Howard station (CTA)
| Company type | Rapid transit station |
|---|---|
| Industry | Public transportation |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Headquarters | Chicago , United States |
Area served | Rogers Park, Chicago, Illinois |
| Products | Train services (Red Line, Yellow Line, Purple Line) |
Howard station is part of Chicago's 'L' system, situated on the North Side Main Line in Chicago, Illinois. It functions as the northern endpoint for the Red Line and serves as the southeastern terminus for the Yellow Line. Furthermore, during weekday off-peak hours and throughout weekends, it acts as the southern terminus for the Purple Line. From 1926 until its closure in 1963, the station also accommodated services from the Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad (North Shore Line).
Location
Positioned at 7519 North Paulina Street, at the intersection of Paulina and Howard Streets in Chicago, Illinois, Howard station caters to the Rogers Park neighborhood. Located just south of Evanston, it is one of four 'L' stations serving Rogers Park, alongside Jarvis, Morse, and Loyola stations.
History
The route connecting Union Station to Evanston was originally constructed by the Chicago and Evanston Railroad in 1885 and later integrated into the Milwaukee Road’s Chicago and Evanston branch. In 1908, service was extended northward from Wilson station into Evanston by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad using Milwaukee Road’s existing right of way. The Northwestern Elevated assumed passenger operations, upgraded stations along this corridor, and introduced a new stop at Howard Avenue (now Howard Street). The station underwent reconstruction in 1921 when the line was elevated on an embankment, with an escalator added several decades later in 1964.
Between 2006 and 2009, Howard station experienced extensive renovations. A new station building was constructed on Paulina Street to offer accessible access to a multi-level parking garage and bus terminal located west of the station. The platforms and canopies were also rebuilt, while the original main entrance on Howard Street was refurbished to serve as a secondary access point. Throughout this redevelopment phase, the station remained open to passengers until completion on March 20, 2009.
Station layout
This station features a Park and Ride lot accommodating 634 vehicles along with covered bicycle parking facilities. Adjacent to Howard is the substantial Howard Yard, used for maintenance and storage of rolling stock. Purple and Yellow Line trains traveling northbound pass through this yard en route to their terminal stations. Meanwhile, Red Line trains utilize a balloon loop within the yard to switch from northbound to southbound platforms. Track 3, positioned between Red Line tracks south of the station, serves as the termination point for southbound Yellow Line trains and off-peak Purple Line services.
Connecting bus routes
- 22 Clark
- 97 Skokie
- 147 Outer DuSable Lake Shore Express
- 201 Central/Ridge (operates Monday through Saturday)
- 206 Evanston Circulator (weekday peak hours only)
- 213 Green Bay Road (Monday through Saturday service)
- 215 Crawford/Howard
- 290 Touhy Avenue
External links
- Howard Station information at Chicago-'L'.org
- Red Line schedule (PDF) via CTA official website
- Purple Line schedule (PDF) via CTA official website
- Yellow Line schedule (PDF) via CTA official website
- Official Howard Station page at CTA website
- Street View of Howard Street entrance on Google Maps
- North Side exit at Howard Street (former North Shore Line entrance) on Google Maps Street View