Voyaggora
Top sights in Chicago
- Millennium Park – Public park in Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Cloud Gate – Public art sculpture in Chicago, Illinois, United States
- Navy Pier – Amusement pier in Chicago
- Art Institute of Chicago – Art museum and school in Chicago, United States
- Willis Tower – Skyscraper in Chicago, Illinois, USA
- Magnificent Mile – Section of Michigan Avenue in Chicago, United States
- Wrigley Field
Well-known landmarks, each checked against Wikidata (CC0), which also supplies the one-line descriptions. The bookable tours below are the second layer: guided ways to see them.
Top-rated tours in Chicago
Planning your trip to Chicago
Best time to visit
Late spring to early autumn is the best, with festivals and lake weather. Winters are very cold and windy, and spring can be changeable.
How many days you need
Three to four days covers the main architecture, a big museum or two, the lakefront and several neighborhoods. Add an evening of live music.
Getting around
The elevated and underground train system covers the main areas, and downtown is walkable. Buses fill in the gaps. Layer up for the wind off the lake.
What to skip
Restaurants clustered on the busiest tourist pier and shopping street are aimed at visitors. Neighborhoods just outside the center have a wider range of places to eat.
Where to stay in Chicago
Hotels and vacation rentals around Chicago with live prices from the big booking sites. Pick your dates on the map to compare.
Hotel map by our partner Stay22. If you book through it we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Best time to visit Chicago
By temperature and rainfall alone, the most comfortable months in Chicago are June to September, with average daytime highs of 76 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) and 10 to 12 rainy days a month. This is a weather-data pick that has not yet been checked against crowds, closures or local seasons. July is the hottest month, averaging 82°F (28°C), and January the coolest at 33°F (1°C). April sees the most rain, around 14 days, while November is the driest with about 7.
Jump to a month: Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Rain (about, mm) | Rainy days | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 33°F (1°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 50 | 10 | Avoid: cold, 33°F (1°C) |
| February | 37°F (3°C) | 21°F (-6°C) | 50 | 9 | Avoid: cold, 37°F (3°C) |
| March | 48°F (9°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 60 | 11 | Shoulder: 48°F (9°C), 11 rainy days |
| April | 58°F (14°C) | 40°F (4°C) | 90 | 14 | Avoid: among the wettest, 14 rainy days |
| May | 67°F (19°C) | 51°F (11°C) | 120 | 13 | Avoid: among the wettest, 13 rainy days |
| June | 79°F (26°C) | 62°F (17°C) | 100 | 12 | Comfortable: 12 rainy days |
| July | 82°F (28°C) | 67°F (19°C) | 100 | 12 | Comfortable: 12 rainy days |
| August | 81°F (27°C) | 66°F (19°C) | 100 | 11 | Comfortable: 11 rainy days |
| September | 76°F (24°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 90 | 10 | Comfortable: 10 rainy days |
| October | 63°F (17°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 100 | 13 | Avoid: among the wettest, 13 rainy days |
| November | 49°F (9°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 60 | 7 | Shoulder: 49°F (9°C), 7 rainy days |
| December | 41°F (5°C) | 29°F (-2°C) | 60 | 8 | Shoulder: 41°F (5°C), 8 rainy days |
Average daily high and low, and days with rain (a day with at least 1 mm), from Open-Meteo ERA5 records for 2019-2024. Highlighted rows are the pick above. Verdicts use only these numbers.
Rainfall: NASA POWER monthly normals. Sea temperature: NOAA daily satellite data.
Plan the rest of your trip to Chicago
More destinations in USA & Canada
Closest guides to Chicago
Planning guides
Right now in Chicago
Is it safe to travel to United States right now?
Official US, UK and Canada travel advice for United States, side by side, with each source and the time it was checked. See today's advisory for United States
Chicago: common questions
- When is the best time to visit Chicago?
- By temperature and rainfall alone, the most comfortable months in Chicago are June to September, when average highs run 76 to 82°F (24 to 28°C) with 10 to 12 rainy days a month. This is a weather-data pick, not yet checked against crowds, closures or local seasons. July is the hottest month at 82°F (28°C) on average, and January the coolest at 33°F (1°C).
- What is the rainiest month in Chicago?
- April, with roughly 14 days of rain. The driest is November, with about 7. A rainy day is a day with at least 1 mm of rain; figures are averages from 2019-2024 records.
- How warm does it get in Chicago?
- July is the warmest month, averaging 82°F (28°C) by day and 67°F (19°C) at night. January is the coolest, at 33°F (1°C) by day and 21°F (-6°C) at night.
- What is the rainy season in Chicago?
- The wettest months in Chicago are March to August and October, with 11 to 14 rainy days a month. November is the driest.
- How many days do you need in Chicago?
- Three days covers the Loop and Millennium Park, an architecture river cruise, a museum or two on the Museum Campus and a Wrigleyville or neighborhood evening. Add a day for the lakefront trail, Lincoln Park and a second neighborhood such as Pilsen or Wicker Park.
- How do I get around Chicago?
- The L train system reaches most visitor areas and connects both airports with downtown. The Loop and the Magnificent Mile are walkable, and buses cover routes the trains miss. Divvy bike share is good along the lakefront. A car is unnecessary downtown and parking is costly.
- Is it safe to travel to United States right now?
- Voyaggora shows the official US, UK and Canada travel advisories for United States on one page, with the source and the time each was last checked. Open the live advisory for United States before you book.
- What other places are near Chicago?
- The closest Voyaggora guides to Chicago are Nashville (400 miles), Toronto (440 miles), Niagara Falls (450 miles).
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