Getting around Chicago

A huge part of your planning process will be figuring out where to stay for your White Sox experience. But before you do that, you need to understand how you’re going to get around town, both for sightseeing and also for getting to/from the ballpark. In many ways, your transit strategy may dictate your lodging strategy. 

As we mentioned in Chapter 2, the easiest way to get around town, and especially to/from Guaranteed Rate Field, will be the Chicago transit system, comprised of both city buses and the “L”, Chicago’s subway system. It’s inexpensive, it’s convenient, it’s easy to navigate, and it’s DEFINITELY how the locals do it! But there are other options as well, specifically taxi/rideshare or driving. We’ll cover them all.

Getting to Guaranteed Rate Field by Subway

If you are staying in the Loop or River North areas, then the most efficient way of getting to Guaranteed Rate Field will definitely be via subway. As you’ll see on the system map above, Guaranteed Rate Field is located at the Sox/35th stop on the Red Line, which runs from the Loop, through Chinatown, and right to the ballpark in the Bridgeview neighborhood. Once you’re on the subway, it’s about a 20-minute ride from The Loop to the ballpark.

Most hotels in the Loop and River North areas are within walking distance of a Red Line subway station. Get on the train heading south (towards 95th/Dan Ryan, NOT towards Howard, which is north) and you’ll be at Guaranteed Rate Field in 20 minutes, no transfers necessary. The fare is $2.50 for a one-way ride, regardless of where you get on the train. If you took the subway from one of the airports upon your arrival and purchased a multi-day transit pass, that pass will work for this ride as well. If you didn’t, you should consider buying a one-day pass at subway station before your departure (multi-day passes are only available at airport kiosks).

TSI TIP: The Green Line also has a station relatively close to the stadium (.2 miles east of the Sox/35th Red Line station): the 35th/Bronzeville/ITT station. As we’ve said before, Guaranteed Rate Field is not in the best part of Chicago, and there is far less foot traffic that will be going to/from the Green Line. We do not consider this option to be safe, particularly at night. If the Green Line better suits your destination needs, we recommend still taking the Red Line back to The Loop and transferring to a Green Line train there.

TSI TIP: Make sure you have a return ticket for your ride home after the game. Either purchase a multi-day pass at the airport, or at least buy a single-day pass at your departing station. Alternatively, you can pay with a chipped debit card or mobile pay at the turnstiles, without having to visit the ticket machine at all, which, if you haven’t purchased a daily pass, is a better option than waiting in line at a ticketing kiosk after the game.

Here’s how to get to Guaranteed Rate Field once you exit the Sox-35th train:

A note about safety on the Chicago subway to Guaranteed Rate Field

I mentioned this previously in the travel chapter, but I’ll say it again: Chicago has been having increased problems with safety on the subway, and I’ve personally noticed it in the last few years. Having said that, I will say this: if you are riding the subway in the typical “pregame window” (let’s say, 30-60 minutes before the game), or anytime around rush hour (after 4:30 or so on weekdays) you’ll likely be surrounded by a lot of other fans or commuters, and there’s no reason you should experience any problems. The same holds true for the ride after the game (even more so, because pretty much everyone leaves the game at the same time). But if you’re looking to get to the ballpark particularly early, when the train is less full of fellow fans, well… it could be less safe. It’s heartbreaking to say this, but there’s no need to sugarcoat it: I have concerns about telling tourists to go to Guaranteed Rate Field on the subway during off/odd hours. The chances that something bad will happen are very low. But the chances that you’ll feel uncomfortable/uneasy are higher.  

So I have to say… if you plan to get to the stadium particularly early, or are unsettled by the subway, do yourself a favor and book a rideshare. Depending on the day/time, the cost could be as little as $15-20 one way, so depending on how many people are in your party (each paying $2.50 on the subway), your added cost might not be that great.

But once you’re on the street on the path between the station and the ballpark, I have no concerns with safety. There is always a police presence on gamedays, as well as plenty of other fans.

Taking rideshare to Guaranteed Rate Field

If you’d rather avoid public transportation and don’t have a car, ridesharing is a great way to get to Guaranteed Rate Field. The White Sox have set up a designated pick up/drop off zone in Parking Lot A, which is on the north side of the stadium, in the lot closest to the expressway (the farthest east lot). There is plenty of signage to help you find it, and it makes for an easy experience. Even though the lot is called the “Uber Lot”, you can order a Lyft to this location as well. DO NOT attempt to have an Uber or Lyft meet you outside of these lots. The neighborhood around Guaranteed Rate Field is not the safest, and walking the streets in an attempt to find your driver is ill-advised. Plus, with the traffic patterns blocked off by various barriers, there’s just no way to know if your Lyft/Uber can even get to the location you’ve set if it’s not in the designated lot.

Getting a taxi from Guaranteed Rate Field would be close to impossible. There is no dedicated taxi stand, there won’t be any taxis standing around waiting, and calling one would be more trouble than it’s worth. Stick to Uber/Lyft.

The cost of a rideshare from Guaranteed Rate Field back to the Loop or River north will be anywhere from $15-$35 — it just depends on the time of day. There shouldn’t be a huge surge upcharge, because most people drive or take the subway to GRF, so demand is relatively low. While some stadiums make it pretty difficult and complicated to get a rideshare to/from their ballpark, the Sox have made it as easy as possible, so this is a good option if you’d rather go door to door and avoid the subway.

Driving to Guaranteed Rate Field

Of all the major stadiums in Chicago, Guaranteed Rate Field is probably the easiest to drive to. It’s located right off of the Expressway, has plenty of parking, and that parking isn’t soul crushing in terms of cost: on weekdays and Saturdays it’s $27, and on Sundays it’s only $17. Given those fairly average prices, there is absolutely NO reason to try to find parking outside of the official stadium lots. The stadium parking lots will be the safest and closest options, and it’s not worth roaming the neighborhood to save $5-$10. Plus, Guaranteed Rate Field is one of the few MLB stadiums where tailgating actually happens. So, if you’re inclined to grab some beverages and do some parking lot pre-gaming, Guaranteed Rate Field is a good place to do that. 

TSI TIP: be sure to purchase your parking in advance, since it will be $3 more to pay on gameday at the cash lots (which are also less conveniently located to the south of the ballpark).

Bottom Line

Realistically, taking the L is the easiest and cheapest means of getting to Guaranteed Rate Field, but if you’re not comfortable doing so, taking a rideshare is a reasonable and efficient option, as is driving yourself and parking. It just depends where you’re staying and if you have a car. 

We don’t want to scare you out of taking the L. Just stick to the 60-75 minutes prior to game time, or, if during the week, to rush hour when the train is busy. We would specifically suggest avoiding the train for an afternoon game during the week when there won’t be as many people on the train with you.