Chicago’s street layout is famous for its grid system, making it surprisingly easy to navigate once you understand the basics. This guide will help you decipher the Windy City’s address system and find your way around like a local.
The foundation of Chicago’s grid is the Baseline, the intersection of Madison Street (0 North & South) and State Street (0 East & West). Think of this point as the origin on a map. All Chicago addresses are numbered outwards from this central intersection, radiating in four directions: North, South, East, and West. This system is similar to a mathematical grid, using X and Y axes to determine location. In Chicago’s grid:
- North and South addresses correspond to the Y-axis.
- East and West addresses correspond to the X-axis.
For example, if you’re heading to 300 South and 1300 West, you’ll find yourself near the Police Academy, located at the intersection of Jackson Boulevard and Throop Street.
Each mile in Chicago is systematically divided into eight blocks. Each of these blocks is assigned a range of 100 address numbers. While 100 numbers are allocated per block, most blocks typically utilize around 60 numbers for addresses. This buffer of 40 numbers provides flexibility to accommodate diagonal streets or blocks that are longer than average.
In most cases, building addresses within a single block will start close to 0 and go up to approximately 59. However, there are exceptions to this rule. For instance, on diagonal streets like Milwaukee Avenue, addresses on a single block might extend up to 99.
Understanding even and odd address numbers is another key to quick navigation:
- Even-numbered addresses are consistently located on the North and West sides of any street.
- Odd-numbered addresses are always found on the South and East sides of a street.
By grasping these fundamental principles of Chicago’s street grid system – the Baseline, block numbering, and even/odd address conventions – you’ll be well-equipped to confidently explore and navigate the city streets.
