View source for Chicago Loop

{{Short description|Community area in Chicago, Illinois}}
{{about|the neighborhood|the elevated rail section|The Loop (CTA)}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2012}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = The Loop
| official_name      = Community Area 32 – The Loop
| image_skyline      = File:Chicago Loop.png
| image_alt          = Skyline of the Loop from Lake Michigan
| image_caption      = The Loop skyline as seen from [[Lake Michigan]]
| imagesize          = 300px
| image_map          = {{maplink|frame=y|plain=y|frame-align=center|type=shape|fill=#000|fill-opacity=0.0|zoom=11|stroke-width=3}}
| other_name         = 
| nickname           = 
| settlement_type    = {{nowrap|[[Community areas in Chicago|Community area]] &
[[central business district]]}}
| motto              = 
| mapsize            = 
| map_caption        = Interactive street map
| image_map1         = US-IL-Chicago-CA32.svg
| mapsize1           = 
| map_caption1       = Location within the city of Chicago
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type1  = State
| subdivision_name1  = Illinois
| subdivision_type2  = County
| subdivision_name2  = [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook]]
| subdivision_type3  = City
| subdivision_name3  = Chicago
| named_for          = [[The Loop (CTA)|The Loop]]
| parts_type         = [[Neighborhoods in Chicago|Neighborhoods]]
| parts_style        = list
| parts              = 
| p1                 = [[#The Loop|The Loop]]
| p2                 = [[#New East Side|New East Side]]
| p3                 = [[#Printer's Row|Printer's Row]]
| p4                 = [[#South Loop|South Loop]]
| p5                 = [[Dearborn Park]]
| p6                 = [[Historic Michigan Boulevard District]]
| area_magnitude     = 
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_footnotes     = 
| area_total_km2     = 4.09
| population_as_of   = 2023
| population_footnotes = <ref name="cmap">{{cite web|title=Community Data Snapshot - Loop|url=http://www.cmap.illinois.gov/documents/10180/126764/The+Loop.pdf|website=cmap.illinois.gov|publisher=[[Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning]]|access-date=August 10, 2025|archive-date=|archive-url=}}</ref>
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 42,181
| population_density_km2 = auto
| demographics_type1 = [[Demographics of the United States|Demographics]] 2023<ref name="cmap" />
| demographics1_title1 = [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|White]]
| demographics1_info1 = 50.9%
| demographics1_title2 = Black
| demographics1_info2 = 9.3%
| demographics1_title3 = Hispanic
| demographics1_info3 = 12.1%
| demographics1_title4 = Asian
| demographics1_info4 = 23.6%
| demographics1_title5 = Other
| demographics1_info5 = 4.1%
| demographics_type2 = [[Educational attainment in the United States|Educational Attainment]] 2023<ref name="cmap" />
| demographis2_footnotes = 
| demographics2_title1 = High School Diploma or Higher
| demographics2_info1 = 96.1%
| demographics2_title2 = Bachelor's Degree or Higher
| demographics2_info2 = 83.5%
| timezone           = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CST]]
| utc_offset         = -6
| timezone_DST       = [[Central Time Zone (North America)|CDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -5
| coordinates_footnotes = <ref name="gnis80">{{cite gnis |id=406045|name=Chicago Loop|entry-date=15 January 1980}}</ref>
| coordinates        = {{coord|41|52|52|N|87|37|47|W|region:US-IL_source:gnis|display=inline,title}}
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="gnis80"/>
| elevation_ft       = 594
| postal_code_type   = ZIP codes
| postal_code        = 60601, 60602, 60603, 60604, and parts of 60605, 60606, 60607, and 60616
| area_code          = 
| blank_name         = [[Household income in the United States|Median household income 2023]]
| blank_info         = $119,837<ref name="cmap" />
| website            = 
| footnotes          = Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services {{Clarify|date=March 2009}}
}}
'''The Loop''' is [[Chicago]]'s [[central business district]] and one of the city's 77 municipally recognized [[Community areas in Chicago|community areas]]. Located at the center of [[downtown]] Chicago<ref>{{cite web |title=The Loop |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/the-Loop |website=britannica.com |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=9 September 2024}}</ref> on the shores of [[Lake Michigan]], it is the second-largest business district in [[North America]], after [[Midtown Manhattan]] in [[New York City]]. It contains the world headquarters and regional offices of several global and national businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, hotels, museums, theaters, and libraries—as well as many of Chicago's most famous attractions.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top Ten Largest CBDs in the USA |url=https://offices.net/news/top-ten-largest-cbds-in-the-usa/ |access-date=2024-08-30 |language=en-US}}</ref> The district also hosts Chicago's [[Chicago City Hall|City Hall]], the seat of [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]], offices of the state of [[Illinois]], [[United States]] federal offices, and several foreign [[consulates]]. The intersection of [[State Street (Chicago)|State Street]] and [[Madison Street (Chicago)|Madison Street]] in the Loop is the origin point for the address system on [[Roads and expressways in Chicago|Chicago's street grid]], a grid system that has been adopted by numerous cities worldwide.

The Loop's definition and perceived boundaries have evolved over time. Since the 1920s, the area bounded by the [[Chicago River]] to the west and north, Lake Michigan to the east, and [[Roosevelt Road]] to the south has been called the Loop. It took its name from a somewhat smaller area, the 35 city blocks bounded on the north by Lake Street, on the west by Wells Street, on the south by Van Buren Street, and on the east by Wabash Avenue—the [[Union Loop]] formed by the [[Chicago 'L'|'L']] in the late 1800s.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Loop |url=https://www.britannica.com/place/the-Loop |website=britannica.com |publisher=Encyclopedia Britannica |access-date=9 September 2024}}</ref> Similarly, the "[[South Loop, Chicago|South Loop]]" and the "[[West Loop, Chicago|West Loop]]" historically referred to areas within the Loop proper, but in the 21st century began to refer to the entire [[Near South Side, Chicago|Near South]] and much of the [[Near West Side, Chicago|Near West Side]]s of the city, respectively.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Matthews |first1=David |title=Where Does The South Loop Start and End? Borders a Work in Progress |url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/20150825/downtown/where-does-south-loop-start-end-borders-work-progress |access-date=9 September 2024 |work=Block Club Chicago |date=25 August 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Harrington |first1=Adam |title=What is the Loop in Chicago? |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/chicago/news/what-is-loop-chicago/ |access-date=9 September 2024 |work=CBS News Chicago |date=14 June 2023}}</ref>

In 1803, the [[United States Army]] built [[Fort Dearborn]] in what is now the Loop; although earlier settlement was present, this was the first settlement in the area sponsored by the [[United States federal government]]. When Chicago and Cook County were incorporated in the 1830s, the area was selected as the site of their respective seats. Originally mixed-use, the neighborhood became increasingly commercial in the 1870s. This process accelerated in the aftermath of the 1871 [[Great Chicago Fire]], which destroyed most of the neighborhood's buildings. Some of the world's earliest [[skyscraper]]s were constructed in the Loop, giving rise to the [[Chicago school (architecture)|Chicago School of architecture]]. By the late 19th century, cable car turnarounds and the Union Loop encircled the area, giving the neighborhood its name. Near the lake, [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], known as "Chicago's front yard", is Chicago's oldest park; it was significantly expanded in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and houses a number of features and museums. Starting in the 1920s, road improvements for highways were constructed to and into the Loop, perhaps most famously [[U.S. Route 66 in Illinois|U.S. Route&nbsp;66]] (US&nbsp;66), which was commissioned in 1926.

While dominated by offices and public buildings, its residential population boomed during the latter 20th century and first decades of the 21st, due to the development of former rail yards (at one time, the area had six major interurban railroad terminals and land was also needed for extensive rail cargo storage and transfer), industrial building conversions, and additional high-rise residences. Since 1950, the Loop's resident population has increased in percentage terms the most of all of Chicago's community areas.

