Chicago Library Hours 2025 - Real-Time Status for All 81 CPL Branches
🔴 LIVE Chicago Library Status
Updated: 11:15 AM CST
Chicago Public Library System Overview
The Chicago Public Library (CPL) is the public library system serving Chicago, Illinois. With 81 locations throughout the city, CPL is one of the largest public library systems in the United States, serving over 2.7 million residents. The system includes the iconic Harold Washington Library Center, one of the largest public library buildings in the world.
📢 2025 Updates - What's New
- Extended Sunday Hours: 15 additional branches now open Sundays
- New Maker Labs: 3D printing at 5 new locations
- Digital Studios: Podcast recording at 8 branches
- Museum Passes: Free admission to 20+ Chicago museums
- Homework Help: Live tutoring 3-11 PM daily
CPL by the Numbers
Standard CPL Branch Hours (2025)
| Day | Opening | Closing | Total Hours | Services Available |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | 10:00 AM | 6:00 PM | 8 hours | Full services |
| Tuesday | 12:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 8 hours | Full services, late programs |
| Wednesday | 10:00 AM | 6:00 PM | 8 hours | Full services |
| Thursday | 12:00 PM | 8:00 PM | 8 hours | Full services, late programs |
| Friday | 9:00 AM | 5:00 PM | 8 hours | Full services |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM | 5:00 PM | 8 hours | Weekend programs |
| Sunday | Closed | - | - | Select branches 1-5 PM |
Harold Washington Library Center - Chicago's Flagship
Harold Washington Library Center
📍 Address: 400 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60605
☎️ Phone: (312) 747-4300
📧 Email: hwlc@chipublib.org
Special Hours:
| Monday-Thursday | 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM |
| Friday-Saturday | 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM |
| Sunday | 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM |
Features & Services:
- 📚 9 floors with 756,000 square feet
- 🎨 Winter Garden on 9th floor (events & weddings)
- 💼 Business Information Center
- 🗺️ Municipal Reference Collection
- 🎭 Chicago Blues Archive
- 📷 Special Collections & Preservation
- 💻 400+ computers
- 🖨️ 3D printing lab
- ☕ Café on ground floor
- ♿ Fully accessible
🚇 CTA Access:
- Red/Blue Lines: Jackson Station (2 min walk)
- Brown/Orange/Pink/Purple: Library Station (direct)
- Bus Routes: #2, #6, #10, #29, #36, #62, #146, #147
🚗 Parking: Millennium Garages ($19/day), metered street parking
Chicago Libraries Open on Sunday (1:00 PM - 5:00 PM)
Harold Washington Library Center
📍 400 S. State Street
☎️ (312) 747-4300
🚇 Library Station (Brown/Orange/Pink/Purple)
Sulzer Regional Library
📍 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue
☎️ (312) 744-7616
🚇 Western (Brown Line)
Chinatown Branch
📍 2100 S. Wentworth Avenue
☎️ (312) 747-8013
🚇 Cermak-Chinatown (Red Line)
Edgewater Branch
📍 6000 N. Broadway
☎️ (312) 744-0718
🚇 Thorndale (Red Line)
Lincoln Park Branch
📍 1150 W. Fullerton Avenue
☎️ (312) 744-1926
🚇 Fullerton (Red/Brown/Purple)
Logan Square Branch
📍 3030 W. Fullerton Avenue
☎️ (312) 744-5295
🚇 Logan Square (Blue Line)
Rogers Park Branch
📍 6907 N. Clark Street
☎️ (312) 744-0156
🚇 Morse (Red Line)
Uptown Branch
📍 929 W. Buena Avenue
☎️ (312) 744-8400
🚇 Sheridan (Red Line)
West Town Branch
📍 1625 W. Chicago Avenue
☎️ (312) 743-0450
🚇 Chicago (Blue Line)
Regional Libraries - Extended Services
Sulzer Regional Library (North Side)
📍 4455 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625
☎️ (312) 744-7616
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Friday-Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Special Features: Northside Auditorium, meeting rooms, extensive foreign language collection
Woodson Regional Library (South Side)
📍 9525 S. Halsted Street, Chicago, IL 60628
☎️ (312) 747-6900
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Friday-Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
Special Features: Vivian G. Harsh Research Collection (African American history), Maker Lab
Legler Regional Library (West Side)
📍 115 S. Pulaski Road, Chicago, IL 60624
☎️ (312) 746-7730
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Friday-Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
