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Chicago is the third largest city in the United States, with an official population of 2,896,016, as of the 2000 US Census. When combined with its suburbs, it has a metro area population rapidly approaching 10 million. Recent (2003) population estimates put the number for the city proper at 2,869,121, while suburban populations continue to grow, with estimates at 9,650,137 for the combined city and suburbs. There is some skepticism regarding estimates for the city proper.
Chicago is located in the state of Illinois, on the western shore of Lake Michigan. The city is the county seat of Cook County. The Chicago metropolitan area is known colloquially as Chicagoland, after a term promoted by the Chicago Tribune in the early 20th century. Chicago has many different nicknames and has been ranked as one of ten "alpha" world cities by the Globalization and World Cities Study Group & Network (GaWC) [1] (http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/rb/rb5.html). It is recognized around the world for its magnificent skyline, unique cuisine and an urban style all its own. When combined with its surrounding suburbs and with nearby Milwaukee, Chicago can be considered part of a megalopolis.
| City flag | City seal |
| City nickname: "The Windy City" | |
| City motto: Urbs In Horto ("City in a Garden") | |
Location in the state of Illinois |
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| County | Cook County, Illinois |
| Area - Total - Water |
606.1 km² (234.0 mi²) 17.8 km² (6.9 mi²) 2.94% |
| Population - Total (2000) - Metropolitan - Density |
2,896,016 9,286,207 4,923.0/km² |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6 |
| Latitude Longitude |
41°54' N 87°39' W |
| External link: City web page (http://egov.cityofchicago.org/) | |
| Contents |
Main article: History of Chicago
Chicago was first settled by Europeans when Jean Baptiste Point du Sable, an African American from Haiti, settled on the banks of the Chicago River. In 1795, the area of Chicago was ceded by the Native Americans in the Treaty of Greenville to the United States for use as a military post. In 1803, Fort Dearborn was built. It was destroyed in the Fort Dearborn Massacre during the War of 1812, but was rebuilt in 1816 and remained in use until 1837.
On August 12, 1833, the Town of Chicago was incorporated as a town with a population of 350. On March 4, 1837, Chicago was granted a city charter by Illinois.
The opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848 allowed shipping from the Great Lakes through Chicago to the Mississippi River and so to the Gulf of Mexico. The first rail line to Chicago, the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad, was also completed in 1848. Chicago would go on to become the transportation hub of the United States with its road, rail, and water (and later air) connections. Chicago also became home to nationwide retailers like Montgomery Ward and Sears, Roebuck and Company that offered catalog shopping using these connections.
In 1855, the level of the city was raised four to seven feet, with individual buildings jacked up and fill brought in to raise streets above the swamp.
The 1860 Republican National Convention in Chicago nominated home state candidate Abraham Lincoln.
In 1871, most of the city burned in the Great Chicago Fire.
In the following years, Chicago architecture would become influential throughout the world. The first skyscraper was constructed in 1885 using novel steel skeleton construction.
The Chicago River's direction of flow was reversed in 1900 to prevent sewage from running into Lake Michigan, the city's water source.
On December 2, 1942, the world's first controlled nuclear reaction was conducted at the University of Chicago as part of the top secret Manhattan Project.
Mayor Richard J. Daley was elected in 1955, in the era of so-called machine politics. During his time in office, the 1968 Democratic National Convention took place in Chicago, four major expressways were built, the Sears Tower became the tallest building in the world, and O'Hare Airport was constructed, later becoming the busiest airport in the world.
In 1983, Harold Washington became the first African-American mayor of Chicago.
Richard M. Daley, son of Richard J. Daley, became mayor in 1989.
The City of Chicago is divided into executive and legislative branches. The mayor is the Chief Executive, elected by general election for a term of four years. The mayor appoints commissioners who oversee the various departments. The current mayor is Richard M. Daley.
The city council is the legislative branch and is made up of 50 aldermen, one elected from each ward in the city. The city council makes local ordinances and passes the city budget. Government priorities and activities are established in a budget ordinance usually adopted in each November. The city takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions. In addition to the mayor, Chicago's two other city-wide elected officials are the clerk and the treasurer
Chicago is considered one of the largest Democratic strongholds in the United States. For example, the citizens of Chicago have not elected a Republican mayor since 1927, when William Thompson was voted into office.