==History==
{{Main|History of Chicago}}
===Etymology===
The origin of the name "the Loop" is disputed. Some sources claim it first referred to two [[Cable car (railway)|cable car]] lines that used a circuit—constructed in 1882 and bounded by Van Buren Street, Wabash Avenue, [[Wells Street (Chicago)|Wells Street]], and [[Lake Street (Chicago)|Lake Street]]—to enter and depart the downtown area.<ref name="Encyclopedia">{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Chicago|publisher=Chicago Historical Society|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/764.html|title=The Loop|last=Danzer|first=Gerald A.|access-date=July 21, 2013|archive-date=March 3, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080303193616/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/764.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Cable Cars">{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Joe |title=Cable Car Lines in Chicago |url=http://www.cable-car-guy.com/html/ccchi.html |publisher=The Cable Car Home Page |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126170326/http://www.cable-car-guy.com/html/ccchi.html |url-status=live }}</ref>  Other research, however, has concluded that "the Loop" was not used as a proper noun until after the 1895–97 construction of the [[The Loop (CTA)|Union Loop]] used by [[Chicago 'L'|'L']] trains, which shared the same route.<ref>{{cite news|first=Patrick T.|last=Reardon|title=It all starts downtown|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/2004/07/26/it-all-starts-downtown/|work=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=2004-07-26|access-date=2016-12-17|archive-date=June 26, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180626054732/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-07-26/features/0407260184_1_south-loop-cable-cars-chicago-transit-authority|url-status=live}}</ref>

===19th century===
In what is now the Loop, on the south bank of the [[Chicago River]] near today's [[Michigan Avenue Bridge]], the [[United States Army]] erected [[Fort Dearborn]] in 1803, the first settlement in the area sponsored by the United States. When Chicago was initially platted in 1830 by the surveyor [[James Thompson (surveyor)|James Thompson]], it included what is now the Loop north of Madison Street and west of State Street. The [[Sauganash Hotel]], the first hotel in Chicago, was built in 1831 near [[Wolf Point, Chicago|Wolf Point]] at what is now the northwestern corner of the Loop. When [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]] was incorporated in 1831, the first meeting of its government was held at Fort Dearborn with two representatives from Chicago and one from [[Naperville, Illinois|Naperville]]. The entirety of what is now the Loop was part of the Town of Chicago when it was initially incorporated in 1833, except the Fort Dearborn reservation, which became part of the city in 1839, and land reclaimed from Lake Michigan.

The area was bustling by the end of the 1830s.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> Lake Street started to become a center for retail at that time, until it was eclipsed by State Street in the 1850s.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/>

===20th century===
[[File:Chicago-Loop-1900.jpg|thumb|left|200px|upright|In 1900 at the corner of Dearborn and Randolph Streets]]
By 1948 an estimated one million people came to and went from the Loop each day. Later, suburbanization caused a decrease in the area's importance. But in the 1960s, the presence of an upscale shopping district caused the area's fortunes to increase.

===21st century===
The Loop's population has boomed in recent years, increasing 158% between 2000 and 2020.<ref name="cmap" /> Between 2010 and 2014, the number of jobs in the Loop increased by nearly 63,000, an increase of over 13%.<ref name="crains2014employment">{{cite web|title=Downtown jobs hit a record high|url=https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141129/ISSUE05/311299947/downtown-chicago-employment-hits-a-record-high|website=chicagobusiness.com|date=November 28, 2014|publisher=Crains|access-date=July 11, 2020|archive-date=July 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200711220710/https://www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20141129/ISSUE05/311299947/downtown-chicago-employment-hits-a-record-high|url-status=live}}</ref>

{{US Census population
|1890=24074
|1900=24274
|1910=15954
|1920=13140
|1930=7851
|1940=6221
|1950=7018
|1960=4337
|1970=4965
|1980=6462
|1990=11954
|2000=16244
|2010=29283
|2020=42298
|estyear= 2023
|estimate= 42181
|footnote=<ref name="cmap" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Paral |first=Rob |title=Chicago Community Areas Historical Data |url=http://www.robparal.com/downloads/ACS0509/HistoricalData/Chicago%20Community%20Areas%20Historical%20Data.htm |access-date=August 30, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130318055428/http://www.robparal.com/downloads/ACS0509/HistoricalData/Chicago%20Community%20Areas%20Historical%20Data.htm |archive-date=March 18, 2013 |df=mdy }}</ref>
}}

==Economy and employment==
[[File:Chicago Sears Tower.jpg|thumb|upright|right|[[Willis Tower]], formerly Sears Tower, is the third tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.]]
{{Main|Economy of Chicago}}
The Loop, along with the rest of downtown Chicago, is the second-largest commercial business district in the United States, after New York City's [[Midtown Manhattan]]. Its financial district near [[LaSalle Street]] is home to [[United Airlines]], Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, and [[CME Group]]'s [[Chicago Board of Trade]] and [[Chicago Mercantile Exchange]].

[[Aon Corporation]] maintains an office in the [[Aon Center (Chicago)|Aon Center]].<ref name="Aon">{{cite web|url= https://www.aon.com/site/office.jsp|title= Office Location Search Results|publisher= Aon Corporation|access-date= January 15, 2020|archive-date= January 16, 2020|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20200116032859/https://www.aon.com/site/office.jsp|url-status= live}}</ref> [[Chase Tower (Chicago)|Chase Tower]] houses the headquarters of [[Exelon]].<ref name="Exelon">{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.exeloncorp.com/contact |publisher=Exelon |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116035355/https://www.exeloncorp.com/contact |url-status=live }}</ref> [[United Airlines]] has its headquarters in [[Willis Tower]], having moved its headquarters to Chicago from suburban [[Elk Grove Township, Illinois|Elk Grove Township]] in early 2007.<ref name="United">{{cite web|url= http://www.united.com/press/detail/0,6862,54552,00.html|title= Illinois Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley Welcome Chicago's Hometown Airline|website=United Airlines|date= July 15, 2006|access-date= January 31, 2009|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110613114515/http://www.united.com/press/detail/0%2C6862%2C54552%2C00.html|archive-date= June 13, 2011|df= mdy-all}}</ref> [[Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association]] has its headquarters in the [[Michigan Plaza]] complex.<ref name="BCBS">{{cite web |title=Contact Us |url=https://www.bcbs.com/contact-us |publisher=Blue Cross Blue Shield |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=December 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191211173203/https://www.bcbs.com/contact-us |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Sidley Austin]] has an office in the Loop.<ref name="Sidley Austin">{{cite web |title=Chicago |url=https://www.sidley.com/en/locations/offices/chicago |publisher=Sidley Austin |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=December 23, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141223041953/http://www.sidley.com/chicago/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The Chicago Loop Alliance is at 55 West Monroe,<ref name="Loop Alliance">{{cite web |title=Chicago Loop Alliance |url=https://www.choosechicago.com/listing/chicago-loop-alliance/50667/ |publisher=Choose Chicago |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=February 23, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180223110818/https://www.choosechicago.com/listing/chicago-loop-alliance/50667/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the [[Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce]] is in an office in the Aon Center, the French-American Chamber of Commerce in Chicago has an office in [[35 East Wacker]], the Netherlands Chamber of Commerce in the United States is in an office at 303 East Wacker Drive, and the US Mexico Chamber of Commerce Mid-America Chapter is in an office in [[One Prudential Plaza]].<ref name="Chicityguide">{{cite web|url= http://www.skyteam.com/go/chicago/business.html|title= Chicago|website=[[SkyTeam]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090129111654/http://skyteam.com/go/chicago/business.html|archive-date= January 29, 2009|df= mdy-all}}</ref>

[[McDonald's]] was headquartered in the Loop until 1971, when it moved to suburban [[Oak Brook, Illinois|Oak Brook]].<ref>Cross, Robert. "[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/648915512.html?dids=648915512:648915512&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan+09%2C+1972&author=&pub=Chicago+Tribune&desc=Inside+Hamburger+Central&pqatl=google Inside Hamburger Central] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170816110318/https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/doc/170151070.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:AI&type=historic&date=Jan%2009,%201972&author=&pub=Chicago%20Tribune&edition=&startpage=&desc=Inside%20Hamburger%20Central |date=August 16, 2017 }}." ''[[Chicago Tribune]]''. January 9, 1972. G18. Retrieved September 17, 2009.</ref> When [[Bank One Corporation]] existed, its headquarters were in the Bank One Plaza, now Chase Tower.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20010410213519/http://www.bankone.com/about/profile/contacts/ Contact Information]." [[Bank One Corporation]]. April 10, 2001. Retrieved March 31, 2010.</ref> When [[Amoco]] existed, its headquarters were in the Amoco Building, now the Aon Center.<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/19980212072931/http://www.amoco.com/contacts/index.html Contacts]." [[Amoco]]. February 12, 1998. Retrieved March 31, 2010.</ref>

In 2019, about 40% of Loop residents were also employed in the Loop.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} 26.8% worked outside Chicago.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} Respectively 11.5, 8.0, and 2.8 percent worked in the [[Near North Side, Chicago|Near North Side]], the [[Near West Side, Chicago|Near West Side]], and [[Hyde Park, Chicago|Hyde Park]].{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} Conversely, 45.5% of the people employed in the Loop lived outside Chicago.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} [[Lake View, Chicago|Lake View]] housed 4% of Loop employees, the highest of any of Chicago's community areas.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} The Near North Side, [[West Town, Chicago|West Town]], and [[Lincoln Park, Chicago|Lincoln Park]] respectively housed 3.8, 2.6, and 2.5 percent of those working in the Loop.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}}

The professional sector is the largest source of employment of both Loop residents and Loop employees, at respectively 21.4 and 23.3 percent.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} Finance was the second-most-common employment for both groups, at respectively 13.5 and 17.7 percent.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} Health Care was the third-largest sector for residents, at 10.2%, while Education was the third-largest sector for Loop employees, at 13%.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}} Education was the fourth-largest employer of residents, at 9.4%, while Public Administration was the fourth-largest for Loop employees, at 13%. Administration was the fifth-largest sector for both groups, at respectively 6.9 and 7.3 percent.{{sfn|CMAP|p=9|ps=none}}

==Architecture==
[[File:Calle E Monroe St, Chicago, Illinois, Estados Unidos, 2012-10-20, DD 04.jpg|thumb|200px|left|East Monroe Street]]
{{unsourced|section|date=December 2023}}
The area has long been a hub for architecture. The vast majority of the area was destroyed by the [[Great Chicago Fire]] in 1871 but rebuilt quickly. In 1885 the [[Home Insurance Building]], generally considered the world's first skyscraper, was constructed, followed by the development of the [[Chicago school (architecture)|Chicago school]], best exemplified by such buildings as the [[Rookery Building]] in 1888, the [[Monadnock Building]] in 1891, and the [[Sullivan Center]] in 1899.

