Chicago

 Welcome to Chicago!

 Chicago is the largest city by population in the state of Illinois and the Midwest, and a dominant center of finance, industry and culture in the region. The city was long the "second city" (second in population to New York), and is currently the third-most populous city in the United States, with nearly 3 million people.  Incorporated as a city in 1837 after being founded in 1833 at the site of a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed, it soon became a major transportation hub in North America and quickly became the transportation, financial and industrial center of the American Midwest. Since the Chicago World's Fair of 1893, it has been regarded as one of the ten most influential cities in the world. Home of the earliest skyscrapers, it today boasts some of the world's tallest buildings, including the Sears Tower and the John Hancock Center, plus the under-construction Chicago Spire and Trump International Hotel and Tower. Chicago boasts a rich diversity of cultural offerings: teams from each of the major league sports (Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, Fire and White Sox), a financial district anchored by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the shopping of the Magnificent Mile, and a blossoming Theatre district. Noted among Chicago Landmarks are Wrigley Field, and Buckingham Fountain.

Chicago is served by two major international airports, Chicago Midway International Airport and O'Hare International Airport (the world's second busiest in terms of passengers) as well as the heavily used Chicago 'L' system of rapid transit. Chicago was once the capital of the railroad industry and until the 1960s the world's largest meatpacking facilities were at the Union Stock Yards. Chicago became notorious worldwide for its violent gangsters in the 1920s, most notably Al Capone, and for the political corruption in one of the longest lasting political machines in the nation. The city has long been a stronghold of the Democratic Party, which gave its presidential nomination to Stephen A. Douglas in 1860, Adlai E. Stevenson (from the suburbs) in 1952 and 1956, and Barack Obama in 2008. Recent Democrats from Chicago include longtime party boss and mayor Richard J. Daley, and black leader Jesse Jackson.

Looking for something to do while visiting the “Windy City?” 

You’ll find magic in such sparkling Chicago attractions as Navy Pier – the Midwest’s top tourist destination – and its boardwalk, 150-foot Ferris wheel, boat and segway tours, and countless dining or shopping options. Millennium Park offers dazzling music, art, landscape design and architecture – including the mammoth stainless-steel Cloud Gate sculpture – plus ice skating in the winter, splashing around in the interactive Crown Fountain during summer, and alfresco dining from spring to fall.

Chicago looks great from every angle, whether you’re exploring the city’s astonishing architecture during a guided tour (on foot or aboard a Chicago River boat, lakeshore cruise or sightseeing bus) or you’re enjoying the birds-eye view from the 103rd floor Sears Tower Skydeck and the 94th floor Hancock Observatory. The city’s 29 miles of lakefront paths are just one reason Chicago is one of the world’s most walkable and beautiful cities.

Chicago is often called a friendly city – and you’ll agree when you accept the city’s warm invitation to sample such free attractions as Lincoln Park Zoo, home to more than 1,000 mammals, reptiles, and birds. Enjoy the peaceful gardens under glass at Garfield Park Conservatory and Lincoln Park Conservatory, or take in one of the free performances at Navy Pier.  To make sure you don’t miss out on anything the city has to offer, make your very first stop the Chicago Cultural Center - Chicago's Architectural Showplace for the Lively and Visual Arts and the city's official Visitor Center.

For more detailed visitor information, dheck out these links for a huge variety of options, including world class museums, unparalleled shopping, thousands of restaurant choices, and a multitude of cultural offerings.

www.chooseChicago.com

www.explorechicago.org