Midway is an 'L' station on the CTA's Orange Line. It is the southwestern terminus of the Orange Line and serves

Midway International Airport Chicago Midway International Airport , typically referred to as Midway Airport, Chicago Midway, or simply Midway, is a major commercial airport on the Southwest side of Chicago, Illinois, located approximately 12 miles (19 km) from the Lo ...

in Chicago, the city's second-largest airport. The

turnstile A turnstile (also called a turnpike, gateline, baffle gate, automated gate, turn gate in some regions) is a form of gate which allows one person to pass at a time. A turnstile can be configured to enforce one-way human traffic. In addition, a t ...

s at the station's entrance are somewhat wider than most to accommodate airport passengers and their luggage. The station, along with the rest of the Orange Line, opened on October 31, 1993 after a long wait by Chicago's southwest side for 'L' access. It is also the closest station to

SeatGeek Stadium SeatGeek Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, about twelve miles southwest of downtown Chicago. It is the home stadium of the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League, Chicago Fire FC II of the MLS Next P ...

, former home of the Chicago Fire, which is approximately 4 miles away. Although in the Garfield Ridge community area, the station serves many residents in the West Elsdon and West Lawn neighborhoods.

History

Prior to 1993, the southwest side was served only by the

Douglas Park Branch The Cermak branch, formerly known as the Douglas branch, is a long section of the Pink Line of the Chicago "L" system in Chicago, Illinois. It was built by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated west of the Loop. As of February 2013, it serves an a ...

of the West-Northwest Line. As the city expanded, this service became insufficient. As early as the 1940s, when subways were being constructed under State and Dearborn Streets, the city planned to expand the 'L' to Midway Airport. However, this plan was not approved. On January 22, 1990, there was a groundbreaking ceremony held at the future site of Midway Station. Many people attended, including Mayor Daley; Bernard Ford, the CTA Acting Executive Director; and David Williams, the Chicago public works commissioner. In 1993, the CTA finished building the new Orange Line. It cost $500 million despite the use of abandoned railroad right-of-ways. Midway Station includes a three-track terminal, a rail yard, a car maintenance facility, an island and side platform, elevators leading to the sidewalk, and escalators and stairs connecting to the moving walkway heading to the airport. When the garage was built on the east side of Cicero, it bisected the walkway from the station to the airport. In 2002, the Department of Aviation built a walkway through the garage.

Bus connections

CTA *47 47th *54B South Cicero *55 Garfield *55A 55th/Austin (Weekday Rush Hours only) *55N 55th/Narragansett (Monday-Saturday only) *59 59th/61st (Monday-Saturday only) *62H Archer/Harlem (Monday-Saturday only) *N62 Archer (Owl Service - Overnight only) *63 63rd (Owl Service) *63W West 63rd *165 West 65th (Weekday Rush Hours only)

Pace Pace or paces may refer to: Business *Pace (transit), a bus operator in the suburbs of Chicago, US * Pace Airlines, an American charter airline *Pace Foods, a maker of a popular brand of salsa sold in North America, owned by Campbell Soup Compan ...

*379 Midway/Orland Park *383 South Cicero *384 Narragansett/Ridgeland *385 87th/111th/127th (Weekdays only) *386 South Harlem *387 SeatGeek Stadium Direct (Game Days & Events only) *390 Midway CTA/UPS Hodgkins (Weekday UPS shifts only)

River Valley Metro The River Valley Metro Mass Transit District (RVMMTD; River Valley Metro or METRO, for short) is a transit agency that operates buses which serve Kankakee County, Illinois and surrounding areas. History Founded in 1998 and operational by 1999, ...

* Midway Commuter Shuttle

References

External links

Midway International Airport Station Page
at Chicago-L.org
2005 Ridership Reports
*
Midway Station PageMidway Station and Bus Terminal as viewed from 59th Street on Google Maps Street View
{{DEFAULTSORT:Midway (Cta) 1993 establishments in Illinois Railway stations in the United States opened in 1993 CTA Orange Line stations Chicago "L" terminal stations Airport railway stations in the United States CTA