Find the Right Route 21 Bus Times, Stops, Map and Live Arrival Service
There is no single Route 21 bus schedule for the United States. Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Salem and Norfolk all operate different Route 21 services with different terminals, fares, frequencies, stop rules and real-time tools.
This guide first helps you identify the correct transit agency, then goes deeper into current Route 21 information including Seattle’s construction reroute and express-stop rule, Chicago’s Cermak timetable PDF, Philadelphia fare changes, Salem frequency patterns and Norfolk stop-level tracking.
Route 21 serves Arbor Heights, Roxhill, Westwood Village, High Point, West Seattle, SODO and Downtown Seattle.
Current timetable: March 28–August 28, 2026Service days: Weekday, Saturday and SundaySpecial pattern: Route 21 EXPRESS tripsCurrent issue: Long-term SW Barton reroute
The current schedule is unusually time-sensitive because Metro’s next service-change cycle begins at the end of August. Recheck this route for travel after August 28.
The 21 Cermak runs across Chicago and into the western suburban corridor, linking multiple rail stations, Cermak Road destinations and North Riverside Mall service.
East terminal: 25th/Michigan areaWest terminals: 54th/Cermak / North Riverside MallService: DailyAccessibility: All CTA buses accessible
CTA publishes both a detailed two-page timetable PDF and a stop-by-stop list with stop IDs, direction and boarding corner.
SEPTA Route 21 operates between Penn’s Landing and 69th Street Transportation Center.
East end: Penn’s LandingWest end: 69th Street Transportation CenterBus fare: $2.90Current schedules: New June 2026 cycle
SEPTA’s current site combines schedules, real-time information, alerts and fare tools. Riders using older Key Tix should note the separate August 28, 2026 acceptance deadline.
Route 21 connects Downtown Transit Center Bay K with the South Commercial corridor and Madras at Fircrest.
Weekday pattern: Frequent daytime serviceSaturday: Approximately every 30 minutesSunday: Approximately hourlyRider advice: Arrive 5 minutes early
Cherriots explicitly says route times are estimates and asks riders to arrive five minutes early. Its route page also provides a live-bus tracking link.
Hampton Roads Transit Route 21 serves the Navy Exchange Mall / Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek corridor.
Key area: Little Creek RoadMajor destination: Joint Expeditionary Base Little CreekAdult fare: $2.00Live lookup: By stop number
The official HRT Route 21 page exposes dozens of stop IDs, current-trip information and service alerts, making the stop number especially useful for real-time lookup.
The diagram below is a route-selection aid rather than a geographic transit map. It shows why the city and operating agency must be identified before looking at times or stops.
Best lookup format: “Seattle Metro Route 21,” “CTA 21 Cermak,” “SEPTA Route 21,” “Cherriots 21 South Commercial” or “HRT Route 21.”
Schedule freshness
Which Route 21 Information Needs the Fastest Recheck?
Seattle Metro Route 21Expires August 28
The current published timetable covers March 28 through August 28, 2026. Metro says Trip Planner data will continue updating through the August 29 service-change date.
SEPTA Route 21Fare-media deadline
Bus and Metro fare is $2.90. Previously purchased Key Tix are accepted only through August 28, 2026.
CTA 21 CermakCurrent route page
CTA currently publishes daily service, a two-page PDF and a posted stop list dated May 22, 2026.
Cherriots 21Live route page
Cherriots publishes separate weekday, Saturday and Sunday tables and tells riders to arrive five minutes early.
Important for this page: August 28, 2026 matters in two unrelated systems. Seattle’s current Route 21 timetable ends that day, while SEPTA’s previously purchased Key Tix stop being accepted after that date. They are separate changes.
Deep dive: King County Metro
Seattle Route 21 Schedule, Stops and Current Construction Reroute
King County Metro Route 21 travels through Arbor Heights, Roxhill, Westwood Village, High Point, West Seattle, SODO and Downtown Seattle.
The current schedule is effective March 28 through August 28, 2026 and includes weekday, Saturday and Sunday service.
Long-term construction reroute: Route 21 is not serving the normal section of SW Barton Street between 35th Avenue SW and 26th Avenue SW. Metro routes the bus via SW Trenton Street instead.
