The Chicago "L" 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, and the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States after the New York City Subway and the Washington Metro. 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. In 2023, the system had 117,447,000 rides, or about 400,000 per weekday in the second quarter of 2024.
The Blue Line is a 26.93-mile-long (43.34 km) Chicago "L" line which runs 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 in Forest Park, with a total of 33 stations. At about 27 miles, it is the longest line on the Chicago "L" system and second busiest, and one of the longest local subway/elevated lines in the world. It has an average of 64,978 passengers boarding each weekday in 2022.
Howard is an 'L' station in Chicago, Illinois on the North Side Main Line. It is the northern terminus of the Red Line and the southeastern terminus of the Yellow Line; it also serves the Purple Line, for which it is the southern terminus at non-rush hour times on weekdays and all day on weekends. Trains on the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad also stopped at Howard from 1926 until that line was abandoned in 1963.
Clybourn is a railroad station in Chicago serving Metra's Union Pacific North Line and Union Pacific Northwest Line. It is located at 2001 North Ashland Avenue and is the first station north of Ogilvie Transportation Center. Clybourn is located at Clybourn Junction. The Union Pacific North Line's Kenosha Subdivision begins here, separating from the Union Pacific Northwest Line's Harvard Subdivision. Clybourn Junction was named for its location near Clybourn Place, the home of the Clybourn family, early settlers in the Chicago area. Clybourn is situated between the Bucktown and DePaul neighborhoods, several miles north of downtown Chicago. In Metra's zone-based fare schedule, Clybourn is in zone 2. As of 2018, Clybourn is the 17th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,674 weekday boardings.
Oak Park is a Metra commuter railroad station in Oak Park, Illinois, just west of Chicago. It is served by Metra's Union Pacific West Line, with service east to Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago and as far west as Elburn, Illinois. Travel time to Chicago is 16 to 20 minutes. As of 2018, Oak Park is the 52nd busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 991 weekday boardings. It is the final stop for most UP West trains before the terminus at Ogilvie Transportation Center. Unless otherwise announced, inbound trains use the north (side) platform and outbound trains use the south (island) platform.
Cottage Grove, is an 'L' station and the terminus of the CTA Green Line's East 63rd branch, located in the Woodlawn neighborhood. The station is situated at 800 East 63rd Street and opened on April 23, 1893.
Austin is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. It is located between the Ridgeland and Central stations on the Green Line, which runs from Harlem/Lake and to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove. The station is located at the intersection of Austin Boulevard and Corcoran Place in the Austin neighborhood on Chicago's West Side and borders the village of Oak Park.
Rosemont, formerly River Road, is a Chicago "L" station at the intersection of River Road and I-190 in the suburb of Rosemont, Illinois. It is located in the median of I-190 with one island platform serving two tracks, 16 miles (26 km) northwest of The Loop. Trains are scheduled to depart from Rosemont every 2–7 minutes during rush-hour periods, and take about 36 minutes to travel to the Loop. The station is 7 blocks east and 2 blocks north of O'Hare International Airport. Rosemont is the busiest station outside the city limits of Chicago, with 2,090,977 passenger entries in 2014.
Cumberland is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. Situated on the Blue Line between Rosemont and Harlem, the station is located in the median of the Kennedy Expressway at Cumberland Avenue in the O'Hare community area’s Schorsch Forest View neighborhood on Chicago's Northwest Side. It is also in close proximity to both the Norwood Park neighborhood and the city of Park Ridge as well as the village of Norridge. The area surrounding the station consists of mixed commercial and residential development.
Harlem is a Chicago "L" station serving the Blue Line's O'Hare branch in Chicago's Norwood Park neighborhood. It is not to be confused with the other Harlem Blue Line station. Trains run from Harlem every 2–7 minutes during rush hour, and take approx. 30 minutes to travel to the Loop. O'Hare-bound trains take 10 minutes to reach the airport from Harlem. The station is located in the median of the Kennedy Expressway.
Montrose is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line. The station serves the Irving Park, Mayfair, and Portage Park neighborhoods. Blue Line trains run at intervals of 2–7 minutes during rush hour, and take 22 minutes to travel to the Loop. The station is located in the median of the Kennedy Expressway. The station opened in 1970 as part of the Kennedy extension, connecting the Milwaukee Elevated from Logan Square to Jefferson Park.
