Street sweeping season begins Wednesday, April 1 in Chicago, launching a nearly 8 month long effort that will send mechanical sweepers across neighborhood streets and major arterial routes through late November, city officials said. The Chicago Department of Streets and Sanitation said the work is part of its annual effort to remove leaves, litter and debris from curb lines, gutters and roadway edges after the winter season.
Crews will operate on a rotating schedule across all 50 wards, typically Monday through Friday between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Officials said only one side of a street is swept at a time, depending on posted schedules and signage. The department said orange temporary parking restriction signs are posted about 48 hours before scheduled sweeping, alerting drivers to move vehicles or risk tickets and towing. Some streets, particularly along consistent routes, have permanent signage that remains in place year-round.
Residents can check sweeping dates through the city’s online schedule, monitor live operations using the Sweeper Tracker map, or call 311 for information tied to specific blocks. The tracker is active during sweeping hours and shows where sweepers are operating in real time. The seasonal restart follows the end of Chicago’s overnight winter parking ban, marking a shift from snow operations to routine street maintenance ahead of summer months.
