Chicago Street Sweeping 2026 — Complete Guide
Chicago street sweeping in 2026 runs from April through November, covering all 50 wards across hundreds of sections. If you park on a Chicago street, your block has a scheduled sweep — and if your car is in the way, that's a $60 ticket.
This guide covers everything you need to know about the 2026 Chicago street sweeping schedule, how it's organized, and how to make sure you never get caught.
How the 2026 schedule is organized
Chicago divides the city into 50 wards, each managed by an alderman's office. Within each ward, streets are grouped into numbered sections — typically 10–20 sections per ward. Your section determines which specific dates your street is swept.
Sweeping typically runs on a twice-monthly cycle: your section gets swept on the same day of the week, twice a month, from spring through late fall. The exact days vary by ward and section.
When to move your car
Street sweeping signs posted on your block show the scheduled days and hours. In most Chicago neighborhoods, sweeping runs from 7am to 3pm. Your car needs to be off the street before 7am on sweep days — not just moved to the other side of the street (that only works in wards where both sides sweep on different days).
The fine for a street sweeping violation is $60. In busy neighborhoods, parking enforcement runs early and consistently on sweep days.
Finding your 2026 sweep dates
The official schedule is published by the City of Chicago's open data portal, but it's not easy to navigate. You need to know your ward number, your section number, and then cross-reference a schedule that's typically published as a spreadsheet or PDF.
ParkSafe Chicago pulls this data and makes it searchable by address. Enter your address and you'll see your ward, section, and every 2026 sweep date in one place.
Tips for the 2026 season
- Sign up for email alerts. A reminder the night before is the easiest way to avoid a ticket. ParkSafe sends one free email alert per sweep.
- Download your calendar. You can download a .ics file with all your 2026 sweep dates and import it into Google Calendar, Apple Calendar, or Outlook.
- Check the signs. The city occasionally adjusts dates mid-season. Always verify against the posted street signs if something seems off.
- Holidays don't cancel sweeps. Chicago street sweeping generally runs on holidays. Don't assume a federal holiday means you're safe.
What if my ward isn't in the database yet?
ParkSafe Chicago covers all 50 wards with 2026 data. If you're seeing an error for your address, try entering the full street address with city and zip code, or use the ward selector on the Full Schedule page to browse your ward directly.