About Us

The Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) is a regional government planning agency that works on behalf of the 7 counties, 284 municipalities, and 8.6 million residents of northeastern Illinois.

CMAP is the state-authorized regional planning agency and federally designated metropolitan planning organization (MPO). State law gives CMAP the responsibility to effectively address development and transportation challenges in northeastern Illinois through streamlined, consolidated regional planning and integrated plans for land use and transportation. As the MPO, CMAP is responsible for allocating federal transportation funds and managing the transportation planning process.

Our mission

To serve the people of the region by driving innovation, fostering shared action, and advancing toward a common vision.

Our goals

CMAP works toward achieving three goals:

• A transportation system that works better for everyone
• A robust and inclusive regional economy
• A region that takes action to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change and preserve high-quality water resources

Our region

CMAP’s service area includes the seven northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. It also includes Aux Sable township in Grundy County and Sandwich and Somonauk townships in DeKalb County.

View a detailed map of northeastern Illinois (15 MB).

Governance

CMAP is governed by its Board, which includes balanced representation from the agency’s seven-county area. The MPO Policy Committee is the decision-making body for all regional transportation plans and programs for this area. The CMAP Board and MPO Policy Committee  jointly adopted a memorandum of understanding as the framework for integrating land use and transportation through CMAP’s regional planning process.

In collaboration with its partners, CMAP plans for the region’s future, guided by the ON TO 2050 long-range plan. This plan sets a 30-year vision to improve the region’s transportation systems, address climate resiliency, and ensure a thriving economy.

Funding

CMAP relies on federal and state funds, local contributions, other government funds, and philanthropic revenues to serve the region, as well as in-kind services. Read our annual budget for more details on our revenues and expenses.

History

In the 1950s, the region had two separate agencies responsible for transportation and land-use planning: the Chicago Area Transportation Study and the Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission. Over time, local government and community leaders saw a need for an agency that did both. In the summer of 2005, the Regional Planning Act was signed into law, combining the agencies into what is now CMAP.