Loop, Chicago: Community Area #32 Guide

The Loop is Chicago community area #32, the city’s downtown and central business district. It runs from the Chicago River on the north and west to Lake Michigan on the east and Roosevelt Road on the south, and holds Willis Tower, the Art Institute, Millennium Park and Grant Park. CMAP estimates its population at 42,550 (2020–2024 ACS).

Fact	Details
Community area number	32
Side of the city	Downtown (Central)
Population (2020–2024 ACS estimate, CMAP)	42,550
Neighborhoods within	Central Loop, Printer’s Row, New Eastside, northern South Loop
Main L and Metra stations	Elevated Loop: Washington/Wabash, Adams/Wabash, Harold Washington Library, LaSalle/Van Buren, Quincy, Washington/Wells; Red Line: Lake, Monroe; Blue Line: Washington, Monroe, Jackson, LaSalle. Metra: Millennium Station, LaSalle Street Station, Van Buren Street, Museum Campus/11th Street
Major parks	Grant Park, Millennium Park

Boundaries

Since the 1920s the Loop community area has generally meant the land bounded by the Chicago River on the north and west, Lake Michigan on the east and Roosevelt Road on the south. The original, smaller “Loop” covered 35 blocks between Lake, Wells, Van Buren and Wabash.

Neighborhoods within the Loop

The central business district.
Printer’s Row, centered on Dearborn Street from Ida B. Wells Drive to Polk Street.
New Eastside.
The northern part of the South Loop, south of Ida B. Wells Drive.

History

Fort Dearborn was built here in 1803, and the Town of Chicago, incorporated in 1833, covered almost the entire Loop. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed most of downtown, and the rebuilding produced the Home Insurance Building (1885), often called the first skyscraper.

The name may date to an 1882 cable car circuit, though some researchers tie it to the elevated Union Loop built in 1895–97. Chicago’s address grid has started at State and Madison since 1909. Millennium Park opened in 2004.

Landmarks and parks

Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), the world’s tallest building for nearly 25 years.
Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago Theatre, Lyric Opera and Chicago Symphony Orchestra.
Millennium Park, with Cloud Gate, Crown Fountain and the Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
Grant Park, the city’s oldest park, and Buckingham Fountain (1927).
Chicago School buildings including the Rookery (1888), Monadnock (1891) and Sullivan Center (1899).

Getting there

The Brown, Green, Orange, Pink and Purple lines stop at elevated Loop stations such as Washington/Wabash and Quincy. The Red Line stops at Lake and Monroe, and the Blue Line at Washington, Monroe, Jackson and LaSalle. Metra Electric and the South Shore Line end at Millennium Station, and the Rock Island line ends at LaSalle Street Station.

Frequently asked questions

Why is it called the Loop?

The name is linked to either an 1882 cable car circuit or the elevated Union Loop built in 1895–97. Historians disagree on which came first.

What are the boundaries of the Loop?

The Chicago River on the north and west, Lake Michigan on the east and Roosevelt Road on the south.

How many people live in the Loop?

CMAP estimates 42,550 residents (2020–2024 ACS). The Loop’s population grew 158% between 2000 and 2020.