Loop architecture has been dominated by skyscrapers and high-rises since early in its history. Notable buildings include the [[Home Insurance Building]], considered the world's first skyscraper (demolished in 1931); the [[Chicago Board of Trade Building]], a [[National Historic Landmark]]; and [[Willis Tower]], the world's tallest building for nearly 25 years. Some of the historic buildings in this district were instrumental in the development of towers.

This area abounds in shopping opportunities, including the [[Loop Retail Historic District]], although it competes with the more upscale [[Magnificent Mile]] area to the north. It includes Chicago's former [[Marshall Field's]] department store location in the [[Marshall Field and Company Building]]; the original [[Sullivan Center]] [[Carson Pirie Scott]] store location (closed February 21, 2007). Chicago's Downtown Theatre District is also found within this area, along with numerous restaurants and hotels.
[[File:Chicago Loop and Downtown Chicago from 30,000 feet in a plane. (June 26, 2025).jpg|thumb|Chicago Loop from the air in 2025.]]
Chicago has a famous [[skyline]] that features many of the world's tallest buildings as well as the [[Chicago Landmark]] [[Historic Michigan Boulevard District]]. The skyline is spaced out throughout the downtown area. The [[Willis Tower]], formerly the Sears Tower, the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere (and still second-tallest by roof height), stands in the western Loop in the heart of the city's financial district, along with other buildings, such as [[311 South Wacker Drive]] and the [[AT&T Corporate Center]].

Chicago's fourth-tallest building, the [[Aon Center (Chicago)|Aon Center]], is just south of [[Illinois Center]]. The complex is at the east end of the Loop, east of [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]]. [[Two Prudential Plaza]] is also there, just west of the Aon Center.

The Loop contains a wealth of outdoor sculpture, including works by [[Pablo Picasso]], [[Joan Miró]], [[Henry Moore]], [[Marc Chagall]], [[Magdalena Abakanowicz]], [[Alexander Calder]], and [[Jean Dubuffet]]. Chicago's cultural heavyweights, such as the [[Chicago Art Institute|Art Institute of Chicago]], the [[Goodman Theatre]], the [[Chicago Theatre]], the [[Lyric Opera of Chicago|Lyric Opera]] at the [[Civic Opera House]] building, and the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]], are also in the area, as is the historic [[Palmer House Hilton]] hotel, on East Monroe Street.

Chicago's waterfront, which is almost exclusively recreational beach and park areas from north to south, features [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]] in the downtown area. Grant Park is the home of [[Buckingham Fountain]], the [[Petrillo Music Shell]], the Grant Park Symphony (where free concerts can be enjoyed throughout the summer), and Chicago's annual two-week food festival, the [[Taste of Chicago]], where more than 3 million people try foods from over 70 vendors. The area also hosts the annual music festival [[Lollapalooza]], which features popular alternative rock, heavy metal, [[Electronic Dance Music|EDM]], hip hop, and punk rock artists. [[Millennium Park]], a section of Grant Park, opened in 2004 and features [[Frank Gehry]]'s [[Jay Pritzker Pavilion]], [[Jaume Plensa]]'s [[Crown Fountain]], and [[Anish Kapoor]]'s [[Cloud Gate]] sculpture along [[Lake Michigan]].

The [[Chicago River]] and its accompanying Chicago Riverwalk, which delineates the area, also provides entertainment and recreational opportunities, including the annual dyeing of the river green in honor of [[St. Patrick's Day]]. Trips down the river, including architectural tours by commercial boat operators, are favorites with locals and tourists alike.

===Notable landmarks===
[[File:20090612 Chicago Loop view of the L Tracks, 35 East Wacker, and Trump International Hotel and Tower from Wabash Avenue.jpg|thumb|right|200px|upright|View of the [[Chicago 'L']] tracks, [[35 East Wacker]], and [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)|Trump International Hotel and Tower]]]]
*[[Agora (sculpture)|Agora]], a group of sculptures at the south end of [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_s_publicartagora.html|title=City of Chicago :: Agora|website=www.cityofchicago.org|language=en|access-date=2018-08-22|archive-date=August 23, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180823041846/https://www.cityofchicago.org/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_s_publicartagora.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
*[[Art Institute of Chicago]]<ref name=secondlargest>{{cite news| title=A Grand and Intimate Modern Art Trove| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/arts/design/14inst.html?ref=design| author=Roberta Smith| date=May 13, 2009| work=The New York Times| access-date=2011-06-13| archive-date=July 2, 2022| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220702084541/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/arts/design/14inst.html?ref=design| url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Auditorium Building]]<ref name=Landmarks>{{cite web |title=Chicago Landmarks - Alphabetical List |url=http://webapps1.chicago.gov/landmarksweb/web/listings.htm |publisher=City of Chicago |access-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-date=January 27, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200127064729/http://webapps1.chicago.gov/landmarksweb/web/listings.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Buckingham Fountain]]<ref name="Ahmed">{{cite news| title=Buckingham Fountain's $25 million renovation to begin after Labor Day| author=Noreen S. Ahmed-Ullah| url=http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2008/07/buckingham-foun.html| work=Chicago Tribune| date=July 16, 2008| access-date=2011-06-08| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120812030622/http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/theskyline/2008/07/buckingham-foun.html| archive-date=August 12, 2012| url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Carbide & Carbon Building]]<ref name=Landmarks/><ref>{{cite news | title = A toast to the skyline | work = Chicago Tribune | pages = 2:3 | publisher = Tribune Company | date = November 16, 2007 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book | last = Wolfe | first = Gerard R. | author-link = Gerard R. Wolfe | title = Chicago: In and Around the Loop | publisher = McGraw-Hill | year =  1996 | location = New York | isbn = 0-07-071390-1 | page = 210}}</ref>
* [[Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Chicago Board of Trade Building]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Chicago Theatre]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Chicago Cultural Center]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Chicago City Hall]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Civic Opera House]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Commercial National Bank Building]]<ref>{{cite report |author=Commission on Chicago Landmarks |author-link=Commission on Chicago Landmarks |date=April 7, 2016 |title=Landmark Designation Report: Commercial National Bank Building |url=https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Commercial_National_Bank_Bldg.pdf |access-date=2020-05-15 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200214003007/https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/zlup/Historic_Preservation/Publications/Commercial_National_Bank_Bldg.pdf |archive-date=February 14, 2020 |url-status=dead |archive-format=PDF |quote=The Commercial National Bank Building is the oldest surviving example of a high-rise commercial bank building in Chicago designed by D. H. Burnham & Company, one of the most significant architectural firms in Chicago during the late 19th and early 20th century. }}</ref>
* Field Building<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Fine Arts Building (Chicago)|Fine Arts Building]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]]<ref>{{cite news|author=Liza Kaufman Hogan|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/05/chicago.reax/?iref=mpstoryview|title=Chicago's Grant Park turns into jubilation park|publisher=CNN|date=November 5, 2008|access-date=2008-11-11|archive-date=September 17, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917112409/http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/11/05/chicago.reax/?iref=mpstoryview|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Jewelers Row District]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Mather Tower]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Historic Michigan Boulevard District]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Monadnock Building]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[The Palmer House Hilton]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Great Northern Hotel, Chicago]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27514159/great-northern-hotel-demolition/|title=Marshal Field Estate Will Demolish Great Northern Hotel|work=Chicago Tribune|place=Chicago, Illinois|date=14 Jan 1940|page=36|access-date=2021-11-21|archive-date=November 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211122005433/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/27514159/great-northern-hotel-demolition/|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Printer's Row, Chicago|Printing House Row]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Reliance Building]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Rookery Building]]<ref name=Landmarks/>
* [[Symphony Center]] – home of the [[Chicago Symphony Orchestra]]<ref name="CSO">{{cite web |title=About |url=https://cso.org/about/ |publisher=Chicago Symphony Orchestra |access-date=16 January 2020 |archive-date=February 21, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221105925/https://cso.org/about/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
* [[Willis Tower]] – formerly the Sears Tower

==Government==
The Loop is the seat of Chicago's city government. It is also the government seat of [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]] and houses an office for the [[governor of Illinois]]. The city and county governments are in the same [[Chicago City Hall|century-old building]]. Across the street, the [[Richard J. Daley Center]] accommodates a [[Chicago Picasso|sculpture by Pablo Picasso]] and the state law courts. Given its proximity to government offices, the center's plaza serves as a kind of town square for celebrations, protests, and other events.

