FIRST INSET: DOWNTOWN CHICAGO
SECOND INSET: INTERURBAN NETWORK AROUND CHICAGO
I created the above maps by overlaying OpenStreetMap (OSM) maps with my own data. Copyright on the OSM maps is © OpenStreetMap contributors, licensed under a CC-BY-SA (Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 licence).
Please note that the OSM maps used as templates for these maps correspond to the situation at the time the maps were downloaded and may show features that did not exist at the time the GS Tram Site is supposed to show. In particular, they may show bridges and highways that were built later.
ABBREVIATIONS ON THE MAPS
BA | Blackstone Av. | ISM | Illinois Steel Co. Mills |
BM | Belmont Station | MF | Marshfield Station |
Bu | Buffalo Av. | SA | Sangamon Av. |
CA | Commercial Av. | VB | Van Buren St. |
DS | Damen Station | WA | Waveland Av. |
Ex | Exchange Av. | WR | W Randolph St. |
ROUTES
STREETCAR ROUTES
Operator: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
3 | Lincoln - Indiana | Berwyn Av. & Lincoln - Lincoln Av. - State St. - [Lake St. - Wabash Av.] [back: State St.] - Indiana Av. - E 47th St. - Illinois Central RR. |
4 | Cottage Grove | W Randolph St. & N Wabash Av. - Wabash Av. - Indiana Av. - Cottage Grove Av. - 115th St. |
5 | Cottage Grove - South Chicago | W Randolph St. & N Wabash Av. - Wabash Av. - Indiana Av. - Cottage Grove Av. - S Chicago Av. - E 92nd St. (South Chicago Heights) |
6 | Division - Van Buren | Humboldt Park (N Mozart St.) - Division St. - State St. - Van Buren St. - S Kedzie Av. |
7 | Harrison - Adams | Columbus Park - Harrison St. - [Clinton St. - W Van Buren St.] [back: Harrison St.] - S Dearborn St. |
7A | Harrison - Adams | Columbus Park - Harrison St. - Racine Av. - W Adams St. - W Monroe St. [back: W Adams St.] - S Dearborn St. |
8 | Halsted | Grace St. & Broadway - Halsted St. - Vincennes Av. - S 111th St. - S Sacramento Av. |
9 | Ashland | Irving Park Blvd. & Clark St. - Ashland Av. - W 95th St. |
11 | Lincoln | Peterson Av. & Lincoln - Lincoln Av. - Wells St. - La Salle St. [back: Wells St.] - W. Madison St. |
11X* | Lincoln - Rosehill | Rosehill Cemetery - Damen Av. - Lincoln Av. - Wells St. - La Salle St. [back: Wells St.] - W. Madison St. |
12 | Roosevelt | Austin Bvd. (City limits) - W Roosevelt Rd. - E Roosevelt Rd. - Grant Park |
12X* | Roosevelt Downtown | Austin Bvd. (City limits) - W Roosevelt Rd. - S Canal St. - W Polk St. - S Wells St. - [S Wells St. - W. Adams St.] [back: W Van Buren St.] - S Dearborn St. |
14 | 14th Street | Kenton Av. (City limits) - 16th St. - Kedzie Av. - W Roosevelt Rd. - Damen Av. - 14th St. - S Canal St. - W Roosevelt Rd. - S Wabash Av. |
16 | Lake | Austin Bvd. (City limits) - Lake St. - State St. - Downtown (Van Buren St.)1 |
17 | Kedzie | Bryn Mawr Av. - Kedzie Av. - Milwaukee Av. - N California Av. - W Chicago Av. - Kedzie Av. - Marquette Park (W 67th St.) |
18 | 16th - 18th | Blue Island Av. - S Leavitt St. - 18th St. - S State St. |
20 | Madison | Austin Bvd. (City limits) - W Madison St. - W Madison St. [back: W Monroe St. - Clinton St.] - S. Dearborn St. |
20X* | Madison - 5th Avenue | Pulaski Av. - 5th Av. - W Madison St. - W Madison St. [back: W Monroe St. - Clinton St.] - S. Dearborn St. |
21 | Cermak | Kenton Av. (City limits) - Cermak Rd. - Burnham Park |
22 | Clark | Howard St. (City limits) - Clark St. - S Wentworth Av. - Vincennes Av. - W 81st St. & S Halsted St. |
23 | Morgan - Racine | W Pershing Rd. - S Morgan St. - S Racine Av. - Sangamon Av. - N Racine Av. - N Ashland Av. |
24 | Windsor Park | E 63rd St & Dorchester Av. - Stony Island Av. - E 73rd St. - Coles Av. - Exchange Av. - Commercial Av. - E 92nd St. |
26 | 26th | S Halsted St. - 26th St. - Cottage Grove Av. |
27 | South Deering | E 63rd St & Dorchester Av. - Stony Island Av. - E 73rd St. - Coles Av. - Buffalo Av. - Commercial Av. - Torrence Av. - E 112th St. |
28 | Stony Island | W Randolph St. & N Wabash Av. - Wabash Av. - Indiana Av. - Cottage Grove Av. - E 47th St. - Stony Island Av. - E 93rd St. |
