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PreviewAdvancedSpecial charactersHelpHeadingLevel 2Level 3Level 4Level 5FormatInsertLatinLatin extendedIPASymbolsGreekGreek extendedCyrillicArabicArabic extendedHebrewBanglaTamilTeluguSinhalaDevanagariGujaratiThaiLaoKhmerCanadian AboriginalRunesÁáÀàÂâÄäÃãǍǎĀāĂ㥹ÅåĆćĈĉÇçČčĊċĐđĎďÉéÈèÊêËëĚěĒēĔĕĖėĘęĜĝĢģĞğĠġĤĥĦħÍíÌìÎîÏïĨĩǏǐĪīĬĭİıĮįĴĵĶķĹĺĻļĽľŁłŃńÑñŅņŇňÓóÒòÔôÖöÕõǑǒŌōŎŏǪǫŐőŔŕŖŗŘřŚśŜŝŞşŠšȘșȚțŤťÚúÙùÛûÜüŨũŮůǓǔŪūǖǘǚǜŬŭŲųŰűŴŵÝýŶŷŸÿȲȳŹźŽžŻżÆæǢǣØøŒœßÐðÞþƏəFormattingLinksHeadingsListsFilesDiscussionReferencesDescriptionWhat you typeWhat you getItalic''Italic text''Italic textBold'''Bold text'''Bold textBold & italic'''''Bold & italic text'''''Bold & italic textDescriptionWhat you typeWhat you getReferencePage text.<ref>[https://www.example.org/ Link text], additional text.</ref>Page text.[1]Named referencePage text.<ref name="test">[https://www.example.org/ Link text]</ref>Page text.[2]Additional use of the same referencePage text.<ref name="test" />Page text.[2]Display references<references />↑ Link text, additional text.↑ Link text==Geography== {{Main|Geography of Chicago}} {{Wide image|Chicago city view.jpg|800px|Chicago skyline at sunset in October 2020, from near Fullerton Avenue looking south|center|alt=}} ===Topography=== [[File:Chicago-00.jpg|thumb|Aerial view of the [[Chicago Loop]] in 2012]] [[File:Full chicago skyline.jpg|thumb|upright=1|Downtown and the North Side with beaches lining the waterfront]] [[File:Chicago by Sentinel-2.jpg|thumb|upright=1|A satellite image of Chicago]] Chicago is located in northeastern Illinois on the southwestern shores of freshwater Lake Michigan. It is the principal city in the [[Chicago Metropolitan Area|Chicago metropolitan area]], situated in both the [[Midwestern United States]] and the [[Great Lakes region (North America)|Great Lakes region]]. The city rests on a [[continental divide]] at the site of the Chicago Portage, connecting the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes [[drainage basin|watersheds]]. In addition to it lying beside Lake Michigan, two rivers—the Chicago River in downtown and the [[Calumet River]] in the industrial far South Side—flow either entirely or partially through the city.{{sfnp|Condit|1973|pp=5–6}}{{sfnp|Genzen|2007|pp=6–9}} Chicago's history and economy are closely tied to its proximity to Lake Michigan. While the Chicago River historically handled much of the region's waterborne cargo, today's huge [[lake freighter]]s use the city's [[Port of Chicago|Lake Calumet Harbor]] on the South Side. The lake also provides another positive effect: moderating Chicago's climate, making waterfront neighborhoods slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer.<ref>{{cite web |last=Angel |first=Jim |title=State Climatologist Office for Illinois |url=http://www.isws.illinois.edu/atmos/statecli/general/chicago-climate-narrative.htm |work=Illinois State Water Survey |publisher=[[Prairie Research Institute]] |access-date=August 4, 2013 |archive-date=July 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130724032003/http://www.isws.illinois.edu/atmos/statecli/General/chicago-climate-narrative.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> When Chicago was founded in 1837, most of the early building was around the mouth of the Chicago River, as can be seen on a map of the city's original 58 blocks.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11175.html |title=Thompson's Plat of 1830 |publisher=Chicago Historical Society |year=2004 |access-date=July 3, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070423202023/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11175.html |archive-date=April 23, 2007}}</ref> The overall [[Land grading|grade]] of the city's central, built-up areas is relatively consistent with the natural flatness of its overall natural geography, generally exhibiting only slight differentiation otherwise. The average land elevation is {{convert|579|ft|+1|abbr=on}} [[Above mean sea level|above sea level]]. While measurements vary somewhat,<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.chipublib.org/blogs/post/the-elevation-of-chicago-a-statistical-mystery/ |title=The Elevation of Chicago: A Statistical Mystery |website=Chicago Public Library |date=September 29, 2014 |language=en-US |access-date=November 22, 2018 |archive-date=June 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220609092728/https://www.chipublib.org/blogs/post/the-elevation-of-chicago-a-statistical-mystery/ |url-status=live }}</ref> the lowest points are along the lake shore at {{convert|578|ft|+1|abbr=on}}, while the highest point, at {{convert|672|ft|abbr=on}}, is the morainal ridge of [[Beverly, Chicago|Blue Island]] in the city's far south side.