Amazon Prime Air Expands to Chicago Suburbs

Amazon is bringing drone delivery to the Chicago area, and this time it is not a pilot program tucked away in the desert.

Amazon plans to launch its Prime Air service from two major fulfillment centers in the south suburbs of Chicago, specifically in Markham and Matteson, later this year, as NBC 5 Chigago reports.

If approved and fully operational, customers within roughly a seven and a half mile radius could receive eligible packages by drone in as little as two hours.

For suburban Illinois, that means the sound of delivery trucks may soon be joined by the steady hum of autonomous aircraft overhead.

Launching From Amazon’s Largest Robotics Facility

In Markham, drones will launch from Amazon’s massive robotics fulfillment center located just off Interstate 294.

City officials describe the five million square foot building as the largest robotics fulfillment center in the country. Construction began in 2020 and the facility officially opened in 2022. It currently employs around 3,000 people.

According to local leadership, the drone program is expected to add roughly 50 additional jobs while generating new sales tax revenue for the city. Now this is something really good for Markham people.

Markham officials also see this as part of a broader smart city push, pointing to investments in electrification stations, solar energy projects, and smart street infrastructure.

For Amazon, it is another step in expanding Prime Air beyond its early test markets.

How Prime Air Drone Delivery Works

Prime Air first launched nearly five years ago and currently operates in parts of Arizona and Texas.

The concept is straightforward.

A customer places an order. If the item qualifies and the delivery address falls within the approved radius, a drone is dispatched from the fulfillment center. The aircraft navigates autonomously to the destination, scans the drop zone for people and pets, and then lowers the package into a designated area in the yard.

Amazon says the system is designed with multiple layers of safety and has undergone extensive testing before expanding into Illinois.

That reassurance comes at an important time. Recent reports of a drone crash in Arizona have drawn attention to the risks involved in scaling autonomous delivery networks.

Mixed Reactions From Residents

While city officials are optimistic, residents have questions.

How heavy can the drones carry? How precise is the drop? What happens during high traffic seasons like the holidays? And will this technology impact traditional delivery jobs?

Some are enthusiastic about faster deliveries. Others are taking a wait and see approach.

Amazon plans to host a regional community meeting on March 2 in Tinley Park to demonstrate the system and answer questions from residents.

DroneXL’s Take

Amazon is clearly not backing down from drone delivery.

After years of development, regulatory hurdles, and limited rollouts, Prime Air is steadily expanding into denser and more complex suburban markets. Moving into the Chicago metro area is a meaningful step. It signals confidence in the aircraft, the autonomy stack, and the regulatory framework.

The real test will not be the first successful drop. It will be consistency at scale.

If Amazon can deliver safely, quietly, and reliably in a region like suburban Chicago, drone delivery will shift from experimental headline to everyday infrastructure. If not, critics will point to every incident as proof that the sky should stay truck free.

Either way, the airspace over Markham and Matteson is about to become a proving ground for the future of last mile logistics.

Photo credit: NBC 5, Amazon.