51st station

51st   5100S 300E
Location	319 East 51st Street Chicago, Illinois 60615
Coordinates	41°48′08″N 87°37′09″W / 41.80220°N 87.61903°W / 41.80220; -87.61903
Owned by	Chicago Transit Authority
Line(s)	Green Line   Red Line
Platforms	2 Side platforms
Tracks	2 tracks
Connections	CTA bus
Construction
Structure type	Elevated
Bicycle facilities	Yes
Disabled access	Yes
History
Opened	August 28, 1892
Rebuilt	1996–1997
Traffic
Passengers (2015)	362,789  0.1%
Rank	129 out of 143
Services
Preceding station   Chicago "L"   Following station 47th toward Harlem/Lake Green Line South Side Elevated Garfield toward Ashland/63rd or Cottage Grove 47th toward Howard Red Line Rush period special Garfield toward Ashland/63rd
Route map Green Line north to Harlem/Lake 51st St. Green Line south to Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove

51st is a station on the Chicago Transit Authority's 'L' system, located in Chicago, Illinois and serving the Green Line. It is situated at 319 E 51st Street, three blocks east of State Street. It opened on August 28, 1892.

51st was built in 1892 when the South Side Elevated Railroad extended its line southward to serve the World's Columbian Exposition. The original station was designed by Myron H. Church and was a brick building with some elements of the Queen Anne style and a half-cone bay. The platforms at 51st were constructed like all other South Side Elevated Railroad platforms and consisted of wooden platforms with a tin canopy.

When the A/B skip-stop system was introduced in 1949, 51st became an AB station. Because Garfield and 58th were B and A stations respectively, 51st became the transfer point between the Englewood (A) and Jackson Park (B) branches of the South Side Elevated. It served as the transfer point until 1982, when Garfield became an AB station.

51st closed in 1990, so its original canopies could be removed. The station underwent further renovations during the 1994-96 Green Line closure, and its station house was replaced with a modern station house with a white and green tile facade. The platforms were also rebuilt, and steel and glass platforms replaced the old wooden ones. Construction at 51st was not completed until 1997, a year after the Green Line reopened.

51st is located in and serves the Washington Park and Grand Boulevard neighborhoods of Chicago along with the 47th and Garfield stations. Trains toward Harlem/Lake arrive every ten minutes, as do trains toward Ashland/63rd and Cottage Grove. During 2007, 340,624 passengers boarded at 51st, making it the 22nd busiest station on the Green Line.