Lably
Skip to content

Chicago Loop

Community area in Chicago, Illinois

  • 23 min read
  • 9 chapters
Photo of the central business district of Chicago , Illinois - known locally as The Loop.
Euphoria42 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Related on Lably

Through United Airlines

The Loop's definition and perceived boundaries have evolved over time. Since the 1920s, the area bounded by the Chicago River to the west and north, Lake Michigan to the east, and Roosevelt Road to the south has been called the Loop. It took its name from a somewhat smaller area, the 35 city blocks bounded on the north by Lake Street, on the west by Wells Street, on the south by Van Buren Street, and on the east by Wabash Avenue—the Union Loop formed by the 'L' in the late 1800s. Similarly, the "South Loop" and the "West Loop" historically referred to areas within the Loop proper, but in the 21st century began to refer to the entire Near South and much of the Near West Sides of the city, respectively.

In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn in what is now the Loop; although earlier settlement was present, this was the first settlement in the area sponsored by the United States federal government. When Chicago and Cook County were incorporated in the 1830s, the area was selected as the site of their respective seats. Originally mixed-use, the neighborhood became increasingly commercial in the 1870s. This process accelerated in the aftermath of the 1871 Great Chicago Fire, which destroyed most of the neighborhood's buildings. Some of the world's earliest skyscrapers were constructed in the Loop, giving rise to the Chicago School of architecture. By the late 19th century, cable car turnarounds and the Union Loop encircled the area, giving the neighborhood its name. Near the lake, Grant Park, known as "Chicago's front yard", is Chicago's oldest park; it was significantly expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and houses a number of features and museums. Starting in the 1920s, road improvements for highways were constructed to and into the Loop, perhaps most famously U.S. Route 66 (US 66), which was commissioned in 1926.

While dominated by offices and public buildings, its residential population boomed during the latter 20th century and first decades of the 21st, due to the development of former rail yards (at one time, the area had six major interurban railroad terminals and land was also needed for extensive rail cargo storage and transfer), industrial building conversions, and additional high-rise residences. Since 1950, the Loop's resident population has increased in percentage terms the most of all of Chicago's community areas.

History

Etymology

The origin of the name "the Loop" is disputed. Some sources claim it first referred to two cable car lines that used a circuit—constructed in 1882 and bounded by Van Buren Street, Wabash Avenue, Wells Street, and Lake Street—to enter and depart the downtown area. Other research has concluded that "the Loop" was not used as a proper noun until after the 1895–97 construction of the Union Loop used by 'L' trains, which shared the same route.

19th century

In what is now the Loop, on the south bank of the Chicago River near today's Michigan Avenue Bridge, the United States Army erected Fort Dearborn in 1803, the first settlement in the area sponsored by the United States. When Chicago was initially platted in 1830 by the surveyor James Thompson, it included what is now the Loop north of Madison Street and west of State Street. The Sauganash Hotel, the first hotel in Chicago, was built in 1831 near Wolf Point at what is now the northwestern corner of the Loop.

When Cook County was incorporated in 1831, the first meeting of its government was held at Fort Dearborn with two representatives from Chicago and one from Naperville. The entirety of what is now the Loop was part of the Town of Chicago when it was initially incorporated in 1833, except the Fort Dearborn reservation, which became part of the city in 1839, and land reclaimed from Lake Michigan.

The area was bustling by the end of the 1830s. Lake Street started to become a center for retail at that time, until it was eclipsed by State Street in the 1850s.

20th century

By 1948 an estimated one million people came to and went from the Loop each day. Later, suburbanization caused a decrease in the area's importance. But in the 1960s, the presence of an upscale shopping district caused the area's fortunes to increase. Construction of the Chicago Pedway began in 1951.

21st century

The Loop's population has boomed in recent years, increasing 158% between 2000 and 2020. Between 2010 and 2014, the number of jobs in the Loop increased by nearly 63,000, an increase of over 13%.

Sign in to keep reading

8 more chapters are free with a Lably account.

More in Cities

Washington, D.C.Capital city of the United StatesBerlinCapital and largest city of GermanyViennaCapital and largest city of AustriaPhiladelphiaMost populous city in Pennsylvania, USBostonCapital and largest city in Massachusetts, United StatesSaint PetersburgSecond-largest city in Russia