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Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
Encyclopedia
The Blue Line consists of a 19.5 miles (31.4 km) long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority
's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport
at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its southwest end at Forest Park
(Congress). It is the CTA's second busiest rail line, with an average weekday ridership of 176,377 as of September 2011. The route's full length is 34.6 miles (55.7 km) with a total of 33 stations.
The Blue Line and Red Line
are the only two routes on the CTA rail system to currently run 24 hours a day. Service between O'Hare and 54th/Cermak no longer operates. The CTA Pink Line serves all stations on the 54th/Cermak branch. The Blue Line is also the only line with more than one station with the same name. It has two Harlem stations: one in the Kennedy Expressway on the Northwest side, and one on the south side of the Eisenhower Expressway on the West Side. It also has two Western stations: one on the O'Hare Branch and one on the Congress branch.
The Blue Line was formerly called the West-Northwest route or more commonly, the O'Hare-Congress-Douglas route for its three branches. The Congress and Douglas branches were renamed for their respective terminals, Forest Park and 54th/Cermak, when the current color naming system was adopted in 1993. As of May 2008, Blue Line service to 54/Cermak no longer operates; it has been replaced with the new Pink Line.
The O'Hare Branch is the longest section of the Blue Line (14.6 miles (23.5 km)) and comprises the oldest and newest segments of the entire route. It begins at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport
underneath the main parking garage. It runs in subway to a portal location in the airport grounds then climbs to the surface in the median of the O'Hare main access road (Interstate 190
) about a mile (1.6 km) west of Mannheim Road. The rapid transit
line follows Interstate 190
east through Rosemont
then tunnels beneath the Kennedy Expressway
/Northwest Tollway
interchange near the Des Plaines River
and continues in the median of the Kennedy Expressway Interstate 90
) east and southeast towards the city to another subway portal just south of Addison Street. The line then runs in a short subway connection (built in 1970) under Kimball and Milwaukee Avenues
through Logan Square
to another portal. Here, the line climbs onto elevated structure paralleling Milwaukee Avenue (built in 1895) and continuing southeast towards downtown Chicago.
route, continuing southeast under Milwaukee Avenue, east under Lake Street (crossing beneath the Chicago River
) south under Dearborn Street (through the central business district) and west under Congress Parkway (and a second river crossing). The tracks emerge from a portal near Halsted Street in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway
(Interstate 290) and continue west.
A downtown superstation has been proposed to provide express service from the Loop to O'Hare
and Midway Airport, via the Blue and Orange Line
. The station would provide services such as baggage check. However, budget issues plague the operation and have prevented construction.
After exiting the subway, the tracks continue west in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway as the Congress Branch. Immediately west of the Racine station, the Congress tracks diverge to permit a ramp up to the Douglas Branch elevated structure. This ramp, which is now non-revenue trackage, connects the Douglas branch to the Blue Line. The Congress Branch remains in the median of the expressway through the west side of Chicago until it reaches a portal at Lotus. At this point the tracks tunnel beneath the eastbound expressway lanes and before emerging on the south side of the expressway next to the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad
(CSX) tracks. The route passes through Oak Park
and into Forest Park
. In the vicinity of Desplaines Avenue the tracks rise and make an S-curve north over the expressway before terminating at a station on the west side of Desplaines Avenue.
in Cicero
(5400 W. - 2200 S.). The line runs east on street level right-of-way just north of and parallel to Cermak Road from the terminal to about a quarter-mile (400 m) east of Cicero Avenue, then diagonals northeast until it reaches a corridor parallel and adjacent to 21st Street at Kostner Avenue. It then continues east between 21st Street and Cullerton Street, climbing up from surface level to elevated structure, through the North Lawndale
, Little Village, and Pilsen neighborhoods of Chicago, with stops at Kostner, Pulaski, Central Park, Kedzie, California, Western and Damen. The line turns north near Paulina Street stopping at 18th and Polk Streets then curves east over the Eisenhower Expressway
(Interstate 290). The Douglas tracks ramps down to the surface of the median of the expressway and joins the Congress (Forest Park) Branch just before the Racine station. On April 28, 2008, the CTA eliminated Blue Line service on the Douglas branch, having been replaced by the Pink Line
.
-built 2200-Series and 2600-Series rail cars which were delivered in 1969 and 1970 and 1981 through 1987. These cars are typically trained together because the older 2200-Series cars have "blinker doors" that open inward and are not ADA
compatible. They are scheduled for retirement in 2012 when the new Bombardier
-built 5000-Series cars are delivered. With the first 5000-Series cars officially entering revenue service on the Pink Line starting November 2011, some of the 2200-Series cars have been replaced with additional 2600-Series cars in the Blue Line fleet.
in 1895. The first section to be built by this company extended west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street from an independent terminal at Canal and Jackson Streets to Marshfield Avenue, and thence northward in the vicinity of Paulina Street to Damen and Milwaukee Avenues. Service on this section was started May 6, 1895. The structure was completed from Damen Avenue to Logan Square on May 25, 1895.
The next stage in the development of the West Side 'L' came on June 19, 1895, when the Garfield Park Branch was added, extending west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street and Harrison Street from Marshfield Avenue to Cicero Avenue. An extension of service over the tracks of the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad to a new terminal at Forest Park was established on March 11, 1905. A subsequent extension to Westchester
opened on October 1, 1926. (Service on the Westchester extension was discontinued by the CTA on December 9, 1951.)
Another branch line was added to the rapidly growing Metropolitan System on July 29, 1895, when trains began operating over the Humboldt Park Branch, paralleling North Avenue from Damen Avenue to a terminal at Lawndale Avenue. (The route was discontinued on May 3, 1952.) This was followed by still another addition when the Douglas Park Branch was placed in operation as far south as 18th Street on April 28, 1896.
As the southwest area of the city developed, the Douglas Park Branch was extended from 18th Street to Western Avenue in September 1896; to Pulaski Road in June, 1902; to Cicero Avenue in December 1907; to Central Avenue in August, 1912; to 62nd Avenue in August, 1915, and to Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn
on March 16, 1924. The present west terminal of the Douglas Branch is 54th Avenue, Cicero
.
The Metropolitan West Side Elevated began service around the Union Loop on October 11, 1897, and a rush period stub terminal at Wells Street
was added October 3, 1904. For much of the early 20th century and through the 1940s, service on the West Side Elevated lines went unchanged until the Chicago Transit Authority
took control of Chicago's Rapid Transit System in October, 1947, initiating a series of massive service curtailments and station closings (that would last until the 1980s).
