Taking Public Transportation to Chicago Nightlife

CTA Red and Blue Lines to Party, Pop Champagne

Chicago is the leading cultural center of Middle America and boasts of the most diverse nightlife in the region. Windy City theatres, restaurants, bars, and raging dance clubs where the party rocks into all hours of the night characterize the scene. Although partying is not typically associated with public transportation - the complex Chicago mass transit network does afford opportunities to enjoy the nighttime electricity.

Effectively taking public transportation to Chicago nightlife arrives in two primary components. First, partygoers must identify and locate the neighborhoods that feature adequate clusters of nightlife to make the trip worthwhile. Secondly, Chicagoans and tourists must reconcile these areas with the public transportation system lines and schedules to ensure that late-night service is available to that particular focal point.

Metra commuter rail and the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) are the two branches of the Regional Transportation Authority (RTA) that serves Chicago. Metra lines radiate from Chicago's downtown core with service to various suburban endpoints, such as Joliet, Naperville, Elgin, and Kenosha, Wisconsin. CTA Trains converge upon The Loop and encircle Chicago's commercial district from all sides of the Windy City.

All aboard Metra Trains from downtown Chicago at 12:30 a.m. Obviously, ditching the party at midnight to catch the last train out of town is pure madness. Taking Metra commuter rail is not a viable option to enjoy Chicago nightlife. Although various CTA train and bus lines shut down into the early morning hours - the Red and Blue Lines both provide 24-hour service.

Several CTA bus lines do also offer OWL 24 - hour service. However, riding the bus to the club late at night from an isolated stop is not exactly cool, or safe.