Chicago Votes on Name for O'Hare Boulder

The city is letting the public pick a name from six finalists for a 50-ton dolostone boulder unearthed during airport construction.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Air Travel

Large weathered grey boulder sitting in a deep construction pit with layered pale sediment walls and a rusted pipe along one edge. — Crews at O'Hare International Airport unearthed a 50-ton dolostone boulder about 30 feet below the airfield, and Chicago residents are now voting on its name. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

Chicago launched a naming contest in September for a 50-ton boulder discovered about 30 feet below the O'Hare International Airport airfield. The city received nearly 3,000 name suggestions and narrowed them to six finalists for a public online vote.

Why it matters

The boulder surfaced during excavation for a stormwater facility tied to the ORDNext terminal expansion, giving Chicago residents a direct say in how a rare geological find at a major local landmark is remembered. The winning name will be displayed alongside the rock in a new airport exhibit.

The boulder measures about 11.5 feet wide, 8 feet deep and 7.5 feet tall and is composed of dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock. Nearly 3,000 public suggestions were narrowed to six finalists, and the final result has not yet been disclosed.

The players

City of Chicago

The city government runs the naming contest and manages the airport where the boulder was found, operating O'Hare International Airport as one of the busiest aviation hubs in the United States.

O'Hare International Airport

The major Chicago airport is the site of the ORDNext terminal expansion, during which the boulder was unearthed.

The details

Crews discovered the boulder while excavating the South Detention Basin, a stormwater management facility built as part of the ORDNext terminal expansion at O'Hare. Chicago opened a public vote where residents select one name from six finalists online, with voting closing Monday, November 2, 2026 at 5 p.m.

September 2026: City launches naming contest for the boulder.
Monday, November 2, 2026, 5 p.m.: Public voting on the boulder name closes.

Airport Expansion Context

The boulder was unearthed during excavation of the South Detention Basin, a stormwater facility built as part of the ORDNext terminal expansion at O'Hare. Chicago's decision to turn the find into a public naming contest places an unexpected cultural feature inside one of the city's largest active airport construction projects.

Chicago residents and O'Hare travelers can take part by voting online for one of six finalist names before the November 2, 2026 deadline. The named boulder will appear in a new airport exhibit, giving visitors a physical landmark tied to the terminal expansion.

The takeaway

Public input can turn an unexpected construction find into a lasting local landmark. Residents who want a say should watch for the vote and the exhibit opening at O'Hare.