Midway station (CTA)

Midway   5900S 4600W
General information
Location	4612 West 59th Street Chicago, Illinois 60629
Coordinates	41°47′12″N87°44′16″W / 41.78661°N 87.737875°W / 41.78661; -87.737875
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Line(s)	Midway Branch
Platforms	1 island platform 1 side platform
Tracks	3
Connections	CTA Buses Pace Buses River Valley Metro
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	299 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	True
History
Opened	October 31, 1993;31 years ago (1993-10-31)
Passengers
2024	1,599,477 [1]   4.5%
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Terminus Orange Line Pulaski toward Loop (Library)
Track layout Legend Orange to the Loop to Midway yard   walkway to Midway Airport Orange ends
Location

v t e Midway branch
Legend
Track layout
South Side Elevated to Loop South Side Elevated to State Street subway 17th Junction South Side Elevated to Ashland/​63rd & Cottage Grove Federal Junction Dan Ryan branch SWS Halsted Chicago River Ashland 35th/Archer HC Western Kedzie Pulaski Midway Yard Midway

Midway is an 'L' station on the CTA's Orange Line. It is the southwestern terminus of the Orange Line and serves Midway International Airport in Chicago, the city's second-largest airport. The turnstiles at the station's entrance are somewhat wider than most to accommodate airport passengers and their luggage. The station, along with the rest of the Orange Line, opened on October 31, 1993 after a long wait by Chicago's southwest side for 'L' access. It is also the closest station to SeatGeek Stadium, former home of the Chicago Fire, which is approximately 4 miles away. Although in the Garfield Ridge community area, the station serves many residents in the West Elsdon and West Lawn neighborhoods. Unlike O'Hare   , passengers using Midway station do not pay an airport surcharge in addition to the standard "L" fare.

History

Midway destination sign

Prior to 1993, the southwest side was served only by the Douglas Park Branch of the West-Northwest Line. As the city expanded, this service became insufficient. As early as the 1940s, when subways were being constructed under State and Dearborn Streets, the city planned to expand the 'L' to Midway Airport. However, this plan was not approved.

On January 22, 1990, there was a groundbreaking ceremony held at the future site of Midway Station. Many people attended, including Mayor Daley; Bernard Ford, the CTA Acting Executive Director; and David Williams, the Chicago public works commissioner. In 1993, the CTA finished building the new Orange Line. It cost $500 million despite the use of abandoned railroad right-of-ways. Midway Station includes a three-track terminal, a rail yard, a car maintenance facility, an island and side platform, elevators leading to the sidewalk, and escalators and stairs connecting to the moving walkway heading to the airport.

When the garage was built on the east side of Cicero, it bisected the walkway from the station to the airport. In 2002, the Department of Aviation built a walkway through the garage.

Bus connections

CTA

• 47 47th
• 54B South Cicero
• 55 Garfield
• 55A 55th/Austin (Weekday Rush Hours only)
• 55N 55th/Narragansett (Monday-Saturday only)
• 59 59th/61st (Monday-Saturday only)
• 62H Archer/Harlem (Monday-Saturday only)
• N62 Archer (Owl Service - Overnight only)
• 63 63rd (Owl Service)
• 63W West 63rd
• 165 West 65th (Weekday Rush Hours only)

Pace

• 379 Midway/Orland Park
• 383 South Cicero
• 384 Narragansett/Ridgeland
• 385 87th/111th/127th (Weekdays only)
• 386 South Harlem
• 387 SeatGeek Stadium Direct (Game Days & Events only)
• 390 Midway CTA/UPS Hodgkins (Weekday UPS shifts only)

River Valley Metro

• Midway Commuter Shuttle

References

1. "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2024" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. January 22, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.

External links

• Midway International Airport Station Page at Chicago-L.org
• 2005 Ridership Reports Archived March 10, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
• CTA - Train schedule: Orange

• Ridership figures, 2009 (172 KiB)

• Midway Station Page
• Midway Station and Bus Terminal as viewed from 59th Street on Google Maps Street View