Chicago, IL, USA
Here is a brief history of Chicago:
Here is a quick overview of the history of Chicago:
• Chicago was founded in 1833 by settlers from New York and New England. It was located at the strategic point where Lake Michigan meets the Illinois and Chicago Rivers.
• In the 1840s and 1850s, Chicago experienced rapid growth as a major transportation hub for people, goods, and commerce between the East Coast and the West. Railroads and canals connected Chicago to major cities.
• In the 1860s, Chicago became a major industrial center, especially for meatpacking, flour milling, and manufacturing. This led to a huge influx of immigrants to Chicago to fill factory jobs.
• In the 1870s, Chicago hosted the World’s Columbian Exposition which showcased new technologies and architectural marvels. This cemented Chicago’s status as a major US city.
• In the early 20th century, Chicago grew into one of the largest and most influential cities in the US, nicknamed the “Windy City.” It was a cultural center for architecture, art, music, literature, and sports.
• In the 1920s, Prohibition led to the growth of organized crime in Chicago. In the following decades, political corruption and gangster violence were widespread.
• Since World War II, Chicago experienced urban decline but also worked to revitalize itself. It remains a major center for finance, culture, food, music, sports, and technology innovation.
• Some of Chicago‘s most famous landmarks were built in these eras, including The Art Institute of Chicago, Willis Tower, Wrigley Building, Tribune Tower, Soldier Field, and Navy Pier.
• Chicago is also known for its influential blues, jazz, gospel, hip hop, and improvisational comedy music scenes. Many world-famous brands originate from Chicago as well.
Here are some of the most popular tourist attractions in Chicago:
*Millennium Park**: Home to The Bean sculpture, vibrant gardens, walking trails, and stunning downtown views. Access to all areas is free. Open daily 6am-11pm. Address: 201 E Randolph St, Chicago, IL 60601 Phone: 312-742-1134. Website: https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks/millennium-park
**The Art Institute of Chicago**: One of the largest art museums in America housing European paintings as well as many famous American works of art like Grant Wood’s American Gothic. Admission fee applies. Open Tues-Sun 10:30am-5pm, Wed 10:30am-8pm, closed Mondays. Address: 111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603. Phone: 312-443-3600. Website: https://www.artic.edu
**The Magnificent Mile**: Popular shopping district along Michigan Ave with many upscale stores, restaurants, hotels and attractions. Access is free. Most stores open 9am-6pm, some evenings until 8pm. Address: Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60601 Phone: NA. Website: https://shoppinginthedistrict.com
**Navy Pier**: Lakefront pier with shops, restaurants, bars, museums, parks, fireworks shows and boat tours. Access to the pier is free but some attractions charge admission. Open Sunday-Thursday 10am-10pm, Friday-Saturday 10am-12am. Address: 600 E Grand Ave, Chicago, IL 60611. Phone: 312-595-7437. Website: https://navypier.org:
**Shedd Aquarium**: One of the world‘s largest indoor aquariums featuring a huge variety of marine animals in recreated natural habitats. Admission tickets apply. Open Mon-Sun 9:30am-5pm, Wed 9:30am-9pm. Address: 1200 S Lake Shore Dr, Chicago, IL 60605. Phone: 312-939-2438. https://www.sheddaquarium.org
**Lincoln Park Zoo**: Large free zoo home to 1,300 animals including giant tortoises, lions, monkeys, chipmunks in beautiful botanical gardens. Admission: free. Address: Lincoln Park Zoo, 2200 N Cannon Dr, Chicago, IL 60614. Phone: 312-742-2000. Website: https://www.lpzoo.org
**Wrigley Building** A landmark skyscraper with beautiful free tours showcasing architecture, history and culture. Address: 400 W Madison St, Chicago, IL 60661. Phone: 312-681-Wrigley. Website: https://wrigleybuilding.com
**Devil’s Lake State Park** Peaceful park nestled between Lake Michigan dunes with sandy beaches, hiking trails, kayaking, swimming. Approx 95 min from downtown Chicago. Price: $9 car fee. Address: S5975 Park Rd, Baraboo, WI 53913. Phone: 608-254-2333. Website: https://dnr.wi.gov/topic/parks/name/devils.lake/
**Miller Park Zoo** A large zoo located in Bloomington, IL with over 3,000 animals including giant tortoises, gorillas, and Komodo dragons. 2 hours south of Chicago. Free admission. Address: 1 S. Joe Orr Rd, Utica, IL. Phone: 613-269-9166. Website: https://www.millerparkzoo.org/
**Starved Rock State Park** Gorgeous sandstone formations and hiking trails along the Illinois River. 