List of Chicago "L" stations

On an average weekday, 759,866 passengers ride the "L",[1] making it the second-busiest rapid transit system in the United States, behind the New York City Subway.

[2] The system began as three separate companies, which built lines traveling from Chicago's central business district to the south and the west.

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.

[4] In 1900, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad entered operation,[5] finalizing the basic structure of the system: a hub and spoke distribution paradigm radiating north, west, and south from downtown Chicago.

[6] 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.

Map depicting the geographic layout of the right rapid transit lines of the Chicago "L" system. All lines except the Yellow Line operate from the central business district (the Loop) in the following directions: north, northwest, west, southwest, and south. Lake Michigan is to the east. The Red Line travels north and south and makes connections with all of the other lines and passes through the Loop. The Brown Line follows a crooked path leading from the northwest to the Loop. It shares a portion of its route with the Red Line but terminates in the Loop. The Purple Line begins somewhat north of the Red Line and connects with it at the Red Line's northern terminus. Below this, the Purple line appears as a dashed route, indicating that service over this portion is only in operation during peak travel periods. The Purple Line then follows the Red Line south until it meets with the Brown Line. After that, it follows the Brown Line route to the Loop and terminates. The Blue Line begins in the far northwest section of the map and its route takes it southwest into the Loop before turning and heading due west from the Loop. The Green Line begins in the western portion of the map just above the straight east-west leg of the Blue Line and heads east into the Loop where it turns and heads south. At its southern end it splits into two short branches: one heads east and the other west. The Pink Line is beneath the east-west leg of the Blue Line and also travels east but then turns north, crosses the east-west leg of the Blue Line, and meets up with the east-west leg of the Green Line. It then follows the Green Line route to the Loop where it terminates. The Orange Line takes a crooked path northeast from the southwest portion of the city into the Loop where it terminates. The Yellow Line (the only line to not pass through the Loop) begins at the northern terminus of the Red Line and heads west. It then turns northwest and continues a short distance before terminating. In the lower left hand corner is a detail of the Loop area. The Loop Elevated is a rectangular section of track which the Brown, Purple, Green, Pink, and Orange Lines operate over. The Red and Blue Lines are depicted as passing beneath the other five lines, indicating that these pass through the area underground. The Brown and Purple enter from the northwest corner from the north. The Pink and western segment of the Green enter from the same corner, but from the west. The Orange and southern portion of the Green enter from the south at the southeastern corner. The Purple, Orange and Pink all make a rectangular circuit of the Loop traveling clockwise. The Brown Line makes the circuit traveling counterclockwise. The Green Line is the only line to traverse the loop without making a circuit. It enters from the west on the northern leg then continues south via the eastern leg.
A current map depicting the eight rapid transit lines of the Chicago "L" system. Map is not drawn to scale.