Safety index · Chicago · data through July 2026
Is The Loop safe?
The Loop records a high level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 20 out of 100 — 32 points below the citywide median of 52, ranking 77th of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 3,325 incidents reported to the Chicago Police Department within 1 km of the neighborhood center (data through July 2026).
The largest reported category here is violent crime (20% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Reported incidents here skew to daytime and evening hours — only about 15% of severity-weighted reports fall overnight (midnight–6 a.m.).
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 679 · 20% | |
| Other theft | 855 · 26% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 265 · 8% | |
| Public order | 216 · 6% | |
| Shoplifting | 518 · 16% | |
| Burglary | 143 · 4% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Walking in The Loop at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same live crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Pick the safer way, share your walk, and check in when you arrive. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Near North Side22/100 · High risk
- Near South Side45/100 · Elevated
- Near West Side39/100 · Elevated
- Armour Square52/100 · Moderate
- Lower West Side58/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is The Loop safe at night?
High risk overall (safety index 20/100). About 39% of severity-weighted incidents in The Loop are reported between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. At night, prefer lit, busier streets — a block or two of detour often avoids the clusters on the map above.
What is the most common crime in The Loop?
Violent crime — 679 of 3,325 incidents (20%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center through July 2026.
How is the The Loop safety index calculated?
SafeRoute weights each incident reported to the Chicago Police Department by severity (violence weighs more than shoplifting), sums the last available period within 1 km of the neighborhood center, and normalizes against citywide crime rates onto a 0–100 scale — higher is safer. It describes reported crime only; it is not a guarantee of safety.