Michigan Avenue (Chicago)

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Michigan Avenue is Chicago’s famous north–south street at 100 East on the city grid. It runs from the lakefront at DuSable Lake Shore Drive in the Gold Coast to Sibley Boulevard in Dolton, Illinois, with several gaps in its line.

The street is best known for the Magnificent Mile, a long stretch of shops, restaurants, and hotels. It is also home to many landmarks, including the Water Tower, the Art Institute of Chicago, Millennium Park, and iconic buildings along the skyline such as the John Hancock Center, the Palmolive Building, and the Drake Hotel.

Historically, the name comes from Lake Michigan. Before 1871 it was called Michigan Boulevard (often “Boul Mich”). North of the Chicago River, the street was once Pine Street. After the Great Chicago Fire, lakefront land was filled in, moving the shoreline east and creating space for Grant Park. The two halves of Michigan Avenue were joined by the Michigan Avenue Bridge in 1920, and the street was later realigned in 1926 to separate the Water Tower pumping station from the street.

Downtown, Michigan Avenue runs by Grant Park and forms the Historic Michigan Boulevard District. The east side of the street was developed into a park area, while the west side grew into the city’s early skyline, with buildings like the Auditorium Building and the Chicago Public Library (now the Cultural Center).

South of downtown, Michigan Avenue passes through the Prairie Avenue District, the Levee District, Bronzeville, and other historic areas, including sites linked to Chess Records, the Lexington Hotel, and Motor Row. The street continues through several South Side neighborhoods and ends at Sibley Boulevard, with a separate segment continuing into nearby towns.

Transit and access: the Chicago L and Metra serve the Magnificent Mile area, with nearby stations such as Monroe, Jackson, Adams/Wabash, and Washington/Wabash, and Metra Electric at Millennium and Van Buren. Numerous bus routes serve downtown Michigan Avenue, though some sections on the South Side have more limited service.