Argyle station (CTA)

Argyle station

Company type	Chicago Transit Authority station
Industry	Public transportation
Founded	May 21, 1885 (1885-05-21)
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois , United States
Products	Rapid transit services

Argyle is a stop on the Chicago Transit Authority's Red Line, situated at 1118 West Argyle Street within Chicago's Uptown district. This elevated facility includes an island platform. Although the Purple Line weekday rush hour express trains pass through this station, they do not make stops here.

Location

Positioned along West Argyle Street near Broadway, Argyle lies inside the West Argyle Street Historic District of Uptown. The neighborhood features a mix of residential and commercial properties and is particularly notable for its high density of Vietnamese eateries, bakeries, and retail outlets, as well as businesses representing Chinese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Thai communities.

History

Originally known as Argyle Park station, this location was part of the Chicago and Evanston branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, which commenced operations on May 21, 1885. The initial station buildings were distinguished by their Gothic and Queen Anne architectural designs.

In 1908, the Northwestern Elevated Railroad extended its line northward from Wilson, utilizing tracks owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, leading to the replacement of the earlier depot with a new station. Between 1914 and 1922, architect Charles P. Rawson undertook a redesign of the station concurrent with elevating the tracks between Wilson and Howard onto an embankment. Argyle underwent a $250,000 renovation in 1979, followed by the installation in 1991 of a Chinese-style hipped-and-gabled roof over the platform canopy. The station was temporarily closed for refurbishment from August 24 through October 5, 2012.

Red & Purple Modernization Project

Under the Red & Purple Modernization Project, Argyle station was reconstructed to include modernized signage, enhanced lighting, security cameras, elevators, and expanded platforms. The rebuilding process started on May 16, 2021 and concluded on July 20, 2025.

During Stage A of the project, both original northbound tracks were permanently closed along with the main entrance. Northbound trains operated on what was originally the southbound Red Line track and platform; meanwhile, southbound trains utilized the original southbound Purple Line Express track alongside a temporary side platform. Purple Line Express trains continued to bypass this stop. Unlike concurrent work at Bryn Mawr, where separate entrances lacked paid-area connections, both platforms at Argyle shared a single temporary entrance during this phase. Following completion of Stage A in 2023, Stage B involved relocating the station temporarily one block north between Foster Avenue and Winona Street with access points on both streets. This interim island platform served northbound Red Line trains positioned between a newly constructed pocket track—absent from the original layout—and the permanent Purple Line Express northbound track used by all northbound services; southbound trains operated via the new pocket track adjacent to both the original and permanent station sites.

Services

Argyle station is part of the CTA Red Line, linking the northern city boundary at Howard Street with downtown Chicago and extending south to 95th Street. This elevated stop has an island platform situated between Broadway and Winthrop Avenue, accommodating two tracks: one for northbound trains heading to Howard and another for southbound trains traveling to 95th. The original station entrance was located on the north side of Argyle Street, integrated into the embankment. Located between the Berwyn and Lawrence stops, Argyle operates around the clock, with train intervals ranging from 3 to 9 minutes during peak periods and up to 15 minutes during late-night hours.

Bus connections

CTA

• 36 Broadway (located about half a block away on Broadway)