venture out into the city. Manage your time wisely.
Travel light
If you are going to be venturing out to the city, I suggest packing light. Make sure you are not carrying anything too heavy or have too many bags with you. Having baggage can be a hassle and slow you down. *TIP: If you happen to have luggage that can not be checked in yet, or do not know where to place your luggage. I suggest going to the baggage claim area (airlines have offices that deal with baggage claim/baggage services). Go up to them and kindly ask if they can hold your luggage for you. It doesn't hurt to try! They said yes to me! **FYI: There are no luggage storage lockers at ORD.
How to get to the city
I rode the CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) Blue Line! From the airport you follow the signs that say CTA. It will lead you to the O'Hare station. You purchase your tickets at the kiosk. I rode from the O'Hare station to Washington Station, it took less than 35 minutes to get to downtown (you do not need to transfer stations, this takes you directly to downtown).
First stop: Cloud Gate
I used Google Maps to find my way to Millennium Park where Cloud Gate was. It was about a 7 minute walk.
Second stop: Giordano's
If you leave without trying Chicago's famous deep dish pizza, then did you really go to Chicago? I decided to go to Giordano's which was right across the street from Millennium Park. Keep in mind that deep dish pizzas do tend to have a longer cooking time around ~45 minutes. *TIP: If you find yourself low on time, make sure to call ahead to place a to-go order for your pizza. You can always pick it up and eat it back at the airport.
Washington to O'Hare
Take the Blue Line and go back to O'Hare! You can find any Blue Line station or just Google map back to Washington Station.
Remember to pick up your luggage from baggage claim offices, if needed. And have a safe flight! Hope these tips made your layover a little less boring! These tips were based off of my own experience. If you have more time, you can always explore more parts of the city. I recommend checking out the Skydeck!