On February 25, 1951, Chicago's second subway route (#2), Milwaukee-Dearborn, was placed in operation by CTA, connecting the Milwaukee Avenue elevated route (formerly Logan Square) with the Central Business District on a fast, efficient and more direct routing through the heart of the city. With opening of the Dearborn Subway, the old elevated alignment between Evergreen and Marshfield Avenues was therefore closed and used only for moving out-of-service rail cars. The north section of this connection between Evergreen Avenue and Lake Street was subsequently demolished in 1960s, leaving the Lake Street Branch-to-Douglas Branch section or the "Paulina Connector" still in existence.
The Garfield Park elevated was replaced by the Congress route on June 22, 1958, pioneering the world's first use of rail rapid transit and a multi-lane automobile expressway in the same grade-separated right-of-way. (Pacific Electric Railway
"Red Car" tracks ran in the median of the Cahuenga Parkway in Los Angeles
from 1944 until its expansion into the Hollywood Freeway
in 1952, but the Pacific Electric service was an interurban streetcar rather than true rapid transit.) The new line connected with the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway at the Chicago River
and extended westward to Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park. An incline connection en route permitted Douglas trains to operate through the subway as well combining the Logan Square, Garfield Park (now Congress), and Douglas routes into the second through service in Chicago, the West-Northwest route.
A five-mile (8 km) extension of the route via the short subway connection and the Kennedy Expressway
median between Logan Square
and Jefferson Park
was added on February 1, 1970. It was also built by the City of Chicago using federal monies. From Logan Square, trains veers off of the old elevated structure and enters the subway under Milwaukee and Kedzie Avenues to a portal just south of Addison Street, then continues northwest in the median of the Kennedy Expressway to the temporary terminal at Jefferson Park. In March 1980, construction began on the O'Hare Airport extension of the Kennedy route between Jefferson Park and the airport. The first section between Jefferson Park and Rosemont was placed in service on February 27, 1983, and the final section to O'Hare International Airport
on September 3, 1984.
In 1993, the Chicago Transit Authority
adopted a color-coded naming system to the rapid transit system, and the West-Northwest route (OHare-Congress/Douglas) became the Blue Line. On April 26, 1998, the Douglas Branch lost its overnight (owl) and weekend service and began operating between 4 a.m. (04:00) and 1 a.m. (01:00) on weekdays only as a result of funding shortages requiring CTA cut services. Congress (Forest Park) service was effectively doubled through much of the day since service frequency from O'Hare required shorter headways than what would have been left.
One reason for the Douglas Branch reduction in service was due to its low ridership, badly deteriorated condition, and funding problems, while many residents in the communities it runs through had claimed that it was just another attempt by the CTA to deter transit service on the West Side.
In September 2001, the CTA began a historic reconstruction of the Douglas Branch to repair its aging infrastructure. The work was officially completed on January 5, 2005 with new elevated structures, track, stations, new communication networks and an upgraded traction power system along the route. On January 1, 2005, weekend service was restored.
On July 11, 2006, a rear derailment caused a smokey fire in the Blue Line's Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. There were injuries from smoke inhalation
, but no fatalities. The comparatively minor incident prompted heavy news coverage and a temporary stoppage of Chicago subway service because it occurred hours after train bombings in Mumbai
earlier the same day.
branch of the Blue Line westward to Schaumburg
, but this has recently been changed with the recent developments involving the planning of the Metra STAR Line
and various other transportation projects.
However, in 2008, the Regional Transit Authority revealed a plan to possibly expand commuter rail and bus service to the RTA board, which included a 13.3 miles (21.4 km) extension of the Blue Line on an east-west route from its current western terminus at Forest Park to as far west as the Yorktown shopping center in DuPage County. Several feeder bus routes would also be implemented along the route in order to supplement ridership and increase usefulness. The prospect of this extension was also listed in the Chicago region's 2030 long-term master plan.
Between Grand and Clark/Lake in the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, two more stub tunnels also exist, continuing straight while the current Blue Line heads in the northwest direction. This flying junction (actually a stacked flying junction), built in the 1940s along with the initial subway, was intended for a never-built connection to, or subway replacement of, the Lake Elevated.
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The Blue Line serves as a vital link to various airline destinations from the O'Hare International Airport
(O'Hare), Rosemont Convention Center and Allstate Arena
(Rosemont), the Gateway Theatre
, James R. Thompson Center
(Clark/Lake), City Hall-Cook County Building
and the Richard J. Daley Center
(Washington), Bank One Plaza (Monroe), the Federal Center Buildings (Jackson), La Salle Street Metra
Station (La Salle), Amtrak
and Metra
Union Station
, Main Post Office and Greyhound Lines
station (Clinton), University of Illinois at Chicago
(UIC-Halsted and Racine), UIC Pavilion
(Racine) Cook County Hospital, Malcolm X College
and the United Center
(Illinois Medical District), Oak Park
(Austin and Oak Park), and Forest Park
(Harlem and Forest Park) among others and several outlying Metra
train stations (Jefferson Park, and Irving Park).
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its southwest end at Forest Park
Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census...
(Congress). It is the CTA's second busiest rail line, with an average weekday ridership of 176,377 as of September 2011. The route's full length is 34.6 miles (55.7 km) with a total of 33 stations.
The Blue Line and Red Line
Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago , on the City Limits farthest north. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood...
are the only two routes on the CTA rail system to currently run 24 hours a day. Service between O'Hare and 54th/Cermak no longer operates. The CTA Pink Line serves all stations on the 54th/Cermak branch. The Blue Line is also the only line with more than one station with the same name. It has two Harlem stations: one in the Kennedy Expressway on the Northwest side, and one on the south side of the Eisenhower Expressway on the West Side. It also has two Western stations: one on the O'Hare Branch and one on the Congress branch.
The Blue Line was formerly called the West-Northwest route or more commonly, the O'Hare-Congress-Douglas route for its three branches. The Congress and Douglas branches were renamed for their respective terminals, Forest Park and 54th/Cermak, when the current color naming system was adopted in 1993. As of May 2008, Blue Line service to 54/Cermak no longer operates; it has been replaced with the new Pink Line.
O'Hare Branch
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
underneath the main parking garage. It runs in subway to a portal location in the airport grounds then climbs to the surface in the median of the O'Hare main access road (Interstate 190
Interstate 190 (Illinois)
Interstate 190 is an intrastate Interstate Highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. I-190 runs west from I-90 to O'Hare International Airport. This is a distance of . Interstate 190 is the westernmost leg of the Kennedy Expressway...
