By Adam Hart
Chicago is a big city located in the Midwest of the United States of America. It’s a world-class metropolis with plenty to do and see. Chicago is home to some of America’s most famous landmarks, including Marina City, John Hancock Center (now officially called 875 North Michigan Avenue), Willis Tower (formerly Sears tower), Merchandise Mart, and Cloud Gate sculpture in Millennium Park.
Chicago has been dubbed “the Second City” because it was the main rival to New York City as an international economic and population centre from 1890 to 1950.
Below, I am going to share 15 Facts about Chicago.
1. Chicago is a vast city; it is the third-largest city in the United States, behind New York City and Los Angeles. In addition, Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, with an estimated population of 2,710,016 as of 2021.
2. Chicago is a center for logistics both within and outside the country. It is the nation’s third-largest freight transportation point and is home to more than 400 companies in the logistics sector.
3. Chicago is also one of the world’s leading food manufacturing hubs. The city ranks first in processed cheese production in North America and second in meatpacking, according to statistics assembled from 2010 data.
4. The present-day Chicago area was founded by Jean Baptiste Point du Sable around 1780.
5. The city is nicknamed the “Windy City” and the “City of Big Shoulders.”
6. Chicago has a total area of 720 square miles, making it the largest city in both size and land area in Illinois.
7. Chicago has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa), with hot, humid summers, generally very cold snowy winters, and moderate to heavy precipitation throughout the year.
8. McDonald’s opened their first restaurant in Chicago.
9. Willis Tower is the second tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, behind the One World Trade Center in NYC.
10. The Chicago River is the most extraordinary in the world for this reason: it is the only one that flows backwards.
11. Chitown loves hot dogs! The city has over 2000 hot dog stands.
12. The Great Chicago Fire that burnt down a massive section of the city in 1871 killed about 300 people and burnt about 3.3 square miles of the city.
13. The city receives a ton of visitors. It sees more than 50 million visitors every year.
14. Chicago invented skyscrapers, among many other cool things such as the remote control, pinball, softball, zippers and more.
15. Chicago has an incredibly vibrant arts scene, including more than 120 museums and galleries and over 1,100 public artworks and statues.