Geographic Center of Chicago Plaque

Have you ever stopped to think about where exactly the middle of a city lies? Stand here, in front of the Geographic Center of Chicago Plaque, and you’ll be standing in a place that used to be the exact middle of the city. You might be surprised to learn that the Geographic Center of Chicago Plaque doesn’t actually mark the center of Chicago anymore! The city annexed land for O’Hare International Airport in 1956, and that shifted the actual center of the city about 1.5 miles northwest. It’s now in the middle of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. But before that annexation, this spot, at the intersection of West 37th and South Honore Streets, was considered the exact middle of the bustling city. But when the Chicago Tribune found the center in 1896, it was a quiet, weed-grown lot that was essentially a cow pasture! The writers were shocked that the middle of the second largest city in the United States was such a deserted place. The Geographic Center of Chicago Plaque is a reminder of how much Chicago has changed over time, and how the city’s growth has shifted its physical boundaries. The plaque has been damaged and replaced multiple times since it was first erected in 1979. The current plaque features the city’s skyline and a municipal star. It’s a tribute to the city’s enduring spirit, even as its center has shifted over the years. Even though the Geographic Center of Chicago Plaque doesn’t mark the city’s true center anymore, it remains a landmark. Today, the plaque stands at the intersection of two churches, and it’s now a quiet reminder of a time when the middle of Chicago was a lot less bustling, and a lot greener, than it is today.