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 second-busiest rail mass transit system in the United States, after the New York City Subway. In 2016, the "L" had 1,492 rail cars, eight different routes, and 145 train stations. In 2021, the system had 78,623,200 rides, or about 323,000 per weekday in the second quarter of 2022.
The Red Line is a rapid transit line in Chicago, run by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) as part of the Chicago "L" system. It is the busiest line on the "L" system, with an average of 73,273 passengers boarding each weekday in 2021. The route is 26 miles (42 km) long with a total of 33 stations. It runs elevated from the Howard station in the Rogers Park neighborhood on the North Side, through a subway on the Near North Side, Downtown, and the South Loop, and then through the Dan Ryan Expressway median to 95th Street in the Roseland neighborhood on the South Side. Like Chicago's Blue Line, the Red Line runs 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, making Chicago and New York City the only two cities in the world that operate train service 24 hours a day throughout their city limits. The city of Chicago is planning an extension of the Red Line, adding 5.6 miles and four new stations, that would extend the Red Line from 95th/Dan Ryan to 130th Street.
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. It is the longest line on the "L" system and second busiest, with an average of 47,120 passengers boarding each weekday in 2021.
The Brown Line of the Chicago "L" system, is an 11.4-mile (18.3 km) route with 27 stations between Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood and downtown Chicago. It runs completely above ground and is almost entirely grade-separated. It is the third-busiest 'L' route, with an average of 19,255 passengers boarding each weekday in 2021.
Edgewater is a lakefront community area on the North Side of the city of Chicago, Illinois six miles north of the Loop. The last of the city's 77 official community areas, Edgewater is bounded by Foster Avenue on the south, Devon Avenue on the north, Ravenswood Avenue on the west, and Lake Michigan on the east. Edgewater contains several beaches that residents enjoy during the late spring, summer, and early autumn. Chicago's largest park, Lincoln Park, stretches south from Edgewater for seven miles along the waterfront, almost to downtown. Historically, Edgewater was the northeastern corner of Lake View Township, an independent suburb annexed by the city of Chicago in 1889. Today, the Uptown community is to Edgewater's south, Lincoln Square to its west, West Ridge to its northwest and Rogers Park to its north.
Howard is an 'L' station in Chicago, Illinois. 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.
Berwyn is a temporarily closed 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is located at 1121 West Berwyn Avenue in the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Bryn Mawr, located about 3⁄8 mile (0.60 km) to the north, and Argyle, about 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) to the south, both still in service and serving as alternate stations. Four tracks pass through the station, but there is only single island platform in the center of the tracks. The two eastern tracks are temporarily out of service for construction and trains on both the Red and Purple Lines pass Berwyn on the western tracks without stopping. When it reopens, it will consist of an island platform with Red Line trains stopping on the inner tracks and Purple Line Express trains bypassing the station on the outer tracks. Berwyn is named for the Berwyn station in the community of the same name, which is west of Philadelphia. Many of the roads in the Edgewater neighborhood are named after stations on the former Pennsylvania Railroad Main Line.
Belmont is an 'L' station serving the CTA's Red and Brown Lines, and the Purple Line Express during weekday rush hours. It is located at 945 West Belmont Avenue in the Lakeview neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. It is an elevated station with two island platforms serving four tracks; Brown and Purple Line trains share the outer tracks while Red Line trains run on the inner tracks. Along with residential areas, the neighborhood surrounding Belmont contains many eclectic shops, bars, and restaurants and active nightlife. The station is one of the more heavily utilized on the system serving as a busy transfer point, and also as a terminal when the Brown Line operates as a shuttle service to and from Kimball late at night and early in the morning. It is nearly identical to Fullerton, minus the terminal status.
Chicago, is an 'L' station on the CTA's Brown and Purple Lines. Located in the Near North Side neighborhood at 300 W Chicago Avenue at West Chicago Avenue and North Franklin Street in Chicago, Illinois, the station opened in 1900 as part of the original series of stations on the Northwestern Elevated. A high density of art galleries and several schools is in the vicinity of the station, including the Moody Bible Institute.
Argyle is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system. It is situated between the Berwyn and Lawrence stations on the Red Line, which runs from Rogers Park at Chicago's northern city limits, through downtown Chicago, to Roseland. It is an elevated station with an island platform serving northbound trains and a temporary side platform serving southbound trains located at 1118 West Argyle Street in the West Argyle Street Historic District of Chicago's Uptown community area. Purple Line weekday rush hour express service use the outside tracks but do not stop at this station.
Wilson is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red and Purple Lines, located at 4620 North Broadway in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois.
Bryn Mawr is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. It is located at 1119 West Bryn Mawr Avenue in the Bryn Mawr Historic District of the Edgewater neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Thorndale, located about one half mile to the north, and Berwyn, about three eighths of a mile to the south. Four tracks pass through the station, but the two western tracks are currently out of service for reconstruction. There is an island platform in the center of the tracks and a side platform adjacent to the western track; Purple Line weekday rush hour express service pass through the station on the same tracks used by the Red Line but do not stop. The name "Bryn Mawr" comes from the SEPTA Regional Rail station located northwest of Philadelphia in the community of the same name. The name came to the area in the 1880s by Edgewater developer John Lewis Cochran, and is Welsh for "Big Hill."
Lawrence is a temporarily closed 'L' station on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line. It is an elevated station located at 1117 West Lawrence Avenue in the Uptown neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The adjacent stations are Argyle, located about 1⁄3 mile (0.54 km) to the north, and Wilson, about 1⁄4 mile (0.40 km) to the south, serving as alternate stations remaining open while Lawrence is closed for reconstruction. Four tracks pass through the station, though the two eastern tracks are out of service for reconstruction, with a single island platform in the center of the tracks; Purple Line weekday rush hour express service use the outside tracks and do not stop.
Pulaski is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, serving the Green Line. Pulaski is located at the intersection of Lake Street and Pulaski Road in the West Garfield Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. The station opened in March 1894.
Diversey is an 'L' station on the CTA Brown Line; Purple Line express trains also stop at the station during weekday rush hours. It is an elevated station with two side platforms, located in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois. Red Line trains pass through the station on the middle tracks, but do not stop.
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.
The Loop is the 1.79-mile (2.88 km) long circuit of elevated rail that forms the hub of the Chicago "L" system in the United States. As of 2012, the branch has served 74,651 passengers every weekday. The Loop is so named because the elevated tracks loop around a rectangle formed by Lake Street, Wabash Avenue (east), Van Buren Street (south), and Wells Street (west). The railway loop has given its name to Chicago's downtown, which is also known as 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.
The Lake Street Transfer station was a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L", serving as a transfer station between its Lake Street Elevated Railroad and the Logan Square branch of its Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad. Located where the Logan Square branch crossed over the Lake Street Elevated, it was in service from 1913 to 1951, when it was rendered obsolete by the construction of the Dearborn Street subway.
