Page Contents for Chicago, Illinois

Statistics & Facts

Location

Weather & Climate

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Historical Events

Chamber of Commerce.

Community news

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Schools.

Miscellany

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Statistics & Facts

The Illinois state capital is Springfield.
The population of Chicago is approximately 2,695,598 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 1,045,560 (2010).
The amount of land area in Chicago is 588.4 sq. kilometers.
The amount of land area in Chicago is 227.2 sq. miles.
The amount of surface water is 17.9 sq kilometers.
The distance from Chicago to Washington DC is 619 miles.
The distance to the Illinois state capital is 177 miles. (as the crow flies)
Chicago is positioned 41.83 degrees north of the equator and 87.68 degrees west of the prime meridian.
Chicago elevation is 578.5 feet above sea level.
Chicago per capita income is $ 27,138 (2009).
Chicago median income is $ 45,734 (2009).
The Chicago median home price is $ 261,600 (2009).
Chicago average annual rainfall is 35.3 inches per year
Chicago average annual snowfall is 38.2 inches per year.
Chicago average temperature is 49.9 degrees F.
The average low temperature is 40 degrees F.
The average high temperature is 59 degrees F.
The average winter temperature is 23.5 degrees F.
The average spring temperature is 49 degrees F.
The average summer temperature is 84.7 degrees F.
The average fall temperature is 53 degrees F.

Location

Stretching 29 miles along the shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago is a large city in Illinois, traditionally divided between the North, West and South sides. The central part of the city is commonly known as "the Loop." Other nearby communities include Cicero, Berwyn, Stickney, Forest View, Oak Park, Riverside, Forest Park, Bedford Park.

Chicago Transit Authority Website
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Climate

moderate with frequent changes. It is fairly warm and humid in the summer and quite cold in the winter. The air movement over the Great Lakes tends to temper the coolness or warmth of the air. Most of the coldest weather comes from the south rather than from over the lakes. Summers usually bring thunderstorms, warm weather and high humidity.
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History & History Related Items

A trading post was opened here in 1779 by Jean Baptiste Point DuSable, who is considered to be the first settler of Chicago. He opened his store on the north bank of the Chicago River. As the settlement continued to grow, a fort, Fort Dearborn, was built on the south bank of the river in 1803.

Chicago incorporated as a town in 1833 and then as a city in 1837 when it had a population of 4,170. Around this time many milestones occurred in the area such as the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the first railroad tracks being laid in 1848. The Union Stockyards were opened in 1865.

A major disaster occurred in 1871 with the infamous Chicago Fire. The first skyscraper was built in 1885. It was only ten stories high and built with a steel frame, but for that era, it was very tall. It was torn down in 1931. The elevated trains were created in 1892 with a major event coming soon after. The World's Columbian Exposition opened in Chicago in 1933. O'Hare Airport opened in 1955 and continues to be a busy, international airport. Read the Wikipedia page on the airport.

A history page from the city of Chicago. The city's tourism site has this history page if you want to explore the city's history.

Chicago Tunnel Company Railroad
Chicago had a 60-mile underground narrow gauge electric railway that operated with 149 locomotives and over 3000 freight cars forty feet below the streets of downtown Chicago from 1906 until 1959. These tunnels became infamous in 1992 when they became flooded and shut the city down for almost one week. Learn more about the Chicago freight tunnels by visiting the this page

this page has both a short history and spotlights on important historical figures in Chicago history.

The name, Chicago, is from a Native American word, Shikaakwa, which means wild onion or wild garlic. In a journal entry of Robert de LaSalle about 1679, he mentions Checagou when describing the wild garlic plants they found there.

The nickname of "City of Big Shoulders" appears to have come from the poem by renowned American Poet, Carl Sandburg. A portion of the poem goes as follows: "...City of the Big Shoulders... Come and show me another city with lifted head singing so proud to be alive and coarse and strong and cunning, Flinging...against the little soft cities.."

The title "Windy City" was given to Chicago by New York Sun editor Charles Dana in 1893. He was tired of hearing long-winded politicians boasting about the wonders of the World's Columbian Exposition held in Chicago the same year.

