Chicago
United States · Midwest
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States with a population of 2.74 million, located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan in Illinois. As the most populous city in the Midwest, it serves as a major transportation and cultural hub with a gross metropolitan product of $770.7 billion, the third-largest in the country.
Best time to visit
Late spring through early fall (May to September) offers the most pleasant weather for exploring Chicago's outdoor attractions and lakefront, though the city is worth visiting year-round for its cultural institutions and indoor attractions.
Language
English
Currency
USD
Interesting facts
- Chicago sits on a continental divide at the Chicago Portage, an ancient trade route connecting the Mississippi River and Great Lakes watersheds, making it a historically crucial transportation junction.
- The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed much of the city and displaced over 100,000 people, but the subsequent reconstruction using modern materials and methods established Chicago as the birthplace of modern architecture in the United States.
- Chicago has been the largest and most dominant metropolis in the Midwestern United States since the 1870s and became the nation's rail center and dominant hub for manufacturing, commerce, finance, and culture.
- The city is home to 35 Fortune 500 companies and serves as a major center for financial trading, insurance, publishing, and food processing industries.
- Chicago has one of the largest concentrations of Italian Americans in the U.S., with over 500,000 living in the metropolitan area, making it the third-largest Italian American population after New York City and Philadelphia.
- The Chicago metropolitan area has approximately 9.6 million residents, making it the third-largest metropolitan area in the United States and the fourth-largest in North America.
Local tips
- Take advantage of Chicago's position on Lake Michigan by visiting the waterfront and beaches, particularly during warmer months when the lake is accessible for recreation.
- Explore the city's grid system, which was strictly adhered to even across the Chicago River, making navigation straightforward and allowing easy access to different neighborhoods.
- Visit the Chicago River downtown and the Calumet River area on the South Side to experience the city's industrial and commercial heritage that shaped its development.
- The city's extensive transportation network (road, rail, water, and air connections) makes it easy to explore both Chicago and connect to other parts of the Midwest and nation.
- Experience Chicago's diverse ethnic communities, particularly the Italian neighborhoods historically centered around Taylor Street and Grand Avenue on the West Side.
- Explore the city's role as a center for higher education, religion, broadcasting, sports, jazz, and high culture that developed during its rapid 19th and 20th-century growth.