<ref name=neiu>{{cite web |title=Chicago Facts |url=http://www.neiu.edu/~jmhemzac/courses/docs/ofs2005-09%20small2.pdf |work=[[Northeastern Illinois University]] |access-date=August 28, 2013 |page=46 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110213300/https://www.neiu.edu/~jmhemzac/courses/docs/ofs2005-09%20small2.pdf |archive-date=November 10, 2013}}</ref> [[Lake Shore Drive]] runs adjacent to a large portion of Chicago's waterfront. Some of the parks along the waterfront include [[Lincoln Park]], [[Grant Park (Chicago)|Grant Park]], [[Burnham Park (Chicago)|Burnham Park]], and [[Jackson Park (Chicago)|Jackson Park]]. There are 24 public [[Chicago beaches|beaches]] across {{convert|26|mi|km|0}} of the waterfront.<ref name=usabeaches>{{cite news |last=Fulton |first=Jeff |title=Public Beaches in Chicago |url=http://traveltips.usatoday.com/public-beaches-chicago-53741.html |work=[[USA Today]] |access-date=August 28, 2013 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304054140/http://traveltips.usatoday.com/public-beaches-chicago-53741.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Landfill extends into portions of the lake providing space for [[Navy Pier]], [[Northerly Island]], the [[Museum Campus Chicago|Museum Campus]], and large portions of the [[McCormick Place]] Convention Center. Most of the city's high-rise commercial and residential buildings are close to the waterfront. An informal name for the entire [[Chicago metropolitan area]] is "Chicagoland", which generally means the city and all its suburbs, though different organizations have slightly different definitions.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/communities/ |title=Chicago Tribune Classifieds map of Chicagoland |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=May 4, 2009 |archive-date=July 13, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220713090859/https://www.chicagotribune.com/classified/realestate/communities/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chicagoland Region |url=http://www.enjoyillinois.com/topSpots/region.aspx?area=chicagoland |work=EnjoyIllinois.com |publisher=Illinois Department of Tourism |access-date=August 14, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110928043624/http://www.enjoyillinois.com/topSpots/region.aspx?area=chicagoland |archive-date=September 28, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Fast Facts About The Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce |url=http://www.chicagolandchamber.org/sub/fast_facts.asp |publisher=Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209003914/http://www.chicagolandchamber.org/sub/fast_facts.asp |archive-date=February 9, 2009 |access-date=January 6, 2014}}</ref> ===Communities=== {{See also|Community areas in Chicago|List of neighborhoods in Chicago}} [[File:Chicago community areas map.svg|thumb|upright=1|[[Community areas in Chicago|Community areas]] of Chicago]] Major sections of the city include the central business district, called [[Chicago Loop|the Loop]], and the North, [[South Side, Chicago|South]], and [[West Side, Chicago|West Sides]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1177.html |title=South Side |publisher=Encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org |date=August 1, 1971 |access-date=June 10, 2013 |archive-date=October 17, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017032129/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1177.