Following a pleasant start to the weekend, the Chicago area is set to experience scorching heat next week, with the city’s public beaches expected to provide both a place to cool off and a swim for thousands of residents across the region.
The city’s 23 beaches will first open on Friday, May 24, before Memorial Day weekend and will remain open throughout the summer, with the season running through Labor Day.
There are many free beaches along Chicago’s lakefront, but the city’s only inland beach, Humboldt Beach, is scheduled to reopen on Monday after a four-year closure.
As warm weather draws many people out to the beach for the first time this year, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about Chicago’s beaches.
Is there an entrance fee to the beach?
Chicago’s beaches are managed by the Parks Department and are open to the public with no admission fee, according to the Parks Department’s website.
When are the beaches open?
Officials said swimming at the beach is only permitted between 11am and 7pm daily and only when lifeguards are on duty.
Is there a time limit for swimming?
The district says a color-coded flag system will let beachgoers know whether they can swim on a particular day.
When the green flag is displayed you may swim without restrictions, when the yellow flag is displayed swimming is permitted but caution should be exercised when swimming.
A red flag indicates that waves are at dangerous levels or that the beach is experiencing water quality issues, and swimming is not permitted in those conditions.
When will the water be tested?
The water is tested daily for a variety of contaminants and an alert is issued each afternoon if there are problems with the water quality.
More details below It’s listed on the park district’s website.
Are all the city’s public beaches open to the public?
Several beaches are currently closed due to erosion, including Fargo Beach, Howard Beach, Juneway Beach and Rogers Beach. More information It can be found on the park district’s website.
Are there any other rules I should be aware of?
Beachgoers should note that smoking and drinking alcohol are prohibited on the beach, dogs are not allowed except at designated dog-friendly beaches, and residents must not feed birds or wildlife.
A complete list of Chicago’s public beaches
- 12th Street Beach, 1200 South Linn-White Drive
- 57th Street Beach, 5700 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- 63rd Street Beach, 6300 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- Calumet Beach, 9801 South Ave. G
- 5200 North DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Foster Beach
- Hartigan Beach, 1123 West Farwell Avenue
- Helen Doria Beach, 1040 West Columbia Avenue
- 1400 North Sacramento Avenue, Humboldt Beach
- Lane Beach, 5915 North Sheridan Road
- Leone Beach, 1222 West Two Avenue
- Loyola Beach, 1230 West Greenleaf Avenue
- Margaret T. Burrows Beach, 3100 S. DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- Marion Mahoney Griffin Beach, 1208 West Jarvis Avenue
- Montrose Beach, 4400 North DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- North Avenue Beach, 1601 North DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- North Shore Beach, 1040 West North Shore Avenue
- Oak Street Beach, 1000 North DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- 4100 South DuSable Lake Shore Drive, Oakwood Beach
- Ohio Street Beach, 600 North DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- Osterman Beach, 5800 North DuSable Lake Shore Drive
- Rainbow Beach, 3111 East 77th Street
- 7059 S. South Shore Drive, South Shore Beach
- Toby Printz Beach, 1045 West Platte Avenue