# West Chicago station

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Commuter rail station in West Chicago, Illinois

West Chicago West Chicago station in October 2023. General information Location 508 West Main Street West Chicago, Illinois Coordinates 41°52′52″N 88°11′56″W / 41.8811°N 88.1989°W / 41.8811; -88.1989 Owned by Union Pacific Platforms 1 side platform, 1 island platform Tracks 3 Construction Parking Yes Accessible Yes Other information Fare zone 4 History Opened 1912; 114 years ago (1912)[citation needed] Rebuilt 1990; 36 years ago (1990) Passengers 2018 586 (average weekday)[1] 11.2% Rank 88 out of 236[1] Services Preceding station Metra Following station Geneva toward Elburn Union Pacific West Winfield toward Ogilvie TC Former services Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station Geneva toward Omaha Main Line Wheaton toward Chicago Geneva Terminus Galena Division Winfield toward Chicago Wayne toward Freeport Freeport Branch Terminus Track layout Legend UPW west to Elburn Wilson Ave. Illinois Prairie Path (Geneva Spur) UPW east to Ogilvie TC Location

**West Chicago** is a station on [Metra](/source/Metra)'s [Union Pacific West Line](/source/Union_Pacific_West_Line), located in [West Chicago, Illinois](/source/West_Chicago%2C_Illinois). The station is 29.7 miles (47.8 km) away from [Ogilvie Transportation Center](/source/Ogilvie_Transportation_Center), the eastern terminus of the West Line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, West Chicago is in zone 4. As of 2018[\[update\]](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=West_Chicago_station&action=edit), West Chicago is the 88th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 586 weekday boardings.[1] Unless otherwise announced, inbound trains use the north (side) platform and outbound trains use the south (island) platform.

As of September 8, 2025, West Chicago is served by 51 trains (26 inbound, 25 outbound) on weekdays, by all 20 trains (10 in each direction) on Saturdays, and by all 18 trains (nine in each direction) on Sundays and holidays. One inbound train originates at West Chicago on weekdays.

West Chicago station lies south of the West Chicago City Hall and next to the Wilson Avenue Bridge. It is located at ground level and consists of two platforms and three tracks. Two tracks separate the side and island platforms, and one track lies south of the island platform. The island platform is accessed via a tunnel between the parking lot and the tracks. There is an unstaffed station house at the north side of the station, with a waiting room that is open from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m.

## History

The original West Chicago station served the main line of the [Galena and Chicago Union Railroad](/source/Galena_and_Chicago_Union_Railroad) which never reached its western terminus before being acquired by the [Chicago and North Western Railway](/source/Chicago_and_North_Western_Railway) (C&NW) in 1864. The line became part of [Metra](/source/Metra) during the 1980s, while C&NW's successor.

In 1988, the West Chicago City Council announced plans to build a new commuter train station to replace a waiting room leased by the rail company at the West Chicago Community Center.

Metra budgeted $1.69 million for projects including the station building, new lighting, track drainage, and parking spaces for 200 cars. Metra allocated $235,000 of that funding to the station building. According to policy, Metra allocated only enough money to fund a standard commuter station. West Chicago added an extra $25,000 from the city's capital projects fund to alter the modern architectural style to a vintage, 19th-century look.[2]

The station officially opened on July 14, 1990. The opening coincided with the city's annual "Railroad Days" celebration, celebrating West Chicago's heritage as a railroad town.[3]

A new parking lot was opened in 2001 and added more than 170 spots, doubling the commuter parking available at the station.[4] City officials had hoped that expansion would attract more traffic to the train station and bring commercial development to the nearby downtown area.[5] The second lot is located east of the first lot, and started to provide daily parking at $1 per day. The original parking lot was changed to permit parking only.[6]

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-:0_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-:0_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-:0_1-2) ["Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190526034459/https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/planning/ridership/2018_summary_results_report_final.pdf) (PDF). *metrarail.com*. April 2019. Archived from [the original](https://metrarail.com/sites/default/files/assets/planning/ridership/2018_summary_results_report_final.pdf) (PDF) on May 26, 2019.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-stationplans_2-0)** Szymczaks, Patricia (December 22, 1988). ["West Chicago plans old-time rail station"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51728991/chicago-tribune/). *The Chicago Tribune*. p. 8 (Section 2) – via Newspapers.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** Handley, John (September 26, 1990). ["West Chicago demonstrates the approach Metra takes toward its commuter stations"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51729142/chicago-tribune/). *The Chicago Tribune*. p. 24 (Section 8) – via Newspapers.com.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** Griffin, Jake (January 18, 2001). "Metra parking lot expands to meet W. Chicago needs". *The Daily Herald*. p. 4.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Greco Jr., Carmen (April 29, 1998). "City hopes expanded lot adds up to more More parking for Metra riders may lead to redevelopment in West Chicago". *The Daily Herald*. p. 6.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Gibula, Gary (January 18, 2001). ["Parking lot eases crowding at Metra stop"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/51729211/chicago-tribune/). *The Chicago Tribune*. p. 3 (Section 2) – via Newspapers.com.

