Chicago Drivers Daily Road & Traffic Alert — Sunday, October 11, 2026
Afzaal Zeb ·
Sunday’s Bank of America Chicago Marathon will create the week’s most extensive street closures. The course crosses 29 neighborhoods, with rolling closures generally from 6 a.m. into the late afternoon; downtown setup and no-parking rules begin earlier.
DOWNTOWN / LOOP
• Grant Park: Michigan Avenue from Madison to Balbo closes at 4 a.m. until 4 p.m.; Michigan from Balbo to Roosevelt closes at 5:30 a.m. until 6 p.m.; Roosevelt from Michigan to Columbus closes from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. Other Balbo, Jackson, Columbus, Monroe, Ida B. Wells and Congress Plaza segments remain closed from marathon setup.
• Course streets: Starting at 6 a.m., major closures include Columbus, Grand, Dearborn, Jackson, LaSalle, Wells, Wacker and Adams. Reopenings occur in stages as the final runners pass—from roughly 10:30 a.m. near mile one to 6 p.m. near the finish. No parking along the course is enforced from 1 a.m., with towing from posted zones.
• Loop escape route: Clark Street operates temporarily in both directions between Lake and Adams from about 6 a.m. to noon. Drivers will be directed north on Clark and east on Lake to Garvey Court for Lower Wacker. Follow police instructions; the pattern returns to normal after race closures lift.
NORTH, WEST AND SOUTH SIDE COURSE
• North Side closures include LaSalle, Stockton, Fullerton, Cannon, Sheridan, Broadway, Clark, Webster, Sedgwick and North Avenue, generally reopening between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
• West and Near South Side closures include Adams to Damen, Jackson to Halsted, Halsted, Taylor, Loomis, 18th, 21st, Canalport and Cermak. Reopenings generally progress from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The South Side course continues on Wentworth, 26th, Michigan, 35th, Indiana and 31st, with reopenings extending to about 4:30 p.m.
EXPRESSWAYS AND THROUGH ROUTES
• The Kennedy, Dan Ryan, Eisenhower and Stevenson remain open, but the Kennedy’s Adams Street exit is closed. DuSable Lake Shore Drive remains open in both directions. Useful alternatives include Milwaukee Avenue west of the Loop, Clybourn and Lincoln north of downtown, and Ashland or Archer south and west of the course. Expect congestion at every open crossing.
• CTA buses remain rerouted around the event through Sunday evening or early Monday. A bus reroute does not mean every street on its detour is fully closed to cars.
OFFICIAL SOURCES
Chicago Marathon street-by-street schedule: https://www.chicagomarathon.com/event-info/participant-information/course/street-closures/ (opens in a new tab)
CTA weekday service changes: https://www.transitchicago.com/weekday/ (opens in a new tab)
City traffic conditions: https://tas.chicago.gov/ (opens in a new tab)
