Chicago Street Address Guide and Tips

Navigating the streets of Chicago can be a challenge, especially when it comes to addresses. Chicago street addresses are typically written in a specific format that includes the street name, house number, and apartment or suite number, all separated by spaces.

The city is divided into 77 community areas, each with its own unique character and street address system. Knowing the community area can help you narrow down the location.

To make sense of Chicago street addresses, it's essential to understand the grid system. The city's streets are organized in a grid pattern, with north-south streets labeled with numbers and east-west streets labeled with letters. This system can be helpful for finding specific addresses, but it can also be confusing for visitors.

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Navigating Chicago Streets can be a challenge, especially when dealing with older addresses. If you have an address from the 1850s, you may not find its exact address in the conversion table.

To determine a more exact location, use a Chicago city directory near the time of the address. Every few years city directories included a “Street and Avenue Guide” that can help you find the correct location.

For example, if you're looking for 206 W. Polk Street, which was found in an 1859 directory, you can use the 1860 directory's Street and Avenue Guide, which is alphabetical by street name. This will tell you that 206 falls between Halsted and Desplaines, and that it would be on the south side of the street.

ChicagoAncestors website has several links to Street and Avenue Guides and city directories that can help you navigate Chicago streets.

If you're looking for a list of streets in a specific area, such as the 60639 zip code, you can find it in the List of Streets in Chicago, Illinois 60639. Here is a sample list:

Keep in mind that this list is not exhaustive and is just a sample of the many streets in the 60639 zip code.

The Plan of Re-numbering City of Chicago is a valuable resource for converting pre-1909 addresses to modern ones. It's available as a PDF file at the Chicago History Museum's website, and it's organized by street name and then divided by odd and even addresses.

To use the Plan of Re-numbering, start by finding the street name and then look for the corresponding numerical order. For example, Fortieth Street follows Forquer, and then Forty-first, Forty-second, and so on, are listed in numerical order.

If you're dealing with a street whose name changed, you can find the new name in the Plan of Re-numbering. For instance, Foster Avenue appears after Forty-ninth Place.

Here's a quick reference guide to help you navigate the Plan of Re-numbering:

If the Plan of Re-numbering doesn't include the exact address you're looking for, you can try using a Chicago city directory near the time of the address. These directories often included a "Street and Avenue Guide" that can help you determine a more exact location.

Abbreviations & Symbols play a crucial role in navigation. We need to understand what they mean to avoid confusion.

Arc. stands for Arc Street, which is a type of street that curves or bends. Dr. is short for Drive, often used for roads that are designed for high-speed travel. Rd. represents Road, a general term for a public way for travel.

Ave. is the abbreviation for Avenue, a wide street often lined with trees and other landscaping. Ln. stands for Lane, a narrow street or passage. St. is short for Street, a public way for travel.

Blvd. represents Boulevard, a wide street often with landscaping and scenic views. Pk. is short for Park, a public area for recreation. Sq. stands for Square, a public area surrounded by buildings on all sides.

Cir. is the abbreviation for Circle, a road that forms a complete loop. Pkwy. represents Parkway, a road designed for high-speed travel. Terr. stands for Terrace, a raised area of land.

Here's a quick reference guide to help you decode the abbreviations:

The Plan of Renumbering is a crucial tool for Chicago researchers. It helps convert pre-1909 addresses to modern ones.

The Plan of Re-numbering City of Chicago is available as a PDF file on the Chicago History Museum's website. You can also find it elsewhere.

For areas outside the Loop, the plan is organized by street name and then divided by odd and even addresses. This makes it easy to find the correct address.

If you're dealing with a street whose name changed, you can find the new name in the plan. The numerical streets, such as Fortieth, are listed under the letter they begin with.

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Street Guides are a treasure trove of information for genealogists and historians. They can be found in city directories, often in the "Street and Avenue Guide" section.

The "Street and Avenue Guide" in city directories is usually alphabetical by street name. This can help you determine the exact location of an older address.

If you're looking for a specific address, search for the "Street and Avenue Guide" in digitized versions of city directories or look for it in the table of contents.

If you're trying to locate a specific address after renumbering, be aware that it can be a challenge.

Renumbering documents can help, but they may not always account for renamed streets. For instance, on Douglas Blvd in Chicago, parts of the street were renamed to Independence Blvd, which means the original numbering may not directly translate.

To determine the current location, you'll need to consider both renumbering and renaming. This can be a complex process, but it's doable with patience and persistence.

If you're looking for historically accurate information about a Chicago street address, start by searching for a "Street and Avenue Guide" in digitized city directories or look for it in the table of contents.

These guides can provide more precise information about the location of an older address, especially if it's not included in the conversion table.

The ChicagoAncestors website has several links to "Street and Avenue Guides" and city directories that can be useful resources.

The Plan of Re-numbering City of Chicago (1909) is a valuable reference, but it may not include exact addresses from the 1850s.

The 1860 directory had a "Street and Avenue Guide" that is closest chronologically to the 1859 directory, and it's alphabetical by street name.

This guide tells us that 206 W. Polk Street falls between Halsted and Desplaines, which agrees with the range found in the Plan of Re-numbering.

The address would also be on the south side of the street because it was on the left as you're heading west.

The "Street and Avenue Guide" can be a game-changer for researchers looking for accurate information about Chicago's street addresses in the past.

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