Historic Chicago River Swim Returns After 98 Years as Hundreds Dive Into Downtown Waters

By Socialhood News · Il/Chicago/The Loop ·

Hundreds of qualified swimmers made history on Sunday, September 21, as they plunged into the Chicago River for the first official organized swim in nearly a century. The landmark event, which took place in the heart of The Loop, marked a dramatic environmental turnaround for the once-polluted waterway.

The Chicago River Swim drew over 300 participants who navigated a course from the Dearborn Street Bridge to Wolf Point and back to the Clark Street Bridge, while spectators lined the Riverwalk to witness the historic occasion. The event not only celebrated the river's remarkable transformation but also raised

50,000 for ALS research and youth swim education programs. According to Abhilasha Shrestha of the University of Illinois Chicago, who tested the river before the event, water quality exceeded federal standards for swimming. "It is very clean," she confirmed, noting that the river now supports "70 or 80 species of fish...which is a testament to how clean the water is."

Prior to Sunday's event, the last organized swim in the Chicago River took place in 1927, after which pollution overwhelmed the waterway. Since the Clean Water Act of 1972, however, the river's health has steadily improved, with Chicagoans increasingly embracing it for fishing, kayaking, and riverside strolls. Following this year's successful debut, organizers from nonprofit A Long Swim have announced plans to hold the event again in 2026, establishing a new tradition for The Loop that celebrates both environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Sources:
1. https://blockclubchicago.org/2025/09/21/swimmers-return-to-chicago-river-for-1st-time-in-a-century-the-river-is-so-clean/
2. https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2025/09/22/chicago-river-swimming
3. https://loopchicago.com/in-the-loop/swimmers-return-to-the-chicago-river-98-years-later/
4. https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/09/21/chicago-river-swim-race/