Dempster–Skokie station

Not to be confused with Dempster station (Purple Line).

"Skokie station" redirects here. For the station on Oakton Street, see Oakton–Skokie station.

Dempster–Skokie, formerly known as Dempster, or Skokie, is an 'L' station on the CTA's Yellow Line at 5005 Dempster Street in Skokie, Illinois (directional coordinates 8800 north, 5000 west). It is one of three stops on the Yellow Line, and the line’s western terminus, Dempster–Skokie is one of two CTA rail stations in Skokie, and is at grade level.

Dempster–Skokie   8800N 5000W
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
A Yellow Line train discharges passengers at Dempster–Skokie.
General information
Location	5005 Dempster Street Skokie, Illinois 60077
Coordinates	(8800 N/5000 W)
Owned by	Village of Skokie
Line(s)	Skokie Swift
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Construction
Structure type	At-grade
Parking	441 spaces
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible	Yes
History
Opened	March 28, 1925; 99 years ago (1925-03-28)[1]
Closed	March 27, 1948 – April 20, 1964
Rebuilt	1993–94
Previous names	Skokie Terminal Dempster Skokie
Passengers
2022	231,114[2]  22.4%
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Terminus Yellow Line Oakton–Skokie toward Howard
Former services Preceding station Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad Following station Harmswoods toward Milwaukee North Shore Line Skokie Valley Route Howard Street toward Roosevelt Road Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Terminus Niles Center branch Main Closed 1948 toward Howard
Dempster Street Station
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location	5001 Dempster Street, Skokie, Illinois 60077
Coordinates	42°2′25″N 87°45′8″W
NRHP reference No.	95001005[3]
Added to NRHP	February 28, 1996
Track layout Legend IL 58 (Dempster St.) Yellow ends Yellow to Howard

History

Skokie destination sign

The station was originally constructed in 1925 as part of a new high-speed bypass route for the North Shore Line known as the Skokie Valley Route. Trains of the Chicago Rapid Transit Company's Niles Center Route also used this station as a terminal until that service was ended by the CTA in 1948. The North Shore Line ceased operating in early 1963, but the CTA instated a new service the following year which served a "temporary" station on the same location. This service was, and to some extent still is, known as the Skokie Swift, and is currently called the Yellow Line.

The current stationhouse has been in place since 1994. The original stationhouse, known as Dempster Street Station, is listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places^[3][4] and stands 130 feet (40 m) east of its original location, moved at a cost of $1 million in order to make space for the new station and its parking lot. The original station house is currently^[when?] occupied by a Starbucks coffee shop and a law office; the Starbucks also has a drive-thru lane. The former station's address is 5001 Dempster Street.

Service

The station houses bus stops for CTA and Pace buses and was once the Greyhound bus Skokie terminal.^[5] However, Greyhound discontinued service to Skokie in 2012.

Dempster–Skokie is one of two terminals on the "L" that uses two side platforms instead of a single platform or bay platform (the other being Cottage Grove). The east platform does not have fare controls and only allows discharging.

On June 8, 2011, the Chicago Transit Board approved the renaming of the Skokie station to Dempster–Skokie. This was done with the announcement of the Oakton–Skokie name for the infill station at Oakton.^[6]

Location

Dempster–Skokie is located at 5005 Dempster Street at Dempster Street and Bronx Avenue. It is 0.5 miles (0.80 km) from the I-94 Dempster ramp. It is located in the village of Skokie, Illinois, which borders Chicago at its southwest corner and Evanston to its east. Dempster–Skokie is one of the two 'L' stations to serve Skokie; the other is Oakton–Skokie. The station is the middle of a major commercial/transportation center of Skokie. The Skokie Valley Trail runs west of the station.^[7]

Bus connections

CTA

• 54A North Cicero/Skokie Blvd (Weekday Rush Hours only)
• 97 Skokie

Pace

• 250 Dempster Street
• 626 Skokie Valley Limited (Weekday Rush Hours only)
• Pulse Dempster Line^[8]

References

1. "15,000 Witness Official Opening of Niles Center "L"". Chicago Daily Tribune. March 29, 1925. p. 5.
2. "Annual Ridership Report – Calendar Year 2022" (PDF). Chicago Transit Authority, Ridership Analysis and Reporting. February 2, 2023. Retrieved June 9, 2023.
3. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
4. "North Shore Station". Landmarks Illinois. Retrieved August 10, 2024.
5. "Greyhound.com: Locations: Skokie, Illinois". Greyhound. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved July 19, 2012.
6. "CTA Changes Existing Yellow Line Station Name, Announces Names of New Yellow, Green/Pink Stations" (Press release). Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
7. "Valley Line Trail (Skokie Valley Trail) | Attractions in North Park, Chicago". TimeOut. September 25, 2020.
8. "Pulse Dempster Line". Pace Suburban Bus. July 27, 2023.

External links

• Train schedule (PDF) at CTA official site
• Chicago "L".org: Stations - Skokie (Dempster)
• Dempster Station Page CTA official site
• Skokie CTA Station and Bus Terminal as viewed from Dempster Street in Google Maps Street View
• Skokie CTA Station house as viewed along Terminal Avenue from Google Maps Street View