2024 Map of Jackson Park

About this map

Chicago's lakefront is defined by an intricate network of parks and scholarly institutions that stretch from the Burnham Park Harbor down to Jackson Park Beach. This coastal landscape is shaped by human engineering, from the landfill that created Northerly Island to the preserved lagoons of the Columbia Basin. Inland, the urban fabric is heavily marked by religious and educational history, featuring a dense cluster of divinity schools including the McCormick Theological Seminary, Catholic Theological Union, and the Chicago Theological Seminary. The southern end of the map reveals the somber grounds of Oak Woods Cem, which contains the Confederate Mound, a significant site for Civil War-era research. The alignment of S Lake Shore Dr and the Metra rail lines demonstrate the city's enduring reliance on the lakefront corridor for both transit and recreation, connecting the University of Chicago and the grand Midway Plaisance to the harbor and shoals of Lake Michigan.