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Despite being named after the Algonquian word for skunk, Chicago is one of America’s most thriving and spectacular cities. Spanning 22 miles along the southwest shore of Lake Michigan, the city itself holds nearly 2.9 million people and sits in the center of a metropolitan area containing more than 8 million.
Looking at the image, some of Chicago’s famous sites can be made out. The long black line coming into the center of the city from the southwest is the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal. In the center of the city, just right of where the canal banks north to become the Chicago River, sits a small pier on Lake Michigan, perpendicular to the city, known as Meigs Field. Just to the left of the pier is Soldier Field. Scanning north of Meigs Field, another pier juts out onto the lake. This is Navy Pier. Though it cannot be made out in the image, the Water Tower District and the John Hancock Building sit between Navy Pier and the Chicago River. South of this area is downtown Chicago and the Sears Tower.
This simulated-color scene was acquired by the Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) on September 14, 2001.
  

”The purpose of NASA's Earth Observatory is to provide a freely-accessible publication on the Internet where the public can obtain new satellite imagery and scientific information about our home planet. The focus is on Earth's climate and environmental change. In particular, we hope our site is useful to public media and educators. Any and all materials published on the Earth Observatory are freely available for re-publication or re-use, except where copyright is indicated. We ask that NASA's Earth Observatory be given credit for its original materials.”
Chicago and North Western Railway locomotive shops, Chicago, Ill.
Eight-segment panorama of Chicago, Illinois, as viewed from North Avenue Beach.
Photo by NASA/USGS Landsat 7
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North AmericaUnited StatesIllinois

North Chicago

Illinois, United States · North America

About North Chicago

North Chicago sits on the route: 10 minutes from Waukegan, 53km from Route 66 - Chicago Start.

North Chicago is in Illinois, United States, with about 29,000 people. You drive on the right here. The nearest town is Waukegan, about 4 km away.

Where to Stay in North Chicago

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is there to see near North Chicago?

Within an hour or so of North Chicago: Willis Tower (Sears Tower) (52 km), Lou Mitchell's (52 km), Route 66 - Chicago Start (53 km), Art Institute of Chicago (53 km).

Are there any good drives near North Chicago?

The nearest famous roads are Route 66 - Chicago Start.

Where is North Chicago?

North Chicago is in Illinois, United States, about 4 km from Waukegan.

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What's nearby?

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Quick Information

Population
29,491
Continent
North America
Country
United States
Region
Illinois
Timezone
America/Chicago
Coordinates
42.3256, -87.8412

Emergency & Services

Essential numbers in United States

Police
911
Ambulance
911
Fire
911
Driving side
right

AAA roadside assistance: 1-800-222-4357. Right turn on red is legal in most states unless signed otherwise.

Full driving guide for United States

Tags

North AmericaUnited StatesIllinoisTown

Worth the detour from North Chicago

6 notable places within an hour's drive.

landmark

Willis Tower (Sears Tower)

Iconic 110-storey Chicago skyscraper with a glass-floored Skydeck, once the tallest building in the world.

52 km · about 60 min drive

cafe

Lou Mitchell's

Serving double-yolk eggs and free Milk Duds since 1923, this Chicago diner beside the start of Route 66 is the traditional first breakfast of the Mother Road journey.

52 km · about 60 min drive

66 US ROUTE

historic highway

Route 66 - Chicago Start

The 'Begin Route 66' sign on Adams Street at Michigan Avenue marks the start of the 2,448-mile Mother Road to Santa Monica: the classic photo stop before heading west.

53 km · about 60 min drive

museum

Art Institute of Chicago

One of the oldest and largest art museums in the US, renowned for its Impressionist collection and Grant Wood's American Gothic.

53 km · about 60 min drive

museum

Field Museum of Natural History

Home to Sue, the largest and most complete T. rex ever found, along with extensive anthropological and geological collections.

54 km · about 65 min drive

landmark

Shedd Aquarium

Iconic Chicago aquarium on the Lake Michigan waterfront housing over 32,000 animals from around the world.

54 km · about 65 min drive

Driving roads near North Chicago

  • 53 kmRoute 66 - Chicago StartThe 'Begin Route 66' sign on Adams Street at Michigan Avenue marks the start of the 2,448-mile Mother Road to Santa Monica: the classic photo stop before heading west.

Nearby Destinations

Other places to explore near North Chicago.

Waukegan

🇺🇸 United States

4 km awayPop. 88,475

Park City

🇺🇸 United States

4 km awayPop. 7,392

Lake Bluff

🇺🇸 United States

5 km awayPop. 5,674

Knollwood

🇺🇸 United States

6 km awayPop. 1,747

Lake Forest

🇺🇸 United States

7 km awayPop. 19,408

Libertyville

🇺🇸 United States

10 km awayPop. 20,436

Highwood

🇺🇸 United States

14 km awayPop. 5,352

Lincolnshire

🇺🇸 United States

16 km awayPop. 7,282

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Data sources:GeoNames (CC BY 4.0)•Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA)•Mapbox•Photography: George Lawrence