Street Numbering Changes Guide
Chicago street numbers were changed in 1909 to the system we use now, with State and Madison as a zero point and numbers radiating out north, south, east and west. You will find a complete explanation of this change on page 2 of this volume, before the lists of numbering changes begin.
- To search for a specific street address, click on the letter of the alphabet that your street name begins with. This will take you to the beginning page for that letter. You can then "flip" the pages until you find your street. Numeric streets are listed alphabetically as if spelled out (e.g., Sixty-fourth; Ninety-fifth).
- Street numbers are listed underneath each street in columns. Current odd numbers are on the left with their equivalent old numbers next to them; current even numbers are on the right with their equivalent old numbers next to them.
If you don't find the number you're looking for:
- The street name may have changed since 1909. Check the Street Name Changes guide.
- The number may not have changed. For north-south streets south of Roosevelt Road and east of the Chicago River, the numbering system was adjusted in 1880, so these numbers remained the same in 1909 and are not listed in this guide.
- There may not have been a building at this location in 1909. In the Research Center we may be able to help you find the location on an older map or find the cross streets in a street directory from a pre-1909 city directory.
- The number may not have changed until 1911, when numbers in the Loop area were adjusted. The 1911 changes will be available electronically soon.