Crystal Lake is one of two stations on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. The station is two stops away from the line's terminus at Harvard, and most of the trains on the Northwest Line only run as far as Crystal Lake. A large coach yard is adjacent to the station and has additional storage tracks to store Metra trains overnight, and on holidays and weekends. A Union Pacific maintenance facility and office, some storage tracks for local freight trains and maintenance of way equipment as well as a junction are also located just southeast of here. The branch line to McHenry splits off at this junction. The station is 43.3 miles (69.7 km) away from Ogilvie Transportation Center.[2] Parking is available at the station. As of 2018, Crystal Lake is the 36th busiest of the 236 non-downtown stations in the Metra system, with an average of 1,138 weekday boardings.[1]

Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake station in July 2016.
General information
LocationWoodstock Avenue & Grant Street
Crystal Lake, Illinois
Coordinates42°14′39″N 88°19′02″W / 42.2441°N 88.3172°W / 42.2441; -88.3172
Owned byCity of Crystal Lake
Platforms2 side platforms
Tracks2
ConnectionsLocal Transit Pace Buses
Construction
AccessibleYes
Other information
Fare zone4
History
Opened1915
Passengers
20181,138 (average weekday)[1]Decrease 5.1%
Rank36 out of 236[1]
Services
Preceding station Metra Following station
Woodstock
toward Harvard
Union Pacific Northwest
Harvard Branch
Pingree Road
toward Ogilvie
Former services
Preceding station Chicago and North Western Railway Following station
Ridgefield Chicago – Minneapolis via Madison Barrington
toward Chicago
Terminus Wisconsin Division Cary
toward Chicago
McHenry Williams Bay Branch Terminus
Location
Map

As of May 30, 2023, Crystal Lake is served by 52 trains (27 inbound, 25 outbound) on weekdays, by 30 trains (15 in each direction) on Saturdays, and by 20 trains (nine inbound, all 11 outbound) on Sundays.

On weekdays, 13 inbound trains originate from Crystal Lake and 12 trains terminate here, with five inbound trains originating and five outbound trains terminating here on Saturdays, and two inbound trains originating and three outbound trains terminating here on Sundays.

Pace connections

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  • 550 Elgin Transportation Center/Crystal Lake
  • 806 Crystal Lake/Fox Lake
  • 808 Crystal Lake/Harvard

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Commuter Rail System Station Boarding/Alighting Count: Summary Results Fall 2018" (PDF). Metra. April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 May 2019.
  2. ^ "RAILROAD OPERATING INFORMATION". chicagorailfan.com. Retrieved 21 July 2016.
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