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The three sides of the city are represented on the [[Flag of Chicago]] by three horizontal white stripes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Municipal Flag of Chicago |url=http://www.chipublib.org/cplbooksmovies/cplarchive/symbols/flag.php |publisher=Chicago Public Library |access-date=March 22, 2013 |archive-date=June 15, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130615003832/http://www.chipublib.org/cplbooksmovies/cplarchive/symbols/flag.php |url-status=live }}</ref> The North Side is the most-densely-populated residential section of the city, and many high-rises are located on this side of the city along the lakefront.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lakeview (Chicago, Illinois) |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/illinois/cook-county/chicago/lakeview-(chicago-illinois)-PLGEO100100501254600.topic |work=Chicago Tribune |access-date=September 25, 2013 |archive-date=September 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928071057/http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/us/illinois/cook-county/chicago/lakeview-(chicago-illinois)-PLGEO100100501254600.topic |url-status=live }}</ref> The South Side is the largest section of the city, encompassing roughly 60% of the city's land area<!--this conflicts with the adjacent map-->. The South Side contains most of the facilities of the [[Port of Chicago]].<ref>{{cite web |title=CPS Teacher Housing: Chicago Communities |url=http://teacherhousing.cps.k12.il.us/communities.aspx |publisher=[[Chicago Public Schools]] |access-date=March 22, 2013 |archive-date=March 21, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130321030228/http://teacherhousing.cps.k12.il.us/communities.aspx |url-status=dead}}</ref> In the late-1920s, sociologists at the University of Chicago subdivided the city into 77 distinct [[Community areas in Chicago|community areas]], which can further be subdivided into over 200 informally defined [[Neighborhoods in Chicago|neighborhoods]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.streetadvisor.com/chicago-cook-county-illinois/questions/list-of-chicago-neighborhoods |title=List of Chicago Neighborhoods – Chicago |publisher=StreetAdvisor |access-date=June 10, 2013 |archive-date=July 30, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110730092727/http://www.streetadvisor.com/chicago-cook-county-illinois/questions/list-of-chicago-neighborhoods |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Chicago and its Neighborhoods |url=http://www.articlecell.com/Article/Chicago-and-its-Neighborhoods/669201 |publisher=articlecell |access-date=March 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130410125240/http://www.articlecell.com/Article/Chicago-and-its-Neighborhoods/669201 |archive-date=April 10, 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ===Streetscape=== {{main|Roads and expressways in Chicago}} Chicago's streets were laid out in a [[Grid plan|street grid]] that grew from the city's original townsite plot, which was bounded by Lake Michigan on the east, North Avenue on the north, Wood Street on the west, and 22nd Street on the south.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/gulp-how-chicago-gobbled-its-neighbors-109583 |title=Gulp! How Chicago Gobbled Its Neighbors |access-date=April 20, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160115150008/http://www.wbez.org/series/curious-city/gulp-how-chicago-gobbled-its-neighbors-109583 |archive-date=January 15, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Streets following the [[Public Land Survey System]] section lines later became arterial streets in outlying sections. As new additions to the city were platted, city ordinance required them to be laid out with eight streets to the mile in one direction and sixteen in the other direction, about one street per 200 meters in one direction and one street per 100 meters in the other direction. The grid's regularity provided an efficient means of developing new real estate property. A scattering of diagonal streets, many of them originally Native American trails, also cross the city (Elston, Milwaukee, Ogden, Lincoln, etc.). Many additional diagonal streets were recommended in the [[Burnham Plan|Plan of Chicago]], but only the extension of [[Ogden Avenue (Chicago)|Ogden Avenue]] was ever constructed.