Still, the basic idea is there, and there are a few conventions that do make navigating Chicago a bit easier.
The Grid
The underlying structure really is a grid, and this is where you'll want to start when figuring out how to get around Chicago.
- The numbering system starts at State and Madison. That intersection is in the Loop, which is the center of downtown.
- Grant Park is just two blocks east of that intersection. East of that is the shoreline of Lake Michigan, which cuts west as you head north. That means there are more addresses west of State Street than there are east (until you get to the far south side).
- The most important thing to remember about the grid is that every 800 is a mile. So, 800 N State Street is one mile north of Madison, and 800 W Madison is one mile west of State.
The Rest
Over the top of those straight north-south east-west streets are diagonal streets, highways, and the river. These can create some quirky little areas that seem to have a mind all their own and present a bit of a challenge when getting from point A to point B.
- Chicago's diagonal streets are a little like spokes on a wheel. On the north side Clark, Lincoln, Clybourn, Elston, and Milwaukee run NW - SE, and on the south side Ogden and Archer run SW - NE.
- The highways cut through the city and therefore that nicely laid out grid. Still, there are several ways to get across. As a general idea, every 400 block leads over or under.
- The river and its branches also have frequent crossing points. Like the highways, away from the downtown area they're at about every 400. Downtown there are so many bridges you can practically hop from one to the next. OK, not really, but we do have the most movable bridges in the world.
There you have it. Despite all those hinks that make navigating the city a bit wonky, if you remember the grid it really does help you find your way around the Windy City.
7 Comments
Quoll said:
As an outsider, I found a lot of people trying to describe this system, and somehow they always seemed to not address something that I didn't understand. The hardest thing for me to get was the address numbering on streets. For some reason everyone assumed I would naturally understand this, but I never did.
Every block starts numbering at the next hundred. If you get to the end of one block and you're at address 1240, then across the road will NOT be 1242... it will be 1300. Sometimes this rule is ignored on small streets that crop up here and there, but in general it applies everywhere. This numbering is consistent across the entire city. So 200 N Clark is directly in line with 200 N State, 200 N Halsted, 200 N Ashland, etc. In fact, since "200 North" is always on the same street (Lake St), then that street is often referred to as "200 North".
So by definition, every 4 block will be an increment of 400. As is mentioned above, the blocks are laid out so that every 4 blocks is a half mile. This has extra significance, as every half mile (a multiple of 400) is a semi-major street. Also every mile (a multiple of 800) is a major street.
The other thing that outsiders don't always get is the N/S and E/W system. Streets that run north/south are divided into 2 parts, North and South. The North part of a street has numbers incrementing as you go north, while the South part of a street has numbers incrementing as you go south. So "200 North State St" and "200 South State St" are separated by 400, meaning 4 blocks. The same goes for East/West. The "zero" address is described above (the intersection of State and Madison).
Once you get your head around this system, then you can understand the locations people describe when they say 800 W and 2400 N. That translates to 8 blocks (1 mile) west, and 24 blocks (3 miles) north.
Theresa Carter said:
Thanks for the detailed clarification! It does help to point out that addresses North & South increase in the direction they're headed, and that the numbers are based on location and don't just increase incrementally.
Very helpful :)
Corrie11 said:
Theresa, as a frequent visitor to Chicago, I thank you. This entry will make me look brilliant the next time I'm in town!
Rob Sherman said:
"3. The most important thing to remember about the grid is that every 800 is a mile."
Not true! The South Side is different from all the rest.
Going south from Madison Street, the first mile is at 1200 south, Roosevelt Road. The next mile is at 2200 south, Cermak Road. Then the next mile is at 3100 south, 31st Street. Only after that does the system revert to 800 per mile.
It's sort of like a Passover story: "Why is this Side different from all other Sides?"
I'll let you, Theresa, do a little research to figure that one out.
Theresa Carter said:
Thanks for pointing that out, Rob!
What I've been able to discover is that the grid system wasn't implemented until 1909 (thanks to Edward Brennan), and prior to that "house numbers on north-south streets were tied to the numbered east-west streets. Thus, for example, 2200 State was at 22nd Street [Cermak]."* When the streets were renumbered, this area between Madison and 31st street kept their original numbering. The best explanation I could find is that this area was settled early in Chicago's history.**
Sources
*http://tinyurl.com/nsy3ay
**http://tinyurl.com/kph2mc
David S said:
Great article, Theresa. I have one more "rule" (quotation marks because there is one place in Chicago where it doesn't hold true) for you:
The Lake is East.
Trivia question: What is the only coastal road in Chicago where the Lake is not East? Answer: E Lake Shore Dr
Theresa Carter said:
And then it would be North!
Leave a Comment?
What your comment will look like:
said: