Chicago Community & Neighborhood Information

Jefferson Park is bounded by Montrose, Narragansett and Cicero Avenues and the Milwaukee Road tracks. Thousands of commuters pass through the neighborhood on their way to work each day. They ride the Union Pacific Railroad, hop on a bus or drive to the Jefferson Park rapid transit terminal on Milwaukee Avenue just south of Foster Avenue.

Jefferson Park was called the “gateway to Chicago” because farmers going to town would stop at the crossroads of Milwaukee Road and Higgins Avenue to water their horses. The majority of the early settlers were farmers from England and Luxembourg. As the neighborhood grew, Poles, Germans, Czechs, Scandinavians and Italians came to the area, many of whom were laborers, artisans and tradesmen.

Transportation
Residents who don’t live within walking distance of the Jefferson Park terminal can get there on one of the many CTA buses that run through the neighborhood. Both the CTA’s O’Hare-Congress-Douglas line rapid transit trains and Metra’s Union Pacific trains stop at the terminal and the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94) is a few minutes' drive from the neighborhood.

Recreation
The recreation hub is Jefferson Park itself. Park District activities range from swimming and tennis to a variety of arts-and-crafts.