City guide article

Fast Facts

Location : In northeastern Illinois, at the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan.

Overview

Location : In northeastern Illinois, at the southwestern tip of Lake Michigan.

* Nicknames: Windy City, Second City, Gem of the Prairie, the “I will” City, City in a Garden. * Race/Ethnicity Mixture: 57% Caucasian, 19% Latino, 18% Black, 5% Asian; 1% Other * Electricity: 110 volts, 60Hz, standard two pin plugs * Businesses are usually open from 10AM to 6PM. The local shops are open till 9PM. Restaurants stop serving guests at around 10PM. * The first skyscraper was found here. * Type of government: Mayor elected every four years. City clerk and treasurer also elected to citywide positions. * Population: 2.8 million (City); 9.6 million metro * Population Density: 12,750 people per square mi. * Per capita income: $38,49 * Major industries: business services, aircraft, food processing, electronics, insurance, iron, manufacturing, machinery, meatpacking, retail, shipping, trade and steel fabricators.

Dialing code

Country Dialing Code: +1 (USA)

312 - City of Chicago, including the Loop the North side and central neighborhoods 773 – City limits except the central area 847/224 - North and Northwest Suburbs 630/331 - Western Suburbs 708 - Near West and South Suburbs 815/779 - (Far Northwest/Southwest Suburbs; Joliet, DeKalb, Rockford) 219 - (Northwest Indiana) 574 - (North-central Indiana) 262 - (Southeast Wisconsin surrounding Milwaukee County)

Note: You must dial "1" plus the area code for all telephone numbers, even if you are making a call within the same are code.

Emergency numbers 911

Population - City: 3 million; in the suburbs: another 5 million. Languages - English

Time zone - GMT - 6 (GMT - 5 from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November).

Average January temperatures - 21 degrees F/ -6 degrees C

Average July temperatures - 73 degrees F/ 23 degrees C

Annual rainfall - 36 inches/ 91 centimeters Currency- US dollars, Code-USD, Symbol-US$

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When to go

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