Chicago, Global city in Illinois, United States
Covering 237 square miles (613 square kilometers) along Lake Michigan, the city displays a dense urban core surrounded by 77 distinct neighborhoods, with the Chicago River branching through downtown and reversing its flow artificially since 1900.
Founded in 1837 with fewer than 4,000 inhabitants, the settlement expanded rapidly as a transportation hub linking the Great Lakes with the Mississippi River through canal construction completed in 1848, spurring industrial development that attracted millions of European immigrants.
Home to blues and jazz heritage, the city spawned musical innovations including house music during the 1980s, with nightclubs like the Warehouse establishing electronic dance traditions that spread worldwide.
Two major airports serve the metropolitan area: O'Hare International handles domestic and international flights 17 miles (27 kilometers) northwest, while Midway sits 10 miles (16 kilometers) southwest with primarily domestic connections accessible via rapid transit.
The street grid follows a numbering system established in 1909, using Madison Street and State Street as zero points, with addresses increasing by 800 per mile (about 100 per block) in all directions, simplifying navigation throughout the metropolitan area.
Location: Cook County
Founders: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable
Elevation above the sea: 179 m
Part of: Chicago metropolitan area
Shares border with: Park Ridge, Oak Park, Evanston, Blue Island, Skokie, Des Plaines
Address: Chicago, IL, USA 60601–60827 Chicago
Phone: +13127445000
Website: https://chicago.gov
GPS coordinates: 41.88194,-87.62778
Latest update: November 28, 2025 13:38
This list presents the 50 most populous cities in the United States according to the official estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau as of July 2024. These metropolitan areas showcase the country's diversity in economic, cultural, and geographic aspects. From New York with 8.48 million residents, a global hub of finance and media, to Los Angeles, the center of cinema, through Chicago with its notable architecture, Houston with its space industry, and Philadelphia, the city that founded American independence, each destination has its own identity. San Antonio preserves traces of the colonial era around the Alamo, while Phoenix is experiencing rapid growth in the Arizona desert. These large American cities, spread from Texas to California and from Florida to Illinois, offer a comprehensive view of the country's urban realities. Together, they host several tens of millions of inhabitants and are the main drivers of the national economy, each developing specialties from the energy sector to new technologies, maritime trade, and medical research.
Chicago is explored as a mosaic of neighborhoods, parks, and towers, each telling a part of its story. The city reveals itself through reflections on Lake Michigan, glass facades rising above the river, and museums among the richest in the United States. The journey takes you from a public garden resembling an art gallery to a platform attached to a tower, then to a shopping avenue with architecture competing with storefronts. Cultural centers, iconic stadiums, and ethnic neighborhoods add further dimensions to this urban landscape. Here is a selection of places that show Chicago as it is lived, amidst height, culture, and daily energy.
Chicago features a notable selection of rooftop bars, perched atop skyscrapers and offering views of the city’s iconic architecture. From River North to the Loop, these high-up venues let visitors admire Lake Michigan, the Chicago River, and the skyscrapers that form the skyline of the third-largest city in the United States. These rooftops offer various experiences: contemporary Peruvian cuisine at Cabra, handcrafted cocktails at Kennedy Rooftop with a direct view of downtown towers, or the originality of Homestead on the Roof, which grows its own ingredients hydroponically. Cindy's Rooftop, located atop the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel, provides a direct view of Millennium Park. Some spaces have strong themes, like Lonesome Rose with its American West-inspired decor, while others favor industrial design like Chateau Carbide with visible metal structures. Whether you are looking for a place to have a drink at sunset or outdoor dining during summer months, these venues serve as prime observation points to see Chicago from a different perspective, far from the street hustle.
Willis Tower
764 m
Cloud Gate
381 m
Wrigley Field
7.7 km
Trump International Hotel and Tower
802 m
Soldier Field
2.4 km
875 North Michigan Avenue
1.9 km
United Center
3.8 km
U-505
10.7 km
Barack Obama Presidential Center
11.6 km
Art Institute of Chicago
426 m
Chicago Pile-1
10.2 km
Hull House
2 km
Millennium Park
442 m
Navy Pier
2.6 km
Allstate Arena
25.5 km
Robie House
10.6 km
Field Museum of Natural History
2 km
Merchandise Mart
979 m
St. Regis Chicago
1.1 km
Aon Center
647 m
Kenneth C. Griffin Museum of Science and Industry
10.8 km
Marina City
679 m
Buckingham Fountain
1 km
Pier Park
2 km
Symphony Center
411 m
Grant Park
982 m
Chicago Water Tower
1.7 km
St. Ignatius College Prep
2.7 kmReviews
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