United Airlines Flights from Birmingham (BHM) to Chicago (ORD)
Orbitz is pleased to offer airline tickets on United Airlines, which operates a daily non-stop flight from Birmingham (BHM) to Chicago (ORD) regularly scheduled to depart at 2:08pm and arrive at 4:14pm, and 4 additional non-stop flights, departing between 6:57am and 6:32pm on select days of the week. Usually a Canadair Regional Jet 700 or Canadair Regional Jet is flown for this route. The average travel time from Birmingham, AL to Chicago, IL is 2 hours and 7 minutes.
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During your Chicago vacation, don't miss these great establishments and attractions:
Chicago Public Library/Harold Washington Library Center
A massive, hulking building that looks like an Italian Renaissance fortress, the main public library for the city of Chicago is the largest public library in the world. Named for the city's first and only African-American mayor, who died of a heart attack in 1987 at the beginning of his second term in office, the building fills an entire city block at State Street and Congress Parkway. The interior design has been criticized for feeling cold (you have to go up a few floors before you even see any books), but the stunning 52-foot glass-domed winter garden on the top floor is worth a visit. On the second floor is another treasure: the vast Thomas Hughes Children's Library, which makes an excellent resting spot for families traveling with kids. The library also offers an interesting array of events and art exhibitions worth checking out. A 385-seat auditorium is the setting for a unique mix of dance and music performances, author talks, and children's programs. Allow a half-hour.
Cafe Brauer
This landmark 1900 building, a fine example of Chicago's Prairie School of architecture, is not technically open to the public, except for a cafe and ice-cream parlor on the ground floor. But the Great Hall on the second floor, flanked by two curving loggias, is one of the city's most popular wedding-reception spots, so if you stop by on a weekend, chances are you can sneak a peek while the caterers are setting up. Even if you don't make it inside, Cafe Brauer makes a nice stopping-off point during a walk around the park. Sit and sip a coffee, or rent a paddleboat at the edge of the lovely South Pond ($10 per half-hour). Best of all, though, is the picture-postcard view from the adjacent bridge spanning the pond of the John Hancock Center and neighboring skyscrapers beyond Lincoln Park's treetops. Allow a quarter-hour, longer for a paddleboat ride.
Unity Temple
After fire destroyed its church around 1900, a Unitarian/Universalist congregation asked one of its members, Frank Lloyd Wright, to design an affordable replacement. Using poured concrete with metal reinforcements -- a necessity, owing to the small budget of $40,000 allocated for the project -- Wright created a building that on the outside seems as forbidding as a mausoleum but inside contains all the elements of the Prairie School that has made Wright's name immortal. Following the example of H. H. Richardson, Wright placed the building's main entrance on the side, behind an enclosure -- a feature often employed in his houses as well -- to create a sense of privacy and intimacy. Wright complained, furthermore, that the conventions of church architecture -- such as the nave in the Gothic-style cathedral across the street -- were overpowering. Of that particular church, he commented that he didn't feel a part of it.Yet his own vision in this regard was somewhat confused and contradictory. He wanted Unity Temple to be "democratic." But perhaps Wright was unable to subdue his own personal hubris and hauteur in the creative process, for the ultimate effect of his chapel, and much of the building's interior, is very grand and imperial. This is no simple meetinghouse; instead, its principal chapel looks like the chamber of the Roman Senate. Even so, the interior, with its unpredictable geometric arrangements and its decor reminiscent of Native American art, is no less beautiful.Wright was a true hands-on, can-do person; he knew the materials he chose to use as intimately as the artisans who carried out his plans. He added pigment to the plaster (rather than the paint) to achieve a pale, natural effect. His use of wood for trim and other decorative touches is still exciting to behold; his sensitivity to grain and tone and placement was akin to that of an exceptionally gifted woodworker. And his stunning, almost-minimalist use of form is what still sets him apart as a relevant and brilliant artist. Unity Temple still feels groundbreaking 100 years later -- which Wright might consider the ultimate compliment. Allow a half-hour.
Le Méridien
Tucked into the Westfield North Bridge mall, Le Méridien is a fairly recent addition to the competitive high-end Chicago hotel market, and it seems that the general public has yet to discover it. Le Méridien touts its design philosophy as "European with a French accent," which, in this case, means marble floors, vaguely 18th-century-inspired furniture, and some whimsical artwork (a large painting of a Napoleonic figure with the head of a dog hangs in the lobby). A terrace offers outdoor seating, and a casual bistro is hidden away in the back of the lobby (depending on your perspective, it's either pleasantly secluded or isolated). Rooms are a bit small (especially the least expensive ones on the north side), but the amenities are top of the line: The safes come with chargers for cellphones and laptop computers, and the in-room phones are cordless. High rollers will want to book one of the suites overlooking Michigan Avenue; a few even come with private terraces, something few hotels in this city offer. Le Méridien can't compete with the Park Hyatt or the Peninsula in the glamour department, but its cozy style should appeal to travelers looking for some place a little more personal. It also makes a good base for anyone visiting during frigid winter weather; with a whole mall just a few steps away, you can get out without even putting on your coat.
Red Roof Inn
This is your best bet for the lowest-priced lodgings in downtown Chicago. The location is the main selling point: right off the Magnificent Mile (and within blocks of the Ritz-Carlton and Peninsula, where rooms will cost you at least three times as much). The guest rooms are stark and small (much like the off-the-highway Red Roof Inns), but all have new linens and carpeting. Ask for a room facing Ontario Street, where at least you'll get western exposure and some natural light (rooms in other parts of the hotel look right into neighboring office buildings). The bathrooms are tiny but newly renovated and spotless. You're not going to find much in the way of style or amenities here -- but then you don't stay at a place like this to hang out in the lobby (where, by the way, free coffee is available every morning).
Swissôtel Chicago
This sleek, modern hotel is all business, and may therefore feel a bit icy to some visitors, but its professional aura makes it especially attractive to business travelers in search of tranquillity. Panoramic vistas from every room -- of Lake Michigan, Grant Park, and the Chicago River -- are the hotel's best features. The spacious rooms have separate sitting areas and warm contemporary furnishings. Business travelers will appreciate the oversize desks (convertible to dining tables), ergonomic chairs, and -- in upgraded executive-level rooms -- CD players. Executive suites, with wonderful, 180-degree views, have separate sleeping areas. All executive-level guests also receive complimentary breakfast and hors d'oeuvres and have access to a lounge with Internet connections, a library, and a personal concierge.Active travelers will want to break a sweat in the lofty environs of the Penthouse Health Spa, perched on the 42nd floor. And those who just want to indulge themselves can enjoy the ultimate steak-and-lobster expense-account restaurant: the on-site outpost of New York's The Palm.Facilities: 3 restaurants (steakhouse, American); lounge; penthouse fitness center with indoor pool, spa, Jacuzzi, and sauna; concierge; business center with extensive meeting services; 24-hr. room service; massage; babysitting; laundry service; 24-hr. dry cleaning; executive-level rooms.
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Need help booking your trip?
Book online or call
1-800-504-3248(toll free)
Other direct flights to Chicago (ORD) on United Airlines
