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Chicago

#42 largest metro areaNorth America

In United States

Metro population
8,901,000
0.107% of world population
Archive estimate
Annual growth
−0.15%
About 37 people a day
Archive estimate
Density
819/km²
10,874 km² metro area
City proper
2,664,452
Within the administrative boundary
GeoNames

About Chicago

With a metropolitan population of 8.9 million and a city-proper population of 2.66 million, Chicago ranks among the largest urban centers in North America. The city sits at an elevation of 179 m and maintains a density of 819 people per km², supporting substantial residential and commercial activity across its neighborhoods. Current mayor Brandon Johnson leads municipal operations.

The metropolitan area is served by multiple airports, including Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) and Chicago Midway International (MDW), alongside Gary/Chicago International (GYY) and Michigan City Municipal (MGC). Annual population growth stands at -0.1%, indicating a slight decline in recent years.

This summary is AI-generated from the statistics on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.

Key Facts

Country
United States
Continent
North America
World rank
#42 of 140
Share of country
2.6%
Leadership
Brandon Johnson
Elevation
179 m
Coordinates
41.850, -87.650

Airports

Scheduled-service airports within 100 km, nearest first.

  • Chicago Midway International AirportMDW

    11 km from the city centre

  • Chicago O'Hare International AirportORD

    25 km from the city centre

  • Gary/Chicago International AirportGYY

    33 km from the city centre

  • Michigan City Municipal AirportMGC

    71 km from the city centre

Source: OurAirports, matched by distance.

Compared with the World's Largest Cities

Metropolitan population against the fifteen largest metro areas.

  1. Tokyo37.4M
  2. Delhi32.9M
  3. Shanghai29.2M
  4. São Paulo22.6M
  5. Dhaka22.5M
  6. Mexico City22.3M
  7. Cairo22.2M
  8. Mumbai21.7M
  9. Beijing21.5M
  10. Osaka19M
  11. New York18.9M
  12. Karachi17.1M
  13. Kinshasa17.1M
  14. Chongqing16.9M
  15. Lagos15.9M
  16. Chicago8.9M
Metro populations are archive estimates; boundaries differ between national statistical agencies.
Chicago compared with the fifteen largest metropolitan areas
NameMetro population
Tokyo37.4M
Delhi32.9M
Shanghai29.2M
São Paulo22.6M
Dhaka22.5M
Mexico City22.3M
Cairo22.2M
Mumbai21.7M
Beijing21.5M
Osaka19M
New York18.9M
Karachi17.1M
Kinshasa17.1M
Chongqing16.9M
Lagos15.9M
Chicago8.9M

Population Trend in United States

No free source publishes metropolitan population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.

0100M200M300M400M1950197520002025205020752100projected →
This is United States's national population, not Chicago's. The legacy city series this page previously carried was generated by scaling the current figure, so it has been dropped rather than presented as history. Source: UN World Population Prospects 2024.
United States population, 1950 to 2100
YearPopulation
1950154,202,680
1960180,274,555
1970207,796,339
1980229,858,655
1990253,373,387
2000281,484,131
2010311,062,790
2020339,436,159
2030355,649,881
2040370,209,316
2050380,846,910
2060388,918,394
2070398,218,088
2080407,079,816
2090414,457,640
2100421,278,889

Other Major Cities in United States

14 more cities in our dataset.

Nearest Major Cities

Closest cities in our dataset by great-circle distance.

Chicago Population FAQ

What is the population of Chicago?

Chicago's metropolitan area has about 8,901,000 people, making it the 42nd largest metro area in our dataset of 140 major cities.

What is the difference between Chicago's city and metro population?

About 2,664,452 people live within the city proper, while the wider metropolitan area holds roughly 8,901,000. Metro figures include surrounding commuter areas that fall outside the city's administrative boundary.

Is Chicago growing or shrinking?

Chicago is shrinking at −0.15% a year.

What share of United States's population lives in Chicago?

Chicago's metro area holds about 2.6% of United States's total population.

How densely populated is Chicago?

Chicago has roughly 819 people per km² across a metro area of about 10,874 km².

Which airports serve Chicago?

The nearest major airports are Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW), Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD), Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY).

Which country is Chicago in?

Chicago is in United States, in North America.

Explore More Cities

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