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A full-fare ride on the CTA 'L' costs $2.50, and a CTA bus ride costs $2.25 when you pay with a Ventra Card, a contactless bank card or a phone wallet. With any of these, you get up to two more rides within two hours at no extra charge. The one exception is O'Hare, where boarding the Blue Line costs $5.
| Fare | Full | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 'L' train (Ventra or contactless) | $2.50 | Reduced $1.25, student $0.75. Applies at every station except O'Hare. |
| 'L' train boarding at O'Hare | $5.00 | Reduced $1.25, student $0.75. Passes are accepted at no extra charge. See O'Hare. |
| Bus (Ventra or contactless) | $2.25 | Reduced $1.10, student $0.75. |
| Bus, cash at the farebox | $2.50 | Reduced $1.25, student $0.75. No transfers with cash. |
| Transfers | Free | Up to two more rides within two hours. Pace-to-CTA transfer: 25 cents (15 cents reduced or student). |
| 1-Day CTA/Pace Pass | $5 | Unlimited rides from first use. |
| 3-Day CTA/Pace Pass | $15 | Sold as a Ventra Ticket at O'Hare and Midway vending machines. |
| 7-Day CTA/Pace Pass | $20 | Loaded on a Ventra Card or in the Ventra app. |
| 30-Day CTA/Pace Pass | $75 | Reduced $35, only with a NITA-issued Reduced Fare Permit. |
Fares as published by the CTA, in effect since February 20, 2023.
Tap a contactless credit or debit card or a phone wallet at the reader on buses and at station turnstiles. It charges the same fare as a Ventra Card.
A new card costs $5. The CTA returns the $5 as transit value if you register the card within 90 days. Station machines sell cards and load value or passes.
Check your balance, add value or passes, see arrival times, and buy Metra mobile tickets. A Ventra Card can also be added to Apple Pay or Google Pay.
Ventra Tickets are disposable paper tickets sold at station vending machines. A single-ride ticket costs $3 and includes up to two transfers within two hours ($5 when bought at O'Hare). A 1-Day ticket costs $5 and a 3-Day ticket $15. If you buy a monthly pass with a registered Ventra account, a CTA promotion adds a $5 credit for Divvy bikes and scooters.
Children 0 to 6 ride free with a fare-paying adult. Children 7 to 11 pay the reduced fare: tell the bus operator, or see the station attendant before you pay. Full-time elementary and high school students ages 7 to 20 pay 75 cents with a Student Ventra Card, issued by Chicago Public Schools, some other schools, or the CTA. Many colleges give their students a Ventra U-Pass for unlimited rides during the school term.
Riders 65 and older and riders with disabilities qualify for reduced fares with a permit from the Northern Illinois Transit Authority (NITA). Older riders and riders with disabilities enrolled in the state's Benefit Access Program can ride free. Active-duty military personnel in uniform ride free, and SNAP or FRESH households can apply through NITA for reduced fares under the Access Program. See our accessible travel guide.
Metra commuter rail prices depend on how many of its four fare zones you travel through. Downtown stations are in Zone 1. You can buy tickets in the Ventra app, at station vending machines, or with cash from the conductor on board.
| Metra ticket | Zones 1-2 | Zones 1-3 | Zones 1-4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way | $3.75 | $5.50 | $6.75 |
| Day Pass | $7.50 | $11.00 | $13.50 |
| Monthly Pass | $75 | $110 | $135 |
Trips that do not start or end in Zone 1 (Zones 2-3-4) cost the same as Zones 1-2. On weekends, a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday Day Pass costs $7 for the whole system, and a Weekend Pass costs $10 for both days (Ventra app only). In the Ventra app, you can add a Regional Day Pass to any Metra Day Pass for $2.50 more and also ride CTA and Pace. Children under 7 ride Metra free with a fare-paying adult (up to three per adult), and children 7 to 11 pay reduced fares. On weekends, up to three children 11 and under ride free with each fare-paying adult. More on Metra.
Pace buses cost $2.00 with a full-fare Ventra Card, the Ventra app, a phone wallet or a contactless bank card, or $2.25 in cash. The reduced fare is $1.00. Children under 7 ride free (up to two per fare-paying adult). CTA/Pace passes are valid on both systems, and some Pace Premium routes charge an extra fee.
Fares on this page were checked on the official pages listed below on Oct 15, 2026. If a fare at the reader or ticket machine is different, the operator's price applies.
$2.50 for a full-fare ride on the 'L' with a Ventra Card, a contactless bank card or a phone wallet. Boarding at O'Hare costs $5. CTA buses cost $2.25 with Ventra or contactless, or $2.50 in cash.
Yes. When you pay with a Ventra Card, a Ventra Ticket, a contactless bank card or a phone wallet, you get up to two more rides within two hours at no extra cost. Transfers are not available when you pay cash on the bus.
Children 0 to 6 ride free with a fare-paying adult. Children 7 to 11 pay the reduced fare. Students 7 to 20 in elementary or high school pay 75 cents with a Student Ventra Card.
Yes. The 1-Day CTA/Pace Pass costs $5, the 3-Day pass $15, the 7-Day pass $20 and the 30-Day pass $75. Passes give unlimited rides on CTA and Pace from first use, including boarding at O'Hare.
Metra fares depend on how many of its four fare zones you travel through. A one-way ticket costs $3.75 for Zones 1-2, $5.50 for Zones 1-3 and $6.75 for Zones 1-4. A Day Pass costs twice the one-way fare, and a Saturday, Sunday or Holiday Day Pass costs $7.