Chicago Marathon Road Closures: What to Know Before the Race Starts Sunday

NOTE: NBC Chicago will offer a live stream with complete race coverage beginning at 7 a.m. Oct. 10, 2021, right here.

Multiple street closures and reroutes will be in effect as the Bank of America Chicago Marathon returns on Oct. 10.

• See a map of the Chicago Marathon route here

Here's a look at what you can expect, whether you're coming to Chicago for the marathon or not. 

2021 Chicago Marathon Road Closures

Race Day

• Columbus Drive: Start line to Grand Avenue: 7 a.m.-10 a.m.
  
• Grand Avenue: Columbus Drive to State Street: 7 a.m.-10 a.m.
  
• State Street: Grand Avenue to Jackson Blvd.: 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
  
• Jackson Blvd.: State Street to LaSalle Street: 7 a.m.-10:30 a.m.
  
• LaSalle Street: Jackson Blvd. to Stockton Drive 7 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
  
• Stockton Drive.: LaSalle Drive to Fullerton Drive: 7 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
  
• Fullerton Drive: Stockton Drive to Cannon Drive: 7 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
  
• Cannon Drive: Fullerton Drive to Sheridan Road: 7 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
  
• Sheridan Road: Diversey Pkwy. to Belmont Avenue: 7 a.m.-11:45 a.m.
  
• Inner Lakeshore Drive: Belmont Avenue to Sheridan Road: 7 a.m.-12 p.m.
  
• Sheridan Road: Inner Lakeshore Drive to Broadway: 7 a.m.-12 p.m.
  
• Broadway: Sheridan Road to Briar Place: 7 a.m.-12:15 p.m.
  
• Broadway: Briar Place to Diversey Pkwy.: 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  
• Clark Street: Diversey Pkwy. to Fullerton Pkwy.: 7 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
  
• Clark Street: Fullerton Pkwy. to Webster Avenue: 7 a.m. 12:45 p.m.
  
• Webster Avenue: Clark Street to Sedgwick Street: 7 a.m. 12:45 p.m.
  
• Sedgwick Street: Webster Avenue to North Avenue: 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
  
• North Avenue: Sedgwick Street to Wells Street: 7 a.m. 1 p.m.
  
• Wells Street: North Avenue to Walton Street: 7 a.m.-1 p.m.
  
• Wells Street: Walton Street to Wacker Drive: 7 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
  
• Wacker Drive: Wells Street to Franklin Street: 7 a.m.-1:15 p.m.
  
• Franklin Street: Wacker Drive to Monroe Street: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  
• Monroe Street: Franklin Street to Halsted Street: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  
• Halsted Street: Monroe Street to Adams Street: 7 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
  
• Adams Street: Halsted Street to Damen Avenue: 7 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
  
• Damen Avenue: Adams Street to Jackson Blvd.: 7 a.m.-1:45 p.m.
  
• Jackson Blvd.: Damen Avenue to Halsted Street: 7 a.m.-2:15 p.m.
  
• Halsted Street: Jackson Blvd. to Taylor Street: 7 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
  
• Taylor Street: Halsted Street to Loomis Street: 7 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
  
• Loomis Street: Taylor Street to 18th Street: 7 a.m.-2:45 p.m.
  
• 18th Street: Loomis Street to Halsted Street: 7 a.m.-3 p.m.
  
• Halsted Street: 18th Street to Canalport Avenue: 7 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
  
• Canalport Avenue: Halsted Street to Cermak Road: 7 a.m.-3:15 p.m.
  
• Cermak Road: Canalport Avenue to Wentworth Avenue: 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m.
  
• Wentworth Avenue: Cermak Road to 33rd Street: 7 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
  
• 33rd Street: Wentworth Avenue to State Street: 7 a.m.-3:45 p.m.
  
• State Street: 33rd Street to 35th Street: 7 a.m.- 4 p.m.
  
• 35th St.: State Street to Indiana Avenue: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
  
• Indiana Avenue: 35th Street to 31st Street: 7 a.m.-4 p.m.
  
• 31st Street: Indiana Avenue to Michigan Avenue: 7 a.m.-4:15 p.m.
  
• Michigan Avenue: 31st Street to Roosevelt Road: 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
  
• Roosevelt Road: Michigan Avenue to Columbus Drive: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
  
• Columbus Drive: Roosevelt Road to Finish Line: 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

*Parking restrictions will also be in place along the course beginning early Sunday morning. 

Alternate Routes

Main thoroughfares

Lake Shore Drive: Northbound and southbound lanes will remain open.

Inner Lake Shore Drive: Northbound and southbound lanes will remain open from Diversey Pkwy. to Belmont Ave. Access to Lake Shore Dr. will remain open at Belmont Ave.

Dan Ryan Expressway (I-90/94): Eastbound and westbound lanes will remain open. Exit ramp closed: Southbound ramp to 31st St.

Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94): Eastbound and westbound lanes will remain open. Entrance and exit ramps closed: Adams St.

Eisenhower Expressway (I-290): Eastbound and westbound lanes will remain open.

Stevenson Expressway (I-55): Northbound and southbound lanes will remain open.

In your neighborhood

Loop

(Bordered by Wells St., Van Buren St., Wabash Ave. and Lake St.)

All streets in the Loop will be open to traffic by 9 a.m on race day (Oct. 7) (Public transportation recommended). 

North of the Loop

Michigan Ave. north of 8th St. North and southbound lanes will remain open including access to the Magnificent Mile.

Clybourn Ave. will remain open.

Lincoln Ave. north of Sedgwick St. will remain open.

Clark St. north of Diversey Pkwy. will remain open.

West of the Loop

Milwaukee Ave. will remain open.

Halsted St. north of Adams St. will remain open.

Ashland Ave. north of Adams St. will remain open.

Damen Ave. north of Adams St. will remain open.

South of the Loop

Damen Ave. south of Jackson Blvd. will remain open.

Ashland Ave. south of Jackson Blvd. will remain open.

Archer Ave. south of Cermak Rd. will remain open.

Halsted St. south of Cermak Rd. will remain open.

Michigan Ave. south of 35th St. will remain open.

Martin Luther King Dr. will remain open.

Public Transportation

CTA

The Chicago Transit Authority plans to provide extra service for race day and Friday's Abbott Health and Fitness Expo.

In past years, the CTA has run longer trains on Brown, Green, Orange and Blue lines; more frequent service on the Red, Blue, Brown and Green lines before and/or after the event; and earlier service on the Purple Line.

Metra

Metra will be offering added/modified service on select lines to accommodate passengers attending the Chicago Marathon. Click here for a summary of added/modified service.