7 Fun Facts About Chicago

Chicago’s got it all. Leave Santa Monica in your convertible and hop on route 66 until you’re in in Chicago. Stop by the city gallery and listen to the electric Chicago blues.

In this article, we’ll cover fun facts about Chicago that will make you want to grab a slice of deep-dish pizza.

>>Do you love deep dish? Try a thin crust style in Northern Italy!

1. Chicago’s rapid growth created America’s largest wooden city, fueling history’s costliest fire

In 1833, Chicago incorporated as a town of 200 residents near the Mississippi River watershed. By 1871, Downtown Chicago in the city’s central business district has 334,000 residents, mostly living in wooden buildings.

The Great Chicago Fire soon followed.

2. The Chicago River flows backwards thanks to one of America’s largest municipal earth-moving projects

The Chicago River being dyed green for St. Patrick’s Day

In 1869, the city built the Chicago Water Tower at Michigan Avenue and Chicago Avenue, which stood 154 feet tall. It survived the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 that destroyed 17,500 buildings across the city.

In 1900, engineers one upped themselves and reversed the Chicago River’s flow by creating the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to protect Lake Michigan’s drinking water from sewage contamination.

Evey year, the river is dyed green for Saint Patrick’s Day, though that tradition may end soon, according to Friends of the Chicago River.

3. Chicago created America’s largest public lakefront

In 1836, Chicago officials designated the Lake Michigan shoreline as public land across the 26-mile waterfront. Engineers built 37 steel and concrete barriers extending 200 feet into Lake Michigan to stop erosion.

North Avenue Beach extends 875 feet into Lake Michigan and has direct views of Chicago’s downtown skyline. The 24 free public beaches on Lake Michigan and lakefront bicycle paths attract 12 million visitors each year.

A view of North Avenue Beach with downtown Chicago’s skyline in the distance.

4. Chicago has the world’s first planetarium and most complete T. rex skeleton

The Adler Planetarium, built in 1930 at a cost of $1 million, became the first modern planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. The museum now features three full-size theaters and receives 500,000 visitors annually.

In 1893, The Field Museum began as part of the World’s Columbian Exposition. In 1997, the museum acquired Sue, a 90% complete 40-foot-long T. rex skeleton.

Shot of the Adler Planetarium against the lake.

5. Chicago earned its nicknames

Chicago is a pumping station for catchy nicknames. A few are listed below

John F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon in the Presidential Debate at Chicago’s CBS Studios