Blue Island Avenue

Last updated
Blue Island Avenue
Chicago architecture westside 1960s hud urbanrenewal holyfamilychurch rg207 IMG 2461 (5743100613).jpg
Blue Island and Racine, Chicago. "After" shot of urban renewal site. ca. 1965
Southwest endS. Western Avenue/W. 26th Street in Lower West Side, Chicago 41°50′41″N87°41′07″W / 41.844858°N 87.685318°W / 41.844858; -87.685318 (Blue Island Avenue southwest terminus)
Northeast endW. Roosevelt Road in Near West Side, Chicago 41°52′02″N87°39′12″W / 41.867117°N 87.653268°W / 41.867117; -87.653268 (Blue Island Avenue northeast terminus)

Blue Island Avenue is a street in the city of Chicago, Illinois that once led to a ridge of land that early pioneers gave the name "Blue Island" because at a distance it looked like an island in the prairie. The blue color was attributed to atmospheric scattering or to blue flowers growing on the ridge. [1] Parts of the present-day neighborhoods of Morgan Park, Beverly Hills and the city of Blue Island, Illinois now occupy this ridge.

Contents

Route description

Originally starting from W. Harrison Street and S. Halsted Street, Blue Island Avenue runs between property of the University of Illinois at Chicago and St. Ignatius College Prep, but has been converted into parking lots and recreational areas for the school until it crosses Roosevelt Road. From there it runs southwest to 21st Street, picks up again at Cermak Road (formerly 22nd) and runs more westerly to 26th Street, where it terminates. [2]

Intersections

The entire route is in Chicago, Cook County.

mi [2] kmDestinationsNotes
Harrison Street/Halsted StreetFormer northeastern terminus of Blue Island Avenue
Morgan Street/Taylor Street
0.000.00Roosevelt RoadCurrent northeastern terminus of Blue Island Avenue
0.310.50Racine Avenue
0.761.2218th Street/Loomis St
1.051.6921st StreetSouthwestern end of Blue Island Avenue northern segment
Gap in route [lower-alpha 1]
1.211.95Cermak Road/Ashland AvenueNortheastern end of Blue Island Avenue southern segment
1.772.85Damen Avenue
2.343.77Western Avenue/26th StreetSouthwestern terminus of Blue Island Avenue
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi
  •       Closed/former

Transportation

CTA bus route 60 travels along much of Blue Island Avenue from 26th Street to Cermak Road and from Loomis Street to Racine Avenue. Bus route 60 continues west along 26th Street to a bus turnaround at 24th Place/Cicero Avenue near Cicero station; on the other end, the route continues east through downtown, running along the Loop Link bus lanes, toward a turnaround at Harbor Point. [5]

Notes

  1. This gap was not present until 1977 with the construction and opening of Benito Juárez Community Academy, which now occupies the gap [3] [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Berwyn, Illinois</span> City in Illinois, United States

Berwyn is a suburban city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, coterminous with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 57,250. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orange Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois

The Orange Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is approximately 13 miles (21 km) long and runs on elevated and at grade tracks and serves the Southwest Side, running from the Loop to Midway International Airport. As of 2022, an average of 15,098 riders board Orange Line trains on weekdays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line, part of the Chicago L system

The Green Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois, operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the only completely elevated route in the "L" system. All other routes may have various combinations of elevated, subway, street level, or freeway median sections.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Interstate 294</span> Highway in Illinois

Interstate 294 (I-294) is a tolled auxiliary Interstate Highway in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. Forming the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois, I-294 runs from South Holland at I-80/I-94 and Illinois Route 394 (IL 394) to Northbrook at I-94. I-294 is 53.42 miles (85.97 km) long; 5.32 miles (8.56 km) are shared with I-80. It serves as a bypass around the city of Chicago.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Near South Side, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago

The Near South Side is a community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States, just south of the downtown central business district, the Loop. The Near South Side's boundaries are as follows: North—Roosevelt Road ; South—26th Street; West—Chicago River between Roosevelt and 18th Street, Clark Street between 18th Street and Cermak Road, Federal between Cermak Road and the Stevenson Expressway just south of 25th Street, and Clark Street again between the Stevenson and 26th Street; and East—Lake Michigan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lower West Side, Chicago</span> Community area in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Lower West Side is a community area on the West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is three miles southwest of the Chicago Loop and its main neighborhood is Pilsen. The Heart of Chicago is a neighborhood in the southwest corner of the Lower West Side.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pink Line (CTA)</span> Rapid transit line in Chicago, Illinois

The Pink Line is an 11.2 mi (18.0 km) rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the CTA's newest rail line and 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. As the line enters downtown Chicago, it begins to share tracks with Green Line trains on Lake Street. This connection is handled by the previously non-revenue Paulina Connector set of tracks. In 2022, over 3 million passengers boarded Pink Line trains.

