Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive (Chicago)
| 400 East | |
 King Drive at 26th Street (2011) | |
| Former name(s) | Grand Boulevard & South Park Avenue |
|---|---|
| Location | Chicago |
| North end | Cermak Road (2200 S) |
| Major junctions | |
| South end | 115th Street (11500 S) |
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, locally referred to as King Drive is a major north–south street on the South Side of Chicago. It was formerly named South Park Way, and originally called Grand Boulevard. Chicago became the first city in the world to name a street after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1968 following his assassination.[1] The street runs continuously from Cermak Road (22nd Street) on the north to 115th Street on the south. It runs at 400 East or four blocks east of State Street in Chicago's city grid. The street is a major corridor of Black history and culture in Chicago.
Route description
King Drive begins at Cermak Road (22nd Street) by McCormick Place in the Near South Side community area. Just south of McCormick Place, the street runs underneath the Stevenson Expressway (Interstate 55). Here, King Drive enters the Douglas community area, The northern half of the historic Bronzeville neighborhood, a focal point of Black History and culture in Chicago. At 25th Street, just south of the expressway, there is the Monument to the Great Northern Migration.[2] a statue honoring the African-Americans who migrated from the Southern United States north to Chicago. From here to 35th Street, King Drive is a walk of fame to African-American pioneers who made their impact on American history.[3] At 30th Street is Dunbar High School. At 31st Street is the historic Olivet Baptist Church, the oldest operating African American Baptist church in Chicago and the second oldest African American congregation in the city. At 33rd Street is the site of Camp Douglas, a Civil War POW Camp marked by a historic marker.[4]
Transportation
King Drive is served by two Chicago Transit Authority bus routes: routes 3 and 111.
The #3 King Drive runs daily from Northwestern Memorial Hospital on the Near North Side to 95th/Dan Ryan Red Line station. After departing from the said hospital, the route travels south along Michigan Avenue in Downtown and the Near South Side before turning east along Cermak Road near Wintrust Arena. The route curves south toward King Drive at McCormick Place and continues toward 95th Street. The route turns west along 95th Street toward the aforementioned Red Line station.[5][6]
There is a CTA train station at King Drive on the Green Line's East 63rd branch. The Metra Electric District's Kensington/115th Street station is near the southern end of King Drive at 115th Street.[5]
References
- ^ Kogan, Rich (January 16, 2019). "Chicago was the first of many cities to name a street for MLK. Now a Detroit filmmaker wants to make a movie about them". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Alison Saar's Monument to the Great Northern Migration". City of Chicago Public Art Program. City of Chicago. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Bronzeville Walk of Fame". Enjoy Illinois. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ "Camp Douglas Marker information". Illinois State Historical Society. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ a b "RTA System Map" (PDF). Regional Transportation Authority. February 2024. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
- ^ "3 King Drive (Bus Route Info)". Chicago Transit Authority. Retrieved August 25, 2024.
External link
Media related to King Drive, Chicago at Wikimedia Commons