Special Features: West Side Learning Center, computer training lab
University of Chicago Libraries
Joseph Regenstein Library
📍 1100 E. 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
☎️ (773) 702-8740
Academic Year Hours:
| Monday-Thursday | 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM |
| Friday | 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Saturday | 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM |
| Sunday | 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM |
24-Hour Access: A-Level Reading Room during finals (UChicago ID required)
Collections: 4.5 million volumes, humanities and social sciences
Study Spaces: 500+ individual study carrels, 30+ group study rooms
John Crerar Library
📍 5730 S. Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637
☎️ (773) 702-7715
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 8:30 AM - 10:00 PM
- Friday: 8:30 AM - 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Focus: Science, medicine, and technology
Special Features: Kathleen A. Zar Room, tech-enhanced classrooms
D'Angelo Law Library
📍 1121 E. 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637
☎️ (773) 702-9615
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 7:30 AM - 11:00 PM
- Friday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Access: Law students priority, public access for legal research
Northwestern University Libraries
Main Library (Evanston Campus)
📍 1970 Campus Drive, Evanston, IL 60208
☎️ (847) 491-7658
Regular Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 8:00 AM - 2:00 AM
- Friday: 8:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM - 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
24-Hour Access: During reading week and finals
Transportation: Purple Line to Davis or Noyes stations
Pritzker Legal Research Center (Chicago Campus)
📍 375 E. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
☎️ (312) 503-8451
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 7:30 AM - 11:00 PM
- Friday: 7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
Location: Streeterville, near Northwestern Memorial Hospital
DePaul University Libraries
Richardson Library (Lincoln Park Campus)
📍 2350 N. Kenmore Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614
☎️ (773) 325-7862
Academic Year Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 7:30 AM - 11:00 PM
- Friday: 7:30 AM - 8:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM
- Sunday: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM
CTA Access: Fullerton Station (Red/Brown/Purple Lines)
Loop Campus Library
📍 25 E. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604
☎️ (312) 362-8433
Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 7:30 AM - 10:00 PM
- Friday: 7:30 AM - 6:00 PM
- Saturday: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Sunday: 12:00 PM - 8:00 PM
CTA Access: Jackson Station (Red/Blue Lines)
Loyola University Chicago Libraries
Cudahy Library (Lake Shore Campus)
📍 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60660
☎️ (773) 508-2632
Regular Semester Hours:
- Monday-Thursday: 7:30 AM - 2:00 AM
- Friday: 7:30 AM - 9:00 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM - 2:00 AM
24-Hour Access: Information Commons during finals
CTA Access: Loyola Station (Red Line)
Popular Neighborhood Libraries
Lincoln Park Branch
📍 1150 W. Fullerton Avenue
☎️ (312) 744-1926
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5
🚇 Fullerton (Red/Brown/Purple)
Bucktown-Wicker Park
📍 1701 N. Milwaukee Avenue
☎️ (312) 744-6022
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5
🚇 Damen (Blue Line)
Lakeview Branch
📍 644 W. Belmont Avenue
☎️ (312) 744-0166
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5
🚇 Belmont (Red/Brown/Purple)
Chinatown Branch
📍 2100 S. Wentworth Avenue
☎️ (312) 747-8013
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5, Sun 1-5
🚇 Cermak-Chinatown (Red)
Avalon Branch
📍 8148 S. Stony Island Avenue
☎️ (312) 747-5234
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5
🚌 #28 Stony Island bus
South Shore Branch
📍 2505 E. 73rd Street
☎️ (312) 747-5281
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5
🚌 #67, #71 buses
Near North Branch
📍 310 W. Division Street
☎️ (312) 744-0991
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5
