The airport code ORD for Chicago O'Hare International Airport is a historical nod to its original name, Orchard Field Airport. When the site was first used for military and commercial aviation in the 1940s, it was a "Douglas Aircraft" manufacturing plant surrounded by orchards, leading to the name "Orchard Field." When the airport was later renamed in 1949 to honor Edward "Butch" O'Hare, the first U.S. Navy flying ace and a Medal of Honor recipient, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) decided not to change the code. Because the code "OHR" was unavailable (or deemed too similar to others), they simply kept the original "ORD" designation. In 2026, travelers still use this three-letter code on every bag tag and boarding pass, serving as a permanent linguistic link to the airport's rural, agricultural origins before it became one of the busiest and most iconic travel hubs in the world.