Community areas of Chicago

Chicago is officially divided into 77 community areas. These areas help organize the city for planning and studying different parts of Chicago. Each area has its own set of statistics, making it easier to compare data over time. While these areas are different from the many neighborhoods in Chicago, they often match one neighborhood or include several smaller ones.

The idea of community areas started in the 1920s at the University of Chicago. Sociologists Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess believed that areas with similar physical features would naturally develop a shared identity. Except for two areas added later—O'Hare from land annexed in 1956 and Edgewater separated from Uptown in 1980—the boundaries have stayed the same. This stability has made these areas an important part of Chicago's culture, helping the city be seen as a "city of neighborhoods."

Some people have questioned whether areas with similar physical features always create a shared identity, especially since the city has changed in many ways over time, like the building of expressways. Still, these community areas remain a key way to understand and plan for different parts of Chicago. As of 2020, Near North Side is the most populous area with over 105,000 residents, while Burnside has the fewest, with just over 2,500. Other ways Chicago is divided include the "sides" based on the Chicago River, the 50 wards of the Chicago City Council, and church parishes.

History

During the 1800s, the Census Bureau used areas called wards for collecting data, but these changed often, making it hard to compare information over time. In 1910, Chicago started using smaller areas called census tracts. Later, a group at the University of Chicago wanted better ways to understand the city. They used natural features like railroads and the Chicago River to create consistent areas.

Two important people, Robert E. Park and Ernest Burgess, helped form these areas. They began with many small neighborhoods but grouped them into 75 larger community areas. These areas have been used to track important information about the city, like health data.

Only a few changes have been made to these areas. One change happened in 1956 when land was added to create an area around O'Hare International Airport. In 1980, Edgewater was separated from Uptown to better help the community improve local areas. There have also been small changes along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

Use and reception

The community areas in Chicago help people understand and plan the city. They are used by many groups, including those who study the city, help people in need, and report news. These areas have been used for many kinds of information, like where movies were shown and studies about young people.

Even though these areas were created by the University of Chicago, other schools, city planners, and the city itself use them too. They help make Chicago feel like a collection of friendly neighborhoods instead of one big, overwhelming city. Chicago was one of the first cities to use this kind of system, and many cities in the United States still don’t have something similar.

These areas don’t always match what people commonly think of as neighborhoods. For example, areas like Pilsen and Back of the Yards are well-known, but their official community areas are called Lower West Side and New City. Sometimes, the names used for these areas are older and have changed over time. While keeping the same boundaries can be helpful, it can also cause problems, like when highways were built and split neighborhoods without changing the area lines.

List of community areas

Community Area Demographics

Data as of 2023

Other geographic divisions

Further information: List of neighborhoods in Chicago

Chicago is traditionally split into three parts called the North Side, West Side, and South Side, following the path of the Chicago River. These three sides are shown by the white stripes on the Flag of Chicago. The city is also divided into 50 wards to elect one alderman each to the Chicago City Council. These wards can sometimes feel like neighborhoods too. Unlike community areas, wards are updated every ten years to match changes in population. In some areas with many churches, people often name their community after the parishes they belong to. For instance, someone might say, "I live in St. Gertrude's, but he is from Saint Ita's."