A history page for the Wicker Park neighborhood in Chicago. This area was named for two brothers, Charles and Joel Wicker, who, in 1870, donated land for a park to the City of Chicago.
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The settling of Chicago

1779

The founding of Chicago

1833

The incorporation of Chicago

1837

Attractions

Things to see and do in Chicago

Chicago Children's Museum
Navy Pier
700 East Grand Avenue
Phone: 312-527-1000
Please call ahead for hours of operation and cost or check out the website.

The Field Museum of Natural History
1400 S. Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, IL 60605

Museum of Science and Industry
57th Street and Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois 60637-2093
Phone: 773-684-1414
TDD: 773-684-3323

Taste of Chicago
The world's largest food festival is held each year the end of June. Great tastes and demonstrations plus lots of good entertainment and fun for the family.

Official Chicago Website

Neighborhoods of Chicago:
Wicker Park
1414 North Ashland
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 773-384-2672
One of the oldest and most established of Chicago's neighborhoods, come to Wicker Park to see the past with Victorian mansions and classic brownstones. This area is developing rapidly and offers something for everyone with shopping, clubs, dancing, restaurants, entertainment and much more.

Wicker Park is on the northwest side of Chicago. The boundaries are Bloomingdale Street, Western Ave., Division St. and Ashland Ave. Wicker Park and Bucktown, side by side on the northwest side of Chicago, are two of the oldest, most established, and eclectic neighborhoods in the City.

Chicago's official tourism site

Look for some Facts and Trivia about Chicago. Find Chicago fun facts.
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Chicago City Government

The City of Chicago 121 N. LaSalle St.
Chicago, IL 6-602
Phone: 312-744-5000

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Chicago City Clerk
121 N. LaSalle St. - Rm. 107
Chicago, IL 60602
Phone: (312) 742-5375

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Chicago Police Dept.
1121 S. State St.
Chicago, IL 60605
Phone: 311 (non-emergency)
Phone: 312-746-6000 (outside Chicago)

Chicago Historical Events

1996
The Democratic National Convention was held in Chicago

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1993
The professional basketball club, the Chicago Bulls, won their third consecutive NBA Championship this year

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1991
The world's largest public library opened this year and was named for Harold Washington, Chicago's first African-American mayor.

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1955
O'Hare Airport opened this year. Before the transformation, the airport was used in World War II as a manufacturing plant. In 1945, Douglas Company left the airport and the name was changed to Orchard Field Airport. The airport name was changed to O'Hare International Airport in 1949. Commercial flights finally began in 1955 and the airport has continued to expand since that time with a number of major expansions throughout the years. Midway Airport had been the major airport in the area until O'Hare began to expand and Midway had become too crowded. Though some services have shifted back to Midway, O'Hare remains the major airport for the area.

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1900
In 1900. Sanitary Engineers reversed the flow of the river to prevent a recurrence of epidemics, giving the city the world's only river that flows backward.

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1871
The Chicago Fire burned much of the city. Much of the quickly expanding city was built using wood, including sidewalks and streets and buildings. The fire began at 137 De Koven St. in the O'Leary's barn. Interestingly enough, though most of the city burned, the O'Leary home did not. The cause of the fire has never been learned but legend has it that she and her cow started the fire. That was never proven, but nonetheless makes an interesting story. Read this interesting account of the Chicago fire with lots of details and facts.

Chicago Chamber

America-Israel Chamber of Commerce
500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350
Chicago, Illinois 60015
Phone: 847-597-7070

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African American Chamber of Commerce
9300 S Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60620-5119
Phone: 773-238-3840

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Chamber Of Commerce
3330 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60657-2109
Phone: 773-248-2400

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Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Aon Center
200 E. Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-494-6700

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East Side Chamber Of Commerce
3501 E 106th St
Chicago, IL 60617
Phone: 773-721-7948

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German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest
321 North Clark Street, Suite 1425
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312 644-2662

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Lake View East Chamber of Commerce
3138 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: 773-348-8608

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Netherlands Chamber of Commerce
303 E Wacker Dr # 412
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-938-9050

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Old Town Merchants & Residents Association
1520 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312-951-6106

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Phillippine American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chicago
3413 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641
Phone: 773-545-4330

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Wicker Park and Bucktown Chamber of Commerce
1414 North Ashland
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 773-384-2672

