California station
Blue Line · stairs only
Lines
Position
Through station
Service hours
24 hoursTrains all night
Step-free access
NoStairs only — not step-free
California station on the Blue Line
California is a station on the Blue Line of the Chicago ‘L’.
Trains call here around the clock — the Blue Line is one of only two ‘L’ lines that never closes. Overnight you will wait roughly eight to ten minutes; at the morning rush it is every 6 minutes.
This station is not step-free — access to the platform is by stairs only. If you need a lift, the station pages here list which stops nearby have one.
A ride from here costs $2.50, the same as anywhere else on the ‘L’ and the same however far you go. Transfers are free for two hours.
California station · Blue Line — photo AmyLExtraordinaire · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
How long from California to…
| To | Time | Stops | Changes | Route |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| O'Hare Airport | 30 min | 10 | direct | Blue |
| Midway Airport | 43 min | 16 | 1 change | Blue → Orange |
| Clark/Lake (the Loop) | 12 min | 6 | direct | Blue |
| Roosevelt | 23 min | 9 | 1 change | Blue → Orange |
| Belmont | 34 min | 14 | 1 change | Blue → Brown |
| 95th/Dan Ryan | 46 min | 21 | 1 change | Blue → Red |
| Fullerton | 29 min | 11 | 1 change | Blue → Brown |
| Cermak-McCormick Place | 28 min | 10 | 1 change | Blue → Green |
Midday on a weekday, including a typical wait when you change. Plan your own trip.
Next and previous stops
The Blue Line at a glance
Questions about California
There is no first or last train — the Blue Line runs 24 hours a day, every day. Overnight, trains come roughly every 8–10 minutes.
No. Access is by stairs only; there is no lift at this station.
About 12 minutes to Clark/Lake in the Loop at midday, direct, 6 stops. Plan your exact trip.