Originally Posted by
BearX220
PDX enplanements in 2015 were 16.8m passengers, ORD's were 76.9m passengers, so I don't think the former is a terribly pertinent model for the latter. PDX is geographically peripheral and hosts just 17 passenger carriers. O'Hare is a national crossroads serving about 45 airlines, not counting cargo, and AA and UA both hub there. Most of what people like about PDX (lack of congestion, cozy layout, short gate-to-gate walks) is not reproducible at a high-traffic transfer terminus like ORD.
PDX is not cozy at all. It has very high ceilings, much wider terminals than any ORD terminal (wider by quite a bit, despite the lower volume of traffic), and more than enough bathrooms to service the amount of traffic. Transferring from the end of C to the regional flights in A requires a lengthy walk, but the wider than ORD concourses make it a much easier transit. Plus, the dining options are fantastic, with a significant local restaurant presence. SFO T2 is similarly wide open, with plenty of seating and bathrooms.
Both PDX and SFO have invested quite a bit in infrastructure over the past several decades. ORD has not, and that lack of investment is very apparent when trying to do something as simple as use the bathroom on a Monday at 8 am.