Chicago, Illinois, the 'Windy City', sprawls along the southern shores of mighty Lake Michigan.  This powerhouse city, the largest in Illinois and third largest in the nation, is the financial, cultural and commercial capital of the Midwest.  Known for its unique air of sophistication mixed with feistiness, Chicago reigns as a premier destination to visit, live and work.

Census 2005 Estimates recorded Chicago's population as more than 2,700,000.  The city limits enclose 234 square miles.  The surrounding Chicago Metropolitan Area has more than 9.5 million residents, extending west and south in Illinois, and west and east into Wisconsin and Indiana, covering more than 7,000 square miles.  

Chicago began its remarkable life in 1833, with pioneers settling at the site of a portage between the Great Lakes and the powerful Mississippi River.  Chicago quickly grew and became the main transportation hub for all of North America.  The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed one third of the city, including the business district.  The strong and determined Chicagoans quickly rebuilt.  When it held the World Fair of 1893, Chicago was already one of top 10 cities in the world, which remains true today.  In modern times, Chicago is a United States applicant city to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.

More than 33 million foreign and domestic tourists visited Chicago in 2005.  The Magnificent Mile offers luxury shopping and world-class dining to rival New York City.  Found here are some of the world's tallest buildings.  Navy Pier extends for 3,000 feet, housing restaurants, shops, and attractions.  In neighboring Grant Park, the annual Taste of Chicago celebrates the wide range of ethnic cuisine available here, and the distinct Chicago trademark foods, like deep dish pizza and the classic Chicago Hot Dog,  Italian Beef and Maxwell Street Polish.   

Chicago, Illinois holds a long tradition for birthing innovative music.  Hometown to Chicago Blues, Chicago Soul and many jazz and gospel singers, Chicago developed its own Chicago House music and proved influential in the growth of hip hop, punk and rave culture.  Live music abounds in Chicago, with a wide selection of nightclubs and lounges.  The large variety of music festivals attests to Chicago's eclectic ethnic mix, such as the Celtic Fest, Viva!  Latin Music Fest, and the world-renowned Chicago Blues Festival. 

Chicago holds an international reputation for its top-notch museums, including Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium, to name a few.  Children delight at the Lincoln Park Zoo and the many family-friendly attractions in Chicago.  Long a kindly patron to artisans of all sorts, the Chicago art scene thrives, while in many major cities, funding for the arts is on the decline. 

The Chicago Metro Area is a world center for research and higher education.  Two of the top research universities in America are the University of Chicago and Northwestern University of Evanston.  More than 41 colleges and universities lie within the city limits proper, including art schools, medical schools and seminaries. 

Chicago, Illinois serves as a major international financial center, with the second-largest business district in America.  According to 2007 Census Estimates, Chicago holds the third-largest gross metropolitan product in the nation, near $442 billion.  Because of its high level of diversified businesses, Chicago claims the most balanced economy in the country.  The Chicago Metro Area reported the largest number of new or expanded corporate facilities in the United States since 2001.

Like most enormous cities, crime has always been a major problem within Chicago.  Since the 90's, the homicide rate has decreased steadily, almost half today, what it was in 1990.  At the same time, however, gangland crime is on the rise, a type of modern-day incarnation of the Mafia warfare that plagued Chicago in its gangster days.  In a one-year period spanning '06 and '07, 28 Chicago children died, either caught in the crossfire of gangland shootings, or deliberately killed as retribution.  Mayor Daley urges individual involvement in community action and neighborhood watches to help stem this surge.  Crime has been a major factor in the outward migration from Chicago proper, and the population explosion of the surrounding Chicago Metro Area, one of the fastest growing regions in America.