31 | 31st | Archer Av. - 31st St. - Illinois Central RR. |
35 | 35th | S Kedzie Av. - 36th St. - California Av. - 35th St. - Cottage Grove Av. |
36 | Broadway | N Kedzie Av. - Devon Av. - Broadway - N Clark St. - N State St. - S State St. - Indiana Av. - S Michigan Av. - 119th St. - S Morgan St. |
38 | Indiana | W Randolph St. & N Wabash Av. - Wabash Av. - Indiana Av. - E 51st St. - S Parkway |
38X* | Indiana - 43rd St. | W Randolph St. & N Wabash Av. - Wabash Av. - Indiana Av. - 43rd St. - Illinois Central RR. |
39 | Pershing | S Halsted St. - Root St. - S Wallace St. - Pershing Rd. - Cottage Grove Av. |
40 | Lincoln - Larrabee | Western Av. - Roscoe St. - Damen Av. - Belmont Av. - Lincoln Av. - Larrabee St. - W Chicago Av. |
42 | Halsted Downtown | Waveland Av. & Broadway - N Clark St. - Archer Av. - S Halsted St. - W 79th St. |
43 | 43rd | S Halsted St. - Root St. - 43rd St. - Illinois Central RR. |
44 | Wallace - Racine | W 87th St. - S Racine Av. - W 47th St. - S Halsted St. - Pershing Rd. - S Wallace St. - Archer Av. - State St. - [Polk St. - Dearborn St.] [back: State St.] - Lake St. |
45 | Ashland - Downtown | W 95th St. - Ashland Av. - Archer Av. - State St. - [Polk St. - Dearborn St.] [back: State St.] - Lake St. |
47 | 47th | S Kedzie Av. - 47th St. - Illinois Central RR. |
48 | South Damen | W 47th St. - Damen Av. - W 63rd St. |
49 | Western | Howard St. (City limits) - Western Av. - S 111th St. |
50 | Damen | Fullerton Av. - Damen Av. - Blue Island Av. |
51 | 51st | Grand Trunk Railroad crossing - 51st St. - S Parkway |
52 | Kedzie - California | Roscoe St. - N California Av. - W Chicago Av. - Kedzie Av. - Marquette Park (W 67th St.) |
53 | Pulaski | W 31st St. & Kostner Av - Pulaski Rd. - Pulaski Av. - Bryn Mawr Av. |
54 | Cicero | W 26th St. - Cicero Av. - Montrose Av. |
55 | Elston | Lawrence Av. - Elston Av. - Milwaukee Av. - W Lake St. [back: W Randolph St.] - N Dearborn St. |
56 | Milwaukee | Imlay Av. (City limits) - Milwaukee Av. - W Washington St. [back: W. Madison St. - N Clinton St.] - N Dearborn St. |
56X* | Milwaukee Armitage | Grand Av. - Armitage Av. - Milwaukee Av. - W Washington St. [back: W. Madison St. - N Clinton St.] - N Dearborn St. |
58 | Ogden | S Laramie Av. - W 25th St. - Ogden Av. - W Randolph St. [back: W Washington St.] - N Dearborn St. |
59 | 59th - 61st | Grand Trunk Railroad crossing (S Central Av.) - W 59th St. - S State St. - E 61st St. - Blackstone Av. |
60 | Blue Island - 26th | Kenton Av. (City limits) - 26th St. - Blue Island Av. - Harrison St. - S Clinton St. - W Monroe St. [back: W Adams St.] - S Dearborn St. |
62 | Archer - South Cicero | Cicero & W 63rd St. (Chicago Municipal Airport) - Cicero Av. - Archer Av. - State St. - [Polk St. - Dearborn St.] [back: State St.] - Lake St. |
62X* | Archer - 38th St. | 38th St. - Archer Av. - State St. - [Polk St. - S Dearborn St.] [back: State St.] - Lake St. |
63 | 63rd | Oak Park Av. - W 63rd Pl. - 63rd St. - Stony Island Av. |
63W | Argo | Oak Park Av. - W 63rd Pl. - Argo (Archer Av.) |
65 | Grand | N Harlem Av. (City limits) - Grand Av. - Municipal Pier |
66 | Chicago | Austin Bvd. (City limits) - W Chicago Av. - E Chicago Av. - Lake Shore Drive - Municipal Pier |
67 | 67th - 69th | Marquette Park - W 71st St. - S Western Av. - W 69th St. - E 67th St. - S Shore Dr. |
70 | Division - Downtown | Humboldt Park (N Mozart St.) - Division St. - Milwaukee Av. - W Randolph St. [back: W Washington St.] - N Dearborn St. |
72 | North | N Clark St. - North Av. - Narragansett Av. (City limits) |
73 | Armitage | N Clark St. - Armitage Av. - Grand Av. |
74 | Fullerton | Central Av. - Fullerton Av. - N Halsted St. & Lincoln Av. |
77 | Belmont | Central Av. - Belmont Av. - Halsted St. |
79 | 79th | S Western Ave. - 79th St. - Lake Michigan (Rocky Ledge Beach) |
80 | Irving Park | Neenah Av. - Irving Park Blvd. - Broadway |
81 | Lawrence | Austin Av. - Lawrence Av - Broadway |
87A | 87th | Vincennes Av. - 87th St. - Commercial Av. |
