CTA L station
Polk
Polk is the CTA Pink Line stop 0.8 mi from the Near United Center sub-area of the West Loop.
Within walking distance: Little Italy (0.6 mi) and United Center (0.7 mi).
Quick facts
- Year opened
- 1896 — Opened with the Metropolitan West Side Elevated's Douglas branch (now the Pink Line)
- Lines
- Pink
- Accessibility
- ADA-accessible
- 2024 ridership
- 647,638 entries · -25% vs 2019
- Full name
- Polk (Pink Line)
Polk on the Pink Line sits at Polk Street and the Douglas branch elevated structure, just north of the Illinois Medical District. It is the closest CTA L stop to Rush University Medical Center and the UIC College of Dentistry, and a useful stop for visitors to the Little Italy / Taylor Street corridor a few blocks south.
Polk is the southernmost Pink Line stop in the immediate West Loop / Illinois Medical District area, adjacent to Rush University Medical Center and the UIC College of Dentistry.
Ridership trend. 2024 ridership is down 25% from the 2019 pre-pandemic peak, with steady year-over-year recovery since the 2022 low.
Planned changes
- No major construction announced at Polk specifically. The station is ADA accessible.
Common questions
- When did the Polk station open?
- Polk opened in 1896 with the Metropolitan West Side Elevated's Douglas branch. The Douglas branch was rebranded as the Pink Line in 2006.
- Is Polk (Pink) ADA accessible?
- Yes. Polk is ADA-accessible.
- What's near the Polk station?
- Rush University Medical Center is one block south, and the UIC College of Dentistry is adjacent. Little Italy and Taylor Street are a 5-minute walk south.
- How do I get from Polk to the West Loop core?
- Pink Line trains run north and east through Ashland and Clinton (Green/Pink) toward the Loop. From Polk to the central West Loop is a 5–10 minute ride.
- How is Polk different from the IMD station?
- Polk is elevated on the Pink Line, north of the Eisenhower Expressway. IMD is in the Eisenhower median on the Blue Line, south of the expressway. They serve roughly the same medical-campus area from opposite sides.
- Are there restaurants near Polk?
- Taylor Street's Italian-American restaurants are a short walk south. The West Loop's main restaurant clusters are a 10–15 minute ride or 15-minute walk north.
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 →.