Current southbound ending point
Southbound trips end at a temporary stop at SW Barton Street & 25th Avenue SW, stop #39977.
Current northbound starting point
Northbound trips begin at 25th Avenue SW & SW Barton Street, stop #39990.
Important Downtown-Bound Timepoints
Example Weekday Downtown Trip
Timepoint
Example Departure
Stop
Westwood Village
5:37 AM
25th Ave SW & SW Barton — #39990
High Point
5:48 AM
35th Ave SW & SW Morgan — #22710
West Seattle
5:52 AM
35th Ave SW & SW Avalon — #22820
SODO
6:00 AM
1st Ave S & S Spokane — #15190
Downtown
6:17 AM
3rd Ave & Pine — #590
This is one example trip, not the complete timetable. Use the official Metro page to choose your exact day and departure.
Easy-to-miss official rule
Seattle Route 21 EXPRESS Does Not Stop Everywhere
Metro specifically warns that Route 21 EXPRESS buses make no stops between 35th Avenue SW & SW Morgan Street and Alaskan Way S & S Jackson Street except at a designated West Seattle stop.
Express starting point
High Point area at 35th Avenue SW & SW Morgan Street marks the beginning of the express-stop restriction.
Intermediate express stop
35th Avenue SW & SW Avalon Way remains an allowed Route 21 EXPRESS stop in both directions.
Why this matters
A normal Route 21 and a Route 21 EXPRESS may follow a similar corridor while serving a different number of intermediate stops.
Check the destination sign before boarding. If you need a local stop in the express zone, do not assume every bus displaying “21” will serve it.
Chicago 21 Cermak Schedule, Terminals and Service Hours
CTA Route 21 is substantially different from Seattle Route 21. It follows the Cermak corridor, connects several CTA rail stations and operates to 54th/Cermak or North Riverside Mall depending on the trip.
Direction
Weekdays
Saturday
Sunday
54th/Cermak → 25th/Michigan
4:10 AM–10:30 PM
4:10 AM–10:55 PM
5:50 AM–10:30 PM
25th/Michigan → 54th/Cermak
4:45 AM–11:20 PM
5:00 AM–11:20 PM
6:40 AM–11:20 PM
North Riverside Mall → 25th/Michigan
4:55 AM–10:20 PM
8:00 AM–10:40 PM
8:55 AM–8:35 PM
25th/Michigan → North Riverside Mall
4:45 AM–11:20 PM
6:45 AM–11:20 PM
8:00 AM–7:40 PM
CTA’s first/last-bus spans refer to terminal departures. A bus reaches a mid-route stop later than the terminal departure time.
CTA also publishes later eastbound service from North Riverside Mall to Cermak/Pulaski until about 12:10 a.m. on weekdays and 12:15 a.m. on Saturdays.
What the CTA Route 21 PDF Reveals
Weekday midday
Main corridor
15 min
Weekday peak
Frequent service
≈12–15
Evening
Selected period
≈20
Late trips
Service tails
Varies
PDF footnote that matters: CTA warns riders that extra service may operate over only part of the route and some trips can end before the furthest terminal. Read the destination sign instead of assuming every #21 reaches North Riverside Mall.
Official document viewer
CTA Route 21 Cermak Official Timetable PDF
The CTA document contains weekday, weekend and route-map information, major timepoints, accessibility notes, bike-rack guidance and warnings about partial-route trips.
If the embedded PDF does not display: the document may be blocked by browser or agency iframe rules. Use the official PDF button above rather than assuming the schedule is unavailable.
Useful CTA Route 21 Transfer and Stop Locations
CTA’s posted stop list was updated May 22, 2026 and includes stop IDs, direction, exact side or corner of the street and special notes.
54th/Cermak Pink Line
Major western rail-transfer point and terminal pattern for many Route 21 trips.
Cermak-Chinatown Red Line
Route 21 serves the Chinatown/Red Line area. Check current stop placement before travel because construction can move boarding locations.
Cermak-McCormick Place Green Line
Useful for convention-center and Green Line transfers.
Cermak & Cicero
Connects with the Pink Line corridor and several bus services.
