How to request a transient stay
Chicago Harbors’ official Transient Reservation Requests page states that transient docking is available by phone or in person at the harbor of your choice beginning May 15 at 8:00 a.m., depending on availability. Online reservation requests may be made beginning May 16 at 8:00 a.m.
The online form is a request, not a confirmed booking. The official page says there is no guarantee a specific request will be honored; if they can accommodate it, they contact you. Online service is limited. A two- or three-day minimum stay may be required during holidays and special events.
The same official page requires 24-hour notice to cancel; insufficient notice or a no-show is charged one night of stay. Transient dockage cannot be used for commercial purposes. Navy Pier hourly transient dockage is handled separately through Dockwa, per Chicago Harbors — use their current Dockwa instructions, not this site, for that location.
Season versus reservation start
Official Chicago Harbors materials used elsewhere on this site state the harbor season as May 1 through October 31. That is the published seasonal-mooring season. Transient reservation requests, on the official 2026 form page we checked, start later — May 15 in person/phone and May 16 online. Do not treat May 1 as the first day you can request a transient slip.
The official daily-dockage page lists Montrose, Belmont, Diversey, DuSable, Monroe, Burnham, 31st Street, 59th Street, Jackson Inner, and Jackson Outer as harbors you can select. Spaces can be limited; they recommend reserving ahead.
Published daily transient rates (official, 2026 check)
The following daily transient figures appeared on both the Chicago Harbors Daily Dockage page and the Rates and Applications page when checked on October 27, 2026. They are per foot unless noted. Official footnotes: a 2- to 3-day minimum may apply for special events or holidays; star dock/mooring can and wall space have a 25-foot minimum; stalls have a 30-foot minimum. City tax and other surcharges may apply — the official sheets control.
Star dock / mooring can: $1.50 per foot. Wall space: $2.00 per foot. Stalls at 31st Street, Belmont, Burnham, Diversey, DuSable, and Montrose: $3.50 per foot for 30–60 feet and $6.00 per foot for 61 feet and longer. Stalls at Jackson and 59th Street: $2.50 per foot (30–39), $2.75 (40–60), and $4.00 (61+).
Published electric charges on those same pages: single 30 amp $10/day; twin 30 amp $20/day; single 50 amp $20/day; twin 50 amp $25/day; 100 amp $30/day.
We are not reprinting seasonal slip fees or launch-ramp prices here. The official rates pages listed different launch-ramp dollar amounts on the same day we checked, so use chicagoharbors.info/rates-applications/ and the 2026 rate sheet PDF rather than any third-party recap. Seasonal mooring applications are a different process from transient requests.
