How to Take the El to Wrigley Field in Chicago

Chicago's Wrigley Field has overlooked the Lakeview neighborhood since 1914 and many fans consider it a shrine for pure major league baseball. Despite the nostalgia, attempting to drive Wrigley’s surrounding city streets and highways during Chicago Cubs game time is a modern-day frustration. As a solution, ditch the car and the parking lots, because public transportation is available from all corners of the city into the Wrigley Field area, also known as Wrigleyville. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) operates Chicago’s public transportation network of elevated, or el, trains.

Identify Wrigley Field’s address as 1060 West Addison Street in Chicago, Illinois. The Wrigley Field marquee fronts the corner of Addison and Clark streets on Chicago’s North Side. The CTA Red Line El has a Sheffield and Addison stop, which is two blocks east of Wrigley. Also you might want to leave a little earlier, as the baseball season can make things significantly more crowded than your average weekday, especially on game days.

Observe the Red Line’s path through the city. The Red Line runs from north to south, between Howard and 95th Streets. On the North Side, the Red Line El parallels Sheridan Road, Broadway Avenue and Sheffield Avenue. Downtown in the Loop, Red Line subway stations are located along State Street. On the South Side, the Red Line runs between the I-90/94 Dan Ryan Expressway median.

Locate Chicago’s other major corridors that have CTA train service. On the North Side, the Blue Line and Brown Line el trains follow the I-90/94 Kennedy and Lincoln Avenue, respectively. On the South and West Sides, you can pick up trains along King Drive, Cermak Road and the Eisenhower Expressway.

Determine how to transfer onto the Red Line el from other CTA lines. All CTA lines converge together in the Loop. North Side fans on the Brown Line can transfer onto the Red Line at Belmont and head north for Wrigley Field at Addison red.

Purchase one fare card at the CTA train station. As of September 2010, the CTA costs $2.25 for a one-way ride, which includes transfers within the system. Remember to bring the exact fare because machines do not make change.

Read signs at the CTA el station for the direction of approaching trains. Red Line trains heading north say “Howard,” and Red Line trains going south say “95-Dan Ryan.” Other trains going downtown display the word “Loop.”

Board your train and take it until it meets the Red Line. At the transfer point, you will get off the train and join the Red Line el toward Addison.

Take the CTA Red Line to Addison. At Addison, you will see the Cubs’ logo alongside a baseball icon for Wrigley Field. From there, you can walk alongside other Cubs fans into the ballpark.

Metra commuter trains take Cubs fans into downtown from Wisconsin's and Chicago's suburbs. From downtown, you can walk to State Street and the Red Line for Addison and Wrigley Field.

Criminals may prey upon tourists and out-of-towners on CTA trains. Stay alert and keep your personal belongings close to avoid theft.