) about a mile (1.6 km) west of Mannheim Road. The rapid transit
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
line follows Interstate 190
Interstate 190
Interstate 190 may refer to the following Interstate Highways in the United States:*Interstate 190 , a spur into Chicago's O'Hare International Airport*Interstate 190 , a spur from Worcester, to Leominster...
east through Rosemont
Rosemont, Illinois
Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that...
then tunnels beneath the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
/Northwest Tollway
Northwest Tollway
The Jane Addams Memorial Tollway in Illinois is a 79-mile segment of Interstate 90 from Interstate 190 in far northwest Chicago to Illinois Route 75, one mile south of the Wisconsin state line. For 16 miles , Interstate 90 is concurrent with Interstate 39 and U.S. Route 51...
interchange near the Des Plaines River
Des Plaines River
The Des Plaines River is a river that flows southward for through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois in the U.S. Midwest, eventually meeting the Kankakee River west of Channahon to form the Illinois River, a tributary of the Mississippi River....
and continues in the median of the Kennedy Expressway Interstate 90
Interstate 90 in Illinois
In the U.S. state of Illinois, Interstate 90 runs roughly northwest through the northern end of the state, from the Indiana border to Wisconsin. I-90 traverses a variety of settings, from farmland west of the Fox River Valley to medium-density suburban west of O'Hare International Airport, to the...
) east and southeast towards the city to another subway portal just south of Addison Street. The line then runs in a short subway connection (built in 1970) under Kimball and Milwaukee Avenues
Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago)
Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets...
through Logan Square
Logan Square, Chicago
Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...
to another portal. Here, the line climbs onto elevated structure paralleling Milwaukee Avenue (built in 1895) and continuing southeast towards downtown Chicago.
Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway
At the intersection of Ashland and Milwaukee Avenues, the Blue Line descends into Chicago's second subwayRapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
route, continuing southeast under Milwaukee Avenue, east under Lake Street (crossing beneath the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
) south under Dearborn Street (through the central business district) and west under Congress Parkway (and a second river crossing). The tracks emerge from a portal near Halsted Street in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway
Interstate 290 (Illinois)
Interstate 290 is a main Interstate freeway that runs westwards from the Chicago Loop. A portion of I-290 is officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. In short form, it is known as "the Ike" or the Eisenhower...
(Interstate 290) and continue west.
A downtown superstation has been proposed to provide express service from the Loop to O'Hare
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
and Midway Airport, via the Blue and Orange Line
Orange Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Orange Line, is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the 'L' system. It is approximately long, and runs below grade and elevated on existing railroad embankments and new concrete and steel structures from Chicago Midway International...
. The station would provide services such as baggage check. However, budget issues plague the operation and have prevented construction.
Congress Branch
Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad
The Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal Railroad is a terminal railroad in the Chicago area, formerly giving various other companies access to Grand Central Station...
(CSX) tracks. The route passes through Oak Park
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
and into Forest Park
Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census...
. In the vicinity of Desplaines Avenue the tracks rise and make an S-curve north over the expressway before terminating at a station on the west side of Desplaines Avenue.
Douglas Branch
The Douglas Branch begins at 54th Avenue and Cermak RoadCermak Road
Cermak Road, formerly 22nd Street, is a major east-west artery on Chicago's south side and western suburbs. It is named for assassinated Chicago mayor Anton Cermak.-Points of interest:...
in Cicero
Cicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
(5400 W. - 2200 S.). The line runs east on street level right-of-way just north of and parallel to Cermak Road from the terminal to about a quarter-mile (400 m) east of Cicero Avenue, then diagonals northeast until it reaches a corridor parallel and adjacent to 21st Street at Kostner Avenue. It then continues east between 21st Street and Cullerton Street, climbing up from surface level to elevated structure, through the North Lawndale
North Lawndale, Chicago
North Lawndale located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of the well-defined community areas in the city of Chicago.-History:...
, Little Village, and Pilsen neighborhoods of Chicago, with stops at Kostner, Pulaski, Central Park, Kedzie, California, Western and Damen. The line turns north near Paulina Street stopping at 18th and Polk Streets then curves east over the Eisenhower Expressway
Interstate 290 (Illinois)
Interstate 290 is a main Interstate freeway that runs westwards from the Chicago Loop. A portion of I-290 is officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. In short form, it is known as "the Ike" or the Eisenhower...
(Interstate 290). The Douglas tracks ramps down to the surface of the median of the expressway and joins the Congress (Forest Park) Branch just before the Racine station. On April 28, 2008, the CTA eliminated Blue Line service on the Douglas branch, having been replaced by the Pink Line
Pink Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Pink Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak Station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago...
.
Operating fleet
Currently, the Blue Line is operated with BuddBudd Company
The Budd Company is a metal fabricator and major supplier of body components to the automobile industry, and was formerly a manufacturer of stainless steel passenger rail cars during the 20th century....
-built 2200-Series and 2600-Series rail cars which were delivered in 1969 and 1970 and 1981 through 1987. These cars are typically trained together because the older 2200-Series cars have "blinker doors" that open inward and are not ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
compatible. They are scheduled for retirement in 2012 when the new Bombardier
Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation is the rail equipment division of the Canadian firm, Bombardier Inc. Bombardier Transportation is one of the world's largest companies in the rail-equipment manufacturing and servicing industry. Its headquarters are in Berlin, Germany....
-built 5000-Series cars are delivered. With the first 5000-Series cars officially entering revenue service on the Pink Line starting November 2011, some of the 2200-Series cars have been replaced with additional 2600-Series cars in the Blue Line fleet.
History
The most vintage components of the Blue Line began as part of the Metropolitan West Side Elevated RailroadMetropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad
The Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad was the third elevated rapid transit line to be built in Chicago, Illinois and was the first of Chicago’s elevated lines to be electrically powered...
in 1895. The first section to be built by this company extended west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street from an independent terminal at Canal and Jackson Streets to Marshfield Avenue, and thence northward in the vicinity of Paulina Street to Damen and Milwaukee Avenues. Service on this section was started May 6, 1895. The structure was completed from Damen Avenue to Logan Square on May 25, 1895.
The next stage in the development of the West Side 'L' came on June 19, 1895, when the Garfield Park Branch was added, extending west in the vicinity of Van Buren Street and Harrison Street from Marshfield Avenue to Cicero Avenue. An extension of service over the tracks of the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago Railroad to a new terminal at Forest Park was established on March 11, 1905. A subsequent extension to Westchester
Westchester, Illinois
Westchester is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D...
opened on October 1, 1926. (Service on the Westchester extension was discontinued by the CTA on December 9, 1951.)
