Safety index · Chicago · data through October 2026
Is Washington Heights safe?
Washington Heights shows a typical level of reported crime for Chicago. Its SafeRoute safety index is 63 out of 100 — 6 points above the citywide median of 57, ranking 27th of 77 Chicago community areas — based on 802 incidents reported to the Chicago Police Department within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
DATA THROUGH OCTOBER 2026 · 9 MONTHS OF DATA
The 0–100 scale is calibrated to Chicago — a typical Chicago neighborhood sits near 57. It ranks Washington Heights against other neighborhoods here, and cannot be read against a score in another city.
The largest reported category here is violent crime (28% of reports) — worth taking seriously when walking at night; the full mix is broken down below.
Incidents spread across the day here — roughly 26% of severity-weighted reports come in the evening (6 p.m.–midnight) and 23% overnight.
Where incidents cluster
What's reported here
| Violent crime | 224 · 28% | |
| Other theft | 161 · 20% | |
| Criminal damage & arson | 106 · 13% | |
| Other | 100 · 12% | |
| Vehicle crime | 76 · 9% | |
| Burglary | 40 · 5% |
When it happens
Severity-weighted share of reported incidents by time of day, from police incident timestamps.
Is Chicago safe at night? See which neighborhoods see the most reported crime after dark →
Walking in Washington Heights at night?
SafeRoute scores every walking route against the same official crime data on this page — and shows how much of each route runs on lit streets. Compare the routes and share your walk. Free, no account.
Get SafeRoute on the App StoreNearby areas
- Beverly81/100 · Low risk
- Roseland54/100 · Moderate
- Auburn Gresham40/100 · Elevated
- Morgan Park69/100 · Moderate
- Chatham53/100 · Moderate
Common questions
Is Washington Heights safe at night?
Moderate overall (safety index 63/100). About 49% of severity-weighted incidents in Washington Heights 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 Washington Heights?
Violent crime — 224 of 802 incidents (28%) reported within 1 km of the neighborhood center over the 9 months to October 2026.
How is the Washington Heights 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. The scale is calibrated within Chicago, so scores compare neighborhoods to each other and cannot be read against another city's.