Damen station (CTA Blue Line)

Damen   2000W 1600N
Chicago 'L' rapid transit station
General information
Location	1558 North Damen Avenue Chicago, Illinois 60622
Coordinates	41°54′35″N 87°40′39″W / 41.90972°N 87.67750°W / 41.90972; -87.67750
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority (1947–present) Chicago Rapid Transit Company (1924–1947) See text before 1924
Line(s)	Blue Line
Platforms	2 side platforms
Tracks	2
Connections	#50, #56, and #72 bus routes
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Accessible
Other information
Website	www.transitchicago.com/station/damo/
History
Opened	May 6, 1895; 129 years ago (1895-05-06)
Previous names	Robey (before 1927)
Passengers
2022	947,465  34.3%
Rank	25 out of 143
Services
Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Western toward O'Hare Blue Line Division toward Forest Park
Former services Preceding station Chicago "L" Following station Western toward Logan Square Logan Square branch Division Closed 1951 toward Marshfield Western Closed 1952 toward Lawndale Humboldt Park branch through to Logan Square branch (pre-1951) or Terminus (1951-1952)
Track layout Legend Blue to O'Hare Damen Ave. Damen tower IL 64 (North Ave.) Milwaukee Ave. Blue to Forest Park
Location

Damen is a rapid transit station on the Chicago "L", currently serving the O'Hare branch of its Blue Line. Opened on May 6, 1895, as Robey, it is the oldest station on the Blue Line. The station serves the popular Bucktown and Wicker Park neighborhoods, and is consistently in the top 40 highest-ridership "L" stations. It has two wooden side platforms and a brick station house at street level. The west platform, serving southbound trains, contains a tower that has never been used but is a relic of the station's past. The station is served by three bus routes on Damen, Milwaukee, and North Avenues, which are each descended from streetcar lines on those streets in the early 20th century. The Blue Line has owl service; while the surrounding streetcar lines also had owl service in the early 20th century, the modern bus services do not.

Robey was constructed by the Metropolitan West Side Elevated Railroad to serve its Logan Square and Humboldt Park branches, being the last stop on the Logan Square branch before the Humboldt Park branch diverged from it. The Metropolitan's operations, along with the rest of the "L", were assumed by the private Chicago Rapid Transit Company in 1924 and the public Chicago Transit Authority in 1947. The rail lines that had been constructed by the Metropolitan were significantly altered in the 1950s, a process that entailed the closure of the Humboldt Park branch and the replacement of the Logan Square branch south of Damen with the Milwaukee–Dearborn subway. By 1958, this had created the "West-Northwest Route", which was renamed the Blue Line in 1992. The Logan Square branch, renamed the "Milwaukee branch" during this process, was extended to O'Hare International Airport in 1984, forming the O'Hare branch.

Throughout these changes, the Damen station itself remained remarkably well-preserved, being among other things one of the last stations on the "L" system to retain its historic gooseneck lights. Having contributed to the neighborhood's historical development, the station is a contributing property to the Chicago landmarked Milwaukee Avenue District, although it is not itself landmarked. After suffering a decline in the mid-to-late 20th century, the station and neighborhood were in poor shape by the 1980s, though the station received a renovation for the 100th anniversary of its opening in 1995. The neighborhood and station's popularity increased in the early 21st century, leading to another renovation in 2014. Despite these renovations, the station remains limited in its accessibility for disabled patrons due to its advanced age and the neighborhood's protected status.