Many visitors explore chicago in the summer. There are lots of festivals, but there are also crowds; the weather is quite hot and humid; and hotels are raising their room rates. Winter time brings very cold weather, but if you don't mind and are interested in indoor activities, room rates are the most reasonable. Spring is the best time to visit chicago. Weather is temperate from april to may, but it can be a bit unpredictable – some days are warm, others are cool. Autumn is also considered one of the best times to visit the city. From september to late october, temperatures are warm and hotel prices are reasonable. Photo: haveseen / fotolia
Chicago weather and temperature by month
Januaryin chicago, the coldest month, the city welcomes the new year with freezing temperatures of 32 ° F (0 ° C) for an average high and 18 ° F (-8 ° C) for an average low. Winter sports like field hockey are popular this time of year.
February sees small increases in average high and average low temperatures, ranging from 36 ° F (2 ° C) to 21 ° F (-6 ° C). This month also receives the least amount of precipitation for the year, with rainfall totals of 2 inches (49 mm).
Chicago weather in march: spring has a 10-degree temperature increase with an average rise to 46 ° F (8 ° C). Mean low temperatures remain quite cold at 30 ° F (-1 ° C).
April is relatively sunny in chicago, with 215 hours of sunshine. The average high temperature rises quickly to 59 ° F (15 ° C) for the second month of spring. The low temperature is 41 ° F (5 ° C).
In the cantemperatures make another big jump. Both the average high and average low temperatures jump 11 degrees each, settling at 70 ° F (21 ° C) and 52 ° F (11 ° C), respectively.
June is the wettest month of the year with precipitation rates of 103 mm. This coincides with another rise in temperatures, as the mean high and mean low temperatures range from 81 ° F (27 ° C) to 63 ° F (17 ° C).
Chicago weather in july: the heat is on in july it's not only the hottest month of the year, but also the month that gets the most sunlight. Chicago receives 318 hours of sunlight in july, while the average high temperature is 29 ° C (29 ° F). The average low temperature is 68 ° F (20 ° C).
August is the second hottest month of the year, with average high and average low temperatures each dropping by 2 degrees.
In september average high and low temperatures decrease significantly. The average high temperature returns to a much cooler 75 ° F (24 ° C), while the average low temperature drops nearly 10 ° C to 66 ° F (19 ° C).
October brings another big drop in temperature with an average high of 17 ° C. The average low temperature drops a whopping 20 degrees to 46 ° C (8 ° F). Expected rain in october is 3 inches (82 mm).
Chicago weather in november: it will be quite cool november with the average high temperature that drops again by more than 10 degrees to 48 ° F (9 ° C). The average low temperature drops to 34 ° F (1 ° C).
December receives the least amount of sunlight for the year, as it averages 106 hours of daylight. As the second coldest month of the year, the average high temperature peaks at 36 ° F (2 ° C), while the average low temperature drops to 23 ° F (-5 ° C).
The best time to see the sights and sounds of illinois, and chicago in particular, is in april and may, while summer crowds have yet to arrive. Many illinois festivals take place during the summer months. If big events like the chicago pride festival or chicago blues festival are your main reason for visiting illinois, plan your trip between june and august. Outdoor activities like hiking and camping are fantastic from september through october, while winter activities can be enjoyed from november through march. Photo: yasgosh / fotolia
Coming to chicago
Chicago is located in the middle of the united states and that makes it easy to get to the "windy city". There are two airports in the chicago area. O'hare international airport is one of the largest airports in the world and north america's largest international gateway airport, serving over 67 million passengers per year. Midway international airport is a smaller airport and offers mostly domestic service. Amtrak runs about 50 trains in and out of chicago daily with 21.000 route miles. Getting to chicago is easy by car, as there are many highways that run through the city. Greyhound and megabus both serve chicago: this is an affordable way to get into the city. Photo: james_pintar / fotolia
Coming from the airport
Midway international airport is a smaller airport and provides primarily domestic service. Amtrak runs about 50 trains a day in and out of chicago at 21.000 route miles. Getting to chicago is easy by car, as there are many highways that run through the city. Greyhound and megabus both serve chicago: this is an affordable way to get into the city. Photo: SOMATUSCANI / fotolia
Chicago visitor center
Located near macy's on north state street, the chicago visitor centre is the city's official visitor information center. The information center is located in chicago's downtown, and so visitors can explore popular attractions like the magnificent mile and millennium park. Local experts help visitors plan their visit to the city. They offer multilingual maps, free brochures and free concierge services.Staff can help visitors find and give directions, attractions, events, restaurants and shopping areas. They can also help visitors choose the best sightseeing tours and plan customized routes around the city. Photo: increa / fotoliaoleksandr dibrova
On the road in chicago by bus,? L? Train, metra rail
