All data visualizations on maps should be considered approximate and attempts to derive specific addresses are strictly prohibited.

The Chicago Police Department will not be responsible for any error or omission, or for the use of, or the results obtained from the use of this information. By using a grid garbage collection system, the Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation has increased service efficiency and crew productivity providing the best possible services to residents. Therefore, the Chicago Police Department does not guarantee (either expressed or implied) the accuracy, completeness, timeliness, or correct sequencing of the information and the information should not be used for comparison purposes over time. The City of Chicago has implemented the grid garbage collection system citywide. The preliminary crime classifications may be changed at a later date based upon additional investigation and there is always the possibility of mechanical or human error. Get to know Chicago’s grid system imperfections and all. Should you have questions about this dataset, you may contact the Research & Development Division of the Chicago Police Department at 312.745.6071 or These crimes may be based upon preliminary information supplied to the Police Department by the reporting parties that have not been verified. In fact, Chicago has the most orderly street grids in the world, according to That’s why it looks like many of Chicago’s streets stretch out in mostly straight lines if, for example, you look north from one of the top floors of Willis Tower.

In order to protect the privacy of crime victims, addresses are shown at the block level only and specific locations are not identified. Each section of the grid is one square mile. Data is extracted from the Chicago Police Department's CLEAR (Citizen Law Enforcement Analysis and Reporting) system. The urban structure of Chicago is founded on the basic square of Thomas Jefferson’s grid, which was adopted in 1785 to survey the land as the US expanded westward. This dataset reflects reported incidents of crime that have occurred in the City of Chicago over the past year, minus the most recent seven days of data.

Grid map of chicago