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Detailed pages on related topics: Chicago colleges • Chicago travel • Chicago mortgage and property.
Organized in 1833, Chicago, also known as "the windy city", is the third largest city in the United States with a population well over 2.5 million people. Chicago is also the largest inland city in the United States. It is located in northeast Illinois, on the southwestern banks of Lake Michigan. The Chicago metropolitan area has a population in excess of nine million people.
Chicago is ranked as the fifth "Most Fun U.S City" in a survey conducted in 2003 by Cranium Inc. Factors taken into account in the ranking include: the number of sports teams, restaurants, dance performances, toy stores, the amount of a city's budget that is spent on recreation, and other factors.
The area that was to become Chicago was first "discovered" in 1673 by Father Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit missionary, and Louis Jolliet, a Canadian explorer and map maker. In 1779, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, an African American from Haiti, built the first permanent settlement near the present Michigan Avenue Bridge on the north bank. Chicago was incorporated in 1833 as the Township of Chicago. Chicago became a city in March of 1837. At that time Chicago's population was just over 4,000 people. Some notable dates and events in Chicago's history include:
Chicago has a strong and vibrant arts community offering museums, performing arts, music festivals, and more. Some of the more notable museums include:
For patrons of the performing arts, Chicago's notable attractions include:
Chicago is also home to numerous music festivals, including: Celtic Fest Chicago, the Chicago Blues Festival, the Chicago Country Music Festival, the Chicago Gospel Music Festival, World Music Festival: Chicago, and more.
Chicago has plenty to offer to fill every sports fan's appetite. Chicago and the surrounding area is home to the following major sports teams:
As one would expect from its proximity to Lake Michigan, Chicago boasts a plethora of water-related and outdoor leisure-time activities. In addition to its over 500 parks, the Chicago Parks District maintains over 30 beaches, 16 historic lagoons, nine lakefront harbors, ten bird and wildlife gardens, and thousands of special events, sports and entertaining programs.
Navy Pier, located on Lake Michigan, just east of Chicago’s downtown, has long been a Chicago landmark and is a focus for lakeside recreation. Navy Pier attractions include a unique collection of restaurants and shops in addition to excellent recreational and exhibition facilities.
Another major waterfront activity is the annual Chicago Air and Water Show. It is the largest free event of its kind in the country and happens late summer every year along the Chicago lakefront. The show is best viewed from North Avenue Beach.
Chicago has attractions too numerous to do justice in a simple list. Some of the more notable "must see" attractions include:
A city the size of Chicago has just about everything to offer in the way of nightlife. For those interested in good food, Chicago is famous for excellent steaks and deep dish pizza. Dining options abound from family fare, to ethnic cuisine, to the latest in trendy restaurants. Some of Chicago's most interesting dining can be found in the area of Randolph Street just west of Chicago's Loop, as well as a stretch of the south Loop, and on the Magnificent Mile.
For those looking for the music and nightclub scene, a city the size of Chicago has just about everything to offer. Chicago is famous for blues and jazz, but offers just about every musical tradition. There are numerous nightclubs all over town, especially along Halsted Street, Lincoln Avenue, and Clark Street on the North Side, as well as Chicago's famed "Gold Coast", the neighborhood around the intersection of Rush and Division streets. Up-to-the-minute listings of happenings can be found in New City and The Reader, as well as the Friday editions of the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.
Comparing Chicago to similar size places nationwide (Peers) and to other places in Illinois (State):
Ratings range from 
(lowest) to 
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| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
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| Racial Diversity | | |
| Well-Paid Single Women |  | |
| Well-Paid Single Men |  | |
| Children Under 5 Years Old | | |
| Female Share of the Population |  |  |
| Male Share of the Population | | |
| Senior Citizens |  |  |
| Age of the Population | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| Average Household Size | | |
| Portion of People Married |  | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
|---|---|---|
| College Educated Adults | |  |
| Median Family Income | | |
| People in Middle Class or Better | | |
| People Above Poverty | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
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| Public Transportation Use | | |
| Walking and Biking to Work | | |
| Working at Home | | |
| Short Commute Times | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
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| Studio & One-Bedroom Rentals | | |
| People Living Alone | | |
| Seasonal and Vacation Housing | | |
| Affordability of Rents | | |
| Affordability of Property Taxes | | |
| Housing Recently Built | | |
| Characteristic | Compared to Peers | Compared to State |
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| Low Property Crime | | |
Detailed pages on related topics: Chicago colleges • Chicago travel • Chicago mortgage and property.
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 | Chicago Careers Chicago career and employment information. |
 | Chicago Colleges Chicago colleges and trade schools. |
 | Chicago Hotels & Travel Chicago hotels, landmarks, tourism, transportation. |
 | Chicago Mortgage Chicago property, mortgage, and real estate. |
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We've crunched the numbers to create PlaceMatch™, which compares thousands of cities and towns to find the places most similar to each.
Select a photo to view (Source):
Chicago Beach Hotel 1900 Dec. 4, c1900.
Great Northern Building & Hotel between 1890 and 1901
The Public library c1900
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