Getting around Chicago

The 'L' — eight lines wrapped around a downtown loop, two of them 24 hours.

CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) · official site

Network map

Tap any station for departure times

Red Line
Blue Line
Brown Line
Green Line
Airport station

Howard

Next departures

Loading arrivals…

Change for the Purple and Yellow lines.

Jump to a station

Red Line

Blue Line

Brown Line

Green Line

From the airport, on your first night

ORD

O'Hare International

1Follow the 'CTA Trains' signs from baggage claim — the station is under Terminal 2, walkable from all terminals.
2Buy a Ventra ticket at the machine, or just tap a contactless card.
3Board the Blue Line towards Forest Park. It runs 24 hours.
4Ride to Clark/Lake for the Loop, or change there for anywhere else.

Journey time: 45–60 minutes to downtown
Cost: $5.00 from O'Hare

Read this first: This is one of the genuinely good airport rail links in the country and it runs all night. Even arriving at 2am, the Blue Line is a reasonable option.

MDW

Midway International

1Follow signs to the CTA station, connected to the terminal by a walkway.
2Board the Orange Line towards the Loop.

Journey time: About 30 minutes to downtown
Cost: $2.50

Read this first: The Orange Line does not run roughly 1:00am–4:00am.

Fares and how to pay

Single ride: $2.50 'L' · $2.25 bus
Day pass: $5.00 (1-day) · $20.00 (7-day)
Monthly: $75.00 (30-day)

Student discount

University students do not get the CTA reduced fare, but many Chicago universities include a U-Pass in tuition, which gives unlimited rides during term. Check before buying a pass — you may already have one.

How to pay

Tap a contactless bank card or phone directly at the turnstile or farebox.
Or buy a Ventra Card ($5, refundable as ride credit once registered) at any station machine.
Register your Ventra Card online — unregistered cards lose their balance if lost.
Note: from O'Hare the single fare is $5.00, higher than the usual $2.50.

Transfers

$0.25 for up to two more rides within two hours, using the same card.

Buses worth knowing

Rail gets the attention, but most students live on the bus network.

22 ClarkEvery 8–12 min
North–south through Lincoln Park and the Loop.
66 ChicagoEvery 6–10 min
Chicago Ave crosstown, one of the busiest routes.
151 SheridanEvery 10–15 min
Along the lakefront past Lincoln Park and the museums.
6 Jackson Park ExpressEvery 8–15 min
Downtown to Hyde Park and the University of Chicago.
77 BelmontEvery 10–15 min
Belmont Ave crosstown through Lakeview.

Apps to install on day one

Ventra
Manage your card and buy passes.
Transit
Best live arrivals board for the stop you are standing at.
Google Maps
Solid trip planning across CTA, Metra and Pace.

What your advisor would tell you

The Red and Blue lines run 24 hours — this genuinely shapes where it is sensible to live.
Metra is a separate commuter rail with separate tickets. Do not assume your Ventra pass covers it.
Winter is severe. Elevated platforms are exposed and brutal in January — an underground or sheltered stop is worth real money.
The Loop is the downtown ring where most lines converge. If you are lost, get to the Loop and start again.
Check which side of a station your platform is on before you tap in. Some stations charge you again if you cross over.

A map only gets you so far on your first night

Reading about the Chicago system at 2am after a 20-hour flight, with two suitcases and no US phone number, is a different thing entirely. Plan it with your advisor before you fly, and message them if anything goes wrong on the way.

Get an advisor