Another branch line was added to the rapidly growing Metropolitan System on July 29, 1895, when trains began operating over the Humboldt Park Branch, paralleling North Avenue from Damen Avenue to a terminal at Lawndale Avenue. (The route was discontinued on May 3, 1952.) This was followed by still another addition when the Douglas Park Branch was placed in operation as far south as 18th Street on April 28, 1896.
As the southwest area of the city developed, the Douglas Park Branch was extended from 18th Street to Western Avenue in September 1896; to Pulaski Road in June, 1902; to Cicero Avenue in December 1907; to Central Avenue in August, 1912; to 62nd Avenue in August, 1915, and to Oak Park Avenue in Berwyn
Berwyn, Illinois
Berwyn is a city in Cook County, Illinois, co-existent with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,016.-Demographics:...
on March 16, 1924. The present west terminal of the Douglas Branch is 54th Avenue, Cicero
Cicero, Illinois
Cicero is an incorporated town in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 83,891 at the 2010 census. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, New York, which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator....
.
The Metropolitan West Side Elevated began service around the Union Loop on October 11, 1897, and a rush period stub terminal at Wells Street
Wells Street Terminal (Chicago)
Wells Street Terminal was a stub-end downtown terminal on the 'L' in Chicago, Illinois, located at Wells Street between Jackson Blvd. and Van Buren Street...
was added October 3, 1904. For much of the early 20th century and through the 1940s, service on the West Side Elevated lines went unchanged until the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
took control of Chicago's Rapid Transit System in October, 1947, initiating a series of massive service curtailments and station closings (that would last until the 1980s).
On February 25, 1951, Chicago's second subway route (#2), Milwaukee-Dearborn, was placed in operation by CTA, connecting the Milwaukee Avenue elevated route (formerly Logan Square) with the Central Business District on a fast, efficient and more direct routing through the heart of the city. With opening of the Dearborn Subway, the old elevated alignment between Evergreen and Marshfield Avenues was therefore closed and used only for moving out-of-service rail cars. The north section of this connection between Evergreen Avenue and Lake Street was subsequently demolished in 1960s, leaving the Lake Street Branch-to-Douglas Branch section or the "Paulina Connector" still in existence.
The Garfield Park elevated was replaced by the Congress route on June 22, 1958, pioneering the world's first use of rail rapid transit and a multi-lane automobile expressway in the same grade-separated right-of-way. (Pacific Electric Railway
Pacific Electric Railway
The Pacific Electric Railway , also known as the Red Car system, was a mass transit system in Southern California using streetcars, light rail, and buses...
"Red Car" tracks ran in the median of the Cahuenga Parkway in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
from 1944 until its expansion into the Hollywood Freeway
Hollywood Freeway
The Hollywood Freeway is one of the principal freeways of Los Angeles, California and one of the busiest in the United States. It is the principal route over the Cahuenga Pass, the primary shortcut between the Los Angeles Basin and the San Fernando Valley...
in 1952, but the Pacific Electric service was an interurban streetcar rather than true rapid transit.) The new line connected with the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway at the Chicago River
Chicago River
The Chicago River is a system of rivers and canals with a combined length of that runs through the city of the same name, including its center . Though not especially long, the river is notable for being the reason why Chicago became an important location, as the link between the Great Lakes and...
and extended westward to Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park. An incline connection en route permitted Douglas trains to operate through the subway as well combining the Logan Square, Garfield Park (now Congress), and Douglas routes into the second through service in Chicago, the West-Northwest route.
A five-mile (8 km) extension of the route via the short subway connection and the Kennedy Expressway
Kennedy Expressway
The John F. Kennedy Expressway is a long highway that travels northwest from the Chicago Loop to O'Hare International Airport. The expressway is named for the 35th U.S. President, John F. Kennedy. The Interstate 90 portion of the Kennedy is a part of the much longer I-90...
median between Logan Square
Logan Square, Chicago
Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods...
and Jefferson Park
Jefferson Park, Chicago
Jefferson Park is one of Chicago's 77 well-defined community areas located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas...
was added on February 1, 1970. It was also built by the City of Chicago using federal monies. From Logan Square, trains veers off of the old elevated structure and enters the subway under Milwaukee and Kedzie Avenues to a portal just south of Addison Street, then continues northwest in the median of the Kennedy Expressway to the temporary terminal at Jefferson Park. In March 1980, construction began on the O'Hare Airport extension of the Kennedy route between Jefferson Park and the airport. The first section between Jefferson Park and Rosemont was placed in service on February 27, 1983, and the final section to O'Hare International Airport
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
on September 3, 1984.
In 1993, the Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority
Chicago Transit Authority, also known as CTA, is the operator of mass transit within the City of Chicago, Illinois and some of its surrounding suburbs....
adopted a color-coded naming system to the rapid transit system, and the West-Northwest route (OHare-Congress/Douglas) became the Blue Line. On April 26, 1998, the Douglas Branch lost its overnight (owl) and weekend service and began operating between 4 a.m. (04:00) and 1 a.m. (01:00) on weekdays only as a result of funding shortages requiring CTA cut services. Congress (Forest Park) service was effectively doubled through much of the day since service frequency from O'Hare required shorter headways than what would have been left.
One reason for the Douglas Branch reduction in service was due to its low ridership, badly deteriorated condition, and funding problems, while many residents in the communities it runs through had claimed that it was just another attempt by the CTA to deter transit service on the West Side.
In September 2001, the CTA began a historic reconstruction of the Douglas Branch to repair its aging infrastructure. The work was officially completed on January 5, 2005 with new elevated structures, track, stations, new communication networks and an upgraded traction power system along the route. On January 1, 2005, weekend service was restored.
On July 11, 2006, a rear derailment caused a smokey fire in the Blue Line's Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway. There were injuries from smoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation
Smoke inhalation is the primary cause of death in victims of indoor fires.Smoke inhalation injury refers to injury due to inhalation or exposure to hot gaseous products of combustion. This can cause serious respiratory complications....
, but no fatalities. The comparatively minor incident prompted heavy news coverage and a temporary stoppage of Chicago subway service because it occurred hours after train bombings in Mumbai
11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings
The 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings were a series of seven bomb blasts that took place over a period of 11 minutes on the Suburban Railway in Mumbai, the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the nation's financial capital. The bombs were set off in pressure cookers on trains...
earlier the same day.
Line extensions
For the past twenty years, there had been talk of extending the O'HareO'Hare, Chicago
O'Hare, located on the far northwest side of Chicago, Illinois, is one of the city's 77 official community areas. O'Hare International Airport is located within the boundaries of this community area...
branch of the Blue Line westward to Schaumburg
Schaumburg, Illinois
Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As...
