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 extends through The 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, 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.
The Chicago Pedway is a network of tunnels, ground-level concourses and bridges in Chicago, Illinois connecting skyscrapers, retail stores, hotels, and train stations throughout the central business district.
95th/Dan Ryan, announced as 95th, is an 'L' station in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway and serving Chicago's Roseland neighborhood. The station serves as the southern terminus of the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line. This station was the system's thirteenth busiest in 2021. Trains take approximately 30 minutes to travel to the Loop, and 60 minutes to reach Howard.
Chicago, is an "L" station on the CTA's Red Line. It serves a significant portion of the Near North Side and Streeterville neighborhoods. With over 5.25 million overall boardings in 2014, it is the busiest station on the Red Line north of the Loop.
Washington/Wells is a station on the Chicago "L" system, located in downtown Chicago, Illinois on The Loop. The station opened on July 17, 1995. Washington/Wells is located a few blocks from several major attractions and business centers, such as Chicago City Hall, the Civic Opera House, and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The station is also three blocks east of Ogilvie Transportation Center, terminal for the Union Pacific North, Northwest, and West line Metra trains. The station is located between Washington and Madison on Wells Street in downtown Chicago.
Clark/Lake is an 'L' station located at 100/124 West Lake Street in Chicago's Loop district, and is accessed from the James R. Thompson Center and 203 North LaSalle building. It is one of the most complex stations on the 'L' system, comprising an elevated station and a subway station. The elevated station is serviced by the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines, while the subway platform is serviced by the Blue Line. In December 2014, it had an average of 17,644 weekday passenger entrances, making it the second busiest station in the 'L' system. The Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago City Hall, and Chicago Title and Trust Center are also served by the station. It is the busiest station on the Loop Elevated, and the second-busiest station on the 'L' system as of December 2014. This station had been recognized as the station(s) with the most pickpockets by ABC 7 Chicago in 2018.
Sox–35th is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is situated at 142 West 35th Street in the Armour Square neighborhood. The station opened on September 28, 1969, along with the other eight stations on the Dan Ryan branch.
Randolph/Wabash was an elevated 'L' station in the Loop in Chicago. Located at Randolph Street and Wabash Avenue, it served trains running on the Chicago Transit Authority's Brown and Green Lines on the outer loop track, and the Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines on the inner loop track. Randolph/Wabash was the closest 'L' station to Metra's Millennium Station until its closure on September 3, 2017. The station was later demolished.
State/Lake is an 'L' station serving the CTA's Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines on The Loop. It is located in the Chicago Loop at 200 North State Street. Like all Loop stations, it has two side platforms. The CTA offers farecard transfers between this station and the Lake subway station on the Red Line. Unlike most stations, there is no in-station transfer between directions.
Ashland is an 'L' station on the CTA's Green and Pink Lines. It is an elevated station with two side platforms, located in Chicago's Near West Side neighborhood at 1601 West Lake Street. Just to the west of the station, the Pink Line branches off from the Lake Street branch to follow the Paulina Connector to the Douglas branch. The adjacent stations are Damen (Green), which is located about 1⁄2 mile (0.80 km) to the west, Polk (Pink), which is located about 1 mile (1.6 km) to the south, and Morgan station, approximately 3⁄4 mile (1.2 km) to the east.
Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren,, is an 'L' station serving the CTA's Brown, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines. Originally, the station was to have direct access to the second floor of the Harold Washington Library building, but this direct connection was never built. Farecard transfers are also available at the station for the Red and Blue Lines via the Jackson/State and Jackson/Dearborn subway stations, respectively. It was originally known as State/Van Buren when it first opened in 1897. The original station closed on September 2, 1973, along with six other stations, due to low ridership, and demolished in 1975. The new station was rebuilt and reopened on June 22, 1997 in order to serve the Harold Washington Library. The Chicago Transit Authority board voted unanimously on Wednesday, October 6, 2010, to rename the station to its current name.
Grand, is an "L" station on the CTA's Red Line. It serves Navy Pier, which is accessible via bus on Illinois Street one block south.
Monroe is an "L" station on the CTA's Red Line. The station opened on October 17, 1943, as part of the State Street subway. The station is located in the Chicago Loop, and is open 24/7.
Jackson is an "L" station on the CTA's Red Line in the Loop. Free transfers to Blue Line trains are available at this station via a lower level transfer tunnel to the Jackson station in the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway and farecard transfers to Purple, Orange, Brown and Pink Line trains are available via the Harold Washington Library – State/Van Buren Loop Elevated station.
Harrison is an "L" subway station on the CTA's Red Line in Printer's Row, Chicago in the Loop.
Armitage is a Chicago Transit Authority "L" elevated station with two side platforms in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois, on the Brown Line; Purple Line express trains also stop at the station during weekday rush hours. Red Line trains pass through on the middle tracks, but do not stop. Just south of the platforms is where the Red Line tracks descend into the State Street subway. It is located near the Lincoln Park Zoo, and is accessible via the 73 Armitage bus route.
Washington is an 'L' station on the CTA's Blue Line. It is situated between the Clark/Lake and Jackson stations in the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway and is near the Richard J. Daley Center.
Jackson is an 'L' station on the CTA's Blue Line, located in the Loop.
Roosevelt is an "L" station on the CTA's Red, Green, and Orange Lines, located between the Chicago Loop and the Near South Side in Chicago, Illinois. It is situated at 1167 S State Street, just north of Roosevelt Road. The station is also the closest "L" station to the Museum Campus of Chicago and Soldier Field, which are about 1⁄2 mile (800 m) to the east. The Museum Campus/11th Street Metra station is also about 1⁄3 mile (500 m) to the east.
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