North Riverside Mall
Western terminal for selected Route 21 trips rather than every trip.
25th/Michigan
Main eastern terminal area shown in CTA’s current service-span information.
SEPTA Route 21: Penn’s Landing to 69th Street Transportation Center
SEPTA’s Route 21 is a Philadelphia-area cross-city service linking Penn’s Landing with 69th Street Transportation Center.
East end
Penn’s Landing.
West end
69th Street Transportation Center, an important transfer hub.
Current fare
$2.90 per Bus or Metro ride.
Key Tix transition: SEPTA stopped selling Key Tix on March 2, 2026. Previously purchased Key Tix remain accepted only through August 28, 2026.
Transfer advantage: riders paying with SEPTA Key or contactless payment can receive up to two free transfers within two hours under the current fare rules. Cash is one ride and does not include those transfers.
Best for exact Route 21 times
Use SEPTA’s schedule or real-time page and choose the direction and exact stop.
Best before a transfer
Confirm which bay or boarding position you need at 69th Street Transportation Center rather than relying only on the route number.
Military-base trip: transit service reaching a base-area stop does not replace installation access requirements. Carry the identification required for your destination.
CTA Chicago$2.25Ventra / eligible contactless
Cash on the bus is $2.50 and does not include transfers. Ventra provides up to two additional rides within two hours.
Fare strategy matters: a slightly higher stored-value or card-based fare product can still be cheaper overall if it includes transfers or fare benefits that cash payment does not.
Real-time rider tools
Route 21 Live Arrivals: Schedule Time Is Not the Same as Bus Position
Seattle
Use King County Metro’s route page, Next Departures and service-advisory tools.
Prediction disappeared?
A missing prediction can reflect lost GPS reporting, a trip that has not started, a detour, vehicle substitution or cancellation.
For an important trip: check the published schedule, live prediction and current service alert. None of those three tools fully replaces the others.
How to Read a Route 21 Bus Timetable Correctly
Confirm the agency.
Seattle Route 21 and Chicago Route 21 have no timetable relationship to one another.
Select the service day.
Weekday, Saturday and Sunday departures may have different first buses, last buses and frequency.
Choose the direction by destination.
A destination name is safer than assuming “northbound” or “inbound.”
Find your nearest timepoint.
Printed timetables normally show major locations rather than every stop.
Read footnotes and symbols.
Express service, short turns, garage trips and branch terminals can override the simple route number.
Check the live stop before leaving.
The printed time is the plan, while the live tool helps estimate the actual arrival.
Accessibility, Bikes and Boarding Considerations
CTA accessibility
CTA states that all CTA buses are accessible. Its Route 21 PDF also explains priority seating obligations.
CTA bicycles
CTA installs bicycle racks on the front of its buses. Rack capacity is limited.
King County Metro
Metro provides accessible regular bus service and reduced-fare programs for qualifying senior and disabled riders.
Stop accessibility
Accessible vehicles do not guarantee that every temporary boarding location has an equally easy curb, sidewalk or surface.
Construction reroutes
Seattle Route 21’s Barton/Trenton reroute makes it especially important to confirm the exact current boarding point.
Military destination access
HRT Route 21 reaches the Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek area, but transit access and installation-entry requirements are separate.
Route 21 Checklist Before You Leave
Confirm the city and transit agency.
Check whether the timetable is still effective.
Select weekday, Saturday, Sunday or holiday service.
Match the destination sign on the bus.
Check whether your trip is local or express.
Save the exact stop ID or boarding bay.
Look for construction or temporary-stop changes.
Check the live arrival shortly before departure.
Prepare the correct fare and payment method.
Allow extra time for a critical transfer.
Common Route 21 Problems and the Best Next Step
The Seattle stop is missing
Check the SW Barton/SW Trenton construction reroute. Your normal Route 21 boarding location may be temporarily bypassed.
The Seattle bus passed my local stop
Confirm whether the vehicle was Route 21 EXPRESS. Express buses skip most stops through the designated express section.
The CTA bus ended before my destination
CTA warns that some added or operational trips can end before the furthest Route 21 terminal. Read the destination sign before boarding.
The CTA timetable and live tracker differ
The timetable is scheduled service; Bus Tracker reflects current vehicle operation.