The Loop is in [[South Chicago Township, Cook County, Illinois|South Chicago Township]] within Cook County.<ref name="Kensington"/> Townships in Chicago were abolished for governmental purposes in 1902<ref name="Civic Federation">{{cite web |title=Cook County Township Government FAQ Part 1 |url=https://www.civicfed.org/civic-federation/blog/cook-county-township-government-faq-part-1 |date=April 14, 2010 |website=The Civic Federation |access-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-date=October 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020025410/https://www.civicfed.org/civic-federation/blog/cook-county-township-government-faq-part-1 |url-status=live }}</ref> but are still used for property assessment.<ref name="Kensington">{{cite web |title=What Cook County Township Am I In? |url=https://www.kensington-research.com/cook-county-chicago-property-tax-appeal-service/determine-cook-county-township/ |website=Kensington Research |publisher=Kensington Research and Recovery |access-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-date=October 20, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191020025358/https://www.kensington-research.com/cook-county-chicago-property-tax-appeal-service/determine-cook-county-township/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

The nearby [[James R. Thompson Center]] is the city headquarters for state government, with an office for the governor. Many state agencies have offices here, including the [[Illinois State Board of Education]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.isbe.state.il.us/|title= Home page|publisher= [[Illinois State Board of Education]]|access-date= March 23, 2009|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140209093725/http://www.isbe.state.il.us/|archive-date= February 9, 2014|df= mdy-all}}</ref>

A few blocks away is the [[Everett McKinley Dirksen United States Courthouse]], housing federal law courts and other federal government offices. It is the seat of the [[United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit]]. The [[Kluczynski Federal Building]] is across the street. The [[Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago]] is located on [[LaSalle Street]] in the heart of the financial district. The [[United States Postal Service]] operates the Loop Station Post Office at 211 South Clark Street.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/727?p=1&s=IL&service_name=post_office&z=Chicago|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718022827/http://usps.whitepages.com/service/post_office/727?p=1&s=IL&service_name=post_office&z=Chicago|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 18, 2012|title=Post Office Location – LOOP|website=[[United States Postal Service]] |access-date=April 11, 2009}}</ref>

===Fire Department===
The [[Chicago Fire Department]] operates three fire stations in the Loop District:
*Engine Company 1, Aerial Tower Company 1, Ambulance 41 – 419 S. Wells St. – South Loop
*Engine Company 5, Truck Company 2, Special Operations Battalion Chief 5-1-5, Collapse Unit 5-2-1 – 324 S. Des Plaines St. – West Loop/Near West Side
*Engine Company 13, Truck Company 6, Ambulance 74, Battalion Chief 1, Marine and Dive Operations: Training Officer 6-8-5, District Chief: Marine and Dive Operations 6-8-6, SCUBA Team 6-8-7 – 259 N. Columbus Dr. – East Loop/Near East Side

===Diplomatic missions===
Several countries maintain consulates in the Loop. They include [[Diplomatic missions of Argentina|Argentina]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.congenargentinany.com/New%20Folder/argentine%20consulate%20usa.html |title=Argentine Consulates in the United States |publisher=[[Diplomatic missions of Argentina|Consulate-General of Argentina in New York]]|access-date=January 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723194241/http://www.congenargentinany.com/New%20Folder/argentine%20consulate%20usa.html |archive-date=July 23, 2008 }}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Australia|Australia]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/countries/usch.html|title= Australian Consulate-General in Chicago, United States of America|publisher= [[Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)|Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090101025756/http://www.dfat.gov.au/missions/countries/usch.html|archive-date= January 1, 2009|url-status= dead}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Canada|Canada]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/chicago/contact-contactez.aspx?lang=eng|title= Contact Us|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Canada|Consulate-General of Canada in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090404115719/http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/chicago/contact-contactez.aspx?lang=eng|archive-date= April 4, 2009|url-status= dead|df= mdy-all}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Costa Rica|Costa Rica]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/consulates/ |title=Consulates in the United States |publisher=[[Diplomatic missions of Costa Rica|Embassy of Costa Rica Washington, DC]]|access-date=January 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090123065708/http://www.costarica-embassy.org/consular/consulates/ |archive-date=January 23, 2009 }}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of the Czech Republic|the Czech Republic]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mzv.eu/wwwo/default.asp?ido=17318&idj=2&amb=155&ParentIDO=|title= Czech criminal history record|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of the Czech Republic|Consulate-General of the Czech Republic in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009}}{{dead link|date=August 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Ecuador|Ecuador]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.ecuador.org/consulates.htm|title= Other Consulates in the USA|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Ecuador|Consulate-General of Ecuador in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090205172912/http://www.ecuador.org/consulates.htm|archive-date= February 5, 2009|df= mdy-all}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of El Salvador|El Salvador]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rree.gob.sv/sitio/sitiowebrree.nsf/pages/sembajadasconsulados_norteamerica|title= Norte América|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of El Salvador|Consulate-General of El Salvador in Miami]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090125234902/http://www.rree.gob.sv/sitio/sitiowebrree.nsf/pages/sembajadasconsulados_norteamerica|archive-date= January 25, 2009|df= mdy-all}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of France|France]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.consulfrance-chicago.org/spip.php?article353|title= Address and Hours of operation|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of France|Consulate-General of France in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-date= April 19, 2015|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150419042757/http://www.consulfrance-chicago.org/spip.php?article353|url-status= dead}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Guatemala|Guatemala]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.consulguatechicago.org/|title= Home page|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Guatemala|Consulate-General of Guatemala in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090204205430/http://www.consulguatechicago.org/|archive-date= February 4, 2009|url-status= dead}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Haiti|Haiti]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.haitianconsulate.org/|title= Welcome to the Consulate General of the Republic of Haiti in Chicago|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Haiti|Consulate-General of Haiti in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090125135218/http://haitianconsulate.org/|archive-date= January 25, 2009|url-status= dead}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Hungary|Hungary]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicago.mfa.gov.hu/eng|title=Consulate General of Hungary Chicago|website=Consulate General of Hungary Chicago|access-date=December 6, 2022|archive-date=December 6, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206093740/https://chicago.mfa.gov.hu/eng|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Indonesia|Indonesia]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.indonesiachicago.org/|title= Home page|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Indonesia|Consulate-General of Indonesia in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-date= January 25, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090125045649/http://indonesiachicago.org/|url-status= live}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Israel|Israel]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://chicago.mfa.gov.il/mfm/web/main/document.asp?SubjectID=1040&MissionID=71&LanguageID=0&StatusID=0&DocumentID=-1|title= General info: Mission Location|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Israel|Consulate-General of Israel in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Macedonia|the Republic of Macedonia]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.mfa.gov.mk/default1.aspx?ItemID=315|title= Diplomatic missions|language= mk|publisher= [[Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Macedonia)|Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Macedonia]]|access-date= May 2, 2009|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110930043006/http://www.mfa.gov.mk/default1.aspx?ItemID=315|archive-date= September 30, 2011|df= mdy-all}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of the Netherlands|the Netherlands]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cgchicago.org/homepage.asp |title=Home page |publisher=[[Diplomatic missions of the Netherlands|Consulate-General of the Netherlands in Chicago]] |access-date=January 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090129172708/http://www.cgchicago.org/homepage.asp |archive-date=January 29, 2009 }}</ref> [[Embassy of Pakistan, Washington, D.C.|Pakistan]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://cgpkchicago.org/ |title=Consulate General of The Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Chicago USA |access-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-date=December 6, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206093752/https://cgpkchicago.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Peru|Peru]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.consuladoperu.com/archivos/jurisdicciones.htm |title=Jurisdicciones Consulares en USA |publisher=[[Diplomatic missions of Peru|Consulate-General of Peru in Chicago]]|access-date=January 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081222012804/http://www.consuladoperu.com/archivos/jurisdicciones.htm |archive-date=December 22, 2008 }}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of the Philippines|the Philippines]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.chicagopcg.com/contact.html|title= Contact Us|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of the Philippines|Consulate-General of the Philippines in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-date= February 9, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090209004952/http://www.chicagopcg.com/contact.html|url-status= live}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of South Africa|South Africa]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/othermissions.htm|title= Other Missions|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of South Africa|Consulate-General of South Africa in New York]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|url-status= dead|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090420041435/http://www.southafrica-newyork.net/consulate/othermissions.htm|archive-date= April 20, 2009|df= mdy-all}}</ref> [[Diplomatic missions of Turkey|Turkey]],<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr/ContactInfo.aspx|title= Contact|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Turkey|Embassy of Turkey in Washington, D.C.]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-date= February 7, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090207163504/http://www.washington.emb.mfa.gov.tr/ContactInfo.aspx|url-status= live}}</ref> and [[Diplomatic missions of Venezuela|Venezuela]].<ref>{{cite web|url= http://embavenez-us.org/_chicago/|title= Home page|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of Venezuela|Consulate-General of Venezuela in Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090122213207/http://embavenez-us.org/_chicago/|archive-date= January 22, 2009|url-status= usurped}}</ref> In addition, the [[Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office|Taipei Economic and Cultural Office]] [[Diplomatic missions of the Republic of China|of the Republic of China]] is in the Loop.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.taiwanembassy.org/US/CHI/mp.asp?mp=27|title= Home|publisher= [[Diplomatic missions of the Republic of China|Taipei Economic and Cultural Office Chicago]]|access-date= January 31, 2009|archive-date= January 2, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100102175453/http://www.taiwanembassy.org/US/CHI/mp.asp?mp=27|url-status= live}}</ref>

