How Do I Format a List of Figures in Turabian/Chicago Style?

If your paper includes figures, tables, or both, you may choose to list them in the front matter. Here’s how to set up a Chicago-style list of figures (or tables) following the guidelines in Kate L. Turabian’s A Manual for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. (See section A.2.1.8 in the appendix called “Paper Format and Submission.”)

Number all pages of such a list with roman numerals.
If your paper includes only figures, label the first page Figures at the top of the page; if it includes only tables, label it Tables instead.*
Leave two blank lines between the title and the first item listed.
Use single-spacing for individual items in the list, but leave a blank line between items.
Give each table or figure number in arabic numerals, and align numbers at the left margin.
Figure captions and table titles should match the wording and capitalization of those in the paper itself, but if they are very long, shorten them in a logical way for the entries in the list.
List page numbers flush right and, if you choose, use leader dots to connect the captions and titles to page numbers.

For more details, see the sample list of tables below and section A.2.1.8 of Turabian. See 26.2.2 and 26.3.2 for more on table titles and figure captions.

*If your paper includes both figures and tables, and if your instructor prefers that you combine them into a single list, label the list Illustrations, but divide it into two sections labeled Figures and Tables (see Turabian, figure A.6).

Sample List of Tables

IMPORTANT: Your instructor’s requirements may overrule Chicago’s formatting recommendations!

The Turabian tip sheets illustrate everything you need to know for formatting a student paper in Chicago style. They are fully compatible with The Chicago Manual of Style (17th ed.). You can print them and download them.