| The third largest city in the United States, Chicago has 2,800,000 residents. It was founded in 1833. Chicago is home to the tallest building in the western hemisphere, the Willis Tower, with 110 stories and the country's second tallest, Trump International Hotel and Tower. Temperatures range from low in winter of 16 degrees to a high in summer of 84 degrees. Precipitation averages about three inches per month. Tourism is prominent in the local economy with thirty-two million annual visitors. The area has numerous parks and recreational areas. Chicago has one of the best selection of sports teams in the country playing host to major league baseball's Chicago Cubs and Chicago White Sox, basketball's Chicago Bulls (NBA), hockey's Chicago Blackhawks (NHL), and NFL football's Chicago Bears. Chicago is the background for numerous films and shows including The Oprah Winfrey Show, Farris Bueller's Day Off, Home Alone, and two of the Transformers films. The area has a diverse mixture of businesses including financial, medical, services, publishing, and manufacturing. Over four million workers live in the Chicago area. Major companies with a presence in Chicago include General Electric, Abbott Laboratories, Baxter International, Groupon and Feedburner. Numerous higher educational institutions are found in the Chicago area such as Northwestern University, University of Chicago, DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, and Chicago State University. The world's second busiest airport, O'Hare International Airport serves the area along with Midway International Airport. The Port of Chicago is a major US shipping port. Healthcare services are provided by the University of Illinois Medical Center and Rush University Medical Center. |
|
