Chicago pothole repair crews have filled over 150,000 so far in 2026, but wet weather has been a challenge
There are 22 city of Chicago crews out on our roads filling potholes across the city day in and day out.
City officials said so far this year, the crews have filled more than 151,000 potholes, and there are plenty more waiting.
When the weather is good, these crews can fill several thousand potholes in a day.
"We have experienced some higher number of calls for potholes," said Mike Drake, deputy commissioner of the Chicago Department of Transportation.
Drake has led the pothole work for Chicago for more than 20 years. He said this year's number of reported potholes is not out of the ordinary; in fact, we're on par with past years when it comes to pothole reports and repairs. But he did say the recent wet weather complicates things.
"We can't fill potholes with puddles in it," he explained. "But we are now catching up."
Potholes are caused by a freeze-thaw cycle. When moisture seeps into pavement, it expands upon freezing and contracts when it thaws. Expansion and contraction is what creates potholes.
"It's not unusual for us to get a lot of potholes as we transition from very cold weather to a warmup in spring," said CBS News Chicago Chief Meteorologist Albert Ramon. "What's different this year is this extraordinary wet weather pattern we've had for the past month well above average in terms of rainfall that's adding insult to injury."
We dug through city data and found the 3700 block of South California Avenue in Brighton Park is dealing with the worst potholes, at least by the numbers. Crews have filled 235 potholes on that block so far this year.
Once a problem area is reported to 311, the city gets to it between four and 10 days on average. That claim was backed up by the data.
If your car is damaged due to a city pothole you can file a claim for reimbursement on the City Clerk's website.
Many residents feel the city isn't doing enough about problem potholes in their neighborhoods. Drake said he understands, but they are in fact working.
"We ask that the residents show a little patience. We are moving through the city. We have capital construction going on. We have 22 crews going through the whole city," he said.
For those dealing with really rough streets and waiting much longer for a fix, it's for a reason. For some areas, filling potholes isn't enough.
"There are streets out there that require full resurfacing or additional types of repair," Drake explained.
In 2025, CDOT resurfaced more than 170 miles of streets and alleyways. Resurfacing can take around four weeks once the city determines it's needed.
The city said paving season beings in April when asphalt plants open up for the season, which residents will see more pothole filling and road resurfacing crews as the spring and summer go on.
CDOT encourages the public to use the 311 system -- by calling 311, using the CHI311 mobile app or going to 311.chicago.gov – to report potholes.
Click here for a direct link to the pothole reporting portal. And if you need to file a claim for reimbursement if your vehicle is damaged by a pothole, click here to visit the City Clerk's website.