Hotels Chicago, USA - Hotel Booking

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Local time

Distance

Boston: 848 miles
Las Vegas: 1525 miles
Washington: 594 miles
New York: 711 miles
Los Angeles: 1743 miles
Seattle: 1734 miles
Atlanta: 588 miles

Weather of Chicago

Weather is definitely not one of the attractions in Chicago. There's a good time to be had in any season, but it is a place where the climate has to be taken into consideration.

Obscured by Chicago's ferocious winters are the heat waves of summer. Many days in July and August are disgustingly hot and humid. Summer nights are more reasonable, though, and you'll get a few degrees' respite along the lakefront — in the local parlance, that's "cooler by the lake."

But then there are those winters. The months from December to March will see very cold temperatures, with even more bitter wind chill factors. Snow is usually limited to a handful of heavy storms per season, with a few light dustings in-between. (And a little more along the lakefront — again in the local parlance, that's "lake effect snow".) Ice storms are also a risk. It's a city that's well-accustomed to these winters, though, so city services and public transportation are highly unlikely to shut down.

That said, Chicago does have a few nice months of weather. May and September are mild and pleasant; April and June are mostly fine, although thunderstorms with heavy winds can also occur suddenly. Although there may be a chill in the air in October, it rarely calls for more than a light coat. The lake effect may prolong a pleasant autumn through October, and sometimes into November.

Tourism Office of Chicago
2301 S. Lake Shore Drive
60616 Chicago, IL
Etats-Unis

Get in Chicago

By plane: Chicago is served by two major airports: O'Hare International Airport [4] and Midway Airport. There are plenty of taxis from both to and from the city center, but they are quite expensive, especially during rush hours. O'Hare International Airport (IATA: ORD) is 17 miles northwest of downtown and serves many international and domestic carriers. United Airlines has the largest presence here (about 50%) followed by American Airlines with about 40%. Most connecting flights for smaller cities in the Midwest run through O'Hare. It's one of the biggest airports in the world, and it has always been notorious for delays and cancellations. Unfortunately, it's too far northwest for most travelers who get stuck overnight to head into the city. As a result, there are plenty of hotels in the O'Hare area. See the O'Hare article for listings.
The CTA Blue Line runs between the Loop and O'Hare in 48-60 sluggish minutes. Occasional track closures may require use of free CTA shuttle buses between stations. If you're headed directly to neighborhoods on the far north side like Uptown, it may be faster to disembark from the Blue Line after a few stops and catch a CTA bus heading east instead of going all the way to the Loop.
Midway International Airport (IATA: MDW) is 10 miles southwest of downtown. Southwest Airlines is the largest carrier here, followed by AirTran. If it's an option for your trip, Midway is more compact, less crowded, has fewer delays, and usually cheaper.
Milwaukee's General Mitchell International Airport (IATA: MKE) is served by 7 Amtrak trains per day (6 on Sunday), and the Hiawatha Service was Amtrak's most on-time route in 2006. The trip from Chicago Union Station to Mitchell Airport Station is about one hour and 15 minutes.

By bus: Greyhound, America's largest bus carrier offers service to destinations throughout the Midwest. The main terminal is near the southwestern corner of the Loop.

Get around Chicago

Bt train: Chicago is historically the rail hub of the entire United States. Today, Amtrak uses the magisterial Union Station (Canal St and Jackson Blvd) as the hub of its Midwestern routes, making Chicago one of the most convenient U.S. cities to visit by train, serving the majority of the passenger rail company's long-distance routes, with options from virtually every major US city. With its massive main hall, venerable history, and cinematic steps, Union Station is worth a visit even if you're not coming in by train.
Most (but not all) Metra suburban trains run from Union Station and nearby Ogilvie/Northwestern Station (Canal St and Madison St), which are west of the Loop. Some southern lines run from stations on the east side of the Loop. The suburban trains run as far as Kenosha, Aurora, and Joliet, while the South Shore line runs through Indiana as far as South Bend. Several CTA buses converge upon the two stations, and the Loop CTA trains are within walking distance.

By car: Chicagoans have a maddening habit of referring to some expressways by their names, not the numbers used to identify them on the signs you'll see posted on the U.S. interstate highway system, so you'll have to commit both name and number to memory. I-55 (the Stevenson Expressway) will take you directly from St. Louis into downtown Chicago. I-90/94 (The Dan Ryan) comes in from Indiana to the east (via the Chicago Skyway and Bishop Ford Freeway) and from central Illinois (via I-57). I-90 (The Kennedy) comes in from Madison to the northwest. I-94 (the Edens Expressway) comes in from Milwaukee to the north, but recent roadwork has slowed traffic considerably compared to I-90.
If arriving downtown from Indiana, from the south on I-94 or I-90, or from the north, Lake Shore Drive (U.S. Highway 41) provides a scenic introduction in both directions, day or night. The shore and skyline are not to be missed. If arriving on I-55 from the southwest, or on I-290 (the Eisenhower Expressway, formerly and sometimes still called The Congress Expressway) from the west, the skyline may also be visible from certain clear spots, but without the shore view.