, but this has recently been changed with the recent developments involving the planning of the Metra STAR Line
Suburban Transit Access Route (Metra)
The Suburban Transit Access Route is a proposed railway project in northwest and outer suburban Chicago, Illinois, USA. On January 30, 2003, Metra announced plans to build a new service line that would introduce a new fleet of Diesel multiple unit trains to connect nearly 100 communities in the...
and various other transportation projects.
However, in 2008, the Regional Transit Authority revealed a plan to possibly expand commuter rail and bus service to the RTA board, which included a 13.3 miles (21.4 km) extension of the Blue Line on an east-west route from its current western terminus at Forest Park to as far west as the Yorktown shopping center in DuPage County. Several feeder bus routes would also be implemented along the route in order to supplement ridership and increase usefulness. The prospect of this extension was also listed in the Chicago region's 2030 long-term master plan.
Extra tracks
The surface right-of-way for the Congress Branch, including overcrossings, undergrade bridges, and two short tunnels under the expressway, contains space for one extra track between Forest Park and Kenton Avenue, and two extra tracks from Kenton to the tunnel portals at UIC-Halstead. It was intended that the interurban Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad, which had utilized the Garfield Park Elevated until 1953 to reach its Loop terminal at Wells Street, would use these extra tracks. However, the CA&E ceased passenger service abruptly on July 3, 1957, never to resume, before track construction had started. The CTA also considered plans of its own to add these as express tracks (and service) over the years, as well as a rerouting of the Lake Elevated onto the Paulina Elevated (today's Pink Line) into a new quadrant of the junction with the Douglas Line at Racine, but these plans also never came to fruition.Stub tunnels
The dual portals of the Congress Branch at UIC-Halstead are actually quadruple; two extra portals also exist to the north of the Blue Line portals, which extend only a few hundred feet beyond the portals, These were intended to accommodate future expansion, including a new CA&E line to a new terminal, or for a variety of later CTA new line proposals which were never realized.Between Grand and Clark/Lake in the Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway, two more stub tunnels also exist, continuing straight while the current Blue Line heads in the northwest direction. This flying junction (actually a stacked flying junction), built in the 1940s along with the initial subway, was intended for a never-built connection to, or subway replacement of, the Lake Elevated.
Points of interest
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
(O'Hare), Rosemont Convention Center and Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena
Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Rosemont, Illinois.It is home to the Chicago Rush, of the Arena Football League, DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Chicago Wolves, of the AHL, and the Chicago Sky, of the WNBA.It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and...
(Rosemont), the Gateway Theatre
Gateway Theatre (Chicago)
The Gateway Theatre is a 2,000-seat former movie palace that is now part of the Copernicus Cultural and Civic Center in the Jefferson Park community area of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located at 5216 W...
, James R. Thompson Center
James R. Thompson Center
The James R. Thompson Center is located at 100 W. Randolph Street in the Loop, Chicago, Illinois and houses offices of the State of Illinois. The building opened in May 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It was renamed in 1993 to honor former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson...
(Clark/Lake), City Hall-Cook County Building
Chicago City Hall
Chicago City Hall is the official seat of government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center and the James R...
and the Richard J. Daley Center
Richard J. Daley Center
The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Situated on Randolph and Washington Streets between Dearborn and Clark Streets, the Richard J. Daley Center is...
(Washington), Bank One Plaza (Monroe), the Federal Center Buildings (Jackson), La Salle Street Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
Station (La Salle), Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
and Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
Union Station
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
, Main Post Office and Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...
station (Clinton), University of Illinois at Chicago
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
(UIC-Halsted and Racine), UIC Pavilion
UIC Pavilion
The UIC Pavilion is a 6,958-seat multi-purpose arena, located at 525 S. Racine Street on the West Side in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which opened in 1982. It is home to the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames basketball team and the former home of the Chicago Sky WNBA team...
(Racine) Cook County Hospital, Malcolm X College
Malcolm X College
Malcolm X College is a two-year college of the City Colleges of Chicago located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, at 1900 W Van Buren St. It was founded as Crane Junior College in 1911 to serve graduates of the nearby Crane High School, and was the first of the City Colleges to be...
and the United Center
United Center
The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League...
(Illinois Medical District), Oak Park
Oak Park, Illinois
Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,...
(Austin and Oak Park), and Forest Park
Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census...
(Harlem and Forest Park) among others and several outlying Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
train stations (Jefferson Park, and Irving Park).
Station listing
| Blue Line (O'Hare branch) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Station | Location | Points of interest and notes |
O'Hare  |
1000 O'Hare Drive, Chicago | O'Hare International Airport O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop... |
| Rosemont | 5801 N River Road, Rosemont Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that... |
Rosemont Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that... , Allstate Arena Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena, in Rosemont, Illinois.It is home to the Chicago Rush, of the Arena Football League, DePaul University's men's basketball team, the Chicago Wolves, of the AHL, and the Chicago Sky, of the WNBA.It is located near the intersection of Mannheim Road and... , Donald E. Stephens Convention Center Donald E. Stephens Convention Center The Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, formerly known as the Rosemont Convention Center, is a convention center located in Rosemont, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Built in 1975, the center has exhibition space of and parking available via a Skybridge connected parking garage, which is able to... , All Saints and St. Nicholas Cemeteries |
| Cumberland | 5800 N. Cumberland Avenue, Chicago | Park Ridge Park Ridge, Illinois -Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile... |
| Harlem | 5550 N. Harlem Avenue, Chicago | Norwood Park Norwood Park, Chicago Norwood Park is one of 77 well-defined Chicago, Illinois community areas. It encompasses the smaller neighborhoods of Big Oaks, Norwood Park East, Norwood Park West, Old Norwood Park, Oriole Park, and Union Ridge.... , Harlem Irving Plaza Harlem Irving Plaza Harlem Irving Plaza is an enclosed mall located in Norridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The mall features over 100 stores and a food court; anchor stores include Carson Pirie Scott, Kohl's, Best Buy, and Target... |
Jefferson Park  |
4917 N. Milwaukee Avenue Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago) Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets... , Chicago |
