Clark/Lake station

Track layout
Elevated station
	Purple Express to Linden
	Orange to Midway
	Ashland/63rd or
	Cottage Grove
Subway station

Clark/Lake

100W
200N

Clark/Lake

100W
200N
Clark/Lake 100W; 200N Clark/Lake 100W; 200N
	Clark/Lake elevated platforms
General information
Location	100-124 West Lake Street; Chicago, Illinois 60601
Coordinates	41°53′09″N 87°37′51″W / 41.885767°N 87.630886°W
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority (elevated); City of Chicago (subway)
Lines	Milwaukee–Dearborn subway; Loop Elevated
Platforms	2 side platforms (elevated); 1 island platform (subway)
Tracks	4 (2 on each level)
Construction
Structure type	Subway (Blue) & Elevated (Loop)
Depth	40 ft (12 m) (Blue Line platform)
Platform levels	2
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
Other information
Website	www.transitchicago.com/station/clkl/
History
Opened	September 22, 1895; (Elevated Platforms); February 25, 1951; (Subway Platform)
Rebuilt	1988–1992; (elevated station)
Previous names	Lake Transfer (Subway)
Passengers
2024	2,801,486 12.1% (CTA)
Services
	State/Lake Temporarily closed toward Midway
	State/Lake Temporarily closed toward Ashland/63rd or Cottage Grove
	State/Lake Temporarily closed toward Linden
	State/Lake Temporarily closed toward 54th/Cermak
	State/Lake Temporarily closed One-way operation
Former services
Track layout
Track layout
Elevated station
	Purple Express to Linden
	Orange to Midway
	Ashland/63rd or
	Cottage Grove
Subway station
Location
Location

Clark/Lake is an 'L' station located at 100/124 West Lake Street in Chicago's Loop district, and is accessed from the James R. Thompson Center and 203 North LaSalle building. It is one of the most complex stations on the 'L' system, comprising an elevated station and a subway station. The elevated station is serviced by the Brown, Green, Orange, Pink, and Purple Lines, while the subway platform is serviced by the Blue Line.

In December 2014, it had an average of 17,644 weekday passenger entrances, making it the second busiest station in the 'L' system.^[4] The Richard J. Daley Center, Chicago City Hall, and Chicago Title and Trust Center are also served by the station. It is the busiest station on the Loop Elevated, and the second-busiest station on the 'L' system as of December 2014.

History

Elevated station (1895–1992)

The original elevated station opened on September 22, 1895 as one of three stations on the Lake Street Elevated Railroad's "Wabash extension".^[1]^[2] This extension became the Lake Street leg of the Union Loop when it was completed in 1897.

Subway station (1951–1992)

The subway station opened as Lake Transfer on February 25, 1951.

Combined station (1992)

From 1988 to 1992, the elevated station was reconstructed, with its main entrance in the James R. Thompson Center. This allows transfers between the elevated station and the subway station without leaving the paid area, and so the stations were combined into a single station. Due to this, it is the only station that serves six of the eight lines. The Blue Line serves the subway station while the Green Line stops at both sides of the elevated station, Orange, Pink and Purple Line trains stop at the Inner Loop platform, and Brown Line trains stop at the Outer Loop platform.

Renovation and new Google Chicago campus

In late 2024, CTA announced a major renovation of the Clark/Lake station.^[5] Under an amended agreement with JRTC Holdings, the developer of the former James R. Thompson Center site and new Google Chicago campus, CTA plans to relocate the station’s main entrance from its current location under the tracks on Lake Street to the northeast corner of Clark Street. The project also includes updates to the station mezzanine to better match the surrounding redevelopment.

CTA officials describe the effort as part of a broader initiative to revitalize the Loop and improve rider experience, noting that Clark/Lake connects six rail lines and multiple bus routes and is a key transfer point for thousands of commuters daily.

The renovation is planned in phases through late 2026, with additional platform and station improvements included in CTA’s portion of the project.

Bus connections

CTA^[6]

22 Clark (Owl Service)
24 Wentworth (weekdays only)
134 Stockton/LaSalle Express (weekday rush hours only)
135 Clarendon/LaSalle Express (weekday rush hours only)
136 Sheridan/LaSalle Express (weekday rush hours only)
156 LaSalle (weekdays only)

References

^ ^a ^b "Service on Lake Street "L" Extension". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 20, 1895. p. 12.
^ ^a ^b "Put in New Rails". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 23, 1895. p. 11.
^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2024" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. January 22, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.
^ "Monthly Ridership Report – December 2015" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 11, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2016.
^ "The CTA Announces Plans for Major Changes at the Clark/Lake Loop Elevated Station". CTA. Retrieved January 25, 2026.
^ "Clark/Lake Station Information". CTA. Retrieved February 25, 2023.

External links

Media related to Clark/Lake (CTA) at Wikimedia Commons

[Wabash_extension-1] "Service on Lake Street "L" Extension". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 20, 1895. p. 12.

[New_Rails-2] "Put in New Rails". Chicago Daily Tribune. September 23, 1895. p. 11.

[3] "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2024" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority. January 22, 2025. Retrieved April 13, 2025.

[Ridership-4] "Monthly Ridership Report – December 2015" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 11, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2018. Retrieved March 1, 2016.

[5] "The CTA Announces Plans for Major Changes at the Clark/Lake Loop Elevated Station". CTA. Retrieved January 25, 2026.

[6] "Clark/Lake Station Information". CTA. Retrieved February 25, 2023.

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