The Chicago "L" is a rapid transit system that serves the city of Chicago and seven of its surrounding suburbs. The system is operated by the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA). On an average weekday, 759,866 passengers ride the "L", making it the third-busiest rapid transit system in the United States, behind the New York City Subway and the Washington Metro.

The system began as three separate companies, which built lines traveling from Chicago's central business district to the south and the west. The first of these was the Chicago and South Side Rapid Transit Railroad which opened on June 6, 1892. The Lake Street Elevated Railroad opened the following year and the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad followed in 1895. Initially, the "L" lines operated independently of each other, but in 1897, they were combined into one physically unified system with the completion of the Union Loop and connecting trackage. In 1900, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad entered operation, finalizing the basic structure of the system: a hub and spoke distribution paradigm radiating north, west, and south from downtown Chicago. The system expanded outward from this with new branches or line extensions until 1930.

Due to the ruined financial state of the privately owned Chicago Rapid Transit Company and the Chicago Surface Lines, a public agency (the CTA) was created in 1947 to take over and save the rapid transit and streetcar systems. Starting in 1948, the CTA began systematically shutting down many stations and lines that saw little use in order to improve service and reduce costs. Expansion resumed in September 1969, with the opening of a new line in the median of the Dan Ryan Expressway and continued until October 31, 1993, with the opening of the Orange Line. The newest line is the Pink Line, which opened on June 25, 2006, was created by rerouting the Blue Line's Douglas branch into a separate service.

, the system has 146 stations on eight lines operating on of track. A total of 108 stations are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 and are accessible to passengers with disabilities. The majority of "L" stations are named for the streets or intersections on which they are located; others are named for neighborhoods, suburbs, destinations, or a combination of these.Douglas, Gordon C. C. "Rail Transit Identification and Neighbourhood Identity: Exploring the Potential for Community Supportive Transit," Journal of Urban Design, 15(2):185. The newest station is on the Green Line, which opened on August 5, 2024.

Lines + Chicago "L" lines Line Stations Termini Weekday ridership 33 90,525 27 40,640 31 29,021 16 The Loop 18,541 22 12,036 26 6,525 33 141,578 3 1,517

Stations + Key for Chicago "L" stations and planned stations Symbol Meaning Designated transfer stations within the Chicago "L" systemTransfer stations for Metra or South Shore Line Transfer stations for Chicago "L", Metra, and South Shore Line Terminal station Transfer stations and terminals Accessible Airport connection+ Key for Metra and South Shore lines Symbol Line BNSF Line Heritage Corridor Metra Electric District Milwaukee District North Line Milwaukee District West Line North Central Service Rock Island District SouthWest Service Union Pacific North Line Union Pacific Northwest Line Union Pacific West Line South Shore Line

+ Rapid transit stations on the Chicago "L" StationLinesTransfers/connections Location Opened Structure Avg. weekdayridership (May 2026) PilsenElevated 1,335 BronzevilleElevated1,191 McKinley ParkElevated1,882 Grand BoulevardElevated687 Legends SouthElevated725 Fuller ParkExpressway median 2,076 Grand Boulevard/Washington ParkElevated669 CiceroAt-grade1,778 EnglewoodExpressway median1,933 Greater Grand CrossingExpressway median2,994 ChathamExpressway median 3,838 Garden HomesExpressway median 2,216 RoselandExpressway median 6,307 The LoopElevated 5,168 Avondale/Irving ParkExpressway median2,013 North CenterElevated 1,436 WrigleyvilleElevated7,474 Little Vietnam Elevated 2,136 Lincoln ParkElevated 3,430 Near West SideElevated 1,914 West EnglewoodElevated 724 McKinley Park/Lower West SideElevated1,289 Oak ParkCutting715 AustinElevated934 AvondaleUnderground 3,671 Lake ViewElevated7,999 SummerdaleElevated 1,952 Edgewater Elevated2,836 Palmer SquareElevated 3,630 Smith ParkElevated 790 Little VillageElevated 1,033 AustinElevated1,260Evanston Elevated 554 North LawndaleElevated 804 ChinatownElevated5,176 McCormick PlaceElevated 1,725 Ukrainian VillageUnderground 2,105 Cabrini GreenElevated 4,314 Magnificent MileUnderground 7,756 AustinExpressway median 592 AustinElevated696 CiceroAt-grade775 Gold CoastUnderground5,572 City Hall/ Elevated/underground 13,232 Union StationUnderground 2,087 West LoopElevated 2,861 East Garfield ParkElevated 572 WoodlawnElevated 794 Schorsch Forest ViewExpressway median2,441 Wicker ParkElevated 4,481 RavenswoodElevated 1,792 –Near West SideElevated933 Heart of ChicagoElevated 1,303 Evanston Elevated 2,250 Evanston Elevated 537 SkokieAt-grade 1,027 Lincoln ParkElevated 3,673 Pulaski ParkUnderground 4,297 Forest Park Elevated1,175 EvanstonElevated 592 Albany ParkAt-grade990 Lincoln ParkElevated 9,793 Washington ParkElevated895 CanaryvilleExpressway median2,395 West TownUnderground2,790 River NorthUnderground 6,957 Granville Homes Elevated 2,268 EnglewoodElevated 390 BridgeportElevated1,589Forest ParkCutting 398 Norwood ParkExpressway median1,697 Oak ParkElevated 2,262Harold Washington LibraryState/Van Buren

