Wrigleyville and Andersonville Bike Ride: Clark Street North

Two neighborhoods, one street. Clark runs from the ballpark crowds of Wrigleyville to the independent shops of Andersonville, and a rider can link them in a single morning. This ride sits in Routes & Trails as the north-side companion to Lincoln Park.

The 2013 map

In 2013 the Chicago Bike Station at Millennium Park handed out a free self-guided map for Wrigleyville and Andersonville¹. The same year, the station’s electric bike tour rolled through Wrigleyville on quiet, tree-lined streets, with Wrigley Field among its top sights¹. The station no longer runs rides. The route below uses today’s streets.

Wrigleyville

Wrigley Field opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park². It took the name Wrigley Field in 1927 and seats 41,649². The block sits between Clark and Addison on the west and south, and Waveland and Sheffield on the north².

Ride here. Halsted, Addison and Clark all have designated bike lanes, and cycling is a widely used way to avoid game-day traffic². The ballpark offers a complimentary bike check: riders can check bikes up to 2 hours before games and 1 hour after, at racks off Waveland Avenue².

The neighborhood around the park is nicknamed Wrigleyville³. Bars such as the Cubby Bear host the crowds near Clark and Addison³. Some buildings carry rooftop bleachers called Wrigley Rooftops³. On a game day, walk the bike through the crowd.

From the lakefront

Divvy’s north-side ride ends at the Lakeshore Dr & Belmont Ave station. From there you reach Belmont Harbor and Boystown, or detour off the trail to Wrigley Field⁴. You can enter the Lakefront Trail at any point, with many Divvy stations on or near it⁴. See the Lakefront Trail guide for the full path.

Lakeview, which holds Wrigleyville, had 103,050 residents in 2020⁵. The Belmont Theater District has over 20 theaters and live venues near the Belmont L station⁵. The Boystown section holds the distinction of being the nation’s first gay village officially recognized by a big city government³. Its pylons run along North Halsted Street³. The community area also hosts the annual Bike the Drive route, which travels through Lakeview East⁵.

Clark Street north to Andersonville

Andersonville sits in western Edgewater and northwestern Uptown⁶. The chamber of commerce draws its boundaries at Lawrence (4800 N) to the south and Victoria (5800 N) to the north⁶. The heart of the commercial district is Clark and Berwyn (5300 N)⁶.

Stretch	What you ride
Wrigleyville	Designated bike lanes on Clark, Addison and Halsted2
Andersonville, Ainslie to Rosehill Drive	National Register historic district6
Through Andersonville	Dashed bike lanes on Clark7
Hollywood to Devon	Protected lane in both directions, announced July 20218

There was too little road width on Clark for even conventional bike lanes without removing parking⁷. So the city painted dashed lanes, which let drivers cross the line when they must⁷. New stop signs calm traffic⁷. On-street bike corrals now stand up and down the Andersonville strip⁷.

North of the district, Block Club reported in July 2021 that CDOT would install protected lanes in both directions on Clark from Hollywood to Devon⁸. They are separated by plastic dividers or a parking lane, and they connect to the existing shared lane in Andersonville⁸. Northbound Clark between Granville and Devon was to shrink to one lane to make room⁸. Clark is one of seven spoke routes, the direct bike routes from neighborhoods to Downtown⁸.

Getting a bike

Divvy lists Clark St & North Ave, Clark St & Lincoln Ave and Clark St & Armitage Ave among the stations near its north-side ride⁴. Pick up a bike there, ride north on Clark and dock where you stop. See the Divvy guide for how passes work, or the Lincoln Park ride for the park stretch you will pass on the way.

What to see in Andersonville

The Andersonville Commercial Historic District runs along Clark from Ainslie Street to Rosehill Drive and joined the National Register of Historic Places in March 2010⁶. The district is made up almost entirely of independent, locally owned shops, restaurants and services⁶. The Swedish American Museum anchors the area’s Swedish heritage⁶. The area’s first school, the Andersonville School, opened in 1854⁶.

For the next neighborhood west, continue with the Lincoln Square ride.