==Politics==
===Local===
The Loop is part of the 4th, 25th, 34th, and 42nd wards of the [[Chicago City Council]], which are represented by aldermen [[Sophia King]], [[Byron Sigcho-Lopez]], [[Bill Conway (politician)|Bill Conway]], and [[Brendan Reilly (politician)|Brendan Reilly]].<ref name="Ward map">{{cite web |title=Aldermanic Wards for the City of Chicago |url=https://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/doit/general/GIS/Chicago_Maps/Citywide_Maps/Wards.pdf |publisher=City of Chicago |access-date=2 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201182056/https://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/doit/general/GIS/Chicago_Maps/Citywide_Maps/Wards.pdf |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

From the city's incorporation and division into wards in 1837 to 1992, the Loop as currently defined was at least partially contained within the 1st ward.<ref name="1837 Wards">{{cite web |title=Ward Map - 11 February 1837 |url=https://chicagology.com/population/ward-map-1837/ |website=Chicagology |access-date=4 September 2018 |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904084713/https://chicagology.com/population/ward-map-1837/ |url-status=live }}</ref> From 1891 to 1992 it was entirely within the 1st ward and was coterminous with it between 1891 and 1901.<ref name="Ward Map 1900">{{cite web |title=1900 Chicago City Ward Map |url=http://www.alookatcook.com/1900/1900ChgoCtymp.htm |website=A Look at Cook |access-date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181009225423/http://www.alookatcook.com/1900/1900ChgoCtymp.htm |archive-date=October 9, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It was while part of the 1st ward that it was represented by the Gray Wolves. The area has not had a Republican alderman since Francis P. Gleason served alongside Coughlin from 1895 to 1897.<ref name="Centennial List">{{cite web |title=Centennial List of Mayors, City Clerks, City Attorneys, City Treasurers, and Aldermen, elected by the people of the city of Chicago, from the incorporation of the city on March 4, 1837 to March 4, 1937, arranged in alphabetical order, showing the years during which each official held office. |url=http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |publisher=Chicago Historical Society |access-date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904052355/http://chsmedia.org/media/fa/fa/LIB/AldermansList.htm |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref> (Before 1923, each ward elected two aldermen in staggered two-year terms.)<ref name="Centennial List" />

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
|-
|+ class="nowrap" |Aldermen who have represented the Loop since 1923<ref name="Centennial List"/><ref name="Ward maps">{{cite web |title=A LOOK AT COOK |url=http://www.alookatcook.com/ |website=A Look at Cook |access-date=4 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180818182555/http://www.alookatcook.com/ |archive-date=August 18, 2018 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="Chicago GIS">{{cite web |title=Some Chicago GIS Data |url=https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/collections/maps/chigis.html |website=University of Chicago Library |date=March 18, 2015 |publisher=University of Chicago |access-date=2 September 2018 |archive-date=September 4, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180904121051/https://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/collections/maps/chigis.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="Tribune Wards 2012">{{cite web |last1=Germuska |first1=Joe |last2=Boyer |first2=Brian |title=The old and new ward maps, side-by-side -- Chicago Tribune |url=http://media.apps.chicagotribune.com/ward-redistricting-2012/ |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=4 September 2018 }}{{Dead link|date=August 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref><ref name="Chicago Democracy Project">{{cite web |last1=Dawson |first1=Michael |title=Chicago Democracy Project - Welcome! |url=http://chicagodemocracy.org/oldsite.jsp |website=Chicago Democracy Project |publisher=University of Chicago |access-date=4 September 2018 |archive-date=December 8, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181208052220/http://chicagodemocracy.org/oldsite.jsp |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
! Period !! 1st Ward !! 2nd Ward !! 42nd Ward !! 4th Ward !! 25th Ward
|-
| 1923–1938 ||{{Party shading/Democratic}}| [[John Coughlin (alderman)|John Coughlin]], Democratic || rowspan="9"|''Not in ward''||rowspan="9"|''Not in ward''||rowspan="11"|''Not in ward''||rowspan="11"|''Not in ward''
|-
| 1938–1939 || Vacant
|-
| 1939–1943 || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| [[Michael Kenna (politician)|Michael Kenna]], Democratic
|-
| 1943–1951 || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| John Budinger, Democratic
|-
| 1951–1963 || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| [[John D'Arco Sr.]], Democratic
|-
| 1963 || {{Party shading/Democratic}}| Michael Fiorito, Democratic
|-
| 1963 || Vacant
|-
| 1963–1968 ||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Donald Parrillo, Democratic
|-
| 1968–1993 ||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[Fred Roti]], Democratic
|-
| 1993–2007 ||rowspan="4"|''Not in ward'' ||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|Madeline Haithcock, Democratic ||{{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[Burton Natarus]], Democratic 
|-
| 2007–2015 || {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[Robert Fioretti]], Democratic ||rowspan="3" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[Brendan Reilly (politician)|Brendan Reilly]], Democratic 
|-
| 2015–2019 ||rowspan="2"|''Not in ward'' ||rowspan="2" {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[Sophia King]], Democratic || {{Party shading/Democratic}}|[[Daniel Solis]], Democratic
|-
| 2019–present || {{Party shading/Independent}}|[[Byron Sigcho-Lopez]], Independent
|}

In the [[Cook County Board of Commissioners]] the eastern half of the area is part of the 3rd district, represented by Democrat [[Jerry Butler]], while the western half is part of the 2nd district, represented by Democrat [[Dennis Deer]].<ref name="County Map">{{cite web |title=Cook County Commissioner District Map &#124; Cook County Open Data |url=https://datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov/Finance-Administration/Cook-County-Commissioner-District-Map/ihae-id2m |website=Cook County Government Open Data |publisher=Cook County |access-date=December 9, 2018 |archive-date=December 9, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181209213557/https://datacatalog.cookcountyil.gov/Finance-Administration/Cook-County-Commissioner-District-Map/ihae-id2m |url-status=live }}</ref>

===State===
In the [[Illinois House of Representatives]], the community area is roughly evenly split lengthwise between, from east to west, Districts 26, 5, and 6, represented respectively by Democrats [[Kambium Buckner]], [[Lamont Robinson]], and [[Sonya Harper]], with a minuscule portion in District 9 represented by Democrat [[Lakesia Collins]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Illinois House |url=https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/illinois-house/ |website=Illinois Policy |date=April 20, 2016 |access-date=4 September 2018 |archive-date=December 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201215043535/https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/illinois-house/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the [[Illinois Senate]] most of the community area is in District 3, represented by Democrat [[Mattie Hunter]], while a large part in the east is part of District 13, represented by Democrat [[Robert Peters (Illinois politician)|Robert Peters]], and a very small part in the west is part of District 5, represented by Democrat [[Patricia Van Pelt]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Illinois Senate |url=https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/illinois-senate/ |website=Illinois Policy |date=April 20, 2016 |access-date=4 September 2018 |archive-date=December 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201219122651/https://www.illinoispolicy.org/maps/illinois-senate/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Federal===
The Loop community area has supported the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] in the past two presidential elections by large margins. In the [[United States presidential election in Illinois, 2016|2016 presidential election]], Loop residents cast 11,141 votes for [[Hillary Clinton]] and 2,148 votes for [[Donald Trump]] (79.43% to 15.31%).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/numbers/president-vice-president-every-neighborhood-map-election-results-voting-general-primary-illinois/|last=Ali|first=Tanveer|title=How Every Chicago Neighborhood Voted In The 2016 Presidential Election|newspaper=[[DNAInfo]]|date=November 9, 2016|access-date=October 4, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190924090904/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/numbers/president-vice-president-every-neighborhood-map-election-results-voting-general-primary-illinois/|archive-date=September 24, 2019}}</ref> In the [[United States presidential election in Illinois, 2012|2012 presidential election]], Loop residents cast 8,134 votes for [[Barack Obama]] and 2,850 votes for [[Mitt Romney]] (72.26% to 25.32%).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/numbers/obama-romney-president-vice-president-every-neighborhood-map-2012-election-results-voting-general-primary-illinois/|last=Ali|first=Tanveer|title=How Every Chicago Neighborhood Voted In The 2012 Presidential Election|newspaper=[[DNAInfo]]|date=November 9, 2012|access-date=October 4, 2019|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203045330/https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/numbers/obama-romney-president-vice-president-every-neighborhood-map-2012-election-results-voting-general-primary-illinois/|archive-date=February 3, 2019}}</ref>

