Chicago

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City of Chicago
Nickname(s): Windy City, "Da Chi"
Motto: Urbs in Horto
Coordinates: 41°52′55″N 87°37′40″W / 41.88194°N 87.62778°W / 41.88194; -87.62778Coordinates: 41°52′55″N 87°37′40″W / 41.88194°N 87.62778°W / 41.88194; -87.62778
Country United States
State Illinois
Counties Cook, DuPage
Settled 1770's
Incorporated March 4, 1837
Government
 • Type Mayor-Council
 • Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D)
Area
 • City 234.1 sq mi (606.2 km2)
 • Land 227.1 sq mi (588.3 km2)
 • Water 6.9 sq mi (17.9 km2)
 • Urban 2,122.8 sq mi (5,498.1 km2)
 • Metro 10,874 sq mi (28,163 km2)
Elevation 586 ft (179 m)
Population
 • City 2,873,321
 • Density 12,470/sq mi (4,816/km2)
 • Urban 8,711,000
 • Metro 9,505,747
Time zone CST (UTC-6)
 • Summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Website http://egov.cityofchicago.org/

Chicago is the largest city in Illinois, USA. It is the third largest city in the United States, although it used to be the second largest. Chicago is next to one of the five Great Lakes, Lake Michigan. In the 2000 census, almost 2,900,000 people lived there, with six million more people living nearby. Chicago is sometimes called the "Windy City".

Rahm Emanuel is the mayor.

Contents

[change] Culture

Chicago has a very well-known culture. Some of the many things Chicago is famous for are: Chicago-style hot dogs, Chicago-style (deep dish) pizza, Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, jazz music, and 1920s gangsters like Al Capone. Chicago is also known for interesting architecture like the Willis Tower, many museums, and many loyal sports fans.

For many years, the Sears Tower was the tallest building in the world. It is still the tallest building in the United States.

[change] Museums

The Museuem of Science and Industry is a National Historic Landmark

There are many museums in Chicago. These include:

  • Adler Planetarium - built in 1930, it is the oldest planetarium in the world
  • Art Institute of Chicago - has a large collection of American and Impressionist art
  • Field Museum of Natural History - has Sue, the largest and most complete Tyrannosaurus fossil known
  • Museum of Science and Industry - has many exhibits including a real Boeing 727 jet plane which was given to the museum by United Airlines
  • Polish Museum of America - Museum haunted by famous piano player Ignace Paderewski, has large collection of Polish art in the biggest Polish city outside of Poland
  • Shedd Aquarium - at one time the world's largest aquarium. Has 19 million liters (5 million gallons) of water and 22,000 fish

[change] Sports

Sports are a big part of the cultural life in Chicago. Chicago is home to 15 sports teams. All of the city's major sports teams play within the city limits.

Wrigley Field is the home of the Chicago Cubs

Chicago is one of only three cities in the United States to have two Major League Baseball teams: the Chicago White Sox and the Chicago Cubs. The White Sox play at the U.S. Cellular Field and the Cubs play at Wrigley Field. The White Sox won the World Series in 2005.

Chicago's National Basketball Association (NBA) team is the Chicago Bulls. For many years, Michael Jordan played for the Bulls and he helped them win six Championships during the 1990s.

At American football, Chicago is the home of the Chicago Bears (National Football League) and the Chicago Rush (Arena Football League).

Chicago has two ice hockey teams, the Chicago Blackhawks (who play for the National Hockey League) and the Chicago Wolves (who play for the American Hockey League).

Chicago also has a Major League Soccer team, the Chicago Fire.

[change] Travel

Many people and things travel through Chicago to get to other places. Chicago has a complex network of trains and buses, which help people who live in Chicago travel across the city. Chicago's commuter train system is called the Metra. It runs within the city and also into the suburbs that are around Chicago. The Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is a system of buses and elevated trains (called the 'L') that run inside the city.

O'Hare International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world, is a major center for air travel. Chicago has another airport called Midway Airport. Many trains use Chicago as a place to change loads and to change directions. There is also a canal between Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River.

[change] Famous people from Chicago

Some famous people who lived in or are from Chicago.

[change] Other websites

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