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According to the United States Census Bureau, Chicago has a total area of 606.1 km² (234.0 mi²). 588.3 km² (227.1 mi²) of it is land and 17.8 km² (6.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.94% water.
Madison Street, in the heart of Chicago separates the city into North and South sides. More than just an address landmark, it serves as Chicago's own version of the Mason-Dixon Line. Part of this is in someway linked to history of segregation in Chicago; the South Side has large African-American neighborhoods while the North Side tends to be hugely Caucasian. Unfortunately, history has not been too kind to the South Side, so while it is undergoing a resurgeance in recent years, it was the site of many urban renewal projects that decimated the urban geography as well as upset the local economy. Common literature tends to spread the notion that the South Side is largely undesirable or unsafe (usually stemming from the segregationist sentiments about all-African American areas) despite the fact that large areas of the South Side are stable and/or middle-to-upper class. Regardless, residents identify with their side, and this fact is expressed in the tendency for South Siders to be strict adherents to the Chicago White Sox (whose stadium is on the South Side), and the tendency for North Siders to be strict adherents to the Chicago Cubs (whose stadium is on the North Side). The West Side, that is, the area loosely west of the Loop and South Loop, while long considered a part of either the South Side or not even considered at all, as well as home to some of the most neglected and blighted neighborhoods in the city, is beginning to develop its identity, thanks in part to massive economic development in the Near West Side (bordering the Loop), city investment in the area, and a surging immigrant population. In fact, office/high-rise development in Chicago is creeping across the river into the Near West Side, where transit connections are as strong, if not stronger, than the actual Loop itself.
When it comes to skyscrapers, Chicago is king, being the first US city to reach new heights, shortly joined by New York City. Chicago, along with New York City and Hong Kong, makes up the "big three" when it comes to city skylines. Today Chicago can boast to having 5 of the 10 tallest buildings in the United States and 10 of the 50 tallest.
By modern standards, Chicago has little reason to build up: being located in the Midwest, it has plenty of room to sprawl outwards on almost Euclideanesque flat ground. There is, of course, the Chicago River, which may bring some argument as to geographic restriction, but the impact of which was strongly lessened by the strict adherence to the Chicago grid across the river. Mostly though, Chicago runs on energy and inertia. Even today, Chicago is going through a massive skyscraper building boom, with projects like 55 East Erie (the tallest residential building in the US outside New York City) and Trump International Hotel (to be completed in 2007, to be the fourth tallest in Chicago and the tallest building built in the US for nearly three decades) breaking ground frequently. All this can really be attributed to precedent: Chicago has always had a history of frantic skyscraper building, mostly beginning after the Great Chicago Fire, and since this time developers simply follow the pattern set before them.
Chicago has a climate typical to that of the Midwestern United States. Sudden changes of weather, large daily temperature ranges, and unpredictable precipitation patterns are all staples of Chicago weather. Chicago has four clearly defined seasons, although in certain years some seasons may overextend their welcome and linger into times they do not traditionally occupy. For example, in Chicago it has snowed in September, (1942), been 90°F (33°C) in March, (1982), and had a day where the high and low temperatures differed by more than 65°F (31°C) in one day (February 8, 1900).
In a typical Chicago summer, temperatures are usually expected to reach anywhere between 72°F and 84°F (23°C and 28°C). Overnight temperatures in summer are usually around 62°F (17°C). Summer in Chicago is prone to thunderstorms, and rainfall events in Chicago in summer are usually confined to short-lived hit-or-miss storms rather than a prolonged rainfall. In a normal summer, temperatures can be expected to exceed 90°F (33°C) on 14 days. Contrary to what one might think, summer is actually the rainiest season in Chicago. In a curious shift, July was actually the wettest avereage month in Chicago from when records were started in 1871 until 1965. In 1965 August inexplicably overtook July as the wettest month, and it remains wetter than July to this day.
Winter in Chicago is a variable and fickle season. The average Chicago winter produces 37.0 inches (949 mm) of snow. This number can prove unreliable, as Chicago winters have produced between 9.8 and 87.0 inches (251 and 2231 mm) of snow. Snow tends to fall in light accumulations of around 2 inches (51.2 mm), but about once per year, Chicago experiences a storm which can produce 10 to 14 inches (256 to 359mm) of snow in one day. Temperatures can vary wildly within the span of one week, but extended periods of temperatures below 32°F (0°C) are not uncommon in January and February. The temperature in January averages about 25°F (-4°C) in the afternoon, and 10°F (-12°C) at night. Temperatures can be expected to drop below 0°F (-18°C) on 15 days throughtout the winter season. Although rare, temperatures in Chicago even in the middle of winter can reach 50°F (10°C).
