Chicago is sometimes overlooked, but in spite of that it’s one of the world’s great cities and very worth a visit. It’s classic America combined with an amazing combination of recent foreign influences.
Population | 2,800,000 |
Area | 9,800,000 |
Timezone | UTC-6 |
Currency | US dollar |
Airports | O\'Hare International Airport (ORD), Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) |
This city can definitely be expensive on tourists, though it doesn’t have to be. Hotels in Chicago’s central downtown area can be priced almost as high as New York City or San Francisco, so staying a bit farther out can help cut costs. Your transportation costs are low or non-existent if you do stay central, so that can balance out.
Chicago hotels generally have their high season rates active from May through September, and cheaper places are hard to find during this time of year. This is also a major business city so it’s often possible to get good rates on weekends at business-oriented hotels. Bargains are easy to find from December through March, for those who can put up with the weather.
Rating | Price(USD) |
---|---|
65.00 - 78.00 | |
130.00 - 160.00 | |
156.00 - 285.00 | |
163.00 - 332.00 | |
307.00 - 614.00 |
Type | Price(USD) |
---|---|
Hostel Bed | 25.00 - 42.00 |
Location | Description | Type | Price(USD) |
---|---|---|---|
Art Institute of Chicago | One of America's finest and most famous museums is worth a visit. | adults students seniors | 32.00 26.00 26.00 |
Field Museum of Natural History | This is one of three great museums on one campus by the river. | adults children | 30.00 23.00 |
Willis (Sears) Tower Skydeck | Ride an elevator up to the observation deck on the country's tallest building. | adults ages 3-11 | 32.00 24.00 |
Chicago is famous for its ethnic neighborhoods and great food, but most of that is not near the popular tourist attractions. In the tourist zone you’ll have to search for reasonable food and drink deals, while in the residential neighborhoods it’s easy to find better quality and lower prices.
Food Type | Description | Price(USD) |
---|---|---|
Budget breakfast | Depending on location you might have cheap coffee shops nearby or almost nothing. | 7.00 - 10.00 |
Budget lunch | Plenty of great ethnic meals and even good fast food options are available if you seek them out here. | 8.00 - 12.00 |
Budget dinner | Again, plenty of great budget options if you seek them out. Hotels in the main district can be pricey. | 11.00 - 16.00 |
Beer (pint) | Domestic beers are often on good specials in neighborhood bars. Trendy places will be more expensive. | 5.00 - 8.00 |
Cocktails (glass) | Prices for mixed drinks can vary widely, depending on the type of place. | 6.00 - 10.00 |
Deep dish Chicago pizza (large) | Pizzeria Uno is the most famous place serving these filling and unique pizzas. | 28.00 - 35.00 |
Type | Price(USD) |
---|---|
Taxi from ORD airport to city center | 30.00 - 40.00 |
Shuttle van from airport to city center | 15.00 - 25.00 |
Metro from airport to city center | 2.00 - 5.00 |
3km taxi ride in Chicago | 8.00 - 11.00 |
Bus or metro ride in Chicago | 2.00 - 2.00 |
Month | High F | Low F | Precip (inches) |
---|---|---|---|
January | 31 | 16 | 2.0 |
February | 36 | 21 | 1.8 |
March | 47 | 31 | 2.8 |
April | 59 | 40 | 3.8 |
May | 71 | 51 | 3.9 |
June | 81 | 61 | 4.2 |
July | 85 | 66 | 3.8 |
August | 82 | 65 | 3.9 |
September | 75 | 57 | 3.5 |
October | 63 | 45 | 2.8 |
November | 48 | 34 | 3.2 |
December | 36 | 22 | 2.8 |
Chicago has significant temperature swings throughout the year, with hot, humid summers, and freezing winters. For this reason most agree that spring and autumn are the ideal seasons to visit, with no chance of extremes. It rains consistently through the year, but not so much that you can expect several days straight unless you get unlucky.
21 Mar | 6:52am | 7:04pm |
21 Jun | 5:16am | 8:29pm |
21 Sep | 6:37am | 6:50pm |
21 Dec | 7:15am | 4:23pm |