In the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]], the area is wholly within [[Illinois's 7th congressional district]], which is the most Democratically leaning district in Illinois, according to the [[Cook Partisan Voting Index]], with a score of D+38, and represented by Democrat [[Danny K. Davis]].

'''List of United States representatives representing the Loop since 1903'''<ref name="Historic District Boundaries">{{cite web |title=U.S. Congressional District Shapefiles |url=http://cdmaps.polisci.ucla.edu/ |publisher=UCLA |access-date=January 8, 2019 |archive-date=October 20, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141020123304/http://cdmaps.polisci.ucla.edu/ |url-status=live }}</ref><br/>[[Illinois's 1st congressional district]] (1903 &ndash; 1963):
*[[Martin Emerich]], Democratic (March 4, 1903 &ndash; March 3, 1905)
*[[Martin B. Madden]], Republican (March 4, 1905 &ndash; April 27, 1928)
*''Vacant'' (April 27, 1928 &ndash; March 3, 1929)
*[[Oscar Stanton De Priest]], Republican (March 4, 1929 &ndash; January 3, 1935)
*[[Arthur W. Mitchell]], Democratic (January 3, 1935 &ndash; January 3, 1943)
*[[William L. Dawson (politician)|William L. Dawson]], Democratic (January 3, 1943 &ndash; January 3, 1963)
[[Illinois's 7th congressional district]] (1963&ndash;present):
*[[Roland V. Libonati]], Democratic (January 3, 1963 &ndash; January 3, 1965)
*[[Frank Annunzio]], Democratic (January 3, 1965 &ndash; January 3, 1973)
*''Vacant'' (January 3 &ndash; June 5, 1973)
*[[Cardiss Collins]], Democratic (June 5, 1973 &ndash; January 3, 1997)
*[[Danny K. Davis]], Democratic (January 3, 1997 &ndash; present)

==Transportation==
[[File:CTA loop junction.jpg|thumb|The northwest corner of the CTA Loop, which was once the busiest railroad junction in the world.]]
The Loop area derives its name from transportation networks present in it.

===Public transportation===
Passenger lines reached seven Loop-area stations by the 1890s, with transfers from one to the other being a major business for taxi drivers prior to the advent of Amtrak in the 1970s and the majority of trains being concentrated at [[Chicago Union Station]] across the river in the [[Near West Side, Chicago|Near West Side]]. The construction of a streetcar loop in 1882 and the [[The Loop (CTA)|elevated railway loop]] in the 1890s gave the area its name and cemented its dominance in the city.

In [[Metra]] the [[Millennium Station]], which serves as the Chicago terminal of the [[Metra Electric District]] line that goes to [[University Park, Illinois|University Park]], and [[LaSalle Street Station]], which serves as the Chicago terminal of the [[Rock Island District]] line bound for [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]], are in the Loop.<ref name="Metra Map"/> In addition to the terminals, the [[Van Buren Street station]] and [[Museum Campus/11th Street station]] on the Electric District line are also in the Loop.<ref name="Metra Map"/> All stations in the Loop are in Zone A for fare collection purposes.<ref name="Metra Map">{{cite web |title=System Map |url=https://metrarail.com/maps-schedules/system-map |publisher=Metra |access-date=15 January 2020 |archive-date=January 10, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200110001438/https://metrarail.com/maps-schedules/system-map |url-status=live }}</ref> The interurban [[South Shore Line]], which goes to [[South Bend, Indiana]], has its Chicago terminal at Millennium Station.

All lines of the [[Chicago "L"]] except the [[Yellow Line (CTA)|Yellow Line]] serve the Loop area for at least some hours. The [[State Street Subway]] and [[Dearborn Street Subway]], respectively parts of the [[Red Line (CTA)|Red Line]] and [[Blue Line (CTA)|Blue Line]], are in the Loop area and offer 24/7 service; the Red and Blue Lines are the only rapid transit lines in the United States west of the Appalachian Mountains to offer such service. Bus Rapid Transit has been implemented in the Loop.

===Private transportation and roads===
[[File:Ame05005 04.jpg|thumb|A sign commemorating the terminus of Route 66]]
Chicago's address system has been standardized as beginning at the intersection of State and Madison Streets since September 1, 1909.<ref name="Grid">{{cite web |last1=Bentley |first1=Chris |title=The guy who made it easy to navigate Chicago |date=May 20, 2015 |url=https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/the-unsung-hero-of-urban-planning-who-made-it-easy-to-get-around-chicago/43dcf0ab-6c2b-49c3-9ccf-08a52b5d325a |publisher=WBEZ Chicago |access-date=15 January 2020 |archive-date=January 15, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115233332/https://www.wbez.org/shows/wbez-news/the-unsung-hero-of-urban-planning-who-made-it-easy-to-get-around-chicago/43dcf0ab-6c2b-49c3-9ccf-08a52b5d325a |url-status=live }}</ref> Until then, Chicago's street system was a hodgepodge of various systems resulting from the different municipalities Chicago annexed in the late 19th century.<ref name="Grid"/> Implementation of the new street system was delayed by two years in the Loop to allow businesses time to acclimate to their new addresses.<ref name="Grid"/>

Several streets in the Loop have [[Multilevel streets in Chicago|multiple levels]], some as many as three. The most prominent of these is [[Wacker Drive]], which faces the Chicago River throughout the area. [[Illinois Center]] neighborhood has three-level streets.

The eastern terminus of [[U.S. Route 66 in Illinois|US&nbsp;66]], an iconic U.S. highway first charted in 1926,{{sfn|Teague|p=88|ps=none}} was at Jackson Boulevard and [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]].{{sfn|Teague|p=2|ps=none}} When Illinois and [[Missouri]] agreed that the local signage for US&nbsp;66 should be replaced by that of [[Interstate 55 in Illinois|Interstate&nbsp;55]] (I-55) as the highway was predominately north–south in those states,{{efn|It is standard practice in the United States, both with [[United States Numbered Highway System|U. S. Route]]s and [[Interstate Highway System|Interstate]]s, to number north-south roads with odd numbers and east-west roads with even numbers.}} most signs of the former highway in Chicago were removed without incident, but the final sign on the corner of Jackson and Michigan was removed with great fanfare on January 13, 1977, and replaced with a sign reading "END OF ROUTE 66".{{sfn|Teague|pp=2–3|ps=none}}

The first anti-parking ordinance of streets in the Loop was passed on May 1, 1918, in order to help streetcars, and had been advocated by [[Chicago Surface Lines]].{{sfn|Lind|p=200|ps=none}} This law banned the parking of any vehicle between 7 and 10 a.m. and 4 and 7 p.m. on a street used by streetcars; approximately 1,000 violators of this law were arrested in the first month of the ordinance's enforcement.{{sfn|Lind|pp=200–201|ps=none}} The [[La Salle Hotel]]'s parking garage was the first high-rise parking garage in the Loop, constructed in 1917 at the corner of Washington and [[LaSalle Street]]s<ref name="Parking">{{cite encyclopedia |last=Mabwa |first=Nasutsa M. |title=Parking |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Chicago |publisher=Chicago Historical Society |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/959.html |access-date=January 15, 2020 |archive-date=December 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191231132843/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/959.html |url-status=live }}</ref> and remaining in service until its demolition in 2005.<ref name="LaSalle demolition">{{cite news |last1=Francisco |first1=Jamie |title=Hailed for its innovation, but razed as out-of-date |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-04-01-0504010258-story.html |url-access=limited |access-date=15 January 2020 |work=Chicago Tribune |date=April 1, 2005 |archive-date=January 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200116010313/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2005-04-01-0504010258-story.html |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 1920s old buildings were purchased in the area and converted to parking structures.<ref name="Parking"/> More high-rise garages and parking lots were constructed in the 1930s, which also saw the advent of double-deck parking.<ref name="Parking"/> The first [[parking meter]]s were installed in 1947 and private garages were regulated in 1957; they were banned outright in the Loop in the 1970s in response to federal air-quality standards.<ref name="Parking"/> The first underground garages were built by the city in the early 1950s.<ref name="Parking"/>

