CTA L station
Illinois Medical District
Illinois Medical District is the CTA Blue Line stop 0.5 mi from the Near United Center sub-area of the West Loop.
Within walking distance: United Center (0.3 mi) and Little Italy (0.9 mi).
Quick facts
- Year opened
- 1958 — Opened with the Congress branch of the West Side subway
- Lines
- Blue
- Accessibility
- ADA-accessible
- 2024 ridership
- 413,641 entries · -48% vs 2019
- Full name
- Illinois Medical District (Blue Line)
Illinois Medical District (IMD) is the south-edge CTA L stop for the West Loop, in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway just south of Polk. The station serves the Illinois Medical District campus south of the expressway, including Rush University Medical Center, Stroger Hospital, and the University of Illinois Hospital.
Sits in the median of the Eisenhower Expressway (I-290); the station's name reflects the surrounding Illinois Medical District campus to the south.
Ridership trend. 2024 ridership is down 48% from the 2019 pre-pandemic peak — among the slower recoveries on the Forest Park branch, reflecting the medical-campus commuter pattern still partially shifted to telework.
Planned changes
- Phase 1 of the CTA Forest Park Branch Rebuild includes a complete track renewal between UIC-Halsted and IMD; the broader rebuild continues toward Forest Park through 2026 and beyond.
Common questions
- When did the Illinois Medical District station open?
- Illinois Medical District opened in 1958 as part of the Congress branch — now the Blue Line's Forest Park branch.
- Is Illinois Medical District (Blue) ADA accessible?
- Yes. The station has elevator access from both sides of the Eisenhower Expressway median.
- What hospitals does the IMD station serve?
- The Illinois Medical District campus south of the station includes Rush University Medical Center, John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, the University of Illinois Hospital & Health Sciences System, and the Jesse Brown VA Medical Center.
- How do I get from IMD to the West Loop core?
- Take the Blue Line northbound — Racine is one stop east, UIC-Halsted is two stops, and Clinton (Blue) is three stops near Union Station. The West Loop's restaurant cluster is a 10–15 minute walk north from any of those.
- Are there construction impacts at IMD right now?
- The broader Forest Park Branch Rebuild is renewing track and infrastructure along this corridor in phases. Specific weekend service changes are posted at transitchicago.com/forestpark.
- What's near the IMD station besides hospitals?
- Little Italy and the UIC Hospital district are immediately south. Polk Street's Italian-American restaurants and the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame sit a short walk southeast.
Sources
Map tiles: OpenFreeMap / OpenMapTiles, data © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Nearby restaurants
Food & drink within walking distance — sorted by distance. For a curated dinner, see Best restaurants in the West Loop →.