{{sfnp|Condit|1973|pp=31, 52–53}} In 2016, Chicago was ranked the sixth-most walkable large city in the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.walkscore.com/IL/Chicago |title=Chicago neighborhoods on Walk Score |work=walkscore.com |access-date=August 31, 2016 |archive-date=November 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161111155250/https://www.walkscore.com/IL/Chicago |url-status=live }}</ref> Many of the city's residential streets have a wide patch of grass or trees between the street and the sidewalk itself. This helps to keep pedestrians on the sidewalk further away from the street traffic. Chicago's [[Western Avenue (Chicago)|Western Avenue]] is the longest continuous urban street in the world.<ref name="El-KhouryRobbins2004">{{cite book |author1=Rodolphe El-Khoury |author2=Edward Robbins |title=Shaping the City: Studies in History, Theory and Urban Design |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Dbv-zU6M9WIC&pg=PA60 |access-date=May 9, 2013 |date=June 19, 2004 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-0-415-26189-0 |pages=60– |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709112336/https://books.google.com/books?id=Dbv-zU6M9WIC&pg=PA60 |url-status=live }}</ref> Other notable streets include [[Michigan Avenue (Chicago)|Michigan Avenue]], [[State Street (Chicago)|State Street]], [[95th Street (Chicago)|95th Street]], [[Cicero Avenue]], [[Clark Street (Chicago)|Clark Street]], and [[Belmont Avenue (Chicago)|Belmont Avenue]]. The [[City Beautiful movement]] inspired Chicago's boulevards and parkways.<ref>{{cite book |first=Russell |last=Lopez |date=2012 |chapter=Nineteenth-Century Reform Movements |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zbjFAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA41 |department=The 1893 Columbian Exhibition |title=Building American Public Health: Urban Planning, Architecture, & the Quest for Better Health in the United States |page=41 |isbn=978-1-137-00243-3 |publisher=Palgrave Macmillan |access-date=September 19, 2019 |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709112348/https://books.google.com/books?id=zbjFAAAAQBAJ&pg=PA41 |url-status=live }}</ref> ===Architecture=== {{Main|Architecture of Chicago}}{{Further|List of tallest buildings in Chicago|List of Chicago Landmarks}} [[File:2010-03-03 1856x2784 chicago chicago building.jpg|thumb|upright|The [[Chicago Building]] (1904–05) is a prime example of the [[Chicago school (architecture)|Chicago School]], displaying both variations of the Chicago window.]] The destruction caused by the Great Chicago Fire led to the largest building boom in the history of the nation. In 1885, the first [[steel frame|steel-framed high-rise building]], the Home Insurance Building, rose in the city as Chicago ushered in the [[Early skyscrapers|skyscraper era]],{{sfnp|Lowe|2000|pp=121, 129}} which would then be followed by many other cities around the world.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Home Insurance Building |url=http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/3168/The-Home-Insurance-Building.php |website=Chicago Architecture Info |access-date=September 23, 2014 |archive-date=September 17, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140917212325/http://www.chicagoarchitecture.info/Building/3168/The-Home-Insurance-Building.php |url-status=dead}}</ref> Today, Chicago's skyline is among the world's tallest and densest.<ref>[http://www.ultrapolisproject.com/ultrapolis_017.htm World's Tallest Cities] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070308161625/http://www.ultrapolisproject.com/ultrapolis_017.htm |date=March 8, 2007 }}. ''UltrapolisProject.com''.</ref> Some of the United States' tallest towers are located in Chicago; [[Willis Tower]] (formerly Sears Tower) is the second tallest building in the [[Western Hemisphere]] after [[One World Trade Center]], and [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)|Trump International Hotel and Tower]] is the third tallest in the country.