Chicago is a city in the state of Illinois, and the largest in the Midwest. With a population of nearly 3 million people located almost entirely in Cook County, Chicago is the third largest city in the United States. The population of Chicago’s metropolitan area, which covers several counties, commonly called Chicagoland, contains over 9.7 million people in Illinois, Wisconsin and Indiana, making it the third largest metropolitan area in the U.S. Adjacent to Lake Michigan, it is the largest city located on the Great Lakes and the world’s twenty-second largest urban area by population. Chicago has been classified as an alpha world city for its worldwide economic and cultural influence.

Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837. Its location at the site of a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed aided the city’s rapid growth. Today, Chicago is a leading global city and a major transportation hub, as well as the business, financial, and cultural capital of the American Midwest.

Chicago offers a rich cultural heritage:
Teams from each of the major league sports, a financial district anchored by the Chicago Mercantile Exchange located at the foot of LaSalle Street in the Chicago Board of Trade Building, its history of skyscrapers, the shopping of the Magnificent Mile, a blossoming Theatre district, a thriving arts culture anchored by the Art Institute of Chicago and bolstered by the modern offerings of the Millennium Park.