Cermak–Chinatown station

Cermak–Chinatown
 
2200S
200W
Station platform, looking north towards Federal Junction and the Orange Line tracks
General information
Location138 West Cermak Road
Chicago, Illinois 60616
Coordinates41°51′12″N 87°37′51″W / 41.853206°N 87.630968°W / 41.853206; -87.630968
Owned byChicago Transit Authority
Line(s)Dan Ryan Branch
Platforms1 Island platform
Tracks2
ConnectionsCTA bus
Construction
Structure typeElevated
ParkingYes
Bicycle facilitiesYes (south entrance only)
AccessibleYes
History
OpenedSeptember 28, 1969
Rebuilt2009–11 (renovation)
2013 (refurbished)
Previous namesCermak (station sign)
Passengers
20241,131,975 13.3%
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Roosevelt
toward Howard
Red Line Sox–35th
Former services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station
Adams/​Wabash Lake–Dan Ryan route Sox–35th
Location

Cermak-Chinatown is an 'L' station on the CTA's Red Line. The station is located in Chicago's Chinatown neighborhood and contains many elements of Chinese culture in its architecture.

The station has two tile murals with "Welcome to Chinatown" also written in Chinese. Passengers using the stairs or escalator are welcomed by a couple of lion statues, called "foo dogs," meant to protect against evil spirits at the entrance. The bins on the platform are painted in red and green, the Chinese color for prosperity and longevity, with Welcome written in Chinese on the next one.

Like the other eight stations of the Dan Ryan Branch, Cermak–Chinatown was built by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, looking identical to 95th/​Dan Ryan. Customers outside the station can also see Chinese character masks of Chinese opera and theater productions on the walls. Cermak–Chinatown is open 24/7 as part of the service on the Red Line. In 2014, an annual total of 1,567,588 passengers boarded this station.