My SEPTA Key Tix stopped working
Previously purchased Key Tix are accepted only through August 28, 2026. Use a currently accepted SEPTA payment method afterward.
I arrived exactly at the Cherriots departure time
Cherriots says timetable times are estimates and asks riders to arrive five minutes early.
I cannot find the HRT departure
Use the exact HRT stop number and select the travel date on the Route 21 page.
I found a Route 21 schedule from another state
Discard it unless the city and transit operator match your trip.
Official verification ledger
Official Route 21 Sources Used
King County Metro Route 21
Current Seattle route, schedule period, stops and express information. Official Metro Route 21
King County Service Change
Barton/Trenton reroute, temporary terminals and August schedule-cycle information. Official Metro Service Change
King County Fares
$3 adult fare, youth free and reduced-fare programs. Official Metro Fares
CTA Route 21 Cermak
Service span, route map, PDF and current alert access. Official CTA Route 21
CTA Route 21 PDF
Timetable, timepoints, accessibility notes, bicycle guidance and partial-route warning. Official CTA PDF
CTA Stop List
Stop IDs, direction, street side and boarding corner. Official CTA Stop List
SEPTA
Route 21 identity, schedules and current Bus/Metro fare system. SEPTA Schedules
Cherriots Route 21
Weekday/weekend schedule tables, timepoints and rider timing advice. Official Cherriots Route 21
Hampton Roads Transit
Norfolk Route 21, stop IDs, real-time lookup and fares. Official HRT Route 21
Independent-site disclosure: busschedule.us does not operate any Route 21 service and cannot control schedules, fares, GPS predictions, detours or stop relocations. Final trip decisions should use the current transit-agency source.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 21 Bus Schedule
Is there one Route 21 bus schedule for the United States?
No. Many unrelated U.S. transit agencies use the Route 21 number. Match the city and agency before checking times or stops.
What cities have a Route 21 bus?
Examples covered here include Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, Salem and Norfolk. Other U.S. transit systems also use Route 21.
Where does Seattle Route 21 go?
King County Metro Route 21 serves Arbor Heights, Roxhill, Westwood Village, High Point, West Seattle, SODO and Downtown Seattle.
Why is Seattle Route 21 using SW Trenton Street?
Metro has a long-term construction reroute that bypasses the normal portion of SW Barton Street between 35th Avenue SW and 26th Avenue SW.
Does Seattle Route 21 have express service?
Yes. Route 21 EXPRESS skips most stops between 35th Avenue SW & SW Morgan Street and Alaskan Way S & S Jackson Street, with 35th Avenue SW & SW Avalon Way remaining an express stop.
When does the current Seattle Route 21 schedule expire?
The currently published schedule is effective through August 28, 2026. Recheck Metro for travel after that date.
Where does CTA Route 21 operate?
CTA Route 21 Cermak runs along the Cermak corridor, with trips serving 54th/Cermak or North Riverside Mall and an eastern terminal around 25th/Michigan.
Does Chicago Route 21 run every day?
Yes. CTA publishes weekday, Saturday and Sunday service, although first and last bus times differ by terminal and day.
How much does the Chicago 21 bus cost?
The current CTA regular bus fare is $2.25 with Ventra or eligible contactless payment. Cash on the bus is $2.50 and does not include transfers.
How much does Seattle Route 21 cost?
King County Metro’s current adult single-ride fare is $3. Youth age 18 and younger ride regular Metro service free.
Where does SEPTA Route 21 go?
SEPTA Route 21 operates between Penn’s Landing and 69th Street Transportation Center.
How much is SEPTA Route 21?
The current SEPTA Bus and Metro pay-per-ride fare is $2.90.
How often does Cherriots Route 21 run?
The official timetable shows frequent weekday service, roughly 30-minute Saturday service and roughly hourly Sunday service during the published periods.
How do I track HRT Route 21?
Use the official HRT Route 21 page and enter the exact stop number to obtain stop-specific information.
Why did my Route 21 bus pass my stop?
Possible reasons include express service, a short-turn trip, a temporary reroute, a closed stop, a full bus or an out-of-service vehicle. Check the agency’s current route alert and destination sign.