Jefferson Park Jefferson Park, Chicago Jefferson Park is one of Chicago's 77 well-defined community areas located on the city's Northwest Side. The neighborhood of Jefferson Park occupies a larger swath of territory than the community area by including within it land of adjacent community areas... , Gateway Theatre, Northwestern Business College, Transfer to Metra Metra Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by... Union Pacific Northwest Line |
| Montrose |
4600 W. Montrose Avenue, Chicago | Mayfair, Six Corners Six corners Six Corners is a shopping district in the Portage Park neighborhood of Chicago's Northwest Side.-History:The area's name is from the intersection of three streets—Irving Park Road, Cicero Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue . Its history as an urban center began in the 1840s, eventually becoming the... , Mayfair Pumping Station Mayfair Pumping Station The Mayfair Pumping Station is an historic structure on Northwest side of Chicago, United States. Located at 4850 W. Wilson Avenue, the pumping station has served as the archetype for similar pumping stations worldwide.-History:... , Irish American Heritage Center, Transfer to Metra Metra Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by... Milwaukee District North Line at Mayfair (Metra) Mayfair (Metra) Mayfair is a commuter railroad station on Metra's Milwaukee District/North Line on the border between Albany Park and Portage Park community areas of Chicago. The station is officially located at 4357 North Cicero Avenue , however the actual location is the northeast corner of West Pensacola and... |
| Irving Park |
4131 W. Irving Park Road, Chicago | Irving Park Irving Park, Chicago Irving Park is one of 77 officially designated Chicago community area located on the Northwest Side. It is bounded by the Chicago River on the east, the Milwaukee Road railroad tracks on the west, Addison Street on the south and Montrose Avenue on the north, west of Pulaski Road stretching to... , The Villa District Villa District The Villa District, also known as Villa Historic District, is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is located on Chicago's Northwest Side within the community area of Irving Park. Its borders are along Pulaski Road to the west, the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line to the north, Hamlin... , Transfer to Metra Metra Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by... Union Pacific Northwest Line |
| Addison | 3622 W. Addison Street, Chicago | Avondale Avondale, Chicago Avondale is one of 77 officially designated Chicago, Illinois community areas. It is located on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Its main borders are the North Branch of the Chicago River, Diversey Avenue, Addison Street, Pulaski Road and the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line; bisecting the community... , St. Wenceslaus St. Wenceslaus in Chicago St. Wenceslaus - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in, Chicago, Illinois.One of the many Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway, it is, along with St. Hyacinth Basilica, one of two monumental religious edifices that dominates the Avondale skyline... , The Villa District Villa District The Villa District, also known as Villa Historic District, is a historic district in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It is located on Chicago's Northwest Side within the community area of Irving Park. Its borders are along Pulaski Road to the west, the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line to the north, Hamlin... |
| Belmont | 3355 W. Belmont Avenue Belmont Avenue (Chicago) Belmont Avenue is a major east-west street on the North Side of Chicago. Belmont is a central commercial street in Lakeview and, west of the North Branch of the Chicago River, Avondale... , Chicago |
Avondale Avondale, Chicago Avondale is one of 77 officially designated Chicago, Illinois community areas. It is located on the Northwest Side of Chicago. Its main borders are the North Branch of the Chicago River, Diversey Avenue, Addison Street, Pulaski Road and the Union Pacific/Northwest rail line; bisecting the community... , St. Hyacinth Basilica |
| Logan Square | 2620 N. Kedzie Avenue, Chicago | Logan Square Logan Square, Chicago Logan Square is one of the 77 city-designated community areas located on the near northwest side of the City of Chicago. The name, used here to describe the community area defined by U.S. census tracts, also applies to one of a number of smaller, more loosely defined residential neighborhoods... , Illinois Centennial Monument Illinois Centennial Monument Illinois Centennial Memorial Column, Logan Square Monument or Illinois Centennial Monument is a public monument in the Logan Square community area and the Chicago Landmark and National Register of Historic Places-listed Logan Square Boulevards District... , Logan Theatre |
| California | 2211 N. California Avenue, Chicago | Congress Theater Congress Theater The Congress Theater in Chicago, built by Fridstein and Company in 1926 for the movie theater chain of Lubliner and Trinz, is a surviving example of a movie palace. It features ornate exterior and interior design work, in a combination of the Classical Revival and Italian Renaissance styles.The... |
| Western | 1909 N. Western Avenue Western Avenue (Chicago) Western Avenue is the longest continuous street within the city of Chicago at in length. Western Avenue extends south as a continuous road to the Dixie Highway at Sibley Boulevard in Dixmoor, giving the road a total length of . However, Western Avenue extends intermittently through the... , Chicago |
Bucktown, All Saints Polish National Catholic Cathedral Former All Saints Cathedral, Chicago The former Cathedral of All Saints of the Polish National Catholic Church in Chicago, referred to in Polish as Katedra Wszystkich Świętych is a historic church building located in the Bucktown neighborhood of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States... , St. Hedwig's Roman Catholic Church St. Hedwig's in Chicago St. Hedwig's Church is an historic parish church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois. Constructed in traditional grand Polish architecture and design, it is one of the many monumental Polish churches visible from the Kennedy Expressway... , Margie's Candies Margie's Candies Margie’s Candies is the name of two popular confectioneries on the north side of Chicago, Illinois. Owned by the same family, each one is part candy store and part sit-down ice cream parlor... , Pulaski International School of Chicago |
| Damen | 1558 N. Damen Avenue, Chicago | Bucktown, Wicker Park Wicker Park, Chicago Wicker Park is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, south of Bucktown and west of Pulaski Park within West Town. Charles and Joel Wicker purchased of land along Milwaukee Avenue in 1870 and laid out a subdivision with a mix of lot sizes surrounding a park... , Northwest Tower Northwest Tower The Northwest Tower, popularly known as the Coyote Building, is a 12-story art deco building at the corner of North Avenue and Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. It was designed by Perkins, Chatten & Hammond and built between 1928 and 1929... , St. Mary of the Angels Roman Catholic Church St. Mary of the Angels in Chicago Saint Mary of the Angels - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois.Located at 1850 North Hermitage Avenue in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, it is an example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches. Along with St. Stanislaus Kostka, St.... |
| Blue Line (Milwaukee-Dearborn Subway) | ||
| Station | Location | Points of interest and notes |
| Division | 1200 N. Milwaukee Avenue Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago) Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets... , Chicago |
