Best Time to Visit Chicago
Chicago runs through four distinct seasons: winters can drop below -10°C with a biting wind off the lake, while summers climb to around 30°C and turn humid. What changes through the year is the cold, which grips hardest between December and February, the humidity, which peaks in July and August, and the price of a hotel room. Here's when to go — and when to think twice.
Mild temperatures, the lakefront parks turning green, festival season getting under way, and hotel prices still below the summer peak.
Warm days and cool nights, the parks turning to fall colour, thinner crowds than summer, and prices easing off before the holiday season.
The coldest weeks of the year, wind off the lake that bites harder than the thermometer suggests, icy sidewalks, and holiday hotel rates lingering into early January.
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -9 to 0°C | Low | Low | The coldest month, the wind off the lake makes it feel colder still, ice sometimes closes lakefront paths, hotel rates still elevated just after the holidays |
| February | -7 to 2°C | Low | Low | Still bitterly cold with occasional snowstorms, quiet museums and a full theatre season, some of the cheapest hotel rates of the year |
| March | -2 to 8°C | Medium | Low | Snow gives way to slush, the St. Patrick's Day river-dyeing draws crowds downtown, still cold enough for a winter coat |
| April | 4 to 14°C | Medium | Medium | Unpredictable — a warm day can be followed by a cold snap, cherry blossoms appear, outdoor dining starts to reopen |
| May | 10 to 20°C | Medium | Medium | The lakefront turns green, festival season begins, still cool enough for a jacket in the evening |
| June | 16 to 26°C | High | High | Warm and increasingly humid, long daylight hours, the summer festival calendar in full swing |
| July | 19 to 29°C | Very high | Very high | The hottest and busiest month, fireworks and lakefront festivals draw large crowds, hotel rates at their peak |
| August | 19 to 28°C | High | High | Still hot and humid with occasional thunderstorms off the lake, crowds thinning after mid-month |
| September | 13 to 23°C | Medium | Medium | Warm days and cool nights, the first hints of autumn colour, noticeably fewer tourists than summer |
| October | 7 to 16°C | Low | Low | Crisp air, peak fall colour in the parks, excellent value on hotels before the holiday season |
| November | 1 to 9°C | Low | Low | Cold and often grey, the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival draws crowds at month's end, otherwise quiet |
| December | -6 to 2°C | High | High | Snow likely, holiday markets and lights downtown draw crowds, the final two weeks are the most expensive of the year |