The LoopElevated2,640 South LoopUnderground2,358 Dubkin ParkElevated 3,516 Near West SideExpressway median 1,461 Grand BoulevardElevated529 Irving ParkExpressway median2,896 North CenterElevated1,862 The LoopUnderground 4,353 Printers RowUnderground 4,969 Rogers Park Elevated 1,117 Jefferson ParkExpressway median 4,687 Albany ParkAt-grade 1,472 East Garfield ParkElevated 774 Brighton ParkElevated 2,399 North LawndaleElevated 822 East Garfield ParkExpressway median 896 Budlong WoodsAt-grade2,524 WoodlawnElevated 330 North LawndaleAt-grade297 The LoopUnderground10,841 AustinElevated697 The LoopUnderground1,720 The LoopElevated 2,047 UptownElevated 2,041 WilmetteAt-grade 708 Logan SquareUnderground4,950 Loyola University Elevated 3,066 Evanston Elevated716 Near North SideElevated5,303 Garfield RidgeAt-grade5,381 The LoopUnderground3,874 The LoopUnderground4,410 Irving Park/Portage ParkExpressway median1,700 RavenswoodElevated 1,634 Near West SideElevated 4,095 Touhy Park Elevated 2,810 Goose IslandUnderground 3,543 Evanston Elevated 708 Airport Transit SystemO'HareUnderground 10,375 Oak ParkCutting 641 Oak ParkElevated 802 SkokieAt-grade 490 Roscoe VillageElevated 1,842 Illinois Medical DistrictElevated 2,249West Garfield ParkExpressway median630 West Garfield ParkElevated910 Archer Heights/West ElsdonElevated3,365 North LawndaleElevated733 The LoopElevated5,410 Near West SideExpressway median882 Oak ParkElevated 862 Lincoln SquareAt-grade 1,141 Near South Side/Elevated/underground7,535 RosemontExpressway median 4,102 Old TownElevated2,800 Buena ParkElevated2,918 EvanstonElevated460 Lake ViewElevated 2,420 Armour SquareExpressway median4,176 Millennium ParkElevated0Winchester HoodElevated 1,841 GreektownExpressway median2,435 The LoopUnderground 8,563 The LoopAugust 31, 2017Elevated 10,448 The LoopElevated 5,712 Lake ViewElevated2,127 BucktownElevated 3,657 Tri-TaylorExpressway median 611 Lincoln SquareElevated1,880 Brighton Park/Gage Park/New CityElevated 2,636 Lower West SideElevated 907 Montrose BeachElevated4,759

Gallery

Planned stations + Planned rapid transit stations on the Chicago "L" Station Lines Transfers/Connections Location Opening Structure 103rd Roseland/Washington Heights 2030 Elevated 111th Roseland 2030 Elevated Michigan West Pullman 2030 Elevated 130th Riverdale 2030 At-grade Central Austin 2031 Elevated Racine Englewood 2029 Elevated

Notes On May 16, 1908, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad's rapid transit service replaced the service of the Milwaukee Road's Evanston branch north of Sheridan Park (Wilson Avenue). Stations noted existed prior to the start of "L" service. Clark/Lake is listed twice because the elevated and subway sections opened as separate stations in 1895 and 1951, respectively. Forest Park existed as an interurban station on the Aurora Elgin and Chicago Railway prior to the start of "L" service. March 11, 1905, is the day the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad began operating over the tracks of the AE&C and "L" service began.

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