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings-usa |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130603063912/http://www.emporis.com/statistics/tallest-buildings-usa |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 3, 2013 |title=U.S.A.'s tallest buildings – Top 20 |work=[[Emporis]] |access-date=September 14, 2013}}</ref> The Loop's historic buildings include the [[Chicago Board of Trade Building]], the [[Fine Arts Building (Chicago)|Fine Arts Building]], [[35 East Wacker]], and the [[Chicago Building]], [[860-880 Lake Shore Drive Apartments]] by [[Mies van der Rohe]]. Many other architects have left their impression on the Chicago skyline such as [[Daniel Burnham]], [[Louis Sullivan]], Charles B. Atwood, John Root, and [[Helmut Jahn]].{{sfnp|Bach|1980|p=[https://archive.org/details/chicagosfamousbu00cond/page/n60 9]}}{{sfnp|Lowe|2000|pp=118–127}} The [[Merchandise Mart]], once first on the [[list of largest buildings in the world]], currently listed as 44th-largest 2013 as September 9, 2013, had its own [[zip code]] until 2008, and stands near the junction of the North and South branches of the Chicago River.<ref name="prid03">{{cite book |last=Pridmore |first=Jay |title=The Merchandise Mart |year=2003 |publisher=Pomegranate Communications |isbn=0-7649-2497-4 |lccn=2003051164}}</ref> Presently, the four tallest buildings in the city are Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower, also a building with its own zip code), [[Trump International Hotel and Tower (Chicago)|Trump International Hotel and Tower]], the [[Aon Center (Chicago)|Aon Center]] (previously the Standard Oil Building), and the [[John Hancock Center]]. [[Industrial district]]s, such as some areas on the [[South Side (Chicago)|South Side]], the areas along the [[Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal]], and the [[Northwest Indiana]] area are clustered.{{sfnp|Bach|1980|pp=70, 99–100, 146–147}} Chicago gave its name to the Chicago School and was home to the [[Prairie School]], two movements in architecture.<ref>{{cite book |title=The Chicago School of Architecture |last=Condit |first=Carl W. |publisher=University of Chicago Press |year=1998 |isbn=0-226-11455-4}}</ref> Multiple kinds and scales of houses, townhouses, condominiums, and apartment buildings can be found throughout Chicago. Large swaths of the city's residential areas away from the lake are characterized by brick [[bungalow]]s built from the early 20th century through the end of World War II. Chicago is also a prominent center of the [[Polish Cathedral style]] of [[church architecture]]. The Chicago suburb of [[Oak Park, Illinois|Oak Park]] was home to famous architect [[Frank Lloyd Wright]], who had designed The [[Robie House]] located near the University of Chicago.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Hoffmann |first1=Donald |title=Frank Lloyd Wright's Robie House: The Illustrated Story of an Architectural Masterpiece |date=1984 |publisher=Dover Publications |location=New York |isbn=0-486-24582-9 |pages=19–25}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Frederick C. Robie House |url=http://www.flwright.org/researchexplore/robiehouse |publisher=Frank Lloyd Wright Trust |access-date=September 23, 2014 |archive-date=September 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140910224118/http://flwright.org/researchexplore/robiehouse |url-status=live }}</ref> A popular tourist activity is to take an architecture boat tour along the Chicago River.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.architecture.org/experience-caf/tours/detail/chicago-architecture-foundation-river-cruise-aboard-chicagos-first-lady-cruises/ |title=Chicago Architecture Foundation River Cruise Aboard Chicago's First Lady Cruises |website=Chicago Architecture Foundation – CAF |language=en |access-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-date=June 19, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619205552/https://www.architecture.org/experience-caf/tours/detail/chicago-architecture-foundation-river-cruise-aboard-chicagos-first-lady-cruises/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> ===Monuments and public art=== {{Main|List of public art in Chicago}} [[File:Replica of the Statue of the Republic (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Replica of [[Daniel Chester French]]'s [[Statue of The Republic]] at the site of the World's Columbian Exposition]] Chicago is famous for its outdoor [[public art]] with donors establishing funding for such art as far back as [[Benjamin F. Ferguson|Benjamin Ferguson]]'s 1905 trust.