All residences and places of employment within the Loop are in highly walkable areas;{{sfn|CMAP|p=10|ps=none}} the [[Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning]] defines such areas based on population density, the length of city blocks, tree canopy cover, fatalities or grievous injuries incurred by pedestrians and bicyclists in the area, the density of intersections, and amenities located near the area.<ref name="Walkability">{{cite web |title=Population and Jobs in Highly Walkable Areas |url=https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/2050/indicators/walkable-areas |publisher=Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning |access-date=15 January 2020 |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114024958/https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/2050/indicators/walkable-areas |url-status=live }}</ref> 33.3% of Loop residents walk or bike to work compared to 7.3% citywide.{{sfn|CMAP|p=8|ps=none}} An additional 19.4% of Loop residents use transit for a daily commute, while 23.4% of residents citywide do.{{sfn|CMAP|p=8|ps=none}} Just 22.2% of Loop residents drive to work alone or in a carpool, compared to 54.9% of all Chicago residents and 72.5% in the greater Chicago region.{{sfn|CMAP|p=8|ps=none}} By household, 47.2% of Loop residents have no access to a personal vehicle, compared to 26.4% citywide and 12.6% regionally.{{sfn|CMAP|p=8|ps=none}}

==Geography and neighborhoods==
The Loop is Community Area 32.<ref name="Encyclopedia"/> In addition to the financial ([[West Loop–LaSalle Street Historic District]]), theatre, and jewelry ([[Jewelers Row District]]) districts, there are neighborhoods that are also part of the Loop community area.

===New Eastside===
[[File:20090524 Buildings along Chicago River line the south border of the Near North Side and Streeterville and the north border of Chicago Loop, Lakeshore East and Illinois Center.jpg|alt=The Chicago River is the south border of the Near North Side and the north border of the Loop, which is pictured here; the Loop's Near East Side is to the left in this picture.|thumb|left|The [[Chicago River]] is the south border of the [[Near North Side, Chicago|Near North Side]] (right) and the north border of the '''Loop'''; the Loop's '''Near East Side''' is to the left in this picture.]]

According to the 2010 census, 29,283 people live in the neighborhoods in or near the Loop. The median sale price for residential real estate was $710,000 in 2005 according to Forbes.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-feb-elements-of-urbanism-chicago|title= Elements of Urbanism: Chicago|access-date= February 14, 2018|archive-date= February 14, 2018|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20180214142216/https://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2009-feb-elements-of-urbanism-chicago|url-status= live}}</ref> In addition to the government, financial, theatre and shopping districts, there are neighborhoods that are also part of the Loop community area. For much of its history this Section was used for [[Illinois Central]] rail yards, including the IC's [[Great Central Station]], with commercial buildings along Michigan Avenue. The New Eastside is a mixed-use district bordered by Michigan Avenue to the west, the Chicago River to the north, Randolph Street to the south, and Lake Shore Drive to the east. It encompasses the entire Illinois Center and Lakeshore East<ref>{{cite web|url= http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7858/lseneigh7jh.jpg|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20060725213017/http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/7858/lseneigh7jh.jpg|url-status= dead|archive-date= July 25, 2006|title= Lakeshore East Map}}</ref> is the latest lead-developer of the 1969 Planned Development #70, as well as separate developments like Aon Center, Prudential Plaza, Park Millennium Condominium Building, Hyatt Regency Chicago, and the Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park. The area has a triple-level street system and is bisected by Columbus Drive. Most of this district has been developed on land that was originally water and once used by the Illinois Central Railroad rail yards. The early buildings in this district such as the Aon Center and [[One Prudential Plaza]] used airspace rights in order to build above the railyards. The New Eastside Association of Residents (NEAR) has been the recognized community representative (Illinois non-profit corporation) since 1991 and is a 501(c)(3) IRS tax-exempt organization.

The [[Multilevel streets in Chicago|triple-level street system]] allows for trucks to mainly travel and make deliveries on the lower levels, keeping traffic to a minimum on the upper levels. Through north–south traffic uses Middle Columbus and the bridge over the Chicago River. East–west through traffic uses either Middle Randolph or Upper and Middle Wacker between Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive.

===Printer's Row===
[[Printer's Row, Chicago|Printer's Row]], also known as Printing House Row, is a neighborhood located in the southern portion of the Loop community area of Chicago. It is centered on Dearborn Street from [[Congress Parkway|Ida B. Wells Drive]] on the north to Polk Street on the south, and includes buildings along Plymouth Court on the east and Federal Street to the west. Most of the buildings in this area were built between 1886 and 1915 for house [[printing]], [[publisher|publishing]], and related businesses. Today, the buildings have mainly been converted into residential lofts. Part of Printer's Row is an official landmark district, called the [[Printing House Row District]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/landmarksweb/web/districtdetails.htm?disId=27|title=Printing House Row District|work=Chicago Landmarks|publisher=City of Chicago|access-date=1 December 2013|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203010838/http://webapps.cityofchicago.org/landmarksweb/web/districtdetails.htm?disId=27|url-status=live}}</ref> The annual [[Printers Row Lit Fest]] is held in early June along Dearborn Street.<ref>{{cite news|title=Printers Row Lit Fest|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/printersrowlitfest/|access-date=1 December 2013|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203045614/http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/printersrowlitfest/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===South Loop===
Most of the area south of Ida B. Wells Drive between Lake Michigan and the [[Chicago River]], except Chinatown, is called the South Loop. Perceptions of the southern boundary of the neighborhood have changed as development spread south, and the name is now used as far south as 26th Street.

The neighborhood includes former railyards that have been redeveloped as new-town-in-town such as [[Dearborn Park]] and Central Station. Former warehouses and factory lofts have been converted to residential buildings, while new townhouses and highrises have been developed on vacant or underused land. [[Dearborn Station]] at the south end of [[South Loop Printing House District|Printers Row]], is the oldest train station still standing in Chicago; it has been converted to retail and office space. A major landowner in the South Loop is [[Columbia College Chicago]], a private school that owns 17 buildings.

South Loop is zoned to the following Chicago Schools: South Loop School and [[Phillips Academy High School]]. [[Jones College Prep High School]], which is a selective enrollment [[University-preparatory school|prep school]] drawing students from the entire city, is also located in the South Loop.

The South Loop was historically home to vice districts, including the brothels, bars, burlesque theaters, and arcades. Inexpensive residential hotels on Van Buren and State Street made it one of the city's Skid Rows until the 1970s. One of the largest homeless shelters in the city, the [[Pacific Garden Mission]], was located at State and Balbo from 1923 to 2007, when it moved to 1458 S. Canal St.

===Historic Michigan Boulevard District===
The Loop contains the [[Chicago Landmark]] [[Historic Michigan Boulevard District]], which is the section of [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]] opposite [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]] and [[Millennium Park]].

Historical images and current architecture of the Chicago Loop can be found in [http://explore.chicagocollections.org/records/?f2-types=Digital+Images&f1-neighborhoods=Loop Explore Chicago Collections], a digital repository made available by [[Chicago Collections]] archives, libraries and other cultural institutions in the city.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Long|first1=Elizabeth|title=A Single Portal to Chicago's History|url=http://news.lib.uchicago.edu/blog/2015/10/21/a-single-portal-to-chicago-history/|website=The University of Chicago News|access-date=17 September 2016|archive-date=October 16, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016215406/http://news.lib.uchicago.edu/blog/2015/10/21/a-single-portal-to-chicago-history/|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Loop Retail Historic District===
The [[Loop Retail Historic District]] is a shopping district within the Chicago Loop community area in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is bounded by Lake Street to the north, Ida B. Wells Drive to the south, State Street to the west, and Wabash Avenue to the east. The district has the highest density of National Historic Landmark, National Register of Historic Places and Chicago Landmark designated buildings in Chicago. It hosts several historic buildings including former [[department store]] flagship locations Marshall Field and Company Building (now Macy's at State Street), and the Sullivan Center (formerly Carson, Pirie, Scott and Company Building).

==Education==
===Colleges and universities===
[[Columbia College Chicago]] and [[Roosevelt University]] are in the Loop. [[DePaul University]] also has a campus in the Loop. The [[University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign]] and [[University of Notre Dame]] run their EMBA programs in their Chicago Campuses in the Loop.

[[National-Louis University]] is in the [[Peoples Gas Building]] on [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]] across the street from the [[Art Institute of Chicago]]. The [[School of the Art Institute of Chicago]], one of the nation's largest independent schools of art and design, is headquartered in [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]].