The chicago transit authority (CTA) operates what is known as? L? Train: the? L? Stands for? Elevated train? Although not all trains in the system run above ground level. It's one of the best ways to explore chicago because it's easy to use and it's inexpensive. There are eight lines, each marked by a different color. The CTA also operates a bus system: this is very extensive and takes visitors to many attractions. It can be a little difficult for visitors to use it. Metra rail is another form of public transportation. With 11 routes, it is used to visit chicago's suburbs. Photo: marcin_sroka / fotolia
Taking a cab and water cab around chicago
Some visitors find that using a cab is an easy way to get around chicago: A cab is easily accessible within the loop and can take visitors to places inside the loop and to places outside downtown. It's harder to find a cab outside the city, so visitors have to hail one. Another way to explore the center of the city is by water taxi. There are two companies: the chicago water taxi and shoreline sightseeing. This is a fun way to get around and take the boats along the chicago river and lake michigan past many attractions. Photo: lulubrazilia / fotolia
Getting around chicago by bike or on foot
Chicago is one of the largest cities in the U.S., so it's too big to see on foot. Tourists can walk to visit individual neighborhoods: the city is laid out on a grid and this makes it easy to navigate. Riding a bike is another good way to explore chicago. Divvy is a shared bike system that consists of thousands of bikes available at hundreds of stations throughout the city and beyond. At each station, tourists will find a station map, touch-screen kiosk and docking system. Driving a car in chicago can be difficult due to heavy traffic and lack of parking options. Photo by maria sbytova / fotolia
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Chicago restaurants
It should come as no surprise that a city as large as chicago offers an enormous variety of restaurants. There are very upscale restaurants, some are world famous and some have celebrity chefs on the cutting edge of culinary trends. Steakhouses are still popular, but chicago is also known for its deep-dish pizza cafes and its large number of casual ethnic restaurants. Other ethnic restaurants in the city include cajun and creole, japanese sushi, indian, macanese (from macau), mexican, middle eastern, spanish and tapas, vietnamese and many more, in addition to italian food. Courtesy brent hofacker / fotolia
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Shopping in chicago
Chicago has many shopping options, but the best and most famous shopping district is the magnificent mile. This area on michigan avenue is both a historic area and full of contemporary stores and boutiques. There are other shopping areas like chicago's loop. Here you will find macy's. The gigantic macy's is a must-see store. Destination: it was built in the 19. Built in the 19th century as marshall fields, it is a chicago landmark. There are also many trendy boutiques in many different chicago neighborhoods. There are home furnishings stores in river north and many boutiques in wicker park. Photo: artifirsov / fotoliabruno135_406
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Chicago neighborhood guide
Chicago is made up of 77 neighborhoods: each is unique and offers its own attractions, historical landmarks, nightlife, dining and shopping opportunities. Lake michigan and the chicago river divide the city into three major geographical areas: the north side, the south side and the west side. These three areas surround the loop, chicago's compact downtown. The loop is located near the shores of lake michigan: it is surrounded by the? L? Train and as the central business area of the city, it is full of high-rise buildings. The north side is home to the magnificent mile and many hotels; the west side is a residential area with many cultures; and the south side is experiencing a renaissance. Photo: kanonsky / fotolia
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Marriage in chicago
Many people choose chicago for their wedding because of its many venues. Visitors can obtain an illinois marriage license at the county clerk's office for the county where the wedding will take place: there are eight counties in the chicago metropolitan area. There is a wide selection of hotels: some of them are W hotels in chicago, congress plaza hotel, london house chicago, millennium knickerbocker hotel chicago and many more. Among the resorts is the grand geneva resort and spa. There are also banquet halls like the european crystal banquets and conference center and clubs like the metropolitan club. Other options include the adler planetarium, crystal gardens at navy pier and more. Photo: esin deniz / fotolia
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Where to stay in chicago
As the business center of the midwest, chicago offers a wide range of accommodations for visitors to choose from. Many of the hotels are located within the loop and north michigan avenue. Rooms overlooking lake michigan offer spectacular views, but can be pricey. There are luxury hotels like the peninsula and the ritz-carlton and boutique hotels like the james chicago and the hotel felix. For budget and family-friendly accommodations, there are casual hotels like the best western river north and embassy suites. Another interesting option is to stay in a private home. A company called at home inn chicago offers more than 70 accommodations in the city. Photo: monticelllo / fotolia
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