Find AA Meetings in Illinois

AA meetings across Illinois

Find AA Meetings in Illinois

•Sourced from official Illinois AA intergroups

Illinois's AA community includes 3,018 meetings across 433 cities, held daily at churches, community centers, and online. Whether you're looking for a meeting near you, a specific format, or an online or Zoom option anywhere in Illinois, this directory lists local AA groups that are open to newcomers and people at every stage of recovery.

Illinois's AA fellowship is anchored by one of the nation's most active urban meeting calendars in Chicago, extended through the collar counties, the I-55 corridor, the Quad Cities, Peoria, Springfield, the East St. Louis metro east, and the Southern Illinois counties. The directory lists meetings in all 102 counties.

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AA Meetings Finder in Illinois
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Meeting Times Across Illinois Near You

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AA Meetings in Illinois by the Numbers

Across Illinois, the 3,018 listed AA groups are concentrated in Chicago (685 meetings), Naperville (69), and Springfield (62), with active groups in 433 cities in total. Wednesday is the busiest day for meetings, and evening (5–9 PM) sessions are the most common. About 32% of groups (962) offer an online or hybrid option.

Largest AA communities in Illinois

When AA groups meet in Illinois

  • Sunday657
  • Monday751
  • Tuesday732
  • Wednesday755
  • Thursday748
  • Friday737
  • Saturday662

Meetings per day of the week across Illinois. Wednesday has the most scheduled groups.

What members read between meetings

A.A.'s own literature does most of the heavy lifting between meetings in Illinois. These are the books most often spotted on a member's bookshelf, with a short note on what each one is for. Each card is tagged with its language.

Alcoholics Anonymous (the Big Book)

English

The book Bill W. and Dr. Bob wrote first, in 1939. Most members pick up a copy in their first week or two and keep it close.

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Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions

English

Bill W.'s longer essays on each Step and each Tradition. The usual companion read once the Big Book starts to feel familiar.

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Living Sober

English

A short, practical book about the day-to-day of staying sober. Often the one a sponsor suggests in the first month.

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Daily Reflections

English

One short A.A. reading for each day of the year, with a thought to carry into it. Members often keep a copy on the kitchen counter.

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As Bill Sees It

English

Brief passages from A.A.'s co-founder, arranged by topic. Some groups read one aloud at the top of every meeting.

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About AA in Illinois

Chicago: meetings around the clock, in every neighborhood

Chicago Area Service Office (CASO) coordinates several thousand weekly meetings across the city and the surrounding Cook County communities. Downtown Chicago has noon and after-work meetings serving the office, hospital, and university workforce. The North Side (Lincoln Park, Lakeview, Edgewater, Andersonville, Rogers Park) has a dense neighborhood calendar including the longstanding LGBTQ+ AA presence centered on Boystown and the surrounding area. The Northwest Side (Logan Square, Avondale, Albany Park) and the Polish-American meeting tradition in Jefferson Park reflect the city's immigrant history. The South Side (Hyde Park, Bronzeville, Englewood, Beverly) and the West Side (Pilsen, Little Village, Austin, Garfield Park) anchor the African-American and Latino meeting calendars. Spanish-language meetings are widespread; Pilsen and Little Village have some of the largest weekly Spanish-language calendars in the country.

The collar counties and the Chicago suburbs

Northern Illinois Area 20 covers the collar counties: Lake, McHenry, Kane, DuPage, and Will. The suburban meeting calendar is dense, with established groups in Evanston, Skokie, Wilmette, Highland Park, and the North Shore; Naperville, Wheaton, and the DuPage County suburbs; Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, and the Northwest Suburban Council communities; Joliet, Bolingbrook, and the Will County calendar; and Aurora, Elgin, and the Fox Valley. Spanish-language meetings extend through the western suburbs, particularly Aurora, Elgin, and parts of Joliet.

Central and Southern Illinois

Central Illinois Intergroup serves Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, and the surrounding counties. Springfield, the state capital, has a weekday meeting calendar serving the state-government workforce plus historic neighborhood groups. The Quad Cities (Rock Island, Moline, plus Davenport and Bettendorf on the Iowa side) maintain a cross-state meeting network. Champaign-Urbana anchors meetings near the University of Illinois. The East St. Louis metro east (Belleville, O'Fallon, Granite City) connects to the St. Louis meeting calendar across the river. Southern Illinois (Carbondale, Marion, Mount Vernon) has its own intergroup structure with meetings reaching down to the Ohio River.

Getting to a meeting in Illinois

CTA covers the City of Chicago with subway/elevated rail and bus service. Metra commuter rail serves the suburbs in eleven distinct lines. Pace covers suburban bus service. Amtrak's hub is Chicago Union Station, with Lincoln Service (to St. Louis), Illini and Saluki (to Carbondale), Hiawatha (to Milwaukee), and long-distance routes (Empire Builder, California Zephyr, Southwest Chief, City of New Orleans, Texas Eagle, Lake Shore Limited, Capitol Limited, Cardinal).

Finding AA Meetings in Illinois

Alcoholics Anonymous is active across 433 cities in Illinois, with 3,018 meetings listed in this directory. Meetings run mornings, evenings, and weekends, and formats range from open discussions to step study groups, so most people can find something that fits their schedule and where they are in recovery.

Meeting Types Available in Illinois

AA meetings in Illinois run in several formats, each suited to a different kind of participation. With 3,018 meetings listed, here is what you can expect to find:

Open Meetings

Open to the public. Family members, friends, and anyone curious about A.A. are welcome to attend. No membership or personal connection to alcohol problems is required.

Closed Meetings

For people who have a desire to stop drinking. These meetings are private, and what is shared stays within the room.

Speaker Meetings

A member shares their story of "experience, strength, and hope." These meetings can be grounding for newcomers who want to hear how others have navigated recovery.

Step Study Groups

Groups that work through the 12 Steps together. Found in Chicago and across Illinois, these meetings focus on applying A.A. principles in practical terms.

Major Cities with AA Support in Illinois

Chicago, Illinois's most active AA community, hosts 685 meetings. Other major cities include Naperville, Springfield, Evanston, and more, each running multiple meetings per week.

Chicago

685 AA meetings available

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Naperville

69 AA meetings available

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Springfield

62 AA meetings available

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Evanston

52 AA meetings available

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Palatine

52 AA meetings available

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Libertyville

46 AA meetings available

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Getting to AA Meetings in Illinois

Whether you're traveling to Illinois for the first time or a longtime resident seeking support, understanding your transportation options can help you access the AA meetings you need. Below is comprehensive information about reaching meetings across the state.

Planning Your Journey to AA Meetings

When traveling to Alcoholics Anonymous meetings in Illinois, call ahead to confirm meeting times, verify the address, and get directions. Many AA groups warmly welcome newcomers, first-timers, and out-of-town visitors. If lack of transportation is preventing you from attending meetings, reach out to local AA groups via the AA hotline—many members volunteer to give free rides to people in early recovery, or can connect you with Zoom meetings and online AA meetings.

Frequently Asked Questions

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