Polonia Triangle Polonia Triangle Polonia Triangle , also known as the Polish Triangle, is located in West Town, in what had been the historical Polish Downtown area of Chicago. It is bound by Division, Ashland and Milwaukee Avenue. A single-tiered fountain made of black iron with a bowl about nine feet in diameter is installed... , Wicker Park Wicker Park, Chicago Wicker Park is a Chicago neighborhood northwest of the Loop, south of Bucktown and west of Pulaski Park within West Town. Charles and Joel Wicker purchased of land along Milwaukee Avenue in 1870 and laid out a subdivision with a mix of lot sizes surrounding a park... , Chopin Theatre Chopin Theatre Chopin Theatre is an American for-profit cultural organization located along Polonia Triangle in Wicker Park within the West Town community area of Chicago... , Holy Trinity Polish Mission Holy Trinity Polish Mission Holy Trinity Church - historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago. It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches, in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with such monumental religious edifices as St. Mary of the Angels, St. Hedwig's or St... , St. Stanislaus Kostka Noble Square |
| Chicago | 800 N. Milwaukee Avenue Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago) Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets... , Chicago |
St. John Cantius St. John Cantius in Chicago St. John Cantius Church is a historic church of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago located in Chicago, Illinois.It is a prime example of the so-called 'Polish Cathedral style' of churches in both its opulence and grand scale. Along with such monumental religious edifices as St. Mary of the... |
| Grand | 502 N. Milwaukee Avenue Milwaukee Avenue (Chicago) Milwaukee Avenue is a major diagonal street in the city of Chicago and the northern suburbs. True to its name, it once led to the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Starting with a short section at N. Canal and W. Lake Streets, it begins in earnest at the corner of N Desplaines and W. Kinzie Streets... , Chicago |
Closed February 9, 1992; Reopened June 25, 1999 |
| Clark/Lake | 124 W. Lake Street Lake Street (Chicago) Lake Street is an east-west arterial road in Chicago and its suburbs. Part of Lake Street is designated as U.S. Route 20. Lake Street begins in the city of Chicago and travels west and slightly north to the Chicago suburbs. It ends at the eastern terminus of the Elgin Bypass around Elgin, where... , Chicago |
James R. Thompson Center James R. Thompson Center The James R. Thompson Center is located at 100 W. Randolph Street in the Loop, Chicago, Illinois and houses offices of the State of Illinois. The building opened in May 1985 as the State of Illinois Center. It was renamed in 1993 to honor former Illinois Governor James R. Thompson... , Richard J. Daley Center Richard J. Daley Center The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Situated on Randolph and Washington Streets between Dearborn and Clark Streets, the Richard J. Daley Center is... , Chicago City Hall Chicago City Hall Chicago City Hall is the official seat of government of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Adjacent to the Richard J. Daley Center and the James R... Transfer station for Orange Orange Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Orange Line, is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the 'L' system. It is approximately long, and runs below grade and elevated on existing railroad embankments and new concrete and steel structures from Chicago Midway International... , Green Green Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Green Line is part of the CTA rapid transit system known as the Chicago 'L'. It is the only completely elevated route in the 'L' system. It utilizes the system's oldest segments , extending with 29 stops between Forest Park and Oak Park , through Chicago's Loop, to the South Side and Englewood... , Purple Purple Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Purple Line of the Chicago Transit Authority is a branch line on the northernmost section of the Chicago 'L' rapid transit network. Normally, it extends south from the Wilmette terminal at Linden Avenue, passing through Evanston to Howard Street, on Chicago's northern city limits... , Brown Brown Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Brown Line starts out in northwest Chicago, at the Kimball and Lawrence Avenue terminal in Albany Park, where there is a storage yard and servicing shop for the trains to the east of the passenger station... , and Pink Lines Pink Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Pink Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak Station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago... |
| Washington | 127 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago | Richard J. Daley Center Richard J. Daley Center The Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Situated on Randolph and Washington Streets between Dearborn and Clark Streets, the Richard J. Daley Center is... , Chicago Picasso Chicago Picasso The Chicago Picasso is an untitled monumental sculpture by Pablo Picasso in Chicago, Illinois. The sculpture, dedicated on August 15, 1967, in Daley Plaza in the Chicago Loop, is tall and weighs 162 tons... , Cook County Cook County, Illinois Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than... Administration Building, Goodman Theatre Goodman Theatre The Goodman Theatre is a professional theater company located in Chicago's Loop. A major part of Chicago theatre, it is the city's oldest currently active nonprofit theater organization... Former transfer station for the Red Line Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago , on the City Limits farthest north. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood... . |
| Monroe | 30 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago | Inland Steel Building Inland Steel Building The Inland Steel Building, located at 30 W. Monroe Street in Chicago, is one of the city's defining commercial high-rises of the post-World War II era of modern architecture. It was built in the years 1956–1957 and was the first skyscraper to be built in the Chicago Loop following the Great... |
| Jackson | 312 S. Dearborn Street, Chicago | Kluczynski Federal Building Kluczynski Federal Building The Kluczynski Federal Building is a modernist skyscraper in the downtown Chicago Loop located at 230 South Dearborn Street. The 45-story structure was designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and completed in 1974 as the last portion of the new Federal Center. It is tall and stands on the site... , Flamingo Flamingo (sculpture) Flamingo, created by noted American artist Alexander Calder, is a 53 foot tall stabile located in the Federal Plaza in front of the Kluczynski Federal Building in Chicago, Illinois, United States... , Harold Washington Library Center Transfer station for Red Line Red Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The northern terminus of the Red Line is Howard Street in the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago , on the City Limits farthest north. The Red Line extends southeasterly on an elevated embankment structure about a half-mile west of the lakefront to Touhy Avenue then turns south along Glenwood... and Brown Brown Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Brown Line starts out in northwest Chicago, at the Kimball and Lawrence Avenue terminal in Albany Park, where there is a storage yard and servicing shop for the trains to the east of the passenger station... , Orange Orange Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Orange Line, is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the 'L' system. It is approximately long, and runs below grade and elevated on existing railroad embankments and new concrete and steel structures from Chicago Midway International... , Pink Pink Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Pink Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority as part of the Chicago 'L' system. It began operation for a 180-day trial period on June 25, 2006, running between 54th/Cermak Station in Cicero, Illinois and the Loop in downtown Chicago... , and Purple Lines Purple Line (Chicago Transit Authority) The Purple Line of the Chicago Transit Authority is a branch line on the northernmost section of the Chicago 'L' rapid transit network. Normally, it extends south from the Wilmette terminal at Linden Avenue, passing through Evanston to Howard Street, on Chicago's northern city limits... via Harold Washington Library – State/Van Buren |
| LaSalle |
