How to Report a Pothole, Graffiti, or Any Neighborhood Issue to Chicago's 311

Chicago residents can report non-emergency neighborhood issues like potholes and graffiti using the city's 311 system via phone, website, or mobile app. Providing precise locations and photos through the CHI311 app or website helps ensure efficient service request resolution and allows for tracking.

Sophie Nguyen

October 16, 2026 · 4 min read

Chicago residents have three official ways to report a non-emergency neighborhood problem: call 311, use the CHI311 website at 311.chicago.gov, or use the free CHI311 mobile app. All three channels create a service request that the city tracks, but they differ in what they let you do — the app and website accept photos and mapped locations, and both let you follow your request to resolution. Here is how to pick the right channel, what to include in your report, and what to expect afterward.

Navigating Chicago's 311 System for Neighborhood Issues

Chicago's 311 system is the city's central hub for non-emergency services. The city describes CHI 311 as bringing "unprecedented levels of openness, innovation and accountability to the delivery of City services," and it is designed so residents can create requests, check their status, and see how long resolution is expected to take.

The system depends on residents to flag problems in the first place. As the city's 311 services page puts it, "Chicagoans are the eyes and ears of their neighborhoods," and as more issues get reported, city departments can plan and deliver services more efficiently. In other words, a report you file doesn't just fix your block — it feeds the city's picture of where services are needed.

One boundary worth keeping in mind: this guide covers City of Chicago services only. Issues that fall to other government bodies, like the Park District or Cook County, are handled through separate channels, and 311 is for non-emergencies — not situations requiring a 911 call.

Chicago 311 Reporting Channels: A Comparison

The three channels reach the same system, but they suit different situations. The phone line is the traditional route for filing a complaint or creating a service request. The website and app add richer capabilities: detailed submissions, photos, mapped locations, and status tracking. Comparing their documented features side by side makes the choice straightforward.

Chicago 311 reporting channels compared
Reporting Method	Key Features	Best For
Calling 311	File a complaint or create a service request by phone — the traditional reporting method.	Residents who prefer speaking directly with the city or lack digital access.
CHI311 website (311.chicago.gov)	Create new service requests, check status and expected resolution time, submit detailed information, photos, and locations; create an account to track requests and see neighborhood activity.	Detailed reports with visual evidence, and tracking multiple requests from a computer.
CHI311 mobile app	Quickly create and track requests, get real-time updates, submit photos, map the exact location, and explore work being done in your area.	Reporting on-the-go, especially when you can capture a photo and precise location at the moment you spot the problem.

The pattern across all three: the more detail you can attach — a photo, a pinned map location, a clear description — the better prepared crews are before they even arrive on the scene, according to the city's 311 guidance.

Pothole Reporting: A Detailed Example

Potholes show the system working end to end. Residents can report them through the website, the app, or by calling 311, according to the Chicago Department of Transportation. Once a report is in, repairs are generally completed within three to six days of the first report — though that is an estimate, not a guarantee. Weather matters: frigid temperatures and precipitation can keep crews from working, and durations typically rise during peak winter months.

Location matters too. CDOT prioritizes arterial streets — the heavier-traffic routes — before residential streets, so a pothole on a side street may wait longer than one on a main road. There's also a built-in efficiency: when a crew arrives to repair a reported pothole, it fills all the other potholes nearby.

Not every hole in the street is a pothole, and the distinction changes who fixes it. Potholes are typically irregularly shaped holes of varying depths. Sinking pavement next to a manhole or catch basin is usually a cave-in, which requires reconstruction by the Department of Water Management. Square or rectangular pavement failures are often failed utility cuts from contractor digging — and in those cases, CDOT requires the contractor to fix the problem at no cost to taxpayers. Describing the shape and location accurately in your report helps route it to the right crew.