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/chicago/2013/10/street-art-tour-murals-hyde-park-university-chicago-illinois_slideshow_item0_1 |title=The Public Art Scene You're Missing in Chicago |date=October 1, 2013 |publisher=Conde Nast Traveler |access-date=November 18, 2013 |archive-date=October 16, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131016194149/http://www.cntraveler.com/daily-traveler/chicago/2013/10/street-art-tour-murals-hyde-park-university-chicago-illinois_slideshow_item0_1 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A number of Chicago's public art works are by modern figurative artists. Among these are [[Four Seasons (Chagall)|Chagall's Four Seasons]]; the [[Chicago Picasso]]; [[Miró's Chicago|Miro's Chicago]]; [[Alexander Calder|Calder's]] [[Flamingo (sculpture)|Flamingo]]; [[Claes Oldenburg|Oldenburg's]] [[Batcolumn]]; [[Henry Moore|Moore's]] [[Large Interior Form, 1953-54]], [[Man Enters the Cosmos]] and [[Nuclear Energy (sculpture)|Nuclear Energy]]; [[Jean Dubuffet|Dubuffet's]] [[Monument with Standing Beast]], [[Magdalena Abakanowicz|Abakanowicz's]] [[Agora (sculpture)|Agora]]; and, [[Anish Kapoor]]'s [[Cloud Gate]] which has become an icon of the city. Some events which shaped the city's history have also been memorialized by art works, including the [[Great Migration (African American)|Great Northern Migration]] ([[Alison Saar|Saar]]) and the [[Illinois Centennial Memorial Column|centennial of statehood for Illinois]]. Finally, two fountains near the Loop also function as monumental works of art: [[Jaume Plensa|Plensa's]] [[Crown Fountain]] as well as [[Daniel Burnham|Burnham]] and Bennett's [[Buckingham Fountain]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Crown Fountain in Millennium Park |url=https://www.chicago.gov/content/city/en/depts/dca/supp_info/chicago_s_publicartcrownfountaininmillenniumpark.html |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=www.chicago.gov |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Clarence F. Buckingham Memorial Fountain {{!}} Chicago Park District |url=https://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/parks-facilities/clarence-f-buckingham-memorial-fountain |access-date=2023-10-24 |website=www.chicagoparkdistrict.com}}</ref> ===Climate=== {{main|Climate of Chicago}} [[File:Steam Rising from Chicago River.jpg|thumb|upright|The Chicago River during the [[Early 2014 North American cold wave|January 2014 cold wave]]]] The city lies within the typical hot-summer [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]]: ''Dfa''), and experiences four distinct seasons.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://stateclimatologist.web.illinois.edu/climate-of-illinois/climate-of-chicago/ |title=Climate of Chicago – Illinois State Climatologist |language=en-US |access-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200324165100/https://stateclimatologist.web.illinois.edu/climate-of-illinois/climate-of-chicago/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mölders |first1=Nicole |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nWr1AwAAQBAJ&q=hot-summer+humid+continental+climate+CHICAGO&pg=PA521 |title=Lectures in Meteorology |last2=Kramm |first2=Gerhard |date=July 5, 2014 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-319-02144-7 |language=en |access-date=November 9, 2020 |archive-date=July 9, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709112337/https://books.google.com/books?id=nWr1AwAAQBAJ&q=hot-summer+humid+continental+climate+CHICAGO&pg=PA521 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=3527&cityname=Chicago,+Illinois,+United+States+of+America |title=Chicago, Illinois Köppen Climate Classification (Weatherbase) |website=Weatherbase |access-date=March 24, 2020 |archive-date=May 19, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200519043008/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/weather-summary.php3?s=3527&cityname=Chicago,+Illinois,+United+States+of+America |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Summer]]s are hot and humid, with frequent [[heat waves]]. The July daily average temperature is {{convert|75.4|°F|1}}, with afternoon temperatures peaking at {{convert|84.5|°F|1}}. In a normal summer, temperatures reach at least {{convert|90|°F|0}} on 17 days, with lakefront locations staying cooler when winds blow off the lake. [[Winter]]s are relatively cold and snowy. [[Blizzard]]s do occur, such as in [[January 31 – February 2, 2011 North American blizzard|winter 2011]].<ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/chi-110201-monster-snowstorm-2011-pictures-photogallery.html Photos: The blizzard of 2011] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190422210415/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/chi-110201-monster-snowstorm-2011-pictures-photogallery.html |date=April 22, 2019 }} ''Chicago Tribune''</ref> There are many sunny but cold days. The normal winter high from December through March is about {{convert|36|°F|0}}. January and February are the coldest months. A [[January–February 2019 North American cold wave|polar vortex in January 2019]] nearly broke the city's cold record of {{convert|-27|°F|0}}, which was set on January 20, 1985.<ref>[https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/31/weather/winter-weather-thursday-wxc/index.html Extreme cold in Midwest will finally begin to ease grasp] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131210531/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/31/weather/winter-weather-thursday-wxc/index.html |date=January 31, 2019 }} [[CNN]], Holly Yan and Madeline Holcombe, January 31, 2019</ref><ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/ct-met-viz-chicago-record-coldest-days-htmlstory.html At 23 below, Wednesday marked Chicago's 4th coldest temperature recorded] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190423013906/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/ct-met-viz-chicago-record-coldest-days-htmlstory.html |date=April 23, 2019 }} ''Chicago Tribune'', Jonathon Berlin and Kori Rumore, January 31, 2019</ref><ref>[https://www.foxnews.com/us/university-of-iowa-student-dies-during-polar-vortex-7-other-deaths-linked-to-wintry-blast University of Iowa student dies during polar vortex; 7 other deaths linked to wintry blast] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190131172237/https://www.foxnews.com/us/university-of-iowa-student-dies-during-polar-vortex-7-other-deaths-linked-to-wintry-blast |date=January 31, 2019 }} [[Fox News]], Stephen Sorace, January 31, 2019</ref> Measurable snowfall can continue through the first or second week of April.<ref>[https://www.nbcchicago.com/weather/weather-history-when-does-chicago-typically-see-its-final-snow-of-the-season/2804459/ Weather History: When Does Chicago Typically See Its Final Snow of the Season?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230313144928/https://www.nbcchicago.com/weather/weather-history-when-does-chicago-typically-see-its-final-snow-of-the-season/2804459/ |date=March 13, 2023 }} NBC, April 11, 2022</ref> [[Spring (season)|Spring]] and [[autumn]] are mild, short seasons, typically with low humidity. [[Dew point]] temperatures in the summer range from an average of {{convert|55.8|°F|1}} in June to {{convert|61.7|°F|1}} in July.<ref name=NOAA/> They can reach nearly {{convert|80|°F}}, such as during the July 2019 heat wave. The city lies within [[United States Department of Agriculture|USDA]] plant [[hardiness zone]] 6a, transitioning to 5b in the suburbs.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ |title=USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |publisher=USDA/Agricultural Research Center, PRISM Climate Group Oregon State University |access-date = June 16, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140227032333/http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/ |archive-date = February 27, 2014}}</ref> According to the [[National Weather Service]], Chicago's highest official temperature reading of {{convert|105|F|abbr=on}} was recorded on July 24, 1934.<!--AS MEASURED AT UCHICAGO, THE OFFICIAL REPORTING STATION AT THE TIME; THE 109F ON 1934-07-23 WAS AT MIDWAY--><ref name="temperature records">[http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=chi_records Chicago's Official Records] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121028054101/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=chi_records |date=October 28, 2012 }}. National Weather Service. Retrieved November 25, 2012.