Chicago

The third-largest city in the United States and the architectural capital of America — around 2.7 million people in the city proper and 9.5 million in the greater metro area, on the shore of Lake Michigan. The nickname "Windy City" comes partly from the lake winds and partly from the famously long-winded politicians of the 19th century. After the Great Fire of 1871 levelled the entire downtown, Chicago became a laboratory of modern architecture — the world's first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building, rose here in 1885. Birthplace of jazz, blues and house music, and the adopted home city where Barack Obama built his political career through the 1990s and 2000s. The food scene is world-class.

Top sights

• Cloud Gate ("The Bean") — a 110-tonne mirrored sculpture by Anish Kapoor (2006) in Millennium Park; the most-photographed object in Chicago.
• Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) — 442 m; the world's tallest building from 1973 to 1998 and the city's defining landmark. The Skydeck on the 103rd floor features a glass-floored balcony jutting out over the street.
• 360 Chicago (formerly John Hancock Center) — 344 m; home to the Tilt experience, where tilting windows let you lean out over the city.
• Art Institute of Chicago — the second-largest art museum in the United States; key works include Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, Hopper's Nighthawks, and Van Gogh's The Bedroom.
• Millennium Park — Chicago's premier modern park, featuring Cloud Gate, the Crown Fountain (50-foot video towers displaying faces of Chicago residents), and Frank Gehry's Jay Pritzker Pavilion.
• Magnificent Mile (North Michigan Avenue) — the main shopping boulevard, 1.3 km from the Chicago River to Lake Shore Drive.
• Navy Pier — a lakefront pier with a 60 m Ferris wheel, an amusement park, and waterfront restaurants.
• Architecture Boat Tour — widely regarded as one of the world's best architectural tours, cruising the Chicago River for 1.5 hours ($50).
• Wrigley Field — the second-oldest ballpark in Major League Baseball (1914, after Boston's Fenway Park), home of the Chicago Cubs.
• Field Museum of Natural History — the city's premier natural history museum, home to "Sue," the most complete T. rex skeleton ever found.
• Shedd Aquarium — one of the largest indoor aquariums in the world, and the largest anywhere when it opened in 1930.
• Adler Planetarium — the oldest planetarium in the Western Hemisphere (1930).
• Lincoln Park Zoo — one of the oldest and largest free zoos in the United States.
• Robie House — Frank Lloyd Wright's masterpiece (1910), located on the University of Chicago campus.
• The Loop — the main business district, containing 38 designated architectural landmarks.
• River North and West Loop — the city's most fashionable dining neighbourhoods.

Food and prices

Chicago has its own distinct cuisine: deep-dish pizza (invented here), the Chicago-style hot dog (no ketchup — ever), Italian beef sandwiches, gyros (reflecting the city's large Greek community), and jibaritos. Lunch at a café runs $18–28, dinner at a restaurant $40–90, and a tasting menu at a Michelin-starred spot such as Alinea (3 stars) $250–450. A craft beer is $6–9. A litre of petrol is about $1.10, a CTA metro or bus ride is $2.50, and a taxi or Uber costs $12–30. Prices are as of 2026.

Getting around

O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is one of the busiest in the world and a major hub for United and American Airlines. The CTA Blue Line runs to the city centre for $5 in about 45 minutes; a taxi costs $50–65. Midway Airport (MDW) is closer to the South Side. Within the city, the CTA (metro and buses), taxis, Uber, and the Divvy bike-share scheme all work well. On the water, the Architecture Cruise is the highlight; Lake Shore Drive is the city's great scenic road along the lakefront.

When to go

May–October brings temperatures of 12–25 °C. Summer (June–August) is warm at 22–32 °C and ideal for the Lake Michigan beaches. Lollapalooza takes place in late July/early August. Taste of Chicago runs through July. Winter (December–March) is brutal — temperatures of −5 to −25 °C and the "Hawk," the biting wind off Lake Michigan, empties the streets. St Patrick's Day in March is a spectacle: the Chicago River is dyed green. Independence Day on 4 July brings fireworks over Navy Pier.