Purple Line (CTA)

Purple Line
A Loop-bound Purple Line train of 5000-series cars passes Bryn Mawr Avenue.
Overview
Status	Operational
Locale	Chicago, Evanston and Wilmette, Illinois, United States
Termini	Linden Howard The Loop (weekday rush hours only)
Stations	26 (weekday rush hours) 9 (all other times)
Service
Type	Rapid transit
System	Chicago "L"
Operator(s)	Chicago Transit Authority
Depot(s)	Howard Yard, Linden Yard
Rolling stock	5000-series 6 car trains (typical, maximum)
Daily ridership	4,730 (avg. weekday 2023)[1]
History
Opened	July 31, 1949; 75 years ago (1949-07-31) (Current operation)
Technical
Line length	15 mi (24 km)
Character	Elevated and At-Grade Level
Track gauge	4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Minimum radius	90 feet (27 m)
Electrification	Third rail, 600 V DC
Route map Purple Line highlighted in purple Show interactive map Legend North Shore Line Linden Wilmette Evanston Isabella demolished North Shore Channel Central Noyes Foster UP-N to Kenosha Evanston Davis St. Davis Dempster Evanston Main St. Main South Boulevard UP-N to Ogilvie Evanston Chicago Yellow to Dempster–Skokie Howard ■■ Purple Line Express weekday rush hours Purple Line Express weekday rush hours Jarvis Morse Loyola Granville Thorndale Bryn Mawr Berwyn Argyle Lawrence ■ Wilson Purple Line Express weekday rush hours Purple Line Express weekday rush hours Sheridan Addison Brown to Kimball ■ Belmont Wellington Diversey ■ Fullerton Armitage Sedgwick Chicago Grand demolished 1970 Merchandise Mart Chicago River ■ Clark/Lake State/Lake Blue to O'Hare ■ Lake Randolph/Wells closed 1995 Randolph/​Wabash demolished 2017 Washington/​Wells Washington/​Wabash Madison/Wells demolished 1994 Madison/Wabash demolished 2015 Quincy Adams/Wabash LaSalle/Van Buren Library Blue to Forest Park Red to 95th/Dan Ryan Bus connections at all open stations except Foster, Noyes, and Wellington. This diagram: view talk edit Show BSicon diagram map

The Purple Line of the Chicago "L" is a 3.9-mile (6.3 km) route on the northernmost section of the system. The service normally begins from Linden in Wilmette and ends at Howard on Chicago's north border, passing through the city of Evanston.

During weekday rush hours, the Purple Line extends another 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south on the North Side Main Line from Howard to downtown Chicago running express from Howard to Belmont, with a single stop at Wilson, and then making all local stops from Belmont to the Loop. The express service is known as the Purple Line Express (or the Evanston Express).

In 2022, the average weekday boardings on the Purple Line was 4,730.^[1] It is the shortest route in the CTA rail system except during weekday peaks and rush hours.

Prior to the color-coding of CTA rail lines in 1993, the Purple Line was known as the Evanston Line, Evanston Service or Evanston Shuttle, and the Purple Line Express was called the Evanston Express.^[2]

The Purple Line is useful for reaching Northwestern University (Foster and Noyes stops in Evanston), including the sports facilities Ryan Field, Rocky Miller Park, Welsh-Ryan Arena, and Canal Shores Golf Course all at the Central stop and the Bahá'í House of Worship at Linden. The selection of purple as the line's color was likely from Northwestern's official school color.^[3]