</ref> [[Chicago Midway International Airport|Midway Airport]] reached {{convert|109|°F|abbr=on}} one day prior and recorded a [[heat index]] of {{convert|125|°F|°C}} during the [[1995 Chicago heat wave|1995 heatwave]].<ref name="Chicago Top 20 of 20th century"/> The lowest official temperature of {{convert|-27|°F|0}} was recorded on [[January 1985 Arctic outbreak|January 20, 1985]], at O'Hare Airport.<ref name = NOAA/><ref name="Chicago Top 20 of 20th century"/> Most of the city's rainfall is brought by [[thunderstorm]]s, averaging 38 a year. The region is prone to [[severe thunderstorm]]s during the spring and summer which can produce large hail, damaging winds, and occasionally tornadoes.<ref>{{cite web |title=A Study of Chicago's Significant Tornadoes |url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=Sigchitorn |work=[[National Weather Service]] |publisher=[[NOAA]] |access-date=May 10, 2013 |archive-date=November 5, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131105160039/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=Sigchitorn |url-status=live }}</ref> Like other major cities, Chicago experiences an [[urban heat island]], making the city and its suburbs milder than surrounding rural areas, especially at night and in winter. The proximity to Lake Michigan tends to keep the Chicago lakefront somewhat cooler in summer and less brutally cold in winter than inland parts of the city and suburbs away from the lake.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.epa.gov/heatisland/pilot/archives/Chicago.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081101090214/http://epa.gov/heatisland/pilot/archives/Chicago.pdf |archive-date=November 1, 2008 |url-status=live |title=Heat Island Effect |access-date=April 20, 2016}}</ref> Northeast winds from wintertime [[low-pressure area|cyclones]] departing south of the region sometimes bring the city [[lake-effect snow]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/ct-wea-asktom-0307-20180306-column.html |title=Ask Tom: Does Chicago Get Lake-Effect Snow? |website=Chicago Tribune |access-date=January 6, 2018 |archive-date=March 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180307034058/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/weather/ct-wea-asktom-0307-20180306-column.html |url-status=live }}</ref> {{Chicago weatherbox}} {|style="width:100%;text-align:center;line-height:1.2em;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto" class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" |- !Colspan=14|Sunshine data for Chicago |- !Month !Jan !Feb !Mar !Apr !May !Jun !Jul !Aug !Sep !Oct !Nov !Dec !style="border-left-width:medium"|Year |- !Mean daily daylight hours |style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0 |style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0 |style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0 |style="background:#FFFF44;color:#000000;"|13.0 |style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0 |style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0 |style="background:#FFFF66;color:#000000;"|15.0 |style="background:#FFFF55;color:#000000;"|14.0 |style="background:#FFFF33;color:#000000;"|12.0 |style="background:#F7F722;color:#000000;"|11.0 |style="background:#F0F011;color:#000000;"|10.0 |style="background:#E9E900;color:#000000;"|9.0 |style="background:#FFFF35;color:#000000;border-left-width:medium"|12.2 |- !Colspan=14 style="background:#f8f9fa;font-weight:normal;font-size:95%;"|Source: Weather Atlas<ref name="Weather Atlas">{{cite web |url=https://www.weather-us.com/en/illinois-usa/chicago-climate |title=Chicago, Illinois, USA – Monthly weather forecast and Climate data |publisher=Weather Atlas |access-date=February 7, 2019 |archive-date=April 15, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190415040947/https://www.weather-us.com/en/illinois-usa/chicago-climate |url-status=live }}</ref> |} ===Time zone=== As in the rest of the state of Illinois, Chicago forms part of the [[Central Time Zone]]. The border with the [[Eastern Time Zone]] is located a short distance to the east, used in Michigan and [[Time in Indiana|certain parts of Indiana]]. Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page