Facts About Chicago, IL
- Chicago has a total area of 234 square miles.
- Chicago is the third-largest city in the United States, with a population of 2.7 million people.
- The CTA (Chicago Transit Authority) is the second-largest public transportation system in the United States. On a typical weekday, the CTA sees 1.6 million riders.
- Chicago is known as the railroad capital of the United States, with more major railroads serving the city than any other city in the country.
- Chicago is a city made up of 77 neighborhoods.
- The nickname “Loop” refers to the area encircled by the Chicago Transit Authority’s (CTA) elevated (‘L’) train tracks in Chicago’s downtown area.
- The Windy City, City of Big Shoulders, The Second City, The White City, and The City That Works are some of Chicago’s nicknames.
- The city’s motto, urbs in horto, or “city in a garden,” was adopted in the 1830s and referred to the city’s extensive and historically significant park system.
