What is the population of Chicago?
Chicago has a city population of 2,664,452. That is the population within the city's own boundary, not its wider metropolitan area. City population, GeoNames.
City profile · United States · North America
Chicago
City population
2,664,452
#4
in United States
#1
in Illinois
#144
worldwide
41.850, -87.650 · 956 km from Washington
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 figures on this page. The figures themselves come from the sources cited beside each value.
Metro population
8,901,000
0.107% of world population
Archive estimateAnnual growth
−0.15%
Archive estimateDensity
819/km²
10,874 km² metro area
Key Facts
Country
Region
Rank in region
#1of 167
Leadership
Brandon Johnson
Coordinates
41.850, -87.650
Record updated
21 June 2025
Entry edited, not measured
City population, GeoNames. GeoNames publishes no year for its population figures, so “record updated” is when the entry was last edited — not the date the population was measured.
Nearby Cities
All 3,112 in United StatesClosest listed cities by great-circle distance from the city centre.
Compared with the World's Largest Cities
City-proper population against the fifteen largest cities in the dataset.
| Name | City population |
|---|---|
| Shanghai | 24.9M |
| Beijing | 19M |
| Shenzhen | 17.5M |
| Guangzhou | 16.1M |
| Kinshasa | 16M |
| Istanbul | 15.7M |
| Lagos | 15.4M |
| Ho Chi Minh City | 14M |
| Chengdu | 13.6M |
| Lahore | 13M |
| Mumbai | 12.7M |
| São Paulo | 12.4M |
| Mexico City | 12.3M |
| Karachi | 11.6M |
| Tianjin | 11.1M |
| Chicago | 2.66M |
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.
Population Trend in United States
No free source publishes city population back to 1950, so the parent country's series is shown instead.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1950 | 154,202,680 |
| 1960 | 180,274,555 |
| 1970 | 207,796,339 |
| 1980 | 229,858,655 |
| 1990 | 253,373,387 |
| 2000 | 281,484,131 |
| 2010 | 311,062,790 |
| 2020 | 339,436,159 |
| 2030 | 355,649,881 |
| 2040 | 370,209,316 |
| 2050 | 380,846,910 |
| 2060 | 388,918,394 |
| 2070 | 398,218,088 |
| 2080 | 407,079,816 |
| 2090 | 414,457,640 |
| 2100 | 421,278,889 |
Chicago Population FAQ
Where is Chicago?
Chicago is in Illinois, United States, 956 km from the capital, Washington. Its coordinates are 41.850, -87.650.
How big is Chicago compared with other cities in United States?
It is the 4th largest of the 3,112 cities listed in United States, holding 0.8% of the national population.