Chicago's Nexus: WildOnions.org.

Chicago spans out from its downtown Loop in rings of development linked by radial axes of railroad tracks and superhighways.

1. Central Chicago.	2. The Neighborhoods.
3. Border Communities.	4. The Suburbs.
5. Far Suburbs.	6. Gateway Cities.
7. Outside Ring.	8. Far Cities.

Chicago at a glance.

City founded: 1833
Nicknames: Windy City, City of Big Shoulders, Second City
Motto: Urbs in Horto ("City in a Garden")
Greater metropolitan population (2000): 9.1 Million
Climate: short, chilly springs; hot, humid summers;
cool, pleasant autumns; long, cold winters.
Known for: Academics, Architecture, Art, Blues, Business, Commodities, Jazz, Lake Michigan, Poetry, Multiethnic Culture, Pizza, Science, Storied History, Sports, Writers, World's Fairs
Major airports: O'Hare, Midway

More Chicago Facts | Start Exploring Chicago

For a traveler not experienced with the Great Lakes region, the idea of "Chicago" may invoke images of a landlocked, scaled-down version of America's coastal metropolises. Even casual visitors to the Windy City sometimes depart with the impression that the small, tourist-friendly network of attractions at the city's very core constitutes the extent of its offerings. In reality, the Chicago area, or "Chicagoland", as many call it, extends for more than fifty miles North, West, South, and Southeast from its center, across forests, prairies, shorelines, and river valleys, spanning portions of three states, twelve counties, and hundreds of municipalities, with more than nine million people making it their home.