Near West Side, Chicago: Community Area #28 Guide

The Near West Side is Chicago community area #28, directly west of the Loop across the Chicago River. It contains the West Loop, Fulton Market, Greektown, Little Italy, the University of Illinois Chicago, the Illinois Medical District and the United Center. CMAP estimates its population at 68,165 (2020–2024 ACS).

Fact	Details
Community area number	28
Side of the city	West Side, adjacent to downtown
Population (2020–2024 ACS estimate, CMAP)	68,165
Neighborhoods within	West Loop, Fulton Market, Greektown, Little Italy, University Village, Illinois Medical District, Tri-Taylor
Main L and Metra stations	L: Morgan, Ashland and Damen (Green/Pink), Racine (Blue); Metra: Union Station, Ogilvie Transportation Center
Major parks	Union Park

Boundaries

The Encyclopedia of Chicago describes the area as bounded by the Chicago & North Western railroad on the north, the South Branch of the Chicago River on the east, 16th Street on the south, and railroad tracks on the west. The South Branch separates it from the Loop.

Neighborhoods within the Near West Side

West Loop: roughly Grand Avenue to the Eisenhower Expressway, between the river and Ashland Avenue; it includes Fulton Market and Greektown.
Greektown: along Halsted Street between Van Buren and Madison.
Little Italy: between the Illinois Medical District and UIC’s east campus, centered on Taylor Street.
University Village: south of Harrison Street toward 16th Street.
Illinois Medical District and Tri-Taylor, the latter bounded by the Eisenhower Expressway, Ogden Avenue and rail tracks west of Western Avenue.

History

Wealthy residents created Jefferson Park (1850) and Union Park (1854) in the area’s early years. Wholesalers and factories filled the area in the 1870s and 1880s, and immigrant groups built churches, schools and settlement houses.

Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr opened Hull House here in 1889. Construction of the University of Illinois campus later demolished most of the Hull House complex and much of the old Italian neighborhood, and the expressway interchange cut through Greektown. Later, rising values near UIC and the United Center brought new residents and gentrification.

Landmarks and parks

United Center arena.
University of Illinois Chicago and Hull House, the settlement house founded in 1889.
Illinois Medical District, including John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County.
National Hellenic Museum and the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii.
Union Park, one of the area’s two 1850s parks.

Getting there

Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center, two of downtown’s Metra terminals, sit on the area’s eastern edge near the river. The Green and Pink lines share the Lake Street elevated through the West Loop with stops at Morgan, Ashland and Damen. The Blue Line runs in the Eisenhower Expressway median with a stop at Racine.

Frequently asked questions

Is the West Loop its own community area?

No. The West Loop is a neighborhood inside the Near West Side, community area #28.

Is the United Center in the Near West Side?

Yes. The United Center is in the Near West Side.

Where is Hull House?

Hull House, opened in 1889 by Jane Addams and Ellen Gates Starr, is in the Near West Side. Most of the original complex was demolished to build UIC.

Which Metra stations are in the Near West Side?

Union Station and Ogilvie Transportation Center are both in the area, just across the river from the Loop.

Related guides

Sources

Last updated: October 31, 2026