Chicago Visitors Guide - 2025
Navigate the city
2025-01-21 13:51:22
The downtown Loop serves as the hub of Chicago’s public transit network that extends to surrounding neighborhoods and suburbs, as well as O’Hare and Midway International Airports.
TAKE THE ‘L’
The eight Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) ‘L’ lines — the Blue Line (24 hours), Brown Line, Green Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line, Red Line (24 hours), and Yellow Line — serve 145 train stations across the city. transitchicago.com
RIDE THE BUS
There are 127 CTA bus routes throughout the city — buses stop every few blocks. Several lines operate 24 hours. transitchicago.com
HOP ON METRA
Metra commuter trains connect outlying suburbs to downtown and are an easy way to travel to and from the heart of the city. Single trip fares start at $3.75. metrarail.com
RIDE AMTRAK
Amtrak provides intercity passenger rail services to more than 500 destinations in 46 states. Catch Amtrak trains at Chicago’s downtown Union Station. amtrak.com
HAIL A CAB
Taxis are plentiful and easy to hail. Check individual companies for rates. CHICABS offers options for passengers to electronically hail and pay for a taxi through mobile apps ARRO (ridearro.com) and Curb (gocurb.com). Chicago is also Uber (uber.com) and Lyft (lyft.com) friendly.
GRAB A BIKE
Chicago’s Divvy bike- and scooter-sharing program is an inexpensive and easy way to get around. Thousands of bikes and scooters are available at hundreds of stations across the city. Single classic bike rides are $1 to unlock and $0.18 per minute. Or try Divvy’s ebike, with a pedal-assist motor. Pay $1 to unlock the ebike, plus $0.44 per minute. Scooters are $1 to unlock and $0.44 per minute. divvybikes.com
TRY A WATER TAXI
Seasonal water taxis are a scenic and budget-friendly way to reach points of interest along the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Take a ride with Shoreline Water Taxi (shorelinesightseeing.com) or Chicago Water Taxi (chicagowatertaxi.com).
All fares are subject to change.
CTA FARES
CTA fares start at $2.25 for buses and $2.50 for trains with a reloadable Ventra card. Single-ride Ventra ticket: $3 (includes three rides within two hours of use) or $5 (from O’Hare Airport). One-day Ventra ticket: $10 (unlimited rides for 24 hours). transitchicago.com
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