Chicago
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S.
Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census. The Chicago metropolitan area has approximately 9.62 million residents according to the 2020 census and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the country. Chicago is the county seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the U.S.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
Along the Magnificent Mile — one day and night in Chicago, with skyscrapers, shopping, food, parks, and amazing views of the city from high and low. Loop Art Tour — a 2- to 4-hour walking tour of downtown Chicago's magnificent collection of modern sculptures. Chicago's set of museums and cultural institutions are among the best in the world.
From Wikivoyage: Chicago, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
Chicago is not known as a beach destination, but Lake Michigan is the largest freshwater lake that is entirely within the United States, and Chicagoans flock to its sandy shores. Anyone can show up and swim — there are no admission fees, miles of beaches are within walking distance of the Red Line, and almost none of the lakefront is spoiled by "private" beaches.
From Wikivoyage: Chicago, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
Chicago is one of the great restaurant towns in America. If you're looking for a specific kind of cuisine, check out the neighborhoods. Greektown, the Devon Ave Desi corridor, Chinatown, and Chatham's soul food and barbecue are just the tip of the iceberg.
- 01BBQ in Bronzeville
From Wikivoyage: Chicago, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Chicago
- Airports
- Chicago Midway (MDW), 15 km · Chicago O'Hare (ORD), 25 km · General Mitchell (MKE), 120 km
- Milwaukee → Chicago134 km · quickest by road, 2h 45m · $12–16
- Grand Rapids → Chicago204 km · quickest by road, 4h 15m · $23–31
- Indianapolis → Chicago263 km · quickest by road, 4h 28m · $23–32
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Chicago
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Chicago. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inAir taxi and air charter companies such as https://www.jetsetgrp.com/jetset-charter Jetset Charter] and Chicago Private Jets offer flights on a variety of private charter aircraft and jets, from charter luxury Gulfstream's down to economical piston twins for small groups and individuals.
- Get aroundIn the summer, water taxis are sometimes more convenient than the CTA, if you are traveling around the fringes of downtown.
- Get aroundTwo private companies operate water taxi services around the Loop.
From Wikivoyage: Chicago, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
- 011,217 km
- 021,545 km
- 032,581 km
- 042,684 km
- 052,783 km
If you know how people move in Chicago – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.