PLACE SEARCH

Advanced search | Cemetery search

Illinois > All counties > Cook County > Chicago

QUICK LINKS

Profile for Chicago, Illinois, IL

Coliseum, Chicago, IL

Email this post card

Sponsored Ads

"Windy City," "City of Big Shoulders," "Second City"

Financial and transportation center of the Midwest

Chicago is a city in Cook County.

It is the county seat.

One tradition has it that the name is an Indian word meaning "great." Another says it derives from Algonquian for "onion place" because of the onion or garlic growing there.

The latitude of Chicago is 41.85N. The longitude is -87.65W.

It is in the Central Standard time zone. Elevation is 587 feet.

The estimated population, in 2003, was 2,869,121.

INCOME SNAPSHOT

Median household income

Local

$38,625

National

$41,994

Source: 2000 census, U.S. Census Bureau

For more census details and comparisons, see our Chicago demographic reports

ESSENTIALS

EMPLOYMENT:
  Local jobs
  Post a job
HOUSING:
  Find Foreclosure
  Local homes for sale
LODGING:
  Nearby hotels
PEOPLE:
  Chicago family histories
RECORDS:
  Birth, marriage & death
  Court, land & probate
  Military

Chicago is on Lake Michigan, at the Indiana border.

The city's importance as a transportation hub brought dramatic growth. The population nearly tripled from 1850 to 1855.

Much of the city was destroyed in an 1871 fire traditionally blamed on Mrs. O'Leary's cow. In 1893, Chicago hosted the World's Columbian Exposition, which gave rise to many of the city's cultural institutions.

Known for its ethnic neighborhoods, arts scene and bustling downtown loop.

Local contributions to the language: Chicago rubdown (a beating); Chicago piano (machine gun); Chicagorilla (gangster)

Public transportation: Chicago Transit Authority (See the transit and travel sections below.)

Crime: The number of violent crimes recorded by the FBI in 2003 was 598. The violent crime rate was per 1,000 people.

Chicago received national attention for a July 1995 heat wave in which 739 people died.

Filming location for:
· 1980 movie, "The Blues Brothers"
· 2006 movie, "Death of a President"
· 2006 movie, "Flags of Our Fathers"
· 1990 movie, "Goodfellas"

Census 2000 highlights: Third largest city in the U.S., by population

Well-known residents have included:
· Studs Terkel, writer
· Quincy Jones, musician, composer, producer
· Benny Goodman, clarinetist
· Hugh Hefner, Playboy publisher
· Langston Hughes, poet

More well-known residents

Local bands (past and present) have included Chicago, Earth, Wind and Fire, Smashing Pumpkins, Chi-Lites

More local bands

Coffee: National and regional coffee companies with outlets here include Caribou Coffee, Gloria Jean's, Panera Bread, Peet's Coffee & Tea, Seattle's Best Coffee, Starbucks, Torrefazione Italia

More info about local coffee quotients

Local festivals include:

Chicago Blues Festival - June 7-10, 2007
Chicago Gospel Music Festival - June 1-3, 2007
Chicago Jazz Festival - Aug. 30-Sept. 2, 2007
Chicago Country Music Festival - June 30-July 1, 2007
Viva! Chicago Latin Music Festival - Aug. 25-26, 2007
German-American Festival - Sept. 7-9, 2007
Chicago Humanities Fall Festival - Oct. 27-Nov. 11, 2007
Hong Kong Film Festival - Feb. 2-15, 2007
Tulip Days - April 16-May 31, 2007
Chicago Outdoor Film Festival - July 17-Aug. 28, 2007
Venetian Night - July 28, 2007
Chicago Latin Music Festival - Aug. 25-26, 2007
Celtic Fest Chicago - Sept. 15-16, 2007
Belmont-Sheffield Music Fests - June 2-3, 2007
International Film Festival - Oct. 4-17, 2007
Mayfest - May 18-20, 2007
Jeff Fest - June 29-July 1, 2007
Oktoberfest - Sept. 28-30, 2007

Dates often change. Check Chicago web sites and events links in the sections below.

Send us festival info for Chicago

Performing arts: Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Lyric Opera of Chicago, Second City, Steppenwolf Theatre, Chicago Jazz Ensemble, Joffrey Ballet of Chicago

Nearby parks & recreation: Grant Park, Lincoln Park, Jackson Park

More parks info

Chicago attractions: Lincoln Park Zoo, Adler Planetarium, boat tours on the Chicago River

Sports teams: White Sox (AL), Wolves (AHL), Cubs (NL), Bears (NFL), Bulls (NBA), Blackhawks (NHL), Fire (soccer), Rush (Arena Football League), Sky (WNBA)

Historic sites and museums: Art Institute of Chicago, Field Museum, Frank Lloyd Wright Home & Studio, Museum of Science and Industry, Shedd Aquarium

Colleges and universities: DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, North Park University, University Of Chicago, St. Xavier University, Illinois Institute of Technology

More colleges info

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was on par with the national average. (See library links below.)

Gays & lesbians
National index: 100
Local index: 157

More info

Quotes:
I have struck a city -- a real city -- and they call it Chicago ? Having seen it, I urgently desire never to see it again. It is inhabited by savages.
-- American Notes
Rudyard Kipling

More quotes

Songs:
· "My Kind of Town"
· "Born in Chicago" (Paul Butterfield Blues Band)

Listed places near Chicago

Click on a group to see the items on the map

Please wait while the map loads... click here to force load

Add extra pins to the map by clicking on the list above the map. You may click the displayed pins for more information, or search the displayed pins by using the above search field.

Neighborhoods in Chicago include Albany Park, Andersonville, Archer Heights, Armour Square, Ashburn, Austin, Avalon Park, Avondale, Back of the Yards, Belmont Cragin ... More neighborhood info

Chicago photos from ePodunk users


333 West Wacker Drive	Lake Michigan	Chicago River
More photos

Profile for Chicago, Illinois, IL

Sponsored Ads

Listed places near Chicago

Search Health Care Jobs