2 hours northwest of Chicago. Price: $10-12 per person. Address: 1325 Starved Rock Rd, Utica, IL. Phone: 815-867-4166. https://www.starvedrockstatepark.org/
**Arlington International Racecourse and the Churchill Downs Museum** A historic horse racing track outside Chicago with tours, racing events. 30 minutes north of Chicago. Museum admission $7-10, racing admission $5-20. Address: 200 E Randolph St, Arlington Heights, IL. Phone: 847-222-7400 Website: https://www.arlingtonpark.com/
**Naperville** A charming suburb 30 minutes west of Chicago with shopping, dining, outdoor attractions like the DuPage Children’s Museum, Naper Settlement historic site, and island parks. Free admission. Address: Naperville, IL. Website: https://www.naperville.il.us/
**Lockport Cave & Cave tours** One of the most famous show caves in the country with stunning stalactite formations. 1.5 hours southwest of Chicago. Cave tours Price: $6-10. Address: 8261 W Fisher Rd, Morris, IL. Phone: 815-942-6808. Website: https://lockportcave.com/
Here are the major types of transportation in Chicago:
Bus: Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) buses. Fares start at $2.25. Extensive bus system covers most of Chicago. https://www.transitchicago.com/buses/
Rail: CTA trains (Red Line, Blue Line, Green Line, Brown Line, Orange Line, Pink Line, Purple Line). Fares same as buses, $2.25. Chicago has an extensive elevated rail and subway system. Website: https://www.transitchicago.com/train/
Metro: CTA L stations: Fares same as buses and rail, $2.25. Some CTA rail lines have stations that extend underground. Website: https://www.transitchicago.com/train/
Shuttle: Free Downtown/Loop shuttle. Free shuttle serves downtown Chicago and the Loop business district. Website: https://www.choosechicago.com/things-to-do/transit/cta-loop-shuttle/
Car services: Taxi: Fares vary based on distance, ~$2-3ft, etc.): Fares similar to taxis, paid through mobile apps.
Car rental: Starting around $30-40 per day. Links: Uber: https://www.uber.com/ Lyft: https://www.lyft.com/ Enterprise: https://www.enterprise.com/ Hertz: https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/reservation Avis: https://www.avis.com/
The major airports near Chicago are:
O’Hare International Airport (ORD): Located about 17 miles (28 km) northwest of Chicago city center. https://flychicago.com/OHare
Public transit: CTA Blue Line express train – $2.75 each way, ~30 min ride to downtown Chicago. https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
Bus: CTA bus #54 – $2.75 each way, scenic 1.5-2hr ride to downtown depending on traffic. https://www.transitchicago.com/planatrip/
Private car / taxi: $30-45 fare to downtown Chicago depending on traffic and time of day. Estimated 30-45 min drive time.
Midway International Airport (MDW): Located about 13 miles (21 km) southwest of Chicago city center. https://flychicago.com/Midway
Private car / taxi: $25-35 fare to downtown Chicago depending on traffic and time of day. Estimated 25-40 min drive time.
The currency used in the United States is the US dollar. The US dollar is denoted by the symbol $ and the currency code USD.
US dollars paper notes include:
• $1 – One dollar
• $2 – Two dollars
• $5 – Five dollars
• $10 – Ten dollars
• $20 – Twenty dollars
• $50 – Fifty dollars • $100 – One hundred dollars
Coins come in:
- $0.01 (penny),
- $0.05 (nickel),
- $0.10 (dime),
- $0.25 (quarter),
- $0.50 (half–dollar) and
- $1 (dollar) denominations.
Chicago is known as the “Windy City”. Chicago’s location on Lake Michigan contributes to the relatively high wind speeds, especially in spring and winter. The lake effect winds can make conditions quite blustery at times.
• January tends to be the windiest month with average wind speeds around 15 mph (24 kph).
• Summer months, especially July and August see slightly lower average wind speeds, around 9-10 mph (15 kph). •
Some key facts about Chicago’s climate:
• Winters are cold, with average highs around 38 F (3 C) and lows around 23 F (-5 C) in January. Snowfall is common in the winter, with Chicago averaging 53 inches (135 cm) of snowfall per year.
• Summers are warm and humid, with average highs around 82 F (28 C) and lows around 64 F (18 C) in July and August. Occasionally, temperatures in the summer climb above 90 F (32 C). Summer humidity is high due to the Great Lakes, causing heat and humidity to make some summer days feel oppressive.
• Spring and fall can be cool but also quite pleasant, with more moderate temperatures and fewer chances of extreme weather. Spring tends to be shorter than fall due to the lateness of winter melting.
• Chicago gets some severe weather like tornadoes, hail, lightning and thunderstorms, especially in the spring and summer months. But major severe weather events are relatively rare.