Chicago Community News

20 October 2014 - Teen Shot And Killed By Police While He Was Leaving The Scene Of His Burglaries. Seventeen year old Laquan McDonald was trying to break into trucks when the burglaries were reported to police. He was leaving the scene carrying a knife when police arrived and tried to apprehend him. McDonald ignored them and kept walking so the police called for tasers from backup units. About ten minutes later a police unit drove up in front of McDonald to block his path, but he started to walk a different direction. The officers of the second unit, in the meantime, got out of the car with drawn guns and in response to the sudden movement of McDanald's knife hand(his right) one of the officers opened fire shooting him multiple times(even after he had fallen to the ground. McDonald died on the way to the hospital.

The officer that did the shooting has been indicted and charged with first degree murder. His trial is pending.

28 Jul 2016 - Eighteen Year Old Man Shot And Killed By Police After Being Stopped For Stealing A Car. Paul O'Neil, who is black, was stopped by police after they identified the car he was in as stolen. As the officers approached the car he drove off injuring an officer and hitting two cars, one of the cars was a police car. The officers shot at him as he drove off and followed him in pursuit. O'Neil, soon after fled the car after wrecking it. The officers chased him on foot and one of the officers shot him in the back before he could get away. There is some reason to believe that the officer(s) that shot him believed that O'Neil had shot at officers earlier(the ones that had pulled him over and that he drove away from).

The Police Review Authority of Chicago was asked to investigate whether police procedures were followed. The police department will also review the departments training and tactics to see if they're appropriate. Three of the officers have been removed from police duty.

Chicago Organizations

America-Israel Chamber of Commerce
500 Lake Cook Road, Suite 350
Chicago, Illinois 60015
Phone: 847-597-7070

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African American Chamber of Commerce
9300 S Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60620-5119
Phone: 773-238-3840

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Chamber Of Commerce
3330 N Ashland Ave
Chicago, IL 60657-2109
Phone: 773-248-2400

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Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
Aon Center
200 E. Randolph Street
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-494-6700

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East Side Chamber Of Commerce
3501 E 106th St
Chicago, IL 60617
Phone: 773-721-7948

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German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest
321 North Clark Street, Suite 1425
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: 312 644-2662

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Lake View East Chamber of Commerce
3138 N Broadway St
Chicago, IL 60657
Phone: 773-348-8608

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Netherlands Chamber of Commerce
303 E Wacker Dr # 412
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: 312-938-9050

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Old Town Merchants & Residents Association
1520 N Wells St
Chicago, IL 60610
Phone: 312-951-6106

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Phillippine American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Chicago
3413 North Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60641
Phone: 773-545-4330

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Wicker Park and Bucktown Chamber of Commerce
1414 North Ashland
Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 773-384-2672

Chicago Schools

Chicago Public Schools
125 South Clark Street
Chicago, IL 60603
Phone: 773.553.1000

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HIGHER EDUCATION

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The University of Chicago
5801 South Ellis
Chicago, IL 60637
Phone: 773-702-1234 Chicago

Miscellany

The population of Chicago was:
1837 - 4,170
1840 - 4,470
1850 - 29,963
1860 - 112,172
1870 - 298,977
1880 - 503,185
1890 - 1,099,850
1900 - 1,698,575
1910 - 2,185,283
1920 - 2,701,705
1930 - 3,376,438
1940 - 3,396,808
1950 - 3,620,962
1960 - 3,550,404
1970 - 3,366,957
1980 - 3,005,072
1990 - 2,783,726
2000 - 2,795,186
2009 - 2,851,268
2010 - 2,695,598

Population Density:
2000 - 11,864.4 persons per square mile

The city is approximately 25 miles (n-s) by 15 miles (e-w)

Median age:
2000 - 31.5 years

Number of Housing Units:
1990 - 1,133,039
2000 - 1,045,560

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Median Household Income:
2000 - $ 38,625
2009 - $ 45,734

Per Capita Income:
2009 - $ 27,138

Median House Value:
2000 - $ 144,300
2009 - $ 261,600

Chicago is located in the Central Time Zone and does participate in daylight savings time during a portion of the year.

The ChicagoTransit Authority (bus and Subway system)

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Graveyards of Chicago.