Quick answerChicago is a city in the United States, with 2,731,585 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 9.4 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Skyscraper architecture, the Chicago blues and the Deep-dish pizza. Its official language is English, and its currency is the United States dollar.
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States, with about 2.7 million people in 2025 and about 9.4 million in its metropolitan area. It stands on the south-western shore of Lake Michigan in Illinois. The city is known for its skyscrapers, its blues music and its deep-dish pizza.
Key facts
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 2,731,585 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 9,434,123 (2025) · U.S. Census Bureau Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA), July 1, 2025 estimate |
| Elevation | 182 m above sea level |
| Time zone | America/Chicago |
| Language | English |
| Currency | United States dollar (USD, $) |
| Coordinates | 41.8819° N, 87.6278° W |
Overview
Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States and the largest city in the American Midwest. It stands on the south-western shore of Lake Michigan, where the Chicago River meets the lake. The city grew as a transport hub in the 19th century, where railways and the Great Lakes met, and it rebuilt quickly after the Great Fire of 1871, which destroyed much of the city.
About 2.7 million people lived in Chicago in 2025, and about 9.4 million in its metropolitan area. The city is known for its architecture: after the fire it became a laboratory for the skyscraper, and the Willis Tower was the world's tallest building for 25 years. Chicago is also famous for its blues music, which came north with musicians from the Mississippi Delta, and for its deep-dish pizza.
Today Chicago is a centre of finance, manufacturing, transport and food. Its lakefront parks and beaches run for miles along Lake Michigan, and its museums include the Art Institute of Chicago. The city's neighbourhoods, from the Loop downtown to Wicker Park and Pilsen, are known for their food, music and street life.
What Chicago is known for
- Skyscraper architecture
- Chicago blues
- Deep-dish pizza
- Lake Michigan waterfront
- Museums and theatre
Landmarks
- Willis Tower
- Millennium Park and Cloud Gate
- Navy Pier
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Wrigley Field
- Chicago Riverwalk
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Chicago?
Chicago had about 2.7 million residents in 2025, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, making it the third-largest city in the United States. Its metropolitan area, which stretches into Indiana and Wisconsin, had about 9.4 million people that year. Chicago is the largest city in the American Midwest.
Where is Chicago and what is it known for?
Chicago is in north-eastern Illinois, on the south-western shore of Lake Michigan. It is about 1,150 kilometres west of New York City and about 450 kilometres north-west of Detroit. The city is known for its skyscrapers, its blues clubs and its deep-dish pizza, and its coordinates are 41.88° N, 87.63° W.
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Sources & last updated
- Wikipedia — Chicago
- U.S. Census Bureau, City and Town Population Totals: 2020–2025
- Wikipedia — Metropolitan statistical area
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.