150 W. Congress Parkway, Chicago | Metropolitan Correctional Center Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago The Metropolitan Correctional Center, Chicago is a federal remand center in the United States, located in downtown Chicago, Illinois, at the intersection of Clark and Van Buren Streets. It has a triangular footprint, and has an exercise yard for the prisoners on its roof... , LaSalle Street Station LaSalle Street Station LaSalle Street Station is a commuter rail terminal at 414 S. LaSalle Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, serving Metra's Rock Island District. It was a major intercity rail terminal for the New York Central Railroad until 1968 and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad until 1978. The... , Chicago Stock Exchange Chicago Stock Exchange The Chicago Stock Exchange is a stock exchange in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The exchange is a national securities exchange and self-regulated organization, which operates under the oversight of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission . The Chicago Stock Exchange is the third most active stock... |
| Clinton |
426 S. Clinton Street, Chicago | Union Station Union Station (Chicago) Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams... , Greyhound Terminal Greyhound Lines Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and... , Old Chicago Main Post Office |
| Blue Line (Forest Park "Congress" branch) | ||
| Station | Location | Points of interest and notes |
| UIC–Halsted | 430 S. Halsted Street Halsted Street Halsted Street is a major north-south street in the American city of Chicago, Illinois.-Location:In Chicago's grid system, Halsted street marks 800 West, one mile west of State Street, from Grace Street in Lakeview south to the city limits at the Little Calumet River in West Pullman... , Chicago |
University of Illinois at Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop... , Greektown Greektown, Chicago Greektown is a dining and nightlife district on the Near West Side of the American city of Chicago, Illinois. It is one of many neighborhoods that make up the Near West Side community area, and is popular with tourists and Chicago residents alike.... , St. Ignatius Historic landmark |
| Racine | 430 S. Racine Avenue, Chicago | UIC Pavilion UIC Pavilion The UIC Pavilion is a 6,958-seat multi-purpose arena, located at 525 S. Racine Street on the West Side in Chicago, Illinois, USA, which opened in 1982. It is home to the University of Illinois at Chicago Flames basketball team and the former home of the Chicago Sky WNBA team... , Little Italy, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Whitney M. Young Magnet High School Whitney M. Young Magnet High School is a highly selective Chicago public school that opened its doors to students on September 3, 1975 as the city's first public magnet high school... Former transfer point for Forest Park and 54/Cermak bound trains |
| Illinois Medical District | 430 S. Damen Avenue, Chicago | Illinois Medical District Illinois Medical District The Illinois Medical District is a special-use zoning district on the Near West Side of Chicago. It was designated as such by an act of the Illinois General Assembly in 1941. The District is bounded on the north by Congress Parkway, on the east by Ashland Avenue, on the west by Oakley Boulevard... , United Center United Center The United Center is an indoor sports arena located in Chicago. It is named after its corporate sponsor, United Airlines. The United Center is home to both the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League... , Malcolm X College Malcolm X College Malcolm X College is a two-year college of the City Colleges of Chicago located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois, USA, at 1900 W Van Buren St. It was founded as Crane Junior College in 1911 to serve graduates of the nearby Crane High School, and was the first of the City Colleges to be... , Cook County Hospital John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County The John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, formerly Cook County Hospital is a public urban teaching hospital in Chicago that provides primary, specialty and tertiary healthcare services to the five million residents of Cook County, Illinois. The hospital has a staff of 300 attending... , Jesse Brown VA Medical Center |
| Western | 430 S. Western Avenue Western Avenue (Chicago) Western Avenue is the longest continuous street within the city of Chicago at in length. Western Avenue extends south as a continuous road to the Dixie Highway at Sibley Boulevard in Dixmoor, giving the road a total length of . However, Western Avenue extends intermittently through the... |
Crane Tech Prep High School Crane High School (Illinois) Richard T. Crane Technical Preparatory High School, commonly known as Crane Tech Prep or Crane Tech High School, is a public high school in Chicago, Illinois. It is located at 2245 West Jackson Boulevard in Chicago's Near West Side community area.... |
| California | 430 S. California Avenue, Chicago | Closed September 2, 1973 |
| Kedzie–Homan | 530 S. Kedzie Avenue, Chicago | Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica Our Lady of Sorrows Basilica is a Roman Catholic basilica on the west side of Chicago, Illinois. Located at 3121 West Jackson Boulevard, it is, along with St... , Former Sears, Roebuck, and Company Headquarters Sears, Roebuck, and Company Complex Sears, Roebuck and Company Complex is a complex that includes the Sears Merchandise Building Tower and the Sears, Roebuck and Company Administration Building... , John Marshall Metropolitan High School John Marshall Metropolitan High School John Marshall Metropolitan High School is a public 4-year high school located on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It serves the students of the East Garfield Park, West Garfield Park, North Lawndale and Humboldt Park neighborhoods. Marshall's principal is Kenyatta Butler... |
| Pulaski | 530 S. Pulaski Road Pulaski Road (Chicago) Pulaski Road is a major north-south thoroughfare in the city of Chicago, at 4000 W., or exactly five miles west of State Street. It is named after revolutionary war hero Casimir Pulaski... , Chicago |
Chicago Public Library Legler Branch |
| Kostner | 530 S. Kostner Avenue | Closed September 2, 1973 |
| Cicero | 720 S. Cicero Avenue, Chicago | |
| Central | 720 S. Central Avenue, Chicago | Closed September 2, 1973 |
| Austin | 1050 S. Austin Boulevard, Oak Park Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,... |
Columbus Park Columbus Park (Chicago) Columbus Park, located on the west side of Chicago, Illinois in the Austin neighborhood, is bounded by West Adams Street, South Austin Boulevard, South Central Avenue, and the Eisenhower Expressway, to which it lost nine acres when the expressway was constructed. The remnant park is part of the... |
| Oak Park | 950 S. Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,... |
Oak Park Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,... , Oak Park Conservatory Oak Park Conservatory Oak Park Conservatory is a conservatory and botanical garden located at 615 Garfield Street in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States. It is open daily with restricted hours; a donation is suggested. The conservatory started in 1914 as a community effort to house exotic plants... |
| Harlem | 701 S. Harlem Avenue, Forest Park Forest Park, Illinois Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census... |
Ferrara Pan Candy Company Ferrara Pan Candy Company The Ferrara Pan Candy Company is a Chicago and Forest Park, Illinois, based candy company that makes a variety of popular candies. Their popular confections include Lemonheads, Jaw busters , Atomic Fireballs, Chewy Fireballs, Original Boston Baked Beans, Grapeheads , Apple Heads, Punch Heads,... |
| Forest Park | 711 S. Desplaines Avenue, Forest Park Forest Park, Illinois Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census... |
Forest Park Forest Park, Illinois Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census... , Forest Home Cemetery German Waldheim Cemetery German Waldheim Cemetery, also known as Waldheim Cemetery, was a cemetery in Forest Park, a suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. It was originally founded in 1873 as a non-religion specific cemetery, where Freemasons, Roma, and German-speaking immigrants to Chicago could be buried without... |