95E | 93rd - 95th | S State St. - E 95th St. - Cottage Grove Av. - E 93rd St. - S Chicago Av. - E 92nd St. - Buffalo Av. - Illinois Steel Co. Mills |
Note: * Route numbers with an X extension were not used for the official numbering of these routes. Streetcars on these routes had the normal number designation, the X is simply for the convenience of users of this site.
1 Putting the downtown terminus of line 16 (State) at the intersection of Van Buren St. and State St. is pure guess - but it must have been somewhere!
RAPID TRANSIT ROUTES (ELEVATED RAILROAD EXCEPT FOR THE SUBWAY)
Operator: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
Note: The one and two-character codes used to identify routes below and in the maps are for convenience only, and were not used by the operating company.
1 | State Street Subway | Roosevelt Rd. - State St. - Division St. - Clybourn Av. - North Av. |
DP | Douglas Park Line | Loop - (Garfield Park Line) - Marshfield - Douglas Park - Oak Park |
ER | Englewood - Ravenswood | Englewood - Pershing Rd. Station - Roosevelt Rd. - State Street Subway - Belmont - Kimball Stn. |
EW | Evanston-Wilmette Branch | Howard Street - Linden (Evanston) |
GP | Garfield Park Line | Loop - Marshfield - Garfield Park - Columbus Park (Austin) - Bellwood - Westchester |
HP | Humboldt Park Line | Loop - (Garfield Park Line) - Marshfield - Damen - Humboldt Park - Lawndale |
JE | Jackson Park - Evanston | Jackson Park - Pershing Rd. Station - Roosevelt Rd. - State Street Subway - Belmont - Howard Street - Linden (Evanston) [Also: Jackson Park - Howard Street services] |
KW | Kenwood - Wilson | Kenwood - Pershing Rd. Station - Loop - Belmont - Kimball Stn. - Wilson Av. Stn. [Also: Loop - Wilson Av. services in rush hour] |
L | Lake Street Line | Loop - Lake Street - Forest Park |
LM | Lake Street Line to Market Street | Market Street - Lake Street - Forest Park |
LS | Logan Square Line | Loop - (Garfield Park Line) - Marshfield - Damen - Logan Square |
NR | Normal Park - Ravenswood | Normal Park - Pershing Rd. Station - Loop - State Street Subway - Belmont - Kimball Stn. |
NS | North Side Main Line | Loop - Belmont - Howard Street |
R | Ravenswood Branch | Belmont - Kimball Stn. |
S | Skokie Branch | Howard Street - Dempster (Skokie) |
SI | Stock Yards - Indiana Av. shuttle | Stock Yards - Indiana Av. |
INTERURBAN ROUTES
Operator: Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad (CA&E)
AE&C Line | Wells St. & Jackson Blvd Terminal - Garfield Park Elevated Line - Bellwood - Wheaton - (Elgin) / (Batavia Jnctn. - Batavia) / (Batavia Jnctn. - Aurora) |
Operator: Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway
Skokie Valley - Mundelein Route | Chicago - Dempster (Skokie) - Lake Bluff - Libertyville - Mundelein | |
Shore Line Route | Chicago - Linden (Evanston) - Lake Bluff - North Chicago - Waukegan | |
La Grange Route | Kenton Av. - Cermak Rd. - Oak Park - 26th St. - Brookfield Zoo |
Operator: Chicago South Shore and South Bend Railroad
South Shore Line | Randolph Street Terminal - Roosevelt Rd. Station - 63rd St. Station - Kensington 115th St. - East Chicago - Gary - South Bend |
Operator: Chicago & West Towns Railways
Lake Street Line | Austin Blvd. - Lake St. - Melrose Park | |
Madison Street Line | Austin Blvd. - Madison St. - Maywood | |
La Grange Line | Kenton Av. - Cermak Rd. - Oak Park - 26th St. - Des Plaines Ave. - Brookfield Zoo |
ELECTRIC COMMUTER ROUTES (IC ELECTRIC)
Operator: Illinois Central Railroad
Blue Island Branch | Randolph Street Terminal - Roosevelt Rd. Station - 63rd St. Station - Kensington 115th St. - Blue Island | |
Main Line | Randolph Street Terminal - Roosevelt Rd. Station - 63rd St. Station - Kensington 115th St. - Riverdale - Harvey - Richton Park | |
South Chicago Branch | Randolph Street Terminal - Roosevelt Rd. Station - 63rd St. Station - South Chicago (E 93rd Street) |
CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SYSTEM
NETWORK LENGTH
- Streetcar lines: ? km.
