85 Million People, One Street: Data Provides Unique Look at Chicago Pedestrian Traffic

CHICAGO (CBS) -- Imagine Chicago's entire population, 2.7 million people, all crammed into a single 10-block stretch of State Street. Now imagine twenty times that number. It might be hard to fathom, but that's just how many people have passed through one of Chicago's most popular tourist areas so far this year.

Data recently released by the Chicago Loop Alliance shows the staggering scale of pedestrian traffic in the heart of Chicago: nearly 85 million people passed through State Street in 2018 — more than 31 times the city's total population. 2019 is on pace to beat last year's number, with nearly 50 million pedestrians since January 1.

Number of Pedestrians Per Year

Click a circle to see how many people passed through that block

The trends in pedestrian traffic highlight the most popular areas along State Street. The west side of State Street between Madison and Monroe, with popular shopping and restaurants, came in first with more than 4.1 million pedestrians so far this year.