[[Harold Washington College]] is a [[City Colleges of Chicago]] community college located in the Loop. [[Adler School of Professional Psychology]] is a college located in the Loop. [[Argosy University]] has its head offices on the thirteenth floor of 205 North Michigan Avenue in [[Michigan Plaza]].<ref name="Baeb">{{cite web|author=Baeb, Eddie|url=http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27120&seenIt=1|title=School moving Chicago campus, HQ to Michigan Avenue|publisher=[[Crain Communications|Chicago Business News]]|date=November 14, 2007|access-date=January 31, 2009|archive-date=April 15, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415113906/http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=27120&seenIt=1|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/argosy-university-chicago-campus-nd-semester-summer-classes-start-today-new/ |title=Argosy University, Chicago Campus 2nd Semester Summer Classes Start Today at New Location on Michigan Avenue |publisher=[[Fox Business]] |access-date=January 31, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415154615/http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/argosy-university-chicago-campus-nd-semester-summer-classes-start-today-new/ |archive-date=April 15, 2009}}</ref> [[Harrington College of Design]] has been at 200 West Madison Street since relocating from the Merchandise Mart.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.interiordesign.edu/about_harrington/our_history/index.asp |title=History of Our Design School |publisher=Interiordesign.edu |access-date=2010-06-01 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120803140532/http://www.interiordesign.edu/about_harrington/our_history/index.asp |archive-date=August 3, 2012 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> [[Trinity Christian College]] offers an accelerated teaching certification program at 1550 S. State Street in the South Loop.

[[Spertus Institute]], a center for Jewish learning and culture, is at 610 S. Michigan Ave. Graduate level courses (Master and Doctorate) are offered in Jewish Studies, Jewish Professional Studies and Non-profit Management. At 180 North Wabash Avenue is [[Meadville Lombard Theological School]], which is affiliated with the [[Unitarian Universalist Association]], a liberal, progressive seminary offering graduate-level theological and ministerial training. East-West University is at 816 S Michigan Ave.

===Primary and secondary schools===
[[Chicago Public Schools]] serves Loop residents. Some residents are zoned to the South Loop School and some to the [[Ogden International School]] for grades K-8.<ref>"[http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Zone%20maps/Elem_Near_North_West_Central.pdf Near North/West/Central Elementary Schools] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090612063906/http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Zone%20maps/Elem_Near_North_West_Central.pdf |date=June 12, 2009 }}" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20130517085518/http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Zone%20maps/Elem_Near_North_West_Central.pdf Archive]). [[Chicago Public Schools]]. May 17, 2013. Retrieved on May 25, 2015.</ref> Some residents are zoned to [[Phillips Academy High School]] and others to [[Wells Community Academy High School]].<ref>"[https://web.archive.org/web/20130517084022/http://www.cps.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/Zone%20maps/HS_West_Central_South.pdf West/Central/South High Schools]" (). [[Chicago Public Schools]]. May 17, 2013. Retrieved on May 25, 2015.</ref> Any graduate of Ogden's 8th grade program may move on to the 9th grade at Ogden, but students who did not graduate from Ogden's middle school must apply to the high school.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ogden.cps.edu/admissions--school-forms.html|title=Admissions|publisher=Ogden International School|access-date=2020-04-04|quote=Graduates of 8th grade at Jenner Campus can automatically enroll in 9th grade at Ogden's West Campus. If your child graduated from a different middle school [...]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222173612/http://ogden.cps.edu/admissions--school-forms.html|archive-date=December 22, 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Jones College Prep High School]], a public [[Magnet school|selective enrollment]] school, is also located here.

[[Muchin College Prep]], a [[Noble Network of Charter Schools]], is also located here, in the heart of Chicago on State Street.

Private schools:
* [[British International School of Chicago, South Loop]]
* [[GEMS World Academy-Chicago]]

==Parks and recreation==
The Loop has several parks.

===Chicago Riverwalk===
{{Main|Chicago Riverwalk}}

The Chicago Riverwalk spans the southern edge of the Chicago River.

===Grant Park===
{{Main|Grant Park, Chicago}}

Grant Park is on the shore of Lake Michigan. Set aside in the late 19th century, it was originally known as "Lake Park" but was renamed for Civil War general and U.S. President [[Ulysses Grant]]. [[Buckingham Fountain]] was constructed in 1927 in Grant Park.

===Maggie Daley Park===
{{Main|Maggie Daley Park}}

Maggie Daley Park is east of Millennium Park.

===Millennium Park===
{{Main|Millennium Park}}

Millennium Park is northwest of Grant Park. Originally intended to celebrate the new millennium, it opened in 2004.

===Printer's Row Park===
Officially known as Park No. 543, this park is in the Printer's Row neighborhood.<ref name="Printer's Row Park">{{cite web |title=Park No. 543 |url=https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/park-no-543 |publisher=Chicago Park District |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114183254/https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/park-no-543 |url-status=live }}</ref> It contains a community garden and an ornamental fountain.<ref name="Printer's Row Park"/>

===Pritzker Park===
Pritzker Park is on [[State Street (Chicago)|State Street]]<ref name="Pritzker Park">{{cite web |title=Pritzker Park |url=https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/pritzker-park |publisher=Chicago Park District |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114185618/https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/pritzker-park |url-status=live }}</ref> near [[Harold Washington Library]]. It occupies the site of the Rialto Hotel, which was demolished in 1990.<ref name="Pritzker Park"/> It is a green space developed by Ronald Jones and named for [[Cindy Pritzker]].<ref name="Pritzker Park"/> Originally constructed by the Chicago Department of Planning and Development, the Chicago Park District took control of it in 2008.<ref name="Pritzker Park"/> It has a short wall with quotes from famous writers and philosophers.<ref name="Pritzker Park"/>

===Theodore Roosevelt Park===
Theodore Roosevelt Park is in the South Loop.<ref name="Roosevelt Park">{{cite web |title=Roosevelt (Theodore) Park |url=https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/roosevelt-theodore-park |publisher=Chicago Park District |access-date=14 January 2020 |archive-date=January 14, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200114183250/https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/roosevelt-theodore-park |url-status=live }}</ref> Named for U.S. President [[Theodore Roosevelt]], it was constructed beginning in 1980 as an adjunct to the Dearborn Park homes.<ref name="Roosevelt Park"/> It contains open space and three tennis courts.<ref name="Roosevelt Park"/> It is on Roosevelt Road, also named for Roosevelt.<ref name="Roosevelt Park"/>

==See also==
* [[List of neighborhoods in Chicago]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Bibliography==
*{{cite web |date=June 2021 |website=cmap.illinois.gov |publisher=Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning |url=https://www.cmap.illinois.gov/documents/10180/126764/The+Loop.pdf |title=Community Data Snapshot - The Loop |access-date=August 1, 2021 |ref={{harvid|CMAP}}}}
*{{cite book|title=Chicago Surface Lines: An Illustrated History |last=Lind |first=Alan R. |year=1974 |publisher=Transport History Press |location=Park Forest, Illinois|ref={{harvid|Lind}}}}
*{{cite book |date=1991 |last=Teague |first=Tom |title=Searching for 66 |location=Springfield, Illinois |publisher=Samizdat House |isbn=0-940859-09-2 |ref={{harvid|Teague}} |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/searchingfor660000teag }}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikivoyage|Chicago/Loop|The Loop}}
{{Wikivoyage|Loop Art Tour}}
*[http://www.cityofchicago.org/content/dam/city/depts/doit/general/GIS/Chicago_Maps/Community_Areas/CA_LOOP.pdf City of Chicago Loop Community Map]
*[https://chicagocollections.org/ Chicago Collections Consortium]
*[https://loopchicago.com/ Chicago Loop Alliance]
*[https://greatersouthloop.org/ Greater South Loop Association] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511185325/https://greatersouthloop.org/ |date=May 11, 2021 }}
*[http://www.pdnachicago.com/ Prairie District Neighborhood Alliance]

{{Chicago Loop}}
{{Geographic Location
| Center = Loop
| North = [[Near North Side, Chicago|Near North Side]]
| East = [[Lake Michigan]]
| South = [[Near South Side, Chicago|Near South Side]]
| Southwest = [[Lower West Side, Chicago|Lower West Side]]
| West = [[Near West Side, Chicago|Near West Side]]
| Northwest = [[West Town, Chicago|West Town]]
}}
{{Navboxes|list=
{{Grant Park}}
{{Community areas of Chicago}}
{{Neighborhoods in Chicago}}
{{Chicago}}
}}
{{authority control}}
{{Portal bar|Chicago|Illinois}}

[[Category:Central business districts in the United States]]
[[Category:Central Chicago]]
[[Category:Community areas of Chicago]]
[[Category:Geography of Chicago|Loop]]