Kimball is an 'L' station and the terminus of the CTA's Brown Line. It is located in Chicago's Albany Park neighborhood. From Kimball, trains run south and then east to Kedzie, which is about 0.33 miles (0.53 km) away. During regular hours trains are scheduled to depart from Kimball every 7–10 minutes, and take about 33 minutes to reach the Loop.

Kimball
 
4800N
3400W
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
General information
Location4755 North Kimball Avenue
Chicago, Illinois 60625
Coordinates41°58′03″N 87°42′47″W / 41.967628°N 87.712934°W / 41.967628; -87.712934
Owned byChicago Transit Authority
Line(s)Ravenswood Branch
Platforms1 Island platform
1 Side platform
Tracks3
Construction
Structure typeAt-grade
Platform levels1
Parking 73 spaces
Bicycle facilitiesYes
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedDecember 14, 1907; 116 years ago (1907-12-14)
Rebuilt1974; 50 years ago (1974),
2006–2007; 17 years ago (2007) (renovated)
Passengers
2020495,434[1]Decrease 58.9%
Rank46 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Terminus Brown Line Kedzie
Location
Map

The station and nearby Kimball Avenue are both named after Martin Kimbell, a 19th century farmer who owned land in the area that is today known as Logan Square.[2]

There is an inside joke in the 1993 film The Fugitive when the main character Dr. Kimble boards a Kimball-Belmont 'L' train.

History

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Kimball destination sign

The original station at Kimball was constructed by the Northwestern Elevated Railroad and opened on December 14, 1907.[3] This station was demolished and a new station built in its place in 1974. The newly opened station was used for filming for the 1975 film, Cooley High. The station has three tracks which are served by an island platform and a side platform; there is also a train storage yard and a workshop alongside the station.

Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project

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Although Kimball Station was rebuilt in 1974 it was still upgraded as part of the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project. The station closed from September 15, 2006[4] to January 12, 2007.[5] During this closure, the two platforms were extended to support eight railcars, and the station entrance was reconfigured to be accessible to passengers with disabilities.[6]

Bus connections

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CTA

  • 81 Lawrence (Owl Service)
  • 82 Kimball/Homan
  • 93 California/Dodge (Monday–Saturday only)

References

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  1. ^ "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2020" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. January 19, 2021. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
  2. ^ "Logan Square". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org. The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Retrieved 23 October 2022.
  3. ^ Borzo, Greg (2007). The Chicago "L". Arcadia Publishing. p. 133. ISBN 978-0-7385-5100-5.
  4. ^ 2 Brown Line stations to close.[dead link] Chicago Tribune, September 2, 2006
  5. ^ "CTA Announces Brown Line Kimball Station to Reopen January 12". Chicago Transit Authority. Archived from the original on May 21, 2008.
  6. ^ Kimball Station. CTA Countdown to a New Brown website (URL accessed September 2, 2006).
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