🚇 Chicago (Red Line)
Humboldt Park Branch
📍 1605 N. Troy Street
☎️ (312) 744-2244
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5
🚌 #52 Kedzie/California bus
Austin Branch
📍 5615 W. Race Avenue
☎️ (312) 746-5038
⏰ Mon/Wed 10-6, Tue/Thu 12-8, Fri/Sat 9-5
🚇 Austin (Green Line)
Late Night Study Options in Chicago
While CPL branches close by 8 PM at latest, these locations offer extended hours:
🌙 Northwestern Main Library
Open until 2 AM Monday-Thursday
24/7 during finals week
🌙 UChicago Regenstein
Open until 10 PM most nights
A-Level 24/7 during finals
🌙 Loyola Cudahy Library
Open until 2 AM weeknights
Information Commons 24/7 during finals
🌙 DePaul Richardson
Open until 11 PM Monday-Thursday
Extended hours during exams
🌙 UIC Library
Open until midnight weekdays
24-hour study space during finals
🌙 Harold Washington 9th Floor
Winter Garden open until 9 PM
Thursday late nights
Transportation & Parking Guide
CTA Access to Major Libraries
| Library | CTA Station | Line(s) | Walk Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Harold Washington | Library | Brown/Orange/Pink/Purple | Direct |
| Sulzer Regional | Western | Brown | 5 min |
| Chinatown | Cermak-Chinatown | Red | 3 min |
| Lincoln Park | Fullerton | Red/Brown/Purple | 2 min |
| Logan Square | Logan Square | Blue | 5 min |
Parking Information
- 🅿️ Downtown: Millennium Garages $19-35/day, SpotHero app for discounts
- 🅿️ Neighborhood branches: Most have free 2-hour street parking
- 🅿️ Metered parking: $2-6.50/hour depending on zone
- 🅿️ Sunday parking: Free at most meters
- ♿ Accessible parking: Available at all CPL locations
Digital Services Available 24/7
Special Programs & Services
Technology & Innovation
- 🖨️ 3D Printing: Available at Harold Washington, Bezazian, Chicago Lawn
- 🎙️ YOUmedia: Digital creation spaces for teens
- 💻 Cyber Navigators: One-on-one tech help
- 🎮 Gaming: Xbox, PlayStation at select branches
Educational Programs
- 📚 Homework Help: Live tutoring 3-11 PM daily
- 👶 Story Time: Daily programs for ages 0-5
- 🎨 Maker Labs: Crafts, robotics, coding
- 💼 Job Help Centers: Resume assistance, job search
Special Collections
- 🎭 Chicago Blues Archive: Harold Washington Library
- 📷 Neighborhood History: Special Collections Center
- 🗺️ Municipal Reference: City government documents
- 📚 Vivian Harsh Collection: African American history at Woodson
2025 Holiday Schedule
All Chicago Public Libraries are CLOSED on:
| Holiday | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | January 1 | Wednesday |
| Martin Luther King Jr. Day | January 20 | Monday |
| Presidents' Day | February 17 | Monday |
| Memorial Day | May 26 | Monday |
| Juneteenth | June 19 | Thursday |
| Independence Day | July 4 | Friday |
| Labor Day | September 1 | Monday |
| Columbus Day | October 13 | Monday |
| Veterans Day | November 11 | Tuesday |
| Thanksgiving | November 27 | Thursday |
| Day After Thanksgiving | November 28 | Friday |
| Christmas Eve | December 24 | Wednesday (close early) |
| Christmas Day | December 25 | Thursday |
User Reviews
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8/5 (3,156 reviews)
"The Winter Garden is absolutely stunning! Great place to study with amazing views. WiFi is fast and free parking on Sundays."
January 2025"24-hour access during finals saved my grades! Plenty of outlets, quiet study spaces, and the cafe stays open late."
December 2024"Love the Sunday hours! Great kids section and the librarians are super helpful. Only wish they had more parking."
January 2025Tips for Using Chicago Libraries
- 📱 Get the CPL App: Check hours, place holds, access digital content
- 💳 Library Card: Free for all Illinois residents
- 🏛️ Museum Passes: Reserve online for free admission
- 💻 Computer Time: Book online or walk-in for 2 hours free
- 🚇 CTA Pass: Many libraries near L stations
- 📚 Interlibrary Loan: Borrow from any CPL branch
- 🎒 Study Rooms: Reserve online up to 2 weeks ahead
- ☕ Food Policy: Covered drinks only in most areas
Contact Information
Chicago Public Library
📞 Main: (312) 747-4300
📞 Harold Washington: (312) 747-4300
🌐 Website: chipublib.org
📧 Email: ask@chipublib.org
University Libraries
📞 UChicago: (773) 702-8740
📞 Northwestern: (847) 491-7658
📞 DePaul: (312) 362-8433
📞 Loyola: (773) 508-2632