- Subway: 8 km.
- Elevated lines: 131 km.
- Interurban lines:
- Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad (CA&E): ? km.
- Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway: 165 km.
- Chicago South Shore & South Bend Railroad: 141 km.
- Electric commuter line (Illinois Central): 46 km.
HISTORY
- Horse-drawn streetcars: 25 Apr. 1859 - 1906.
- Compressed-air streetcars: 1890 - 1986.
- Battery streetcars: 1896 - 1 July 1901.
- Cable cars: 28 Jan. 1882 - 23 July 1906.
- Electric streetcars: 2 Oct. 1890 - 21 June 1958.
- Interurbans:
- Chicago, Aurora & Elgin line: 25 Aug. 1902 - 3 July 1957.
- North Shore Line: 1895 - 21 Jan. 1963.
- South Shore Line: 1903 - today.
- Chicago & West Towns Railways: (horse-drawn) Feb. 1889 - 1891; (electric) 1891 - 10 Apr. 1948.
- Subway: 17 Oct. 1943 - today.
- Elevated (or "L") lines: 6 June 1892 - today.
- Commuter line (formerly, Illinois Central): 21 July 1856 - today (originally, steam; electrified since 1926).
GAUGE
- All systems: 1435 mm.
TRAM PRESERVATION
The Illinois Rail Museum, in Rockford, IL, about 100 km. NW from Chicago, has about 10 preserved Chicago streetcars, and a large number of preserved interurban and rapid transit vehicles that used to run in the Chicago area. Many of them run regularly on the museum tracks.
SOURCES
- Buckley, J.J. Chicago & West Towns Railways. Chicago: Central Electric Railfans Association, 2006.
- Lind, A.R. Chicago Surface Lines - An illustrated history (3rd. ed.). Park Forest (Ill.): Transport History Press, 1979.
- Map of Chicago Rapid Transit Lines. Chicago: Chicago Rapid Transit Company, 1946.
- Johnson, J.D. A century of Chicago streetcars. Wheaton (Ill.): The Traction Orange Co., 1964.
- Simons, V. "Chicago: Modernisation and renewal" Tramways & Urban Transit, Jan. 2014 (77: 913), p.17-21.
- Taplin, M.R. Tramways of North America, including rapid transit [Tramway Handbooks No.4] Hassocks (West Sussex, England): Light Rail Transit Association, 1981.
WIKIS
- Chicago Aurora & Elgin Railroad (CA&E)
- Chicago 'L'
- Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad
- Chicago Rapid Transit Company
- Chicago Surface Lines
- Chicago Transit Authority
- Illinois Railway Museum
- Metra Electric District
- South Shore Line (NICTD)
- Transportation in Chicago
WEB SITES
- Cable Car Lines in Chicago
- Chicago (on UrbanRail.Net)
- Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railway
- Chicago Transit Authority (CTA)
- GreatThirdRail.org: The Chicago Aurora & Elgin Internet Resource
- Illinois Railway Museum
- South Shore Line Passenger Service
- www.Chicago "L".org
Also, thanks to Emmert Clevenstine of Ferney-Voltaire, France, for relevant documents he has given me over the years, as well as to Russell Powers from Denver CO and Peter Zondag from the Netherlands for their kind suggestions sent over the Internet.
Copyright Gabor Sandi 1998-2024
Disclaimer: Everything on this site was written and/or prepared at the author's discretion. The author has tried to be accurate where facts are presented, but this does not mean that these facts are necessarily accurate. People needing more reliable information should refer to appropriate sources presented, on the Internet or elsewhere, by authoritative professional or academic bodies.
To get in touch with the webmaster, send an e-mail to g_sandi at hotmail.com.
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