## External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [West Chicago (Metra)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:West_Chicago_(Metra)).

- [Metra – Stations – West Chicago station](http://metrarail.com/maps-schedules/train-lines/up-w/stations/west_chicago)

v t e Metra stations BNSF Union Station Halsted Street Western Avenue Cicero Clyde (closed) LaVergne Berwyn Harlem Avenue Riverside Hollywood Brookfield Congress Park LaGrange Road Stone Avenue Western Springs Highlands Hinsdale West Hinsdale Clarendon Hills Westmont Fairview Avenue Main Street Belmont Lisle Naperville Route 59 Aurora Heritage Corridor Union Station Glenn (closed) Summit Willow Springs Lemont Romeoville 5th Street (closed) Lockport Joliet Metra Electric Millennium Station Van Buren Street Museum Campus 18th Street McCormick Place 27th Street 47th Street 51st/​53rd Street 55th/56th/57th Street 59th/​60th Street 63rd Street 75th Street 79th Street 83rd Street 87th Street 91st Street 95th Street 103rd Street 107th Street 111th Street 115th Street Riverdale Ivanhoe 147th Street Harvey Hazel Crest Calumet Homewood Flossmoor Olympia Fields 211th Street Matteson Richton Park University Park South Chicago Branch Stony Island Bryn Mawr South Shore 75th Street 79th Street 83rd Street 87th Street 91st Street (closed) 93rd Street Blue Island Branch State Street Stewart Ridge West Pullman Racine Avenue Ashland/​Calumet Park Burr Oak Blue Island Milwaukee District North Union Station Western Avenue Healy Grayland Mayfair Forest Glen Edgebrook Morton Grove Golf Glenview The Glen Northbrook Lake Cook Road Deerfield Lake Forest Libertyville Prairie Crossing Grayslake Round Lake Long Lake Ingleside Fox Lake Milwaukee District West Union Station Western Avenue Hermosa (closed) Grand/​Cicero Cragin (closed) Hanson Park Galewood Mars Mont Clare Elmwood Park River Grove Franklin Park Mannheim Bensenville Wood Dale Itasca Medinah Roselle Schaumburg Hanover Park Bartlett National Street Elgin Big Timber Road Rockford Intercity Passenger Rail Belvidere (future) Rockford (future) North Central Service Union Station Western Avenue River Grove Belmont Avenue Schiller Park Rosemont O'Hare Transfer Prospect Heights Wheeling Buffalo Grove Prairie View Vernon Hills Mundelein Prairie Crossing Washington Street Round Lake Beach Lake Villa Antioch Rock Island LaSalle 35th Street Auburn Park (closed; future) Gresham 95th Street 99th Street (closed) 103rd Street Blue Island/​Vermont Street Robbins Midlothian Oak Forest Tinley Park 80th Avenue Hickory Creek Mokena New Lenox Joliet Beverly Branch Brainerd 91st Street 95th Street 99th Street 103rd Street 107th Street 111th Street 115th Street 119th Street 123rd Street Prairie Street SouthWest Service Union Station Wrightwood Ashburn Oak Lawn Patriot Chicago Ridge Worth Palos Heights Palos Park 143rd Street 153rd Street 179th Street Laraway Road Manhattan Union Pacific North Ogilvie TC Clybourn Ravenswood Peterson/​Ridge Rogers Park Main Street Davis Street Central Street Wilmette Kenilworth Indian Hill Winnetka Hubbard Woods Glencoe Braeside Ravinia Park Ravinia Highland Park Highwood Fort Sheridan Lake Forest Lake Bluff Great Lakes North Chicago Abbott's Platform (closed) Waukegan Zion Winthrop Harbor Kenosha Union Pacific Northwest Ogilvie TC Clybourn Irving Park Jefferson Park Gladstone Park Norwood Park Edison Park Park Ridge Dee Road Des Plaines Cumberland Mount Prospect Arlington Heights Arlington Park Palatine Barrington Fox River Grove Cary Pingree Road Crystal Lake Woodstock Harvard McHenry Branch McHenry Union Pacific West Ogilvie TC Kedzie Oak Park River Forest Maywood Melrose Park Bellwood Berkeley Elmhurst Villa Park Lombard Glen Ellyn College Avenue Wheaton Winfield West Chicago Geneva La Fox Elburn Category Bold denotes downtown terminals Italics denote closed stations, future stations, and unused line segments.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [West Chicago station](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Chicago_station) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Chicago_station?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.