The highest temperature ever recorded in Chicago is an unoffical 109°F (44°C) on July 24, 1935. The highest official temperature ever recorded is 105°F (42°C) on July 17, 1995 during the Chicago Heat Wave. The coldest temperature ever recorded in Chicago is -27°F (-33°C) on January 11, 1982.
According to the USDA Chicago falls within Plant Hardiness zone 5 (5b specifically).
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Chicago has been a center for commerce in the United States for most of its modern history. Before it was incorporated as a town in 1833 the primary industry was fur trading. Chicago's early explosive growth led many land speculators and enterprising individuals to the area. Located on the Great Lakes and with so many new people settling the area Chicago became an ideal location for shipping and receiving goods to other parts of the country and world. With that, many railroads started to be built from Chicago to other parts of the country further aiding in the growth of the city. Additionally, the building of the Illinois and Michigan Canal helped move goods south down the Mississippi River.
In the 1840s Chicago became the largest grain port in the world shipping food from the Mississippi Valley region which was also growing into the largest food producing region in the world. In 1848 Chicago built its first grain elevator and 1858 there were twelve grain elevators dotting the skyline. Carl Sandburg described Chicago as a "stacker of wheat" and some would argue that the grain elevators built were Chicago's first skyscrapers.
In the 1850s and 1860s Chicago's pork and beef industry exploded. Great entrepreneurs such as Gustavus F. Swift and Philip Armour helped the area to become the largest producer of meat products in the world at the time. By 1862 Chicago had displaced Cincinnati, Ohio as "Porkapolis". During the 60s two factors helped push this more than anything else: first, the Civil War increased the demand for food products and Chicago's vast transportation ensured that goods could be delivered to soldiers quickly all over the northern United States; the second factor in increasing Chicago's meat production was the utilization of ice in meat packing plants. Before this time meat production/distribution facilities, otherwise known as disassembly plants, had to shut down in the hot summer months. Increased operating months created hundreds of thousands of new man-hours in which people could work.
The efficiency of Chicago's meat packing industry, and its dis-assembly plants inspired others like Henry Ford when he developed Model-Ts assembly lines. Today, we consider industries such as steel, oil and banking to be the great global market segments. But, in the 1860s Chicago's pork and beef industry represented the first global industry. As the major meat companies grew in Chicago many, like Armour, created global companies and communicated with divisions spread across the globe via telegraph.
Modern day futures and commodity trading markets were pioneered in Chicago. A number of events led to this along with Chicago's grand transportation systems and geographic proximity to the rest of the country. Because of this, massive amounts of goods that passed through Chicago from places such as the Mississippi Valley and St. Louis, Missouri. All of this grain was stored and people began buying contracts on the grain stored there. Later people as far away as New York City began buying contracts by telegraph on the goods that would be stored there in the future. From this the Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT) was established and the modern systems we use today for futures and commodity trading.
Today Chicago is considered to be a Prime Accountancy, Advertising and Legal Service Centers by the GaWC.
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People living in the Chicago area are often called "Chicagoans".
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 2,896,016 people, 1,061,928 households, and 632,909 families residing in the city of Chicago proper. The population density is 4,923.0/km² (12,750.3/mi²). There are 1,152,868 housing units at an average density of 1,959.8/km² (5,075.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 41.97% White, 36.77% Black or African American, 0.36% Native American, 4.35% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 13.58% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. 26.02% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,061,928 households out of which 28.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.1% are married couples living together, 18.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.4% are non-families. 32.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.67 and the average family size is 3.50.
