Global InformationChicago Loop information
The Loop | |
|---|---|
Community area &
central business district | |
| Community Area 32 – The Loop | |
 | |
 Interactive street map | |
 Location within the city of Chicago | |
| Coordinates: 41°52′52″N 87°37′47″W / 41.88111°N 87.62972°W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| City | Chicago |
| Neighborhoods | List
|
| Area | |
| • Total | 1.58 sq mi (4.09 km2) |
| Elevation [1] | 594 ft (181 m) |
| Population (2020)[2] | |
| • Total | 42,298 |
| • Density | 27,000/sq mi (10,000/km2) |
| population up 158.1% from 2000 | |
| Demographics 2021[2] | |
| • White | 56.7% |
| • Black | 8.1% |
| • Hispanic | 10.4% |
| • Asian | 20.9% |
| • Other | 4.0% |
| Educational Attainment 2021[2] | |
| • High School Diploma or Higher | 97.3% |
| • Bachelor's Degree or Higher | 82.2% |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes | 60601, 60602, 60603, 60604, and parts of 60605, 60606, 60607, and 60616 |
| Median household income 2021 | $115,988[2] |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services [clarification needed] | |
The Loop, one of Chicago's 77 designated community areas, is the central business district of the city and is the main section of Downtown Chicago. Home to Chicago's commercial core, it is the second largest commercial business district in North America after Midtown Manhattan in New York City, and contains the headquarters and regional offices of several global and national businesses, retail establishments, restaurants, hotels, and theaters, as well as many of Chicago's most famous attractions. It is home to Chicago's City Hall, the seat of Cook County, and numerous offices of other levels of government and consulates of foreign nations. The intersection of State Street and Madison Street is the origin point for the address system on Chicago's street grid. Most of Grant Park's 319 acres (129 hectares) are in the eastern section of the community area. The Loop community area is bounded on the north and west by the Chicago River, on the east by Lake Michigan, and on the south by Roosevelt Road.
In 1803, the United States Army built Fort Dearborn in what is now the Loop, 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 character of the area became commercial starting in the 1870s, especially after it was mostly destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. At that time some of the world's earliest skyscrapers were constructed in the area, starting a legacy of architecture that continues to this day. In the late 19th century, cable car turnarounds and a prominent elevated railway loop encircled the area, giving the Loop its name. Starting in the 1920s many highways were constructed in the Loop, most prominently U.S. Route 66, which opened in 1926 with its eastern terminus in the area.
While dominated by offices and public buildings, its residential population boomed during the latter 20th century and first decades of the 21st; its population has increased the most of Chicago's community areas since 1950.
- ^ a b "Chicago Loop". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. January 15, 1980.
- ^ a b c d "Community Data Snapshot - Loop" (PDF). cmap.illinois.gov. MetroPulse. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved November 17, 2023.