Harlem station (CTA Blue Line O'Hare branch)
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | February 27, 1983 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Norwood Park, Chicago |
| Products | Rapid transit services |
Harlem serves as a station on Chicago's Blue Line, specifically along the O'Hare branch, situated within the Norwood Park area. It is important to distinguish this station from another Harlem stop located on the Blue Line's Congress branch. During peak periods, trains arrive every 2 to 7 minutes, with an approximate 30-minute travel time to the Loop. Trips toward O'Hare from Harlem take roughly 10 minutes. The station itself is positioned in the center median of the Kennedy Expressway.
The station commenced operations on February 27, 1983, as a segment of a 7.9-mile extension heading West-Northwest from Jefferson Park to River Road. Similar to the Kennedy Extension stations constructed in 1970, Harlem is located within the expressway median but exhibits a unique architectural style. Unlike the consistent design approach of the earlier extension by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill (SOM), the stations on the O'Hare Extension were crafted by four separate architectural firms, each employing distinct aesthetics. Harlem stands out as the sole station on this extension designed by SOM, featuring a box-like, open concept akin to that of the original Kennedy and Dan Ryan stations. Its platform canopy is fully enclosed and supported by structural frames anchored to the expressway median walls, resulting in a column-free platform area. A similar canopy structure was implemented at the station, which was designed by Perkins + Will.
Bus connections
- 88 Higgins
- 90 Harlem
- 423 Linden CTA/The Glen/Harlem CTA (operates weekdays only)
See also
- (CTA Blue Line Congress branch)
- (CTA Green Line)