Transport for Chicago, US API
Overview
The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) API provides real-time train tracking and bus arrival predictions for Chicago's public transit network. An API key is required and can be requested for free from the CTA developer site. It is a solid choice for building transit apps focused on the Chicago metro area.
Beginner Tip
Request a free API key from the CTA developer portal and include it as the key parameter in every request. Start with the Train Tracker API using a known station stop ID such as 40380 (Chicago/Red Line).
Available Data
Example Response
{
"route": "Line 1",
"origin": "Station A",
"destination": "Station B",
"departure": "08:30",
"arrival": "09:15",
"status": "On Time",
"delays_min": 0
} Field Reference
ctatt.tmst Timestamp of when the API response was generated ctatt.errCd Error code; "0" means success ctatt.eta Array of upcoming train arrival predictions eta.staNm Name of the station for this arrival prediction eta.arrT Predicted arrival time in YYYYMMDD HH:mm:ss format eta.isDly Flag indicating if the train is delayed ("1" = delayed) Implementation Example
const url = "http://www.transitchicago.com/developers/";
// Replace headers or query params with the values required by this API.
const response = await fetch(url, {
headers: {
"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}
});
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data); What Can You Build?
Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.
Common Errors & Troubleshooting
Matrix Score Breakdown
Partially tested on Apr 5, 2026
Technical Specifications
Related Tags
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