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
The kind of data this API exposes, based on its documentation. We could not call the endpoint to confirm the exact field names.
Example Response
Illustrative shape only — we were not able to call this endpoint (it requires credentials or exposes no public sample URL), so the fields below show the kind of data this API returns rather than a recorded 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
Calls a real endpoint of this API. Replace any placeholder credentials with your own key.
const url = "https://lapi.transitchicago.com/api/1.0/ttarrivals.aspx?key=YOUR_API_KEY&mapid=40380&outputType=JSON";
// 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
Generated guidance based on this API's documentation, not observed by us. Treat it as a starting point and check against the provider's own error reference.
Metadata Score Breakdown
Estimated from metadata — endpoint not independently tested
Metadata estimate · endpoint not independently tested
Technical Specifications
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