In the city the population is spread out with 26.2% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 10.3% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 32 years. For every 100 females there are 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $38,625, and the median income for a family is $42,724. Males have a median income of $35,907 versus $30,536 for females. The per capita income for the city is $20,175. 19.6% of the population and 16.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 28.1% of those under the age of 18 and 15.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
As of census estimates of 2003, there are 2,869,121 people estimated to be residing in the city. However, this number has been met with some skepticism. First, this would mean a marked change in the 1990-2000 trend of population growth. Second, it seems contrary to the expectations of residents who are witnessing the largest building boom in Chicago since the Great Fire. Third, the census bureau uses different standards when estimating population numbers, and the newer population methodlogies are critiqued for understating the presence of minorities in urban centers, of which Chicago has many. Fourth, years earlier, the census had estimated a constant decline in population for Chicago until the official census of 2000 proved it wrong (vastly). Fifth, the suburban population according to this same estimate growth is continuing at a rapid pace and with new revitalization projects in place and new architecture and upper and upper-middle class townhomes and duplexes appearing on the cities near West and Northern sides with many new people moving into the city proper. Thus, there is reason for healthy skepticism about the numbers, considering some forms of federal funds are dependent on population numbers.
Nearby Evanston has Northwestern University, which also has a Chicago campus in Streeterville, north of the Loop. Hamburger University, a training facility for McDonald's, is located in Oak Brook.
Chicago is considered to be the third largest metropolitan area in North America and as such has many different forms of media and outlets to support its status. Additionally Chicago is considered to be the Prime Global Advertising Service Center by the GaWC.
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For its youth compared to Eastern cities, Chicago has made many significant pop-cultural contributions. In the field of music, Chicago is very well-known for its Chicago blues, but it is also the origin of the House style of music, whose history is related to the development and fostering of the techno electronic style of music in nearby Detroit. In addition, in the field of culinary arts, Chicago provides the antithesis to New York styles of pizza and hot dogs, being synonymous with deep dish and stuffed pizza in addition to being linked to a robustly complex hot dog that challenges the relative simplicity of a New York coney dog. In addition, Chicago schools have developed in various aspects of study, such as the famed Chicago school of architecture and the Chicago schools of economic theory, literary criticism and urban sociology, the three latter founded by the University of Chicago.
Chicago is a well-known theater capital and is the mecca for improvisational comedy. It is home to The Second City and ImprovOlympic, two of the largest comedy troupes in the world. Many world-famous actors and comedians are from Chicago or have studied there, particularly at Northwestern University.
Historically, Chicago is remembered for machine politics ("Vote early and vote often" and "A city run of the Daleys, by the Daleys, for the Daleys" are two phrases associated with Chicago politics), meat packing (as mentioned in the nicknames section and made infamous by Upton Sinclair's The Jungle), and gangster violence during Prohibition (some key figures are linked to Chicago, such as Al Capone and John Dillinger).
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Chicago is a great sports town. It is one of the few cities in the nation with two professional baseball teams plus professional football, soccer, basketball and hockey.
The following sports teams are based in Chicago:
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The United States has the largest healthcare system in the world and Chicago is arguably the capital of that system. The city is home to the sprawling Illinois Medical District on the Near West Side as well as the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association, the American Dental Association, the American College of Surgeons. In addition, the University of Illinois is the largest medical school in North America as well as many other health-related organizations, schools and institutions.
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Chicago can be considered one of the prime transportation hubs in America. Much of this status stems from its geographic proximity during a time when the United States was growing quickly, in terms of both population and land mass. The Illinois and Michigan Canal, completed in 1848, allowed for transport around the world with connecting waterways through Chicago all the way to New York and the Atlantic, west to St. Louis and south to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico. Chicago then became one of the largest grain and lumber ports in the world with grain sent to more established populations and lumber being sent to the forest-starved prairies where new settlers needed to build.
In the 1850s the railroads started growing from Chicago faster than anywhere else in the world. By 1856 Chicago was the railroad hub of America and by the end of the decade more than 100 trains were coming and going each and every day. This network allowed Chicago to become the center of the meatpacking industry.
In the 20th century Chicago held on to its status as a transportation hub with the building of three major airports: O'Hare International Airport, Midway Airport, and Meigs Field. Meigs Field, which was closed by Mayor Richard M. Daley in a night coup, was a relatively small airstrip but unique because of its proximity to Chicago's downtown and, as a private airstrip, it was one of the busiest in the world. The land is to be converted into a lakeside park. In the 21st century Chicago is working towards maintaining its status as a transportation hub for the United States and the world by working to expand O'Hare International Airport. Additionally, a new airport has been proposed for Peotone, Illinois and the city is working towards expanding its ties with the Gary/Chicago International Airport in Gary, Indiana.
Interesting facts
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