Neighboring communities are Pilsen across the river to the north, McKinley Park to the west, Canaryville to the south, and Armour Square to the east.

[3] A settler named Charles Lee or Leigh came from Virginia and settled along the south fork of the Chicago River by 1804, but soon moved nearer to Lake Michigan after Fort Dearborn was completed.

In April 1812, two of his tenants escaped to Fort Dearborn when visiting Winnebago proved unfriendly and massacred others at the trading post.

[4] Then a Detroit firm sponsored a trader, John Crafts, who rebuilt the trading post and named it "Hardscrabble".

Funding remained a problem, and the State of Illinois began issuing "Land Scrip" to the workers rather than paying them with money.

A large number of those Irish-Americans who received the scrip used it to purchase canal-owned land at the northern end of the canal where it meets the south branch of the Chicago River.

[6] Bridgeport also reflects its proximity to a bridge on the Chicago River, which was too low to allow safe passage for boats, forcing cargo to be unloaded there.

The Art Institute of Chicago performed restoration work on the paintings in the Shrine Altars at St. Mary of Perpetual Help which date back to 1890, with further plans calling for restoration of the stained glass windows and to complete the painting of the interior ceilings and rotunda.

Kelly, Kennelly, the elder Daley, and Bilandic comprised an unbroken, 46-year period (1933–1979) in which Bridgeport was home to the city's mayor.

[21] The Richard J. Daley Branch of the Chicago Public Library system is located at 3400 South Halsted Street.

[1] Due to its position on the canal, Bridgeport became a major industrial center in Chicago at the beginning of the twentieth century.

The top 5 employing industry sectors of community residents are accommodation and food service (15.3%), healthcare (11.5%), professional (8.5%), education (8.4%), and retail trade (7.9%).

A traditionally working-class neighborhood, with a diverse ethnic heritage, Bridgeport's cultural history has left an indelible mark on Chicago cuisine.

Bridgeport in the early 21st century has also begun to experience an upswing in new restaurants, with a few recent additions serving a wide range of items.

[29] The East part of the area is served by the Red Line CTA train at the Sox/35th stop which is at Rate Field.