CTA Purple Line: Route, Stations and Guide

The CTA Purple Line runs from Linden in Wilmette through Evanston to Howard on Chicago’s northern edge, with 9 stations on that local route. On weekdays during rush periods, Purple Line Express trains continue past Howard to the Loop, stopping at Wilson and the Brown Line stations from Belmont to the Merchandise Mart. The Purple Line does not run overnight.

Fact	Purple Line
Terminals	Linden in Wilmette and Howard in Chicago (local); the Loop (express)
Stations	26 in all: 9 local, 9 express stops north of the Loop, 8 Loop stations
Local length	About 3.9 miles, Linden to Howard
Local hours	About 4:35 a.m. to 2:05 a.m.; later on Sundays
Express hours	Weekdays only, morning and afternoon rush periods
Loop direction	Clockwise (express)
Main transfers	Howard (Red, Yellow), Davis (Metra UP-North), express stops (Red, Brown, Loop lines)

Route overview

The local Purple Line is a shuttle between Linden in Wilmette and Howard. Its stations are Linden, Central, Noyes, Foster, Davis, Dempster, Main, South Boulevard and Howard, all in Wilmette and Evanston except Howard.

This route follows the Northwestern Elevated, which opened from downtown to Wilson Avenue in 1900 and was extended north to Wilmette in the following decade.

Purple Line Express

On weekday mornings and afternoons, Purple Line Express trains run from Linden through Howard to downtown. South of Howard they stop at Wilson, Belmont, Wellington, Diversey, Fullerton, Armitage, Sedgwick, Chicago and the Merchandise Mart.

Express trains circle the Loop clockwise, stopping at every Loop station from Clark/Lake to Washington/Wells, then make all stops back to Linden.

Hours

Service	Mon. to Thu.	Fri.	Sat.	Sun./holiday
Local, Linden to Howard	5:05 a.m. to 1:35 a.m.	5:05 a.m. to 2:05 a.m.	5:30 a.m. to 2:05 a.m.	6:25 a.m. to 1:35 a.m.
Local, Howard to Linden	4:35 a.m. to 1:10 a.m.	4:35 a.m. to 1:40 a.m.	5:05 a.m. to 1:50 a.m.	6:05 a.m. to 1:20 a.m.

Express (weekdays only)	Morning	Afternoon
Linden to Loop	5:05 a.m. to 9:15 a.m.	2:05 p.m. to 6:25 p.m.
Loop to Linden	5:45 a.m. to 9:55 a.m.	2:45 p.m. to 7:05 p.m.

CTA does not list Purple Line Express service on Saturdays or Sundays.

Stations, Linden to Howard and the Loop

#	Station	Area	Transfers and notes
1	Linden	Wilmette	Terminal
2	Central	Evanston
3	Noyes	Evanston
4	Foster	Evanston
5	Davis	Evanston	Metra Union Pacific North at Davis Street
6	Dempster	Evanston
7	Main	Evanston
8	South Boulevard	Evanston
9	Howard		Red, Yellow; end of local service
10	Wilson (Express)		Red
11	Belmont (Express)	Lake View	Red, Brown
12	Wellington (Express)	Lake View	Brown
13	Diversey (Express)	Lincoln Park	Brown
14	Fullerton (Express)	Lincoln Park	Red, Brown
15	Armitage (Express)	Lincoln Park	Brown
16	Sedgwick (Express)	Old Town	Brown
17	Chicago (Express)		Brown
18	Merchandise Mart (Express)	Near North Side	Brown
19	Clark/Lake (Express)	The Loop	Blue (subway), Brown, Green, Orange, Pink
20	State/Lake (Express)	The Loop	Temporarily closed for reconstruction into 2029
21	Washington/Wabash (Express)	The Loop	Metra Electric and South Shore Line at Millennium Station
22	Adams/Wabash (Express)	The Loop	Brown, Green, Orange, Pink
23	Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren (Express)	The Loop	Brown, Orange, Pink; Blue and Red subways with farecard
24	LaSalle/Van Buren (Express)	The Loop	Metra Rock Island at LaSalle Street Station
25	Quincy (Express)	The Loop	Metra BNSF, Milwaukee District, North Central and Amtrak at Union Station
26	Washington/Wells (Express)	The Loop	Brown, Orange, Pink; Metra Union Pacific lines at Ogilvie

State/Lake, on the north side of the Loop, is temporarily closed for reconstruction into 2029; CTA directs riders to Clark/Lake or Washington/Wabash instead.

Notable stations and what is near them

Linden: the northern terminal, in Wilmette.
Davis: downtown Evanston, with Metra Union Pacific North trains at Davis Street.
Howard: the transfer point to the Red and Yellow lines.
Belmont and Fullerton (express): Lakeview and Lincoln Park.

Transfers

Howard: Red and Yellow lines.
Davis: Metra Union Pacific North at Davis Street.
Wilson (express): Red Line.
Belmont and Fullerton (express): Red and Brown lines.
Wellington to Merchandise Mart (express): Brown Line.
Loop stations (express): Blue, Brown, Green, Orange and Pink lines, plus Metra connections.

Tips for riding the Purple Line

Outside weekday rush periods, ride the Purple Line to Howard and switch to the Red Line to reach the city.
Check the train’s sign at Howard: only express trains continue south of Howard.
The Red and Purple Modernization program, built from 2019 to 2025, installed a new signal system on 23 track-miles between Howard and Belmont, the tracks Purple Line Express trains use.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Purple Line go downtown?

Only on weekdays during rush periods, when Purple Line Express trains run to the Loop. At other times the Purple Line runs between Linden and Howard.

What is the Purple Line Express?

A weekday rush-period service that continues from Howard to the Loop, stopping at Wilson and the Brown Line stations from Belmont to the Merchandise Mart.

Does the Purple Line run on weekends?

Yes, between Linden and Howard only. CTA lists no weekend express service.

Which towns does the Purple Line serve?

Wilmette, where Linden station is, and Evanston, which has seven stations from Central to South Boulevard. Howard is in Chicago.

How many stations are on the Purple Line?

Nine on the local route from Linden to Howard; 26 counting the express stops and the Loop.

Related guides

Sources

Last updated: October 31, 2026