Irving Park is an 'L' station on the CTA's Blue Line. The station is located in the median of the Kennedy Expressway in the Irving Park neighborhood, though it draws its name from its cross street. Irving Park is one of two stations on the Blue Line that stops in an expressway median where the entrance is below the platform; Rosemont is the other, specifically beneath the westbound lane of the Kennedy Expressway. The station opened in 1970 as a part of the Kennedy extension of the Milwaukee Elevated from Logan Square to Jefferson Park.
Logan Square is a subway station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Blue Line and the Logan Square neighborhood. It was the terminus of the Milwaukee Elevated until it was extended to Jefferson Park in 1970 via the Kennedy Expressway. From Logan Square, trains run at intervals of 2–7 minutes during rush-hour periods, and take 14 minutes to travel to the Loop. O'Hare-bound trains typically take 26 minutes to reach the airport from Logan Square.
Western Avenue is the name of a railroad station owned by Metra, located in the West Town community area of Chicago, Illinois near Western Avenue. The station is 2.9 miles (4.7 km) away from Union Station, the inbound terminus of the line. Western Avenue station serves the Milwaukee District West Line, North Central Service, and Milwaukee District North Line, and is the last inbound stop for these three lines before the terminus at Union Station. Although it is not a station stop, Amtrak's Hiawatha, Borealis, and the Empire Builder also pass through here. The station was previously used by the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad. Located near the station are the California Coach Yard, and the Western Avenue Rail Yard, the latter of which host to Metra's remaining EMD F40Cs. Just southeast of the station platforms is a diamond where the Milwaukee Road Metra routes cross the tracks of the Union Pacific West Line to Ogilvie Transportation Center, then turn to run parallel to them. This goes on for about a mile before they split, as the West Line tracks continue to Ogilvie. The junction is controlled by the nearby A-2 tower.
Western Avenue is a station on Metra's BNSF Line located in Pilsen neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station consists of one side platform and one island platform for outbound and inbound trains. The station has no station house, though shelters are provided. Amtrak and BNSF Railway trains run on tracks parallel to the station. The station is 3.7 miles (6.0 km) away from Union Station, the eastern terminus of the BNSF Line. As of 2018, Western Avenue is the 208th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 57 weekday boardings.
Irving Park is a railroad station on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line located in the Irving Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station is elevated on a solid-fill embankment which parallels the Kennedy Expressway. It is located adjacent to a station of the same name on the Blue Line. The station contains two side platforms; the southwest platform serves outbound trains, and the northeast platform serves inbound trains. Trains travelling on the bidirectional middle track are forced to skip the station, as Irving Park is the only station along the triple-tracked portion of the line without an island platform serving the express track. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Irving Park is located in Zone 2. As of 2018, Irving Park is the 110th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 439 weekday boardings.
Healy is a station on Metra's Milwaukee District North Line in the Hermosa community area of Chicago, Illinois. The station is 6.4 miles (10.3 km) away from Chicago Union Station, the southern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Healy is in zone 2. As of 2018, Healy is the 140th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 323 weekday boardings. It is just south of the factories of Newly Weds Foods. The station is named after the Lyon & Healy Harps, Inc., a world-renowned harp manufacturer founded in Chicago in 1864 by George W. Lyon and Patrick J. Healy. Now headquartered on Ogden Avenue, the company was located near the station at 4014 West Fullerton Avenue until 1914.
Mayfair is a Metra station located on the Milwaukee District North Line on the border between the Albany Park and Portage Park community areas of Chicago, Illinois. The station is officially located at 4357 North Cicero Avenue, however the actual location is the northeast corner of West Pensacola and North Kilpatrick Avenues. It is 9.0 miles (14.5 km) away from Chicago Union Station, the southern terminus of the line, and serves commuters between Union Station and Fox Lake, Illinois. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Mayfair is in zone 2. As of 2018, Mayfair is the 147th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 281 weekday boardings.
Park Ridge is one of two commuter railroad stations on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line in the city of Park Ridge, Illinois. It is officially located at 100 South Summit Avenue, and lies 13.1 miles (21.1 km) from the Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Park Ridge is in zone 2. As of 2018, Park Ridge is the 33rd busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 1,168 weekday boardings.
The Humboldt Park branch was a rapid transit line which was part of the Chicago "L" system from 1895 to 1952. The branch served the West Town and the Humboldt Park neighborhoods of Chicago and consisted of six elevated stations. It opened on July 29, 1895, and closed on May 4, 1952.
CTA Buses 
25%(CTA)
22.3%(Metra)
