Chicago, Illinois Information

Chicago is now one of the most innovative cities in America. Although it burned to the ground in 1871 and has a bloody history of social unrest, the Windy City has grown into a major financial center of the Midwest. The third largest city in the USA has a lot to offer: in addition to the architecture, pioneering economic and cultural institutions and a proud, albeit turbulent political tradition. Barrack Obama also lived and worked here for 20 years.

A major draw in Chicago is Millennium Park, which covers 25 acres of parkland and offers everything from outdoor dining to interactive public art to ice skating. Here the guest can also enjoy the classical music repertoire of the Grant Park Orchestra.

Illinois and Chicago are ideal vacation destinations for architecture enthusiasts. The city boasts three of the tallest buildings in the world, while nearby Oak Park has the world’s largest number of buildings designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright.

The Magnificent Mile invites you to a long shopping spree, where shoppers will find many well-known department stores and countless chic boutiques. The neighboring urban areas and suburbs also offer plenty of excellent shopping opportunities and an exciting nightlife. For visitors who like to explore after the sun goes down, symphony and rock concerts are on the schedule. Not to forget the largest blues festival in the world, which takes place every year in the Blues Capital of the World with free admission.

According to itypemba, Chicago’s motto, Urbs in Horto’ – the city in the garden – has become a way of life and Chicago offers a huge range of things to do accordingly. Architect Daniel Burnham and landscape designer Fredric Law Olmsted were the visionaries to whom the city owes its present face and its many parks along Lake Michigan – focused on the boundless enjoyment of its residents.

With hundreds of international flights arriving each week, Chicago is easy to get to. And of course, for visitors who enjoy fine dining, Chicago is a paradise with its five-star restaurants, popular streetside eateries and ethnic specialties.

Chicago information

Location
Chicago is located in northeastern Illinois. Chicago’s eastern boundary is formed by Lake Michigan, the fifth largest freshwater lake in the world. The shore of the lake is surrounded by almost 50 kilometers of sandy beaches, parks, cycle paths and hiking trails. The city covers an area of ​​606 km².

Population
With a population of almost 2.7 million, Chicago is the third largest city in the USA. 8.7 million people live in the greater Chicago area and 9.7 million people in the metropolitan area of ​​Chicago.

Arriving
by plane
Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) is located 17 miles northwest of Chicago.

Tourism
Chicago hosted nearly 52 million domestic and international visitors in 2015, including 50.4 million domestic tourists and 1.45 million overseas visitors. 138,000 people were employed in the tourism industry, and visitor spending amounted to US$14.8 billion. Chicago is the tenth most visited city in the United States.

Economy
With 250 corporate headquarters, including 29 Fortune 500 companies and 1,500 foreign companies, Chicago is THE place to do business. Companies thrive here because Chicago’s business environment is diverse and has everything to offer, from innovative start-ups to multinational corporations and manufacturing companies. Chicago is also home to the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the largest commodity futures exchange in the United States, and the Chicago Board of Trade, the largest commodities, futures and options exchange in the United States.

Climate
Chicago is midway between the continental divide and the Atlantic Ocean and is 900 miles from the Gulf of Mexico. Chicago’s climate is typically continental, with cold winters, warm summers, and frequent short swings in temperature, humidity, cloud cover, and wind direction. According to many, the more moderate temperatures of spring and fall are the best times. Lake Michigan exerts a moderating influence on temperature while increasing snow levels in the city during winter.