Chicago is a city full of rider demand. People are always out and about and heading somewhere, which is great for rideshare drivers.
Unfortunately for rideshare drivers though, Chicago also has an extremely high supply of drivers, which means even with so much rider demand, it can still be difficult at times to find passengers.
There are some neighborhoods, however, that if you go at the right time you’re almost always going to be able to find a ride.
In today’s blog post, we’re going to discuss the 5 best Chicago area neighborhoods for rideshare drivers and when you should go to them.
Lakeview/Lincoln Park
Alright, we’re cheating a little bit by lumping these two neighborhoods as one, but these adjacent neighborhoods are both great for rideshare drivers.
During the morning rush, Lakeview and Lincoln Park residents are frequently looking for rides down to the loop or to DePaul, so if you’re driving between 5 am – 9 am, focus on these areas.
When you do get a ride down to the loop, start making your way back up towards Lakeview to see if you can catch another rider looking to go downtown. Continue to do this and you’ll stay busy all morning, you might even find yourself in the middle of a real surge during these hours.
Lakeview and Lincoln Park are also known to have great nightlife, especially in Boys Town, so if you are a late night driver you can always find a ride around here.
If you’d rather drive during the day, Cubs games that take place in Wrigleyville also are incredibly popular. Just be careful not to get stuck in traffic by venturing too close to the stadium.
Wicker Park/Logan Square
We’re cheating a bit again here, but these two areas again, are right on top of each other and very similar.
Much like Lakeview and Lincoln Park, you’ll be able to find rides here during the morning rush, as many professionals living out here will be looking to avoid taking the Blue Line into the loop.
Wicker Park also has some of the best bars and restaurants in the city, which means there will be a ton of evening activity here.
Navy Pier
Chicago, in general, is an extremely popular tourist destination during the summer months, and Navy Pier is one of the main attractions.
On Saturday’s and Sunday’s June – August, you’ll be able to find a nonstop stream of riders going to, and coming from Navy Pier almost all day.
There are also always events going on at Navy Pier throughout the year like shows, haunted houses, and ice skating. Check Gridwise to see what events are going on at the Pier and the nearby River North area.
The Loop
Driving in the loop is a great option during the week when professionals are looking for rides either to or from their jobs. Usually, during the morning rush you’ll be taking people from residential areas like Wicker Park and Lincoln Park to the Loop, however, in the afternoon and evenings you’ll be doing the opposite.
Around 5:00 pm you can start to position yourself near the loop and within a short amount of time, you’re likely to get a passenger going out to a residential area.
I recommend taking them to their destination and then heading right back downtown to reposition yourself. Using this strategy you should have a steady stream of rides from 5:00 – 7:30 each weekday evening.
Be warned, The Loop is completely empty on the weekends. So stay away unless you just need a break.
O’Hare/Midway
Ok, so technically O’Hare and Midway aren’t neighborhoods so we’re cheating here, but these areas can be a huge source of revenue for rideshare drivers and should absolutely not be ignored.
A lot of drivers will complain that the airports are too crowded and waste time, which can be true if you don’t know when to arrive.
The best times to be at the airports tend to be early mornings on weekdays, but you can use Gridwise to check and see when the most passengers are due to arrive at the airport.
Also, don’t forget to use Gridwise to check and see how many fellow drivers are at these airports. This can often be a more important statistic than how many passengers are arriving.
Where do you drive
Now that you’ve heard from us, we want to know where you Chicago drivers are finding the most passengers.
Let us know in the comments below!
