Identify the United Center's address, 1901 W. Madison St. This location is on Chicago's Near West Side, at Madison Street between Wood Street and Damen Avenue.
Locate CTA public transportation lines that serve the United Center's immediate Near West neighborhood. Two CTA train stations are located within walking distance of the United Center, at Illinois Medical Center for the Blue Line and Ashland for the Green and Pink lines. CTA buses No. 50 and No. 20 take fans to the United Center via Damen Avenue and Madison Street, respectively.
Trace CTA routes that meet near the United Center. From the West Side, you can pick up the Blue, Green and Pink Lines at the I-290 / Eisenhower Expressway, Lake Street and Cermak Road, respectively. Downtown, the Green and Pink Lines circle around the Loop at Lake Street and Wabash Avenue, while the Blue Line runs beneath Dearborn Street before heading to O'Hare Airport via the Kennedy Expressway. Meanwhile, the Green Line picks up South Side fans off Martin Luther King Drive. You may also board CTA buses for the United Center anywhere along Damen Avenue or Madison Street in Chicago.
Find other corridors for CTA train service in Chicago. The Red Line is the CTA's main north-south route. The Brown Line follows Lincoln Avenue, while the Orange Line connects Midway Airport and the Loop via Archer Avenue.
Observe major transfer points for CTA trains heading toward the United Center Area. From the Red Line, you can transfer onto the Blue Line for Illinois Medical Center at the Jackson stop. All other CTA train lines meet at Clark - Lake in the Loop.
Carry the exact CTA fare, because CTA machines do not make change. As of Fall 2010, you will pay $2.25 for a one-way trip.
Enter your nearest CTA station, buy a fare card, and board a train heading for the Loop. From the Loop, you may transfer onto the Blue Line at Clark - Lake or Jackson. Blue Line trains heading west for the Illinois Medical District and the United Center will be marked as "Forest Park." You can also take the Pink and Green Lines directly to Ashland for the United Center.
Exit the CTA train system at Illinois Medical District or at Ashland for the United Center. From the Illinois Medical District CTA platform, you will follow signs to the Damen Avenue exit. At Damen, you will turn right and cross over the I-290 / Eisenhower Expressway. From there, the United Center is visible -- four blocks to the north at Damen and Madison. From the Ashland CTA platform, you will walk south down Ashland Avenue and past Union Park for four blocks to Madison Street. At Madison, you will turn right, and walk four blocks to the United Center. By bus, the CTA Madison and Damen routes will drop you off directly in front of the United Center.
