Chicago "L"

Chicago "L"
A Pink Line train approaches Randolph/Wabash.
A Pink Line train approaches Randolph/Wabash.
Overview
LocaleChicago, Illinois, and suburbs, United States
Transit typeRapid transit
Number of lines8[1]
Line number
Number of stations146[1]
Daily ridership400,000 (weekdays, Q2 2024)[2]
Annual ridership117,447,000 (2023)[3]
Chief executiveDorval R. Carter, Jr.
Headquarters567 West Lake Street
Chicago, Illinois
Websitewww.transitchicago.com Edit this at Wikidata
Operation
Began operationJune 6, 1892; 132 years ago (1892-06-06)[1]
Operator(s)Chicago Transit Authority
Technical
System length102.8 mi (165.4 km)[1][note 1]
Track gauge4 ft 8+12 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Minimum radius of curvature90 feet (27.432 m)
ElectrificationThird rail600 V DC
Top speed55 mph (90 km/h)
System map
Map Map of the Chicago "L"
‡ = temporarily closed for reconstruction
Linden
Central
Noyes
Foster
Davis Pace Pulse Dempster Metra
Dempster
Main Metra
Pace Pulse Dempster Dempster–Skokie
South Boulevard
Oakton–Skokie
Howard
Jarvis
Morse
Kimball
Loyola
O'Hare International Airport O'Hare
Kedzie
Rosemont
Granville
Cumberland
Francisco
Harlem
Thorndale
Metra Harlem/Lake
Rockwell
Metra Jefferson Park
Bryn Mawr
Oak Park
Western
Montrose
Berwyn
Ridgeland
Damen
Metra Irving Park
Argyle
Austin
Montrose
Addison
Lawrence
Central
Irving Park
Belmont
Wilson
Laramie
Addison
Logan Square
Sheridan
Cicero
Paulina
California
Addison
Pulaski
Southport
Western
Belmont
Wellington
Damen
Diversey
Kedzie
Fullerton
Division
Armitage
California
North/Clybourn
Chicago
Sedgwick
Damen
Clark/Division
Grand
Chicago
Ashland
Chicago
Morgan
Merchandise Mart
Metra Clinton
Grand
Clark/Lake
State/Lake
Washington
Lake
Washington/​Wells
Washington/​Wabash Metra South Shore Line
Monroe
Monroe
Quincy
Adams/Wabash
Jackson
Jackson
Metra LaSalle/Van Buren
Library
Metra LaSalle
Harrison
Amtrak Metra Clinton
Roosevelt
UIC–Halsted
Halsted
Racine
Cermak–McCormick Place
Polk
Cermak–Chinatown
Illinois Medical District
Ashland
18th
35th–Bronzeville–IIT Metra
Western
Sox–35th Metra
Damen
35th/Archer
Kedzie–Homan
Indiana
Western
Western
Pulaski
43rd
California
Kedzie
Cicero
47th
Kedzie
47th
Austin
Pulaski
Central Park
51st
Oak Park
Midway Midway International Airport
Pulaski
Garfield
Harlem
Garfield
Kostner
Halsted
Forest Park
King Drive Handicapped/disabled access
Cicero
63rd
54th/Cermak
Ashland/63rd
Cottage Grove
69th
79th
87th
95th/Dan Ryan
Key
Blue Line
Pink Line
Brown Line
Purple Line
Green Line
Red Line
Orange Line
Yellow Line
Two services share track
Multiple services share track
Weekday rush service only
Boarding in one direction

The Chicago "L" (short for "elevated")[4] is the rapid transit system serving the city of Chicago and some of its surrounding suburbs in the U.S. state of Illinois. Operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), it is the fourth-largest rapid transit system in the United States in terms of total route length, at 102.8 miles (165.4 km) long as of 2014,[1][note 1] and the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States after the New York City Subway and the Washington Metro.[5] As of January 2024, the "L" had 1,480 rail cars operating across eight different routes on 224.1 miles of track. CTA trains make about 1,888 trips each day servicing 146 train stations.[6] In 2023, the system had 117,447,000 rides, or about 400,000 per weekday in the second quarter of 2024.[7]

The "L" provides 24-hour service on the Red and Blue Lines, making Chicago, New York City, and Copenhagen the only three cities in the world to offer 24-hour train service on some of their lines throughout their respective city limits.[note 2] The oldest sections of the Chicago "L" started operations in 1892,[8] making it the second-oldest rapid transit system in the Americas, after New York City's elevated lines. The "L" gained its name from "el" because large parts of the system run on elevated track.[9][10] Portions of the network are in subway tunnels, at grade level, or in open cuts.[1]

The "L" has been credited for fostering the growth of Chicago's dense city core that is one of the city's distinguishing features.[11] And according to urban engineer Christof Speiler, the system stands out in the United States because it continued to invest in services even through the post-World-War era growth of the expressway; it's general use of alleyways instead of streets throughout its history, and expressway mediums after the war, better knit the system into the city, and in pioneering ways.[12] It consists of eight rapid transit lines laid out in a spoke–hub distribution paradigm focusing transit towards the Loop.

In a 2005 poll, Chicago Tribune readers voted it one of the "seven wonders of Chicago", behind the lakefront and Wrigley Field, and ahead of Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower), the Water Tower, the University of Chicago, and the Museum of Science and Industry.[13]

History

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Pre-CTA era

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