Vanderbilt Avenue is the name of three thoroughfares in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Staten Island. They were named after Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794–1877), the builder of Grand Central Terminal in Midtown Manhattan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">U.S. Route 12 in Illinois</span> Section of U.S. Highway in Illinois

U.S. Route 12 (US 12) in the U.S. state of Illinois is an arterial highway that runs northwest to southeast through the Chicago metropolitan area. It enters Illinois at the Wisconsin border north of Richmond, and exits into Hammond, Indiana, from Chicago near the foot of the onramp to the Indiana Toll Road ; as it exits Illinois, the route is also concurrent with US 20 and US 41. Within Illinois, US 12 runs for a distance of 85.14 miles (137.02 km).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Racine station (CTA Blue Line)</span> Chicago "L" station

Racine is an 'L' station on the CTA's Blue Line. The station serves the Near West Side neighborhood and the western end of the UIC campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cicero station (CTA Pink Line)</span> Chicago rapid transit station

Cicero is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Pink Line. The station was the site of an accident in 1979 in which a train derailed and hit the station, stopping just short of the ticket agent's booth. The station is located in Cicero, Illinois.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">54th/Cermak station</span> Chicago "L" Station

54th/Cermak is an 'L' station and the terminus of the CTA's Pink Line. It was the terminus of the former Cermak branch of the Blue Line. It is located at Cermak Road between 54th and Laramie Avenues in Cicero, Illinois. It is the only terminal with only one track used for service. Trains board on the eastern half of 54th/Cermak station and unload on the western half. Previously known as the Cicero-Berwyn Terminal, it is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the city of Berwyn. Tracks continue westward to the 54th Yard, the maintenance and storage yard for Pink Line trains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stony Island Avenue</span> Major north-south street in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Stony Island Avenue is a major street on South Side of the city of Chicago, designated 1600 East in Chicago's street numbering system. It runs from 56th Street south to the Calumet River. Stony Island Avenue continues sporadically south of the Calumet in the southern suburbs, running alongside the Bishop Ford Freeway, sometimes as a frontage road. It terminates at County Line Road on the border of Will and Kankakee Counties.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Clark Street (Chicago)</span> Major north–south thoroughfare in Chicago, Illinois, United States

Clark Street is a north–south street in Chicago, Illinois that runs close to the shore of Lake Michigan from the northern city boundary with Evanston, to 2200 South in the city street numbering system. At its northern end, Clark Street is at 1800 West; however the street runs diagonally through the Chicago grid for about 8 miles (13 km) to North Avenue and then runs at 100 West for the rest of its course south to Cermak Road. It is also seen in Riverdale beyond 127th street across the Calumet River, along with other nearby streets that ended just south of the Loop. The major length of Clark Street runs a total of 98 blocks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cermak Road</span> Thoroughfare in Chicago, United States

Cermak Road, also known as 22nd Street, is a 19-mile, major east–west street on Chicago's near south and west sides and the city's western suburbs. In Chicago's street numbering system, Cermak is 2200 south, or twenty-two blocks south of the baseline of Madison Street. Normally, one mile comprises eight Chicago blocks, but the arterial streets Roosevelt Road, formerly named Twelfth Street and at 1200 South, and Cermak Road were platted before the eight-blocks-per-mile plan was implemented. Roosevelt Road is one mile south of Madison Avenue and there are twelve blocks within that mile. Cermak Road is two miles south of Madison Avenue and there are ten blocks within the mile between Roosevelt and Cermak Roads.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">95th Street (Chicago)</span>

95th Street is a major east–west highway on Chicago's South Side, and in the southwest suburbs, is designated as 9500 South in Chicago's address system. 95th Street is 11 miles (18 km) south of Madison Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Street (Chicago)</span> Street in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

Wells Street is a major north–south street in Chicago. It is officially designated as 200 West, and is named in honor of William Wells, a United States Army Captain who died in the Battle of Fort Dearborn. Between 1870 and 1912, it was named 5th Avenue so as not to tarnish the name of Wells during a period when the street had a bad reputation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Special routes of U.S. Route 20</span>

Several special routes of U.S. Route 20 (US 20) exist. In order from west to east, they are as follows.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cermak branch</span>

The Cermak branch, formerly known as the Douglas branch, is a 6.6 mi (10.6 km) long section of the Pink Line of the Chicago "L" system in Chicago, Illinois. It was built by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated west of the Loop. As of February 2013, it serves an average of 17,474 passengers every weekday. The branch serves the Near West Side, Pilsen, Lower West Side, South Lawndale, and North Lawndale neighborhoods of Chicago, and the west suburb Cicero, Illinois. The branch operates from 4:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., weekdays, and Saturdays from 5:05 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., and Sundays from 5:00 a.m. to 1:25 a.m., including holidays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (Chicago)</span> Street in Chicago, Illinois

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, locally referred to as King Drive is a major north–south street on the South Side of Chicago. It was formerly named South Park Way, and originally called Grand Boulevard. Chicago became the first city in the world to name a street after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 following his assassination. The street runs continuously from Cermak Road on the north to 115th Street on the south. It runs at 400 East or four blocks east of State Street in Chicago's city grid. The street is a major corridor of Black history and culture in Chicago.

References

  1. "Blue Island, IL". Encyclopedia of Chicago. To a springtime traveler on the Vincennes Trail, the glacial bluff that rose out of the prairie south of Chicago took on a bluish hue from haze or blue wildflowers.
  2. 1 2 "Overview map of Blue Island Avenue" (Map). Google Maps . Google. June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
  3. "Chicago: City of Neighborhoods". ecuip.lib.uchicago.edu.
  4. "Juarez Students Still Hope for Field of Dreams". Chicago Tribune. 28 March 1990. Retrieved 31 August 2024. The school, which opened in 1977, was the last new high school built by the Chicago Public Schools system.
  5. "RTA System Map" (PDF). Regional Transportation Authority. February 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.