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| View of Chicago from Lincoln Park (viewing angle from North to South) |
| Element | Attribute |
|---|---|
| City | Chicago |
| Area | 230 square kilometers 89 square miles |
| Inhabitants(downtown) | 2.783.726 |
| Surrounding Area | 9.157.540 |
| Time Zone | GMT - 5 hours |
| Dialing Code | +1 |
| Temperature Mean High Low, January | -4 / 00 / -8ºC record low: -31ºC (1985) |
| Temperature Mean High Low, July | 24 / 19 / 29ºC record high: 39ºC (1991) |
| Temperature > 32ºC / 90ºF/td> | 17 days/year |
| Temperature < 0ºC / 32ºF | 130 days/year |
| Annual Snowfall | 998 cm / 38.5 inches |
| Annual Days: Rain | 125 |
| Annual Days: Sunny, Partly Cloudy, Cloudy | 84 / 105 / 176 |
| Average Wind Speed | 16.6 km/h or 10.3 mph |
| Maximum Wind Gust | 93.3 km/h or 58 mph |
Below is a map of where Chicago is located in the United States. Chicago is located 1200 km / 711 miles west of New York City and 2800 km / 1740 miles north and eest of Los Angeles, California. Chicago's global position is 41°50' N 87°37' E It is at the same latitude as Barcelona Spain and Naples Italy. But it is much colder.
Chicago is called 'The Windy City.' The inhabitants call it the 'The Grey City.' Sunny days number less than 25% of the year.
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![Chicago's Grant Park from Shedd Aquarium [80kb]](images/A00304g_Chicago.jpg) |
| Chicago's Buckingham Fountain | Chicago's Grant Park viewed from Shedd Aquarium |
The reputation for windy is well-earned. During the winter, gusts of wind to 93 km/hour are recorded. The city buildings create a wind tunnel. On some days, ropes are placed on sidewalks, so that pedestrians are not blown into the street.
During the summer, the City of Chicago holds many free summer events. Most of the events are located in the Grant Park. Grant Park occupies 1.3 sq km / 319 acres. It sits between the business district of downtown and Lake Michigan, On two sides of Grant Park are The Adler Planetarium, Field Museum of Natural History, Shedd Aquarium, and Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears (american football) and Chicago Fire (international football).
Chicago's lakefront parks are built on landfill. Northern Illinois University has a web page devoted to this topic.
The Chicago Shoreline: NIU Geology 429
| Month | Days | Event |
|---|---|---|
| June | 3 days | Chicago Gospel Music Festival |
| June | 4 days | Chicago Blues Festival |
| June | 2 days | Chicago Country Music Festival |
| June-July | 10 days | Taste of Chicago (food festival) |
| July | 2 days | Mayor's Cup Football (soccer) Tournament |
| July | 1 days | Ventian Night (boat parade) |
| July-August | 5 days | Chicago Outdoor Film Festival |
| August | 2 days | Chicago Air & Water Show |
| August | 2 days | Chicago Latin Music Festival: Viva! |
| September | 4 days | Chicago Jazz festival |
I didn't have time to take all of my own pictures. Hopefully, I will have a chance to do this in the next year. If you own the original pictures or if your web site has been hyperlinked, and you do not wish to have your pictures republished and/or receive a referral, please send me a note and your information will be removed. Here are the credits:
Chicago Convention and Tourism Bureau for the Chicago Skyline
Maps of the USA and World
Chicago Tours, a private company
The City of Chicago: Mayor's Office of Special Events