Where to Live if You Work in Fulton Market

TL;DR Fulton Market has become a major Chicago job hub, home to Google, McDonald's HQ, and a wave of tech and finance offices. The shortest commutes come from Fulton Market itself (about 10 minutes), the West Loop (about 14), and the Loop (about 13). Here is where to live for the easiest trip in.

A decade ago Fulton Market was meatpackers and cold-storage warehouses. Now it is one of the city's biggest job centers, with Google, McDonald's global headquarters, and a steady stream of tech and finance offices moving into the converted buildings. If you work there, here is where to live to keep the commute short, ranked by our transit data.

The shortest commutes to Fulton Market

We measured train commute times from our tracked neighborhoods to the heart of Fulton Market. Here is how they stack up.

Neighborhood	Commute to Fulton Market
Fulton Market	~10 min
The Loop	~13 min
West Loop	~14 min
River West	~20 min
Wicker Park	~22 min
Printer's Row	~22 min
River North	~24 min
South Loop	~25 min

Live in the district: Fulton Market

The obvious answer is to live where you work. Fulton Market itself has the shortest commute, about 10 minutes, and many residents simply walk to the office.

The trade-off is that it is one of the pricier neighborhoods, with a lot of brand-new construction. But you get the city's best restaurant scene, rooftops, and nightlife on your block, plus the Green and Pink Lines at Morgan. For a lot of people who work here, the zero-commute lifestyle is worth it.

Live right next door: the West Loop

The West Loop is the smart-money pick. It is immediately adjacent, with a roughly 14-minute commute, and offers a wider range of buildings and price points than Fulton Market proper.

You still get Randolph Street's Restaurant Row, easy access to the Green, Pink, and Blue Lines, and the Metra stations at Union and Ogilvie for trips out of the city. It is the same lifestyle with a little more selection.

The value plays: River West, Wicker Park, Printer's Row

If you want to stretch the budget, look a little farther out. River West sits just across the river with a roughly 20-minute trip and a quieter, lower-key feel. Wicker Park, about 22 minutes on the Blue Line, brings a younger, creative scene and more vintage character. And Printer's Row, also around 22 minutes, is a tucked-away pocket on the south edge of the Loop.

All three let you keep the Fulton Market job while spending a bit less than living in the district itself.

How to choose

Decide how much you value a walk-to-work life versus a wider apartment search. If you want the shortest possible commute and the buzziest neighborhood, live in Fulton Market. If you want more options at a slightly better price, the West Loop is right beside it. And if value matters most, River West, Wicker Park, and Printer's Row keep the trip reasonable.

These commute times come from our transit data. For more on the area, see our guide to the West Loop and Fulton Market, and if your office is downtown instead, where to live if you work in the Loop. Then browse current openings near Fulton Market and book a tour.

Hero image: Photo by Frank Rietsch on Pexels