Chicago is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the third-most populous city in the United States with a population of 2.74 million at the 2020 census, while the Chicago metropolitan area has 9.41 million residents and is the third-largest metropolitan area in the nation. Chicago is the seat of Cook County, the second-most populous county in the United States. Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. It has the largest and most diverse finance derivatives market in the world, generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone. O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top ten busiest airports by passenger traffic, and the region is also the nation's railroad hub. The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) of any urban region in the world, generating $689 billion in 2018. Chicago's economy is diverse, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce.

History

Chicago was incorporated as a city in 1837 near a portage between the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River watershed. It grew rapidly in the mid-19th century. In 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed several square miles and left more than 100,000 homeless, but Chicago's population continued to grow. Chicago made noted contributions to urban planning and architecture, such as the Chicago School, the development of the City Beautiful movement, and the steel-framed skyscraper. Chicago is an international hub for finance, culture, commerce, industry, education, technology, telecommunications, and transportation. It has the largest and most diverse finance derivatives market in the world, generating 20% of all volume in commodities and financial futures alone. O'Hare International Airport is routinely ranked among the world's top ten busiest airports by passenger traffic, and the region is also the nation's railroad hub. The Chicago area has one of the highest gross domestic products (GDP) of any urban region in the world, generating $689 billion in 2018. Chicago's economy is diverse, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce.
Chicago is a major destination for tourism, with 55 million visitors in 2024 to its cultural institutions, Lake Michigan beaches, restaurants, and more. Chicago's culture has contributed much to the visual arts, literature, film, theater, comedy (especially improvisational comedy), food, dance, and music (particularly jazz, blues, soul, hip-hop, gospel, and electronic dance music, including house music). Chicago is home to the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Lyric Opera of Chicago, while the Art Institute of Chicago provides an influential visual arts museum and art school. The Chicago area also hosts the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and the University of Illinois Chicago, among other institutions of learning. Professional sports in Chicago include all major professional leagues, including two Major League Baseball teams. The city also hosts the Chicago Marathon, one of the World Marathon Majors.

Chicago Political Structure

The government of the City of Chicago is divided into executive and legislative branches. The mayor of Chicago is the chief executive, elected by general election for a term of four years, with no term limits. The incumbent mayor is Brandon Johnson. The mayor appoints commissioners and other officials who oversee the various departments. As well as the mayor, Chicago's clerk and treasurer are also elected citywide. The City Council is the legislative branch and is made up of 50 alderpersons, one elected from each ward in the city. The council takes official action through the passage of ordinances and resolutions and approves the city budget.
The Chicago Police Department provides law enforcement and the Chicago Fire Department provides fire suppression and emergency medical services for the city and its residents. Civil and criminal law cases are heard in the Cook County Circuit Court of the State of Illinois court system, or in the Northern District of Illinois, in the federal system. In the state court, the public prosecutor is the Illinois state's attorney; in the Federal court it is the United States attorney.

Locations of Note

Chicago is located in northeastern Illinois on the southwestern shores of freshwater Lake Michigan. It is the principal city in the Chicago Metropolitan Area, situated in both the Midwestern United States and the Great Lakes region. The city rests on a continental divide at the site of the Chicago Portage, connecting the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes watersheds. In addition to it lying beside Lake Michigan, two rivers—the Chicago River in downtown and the Calumet River in the industrial far South Side—flow either entirely or partially through the city. Chicago's history and economy are closely tied to its proximity to Lake Michigan. While the Chicago River historically handled much of the region's waterborne cargo, today's huge lake freighters use the city's Lake Calumet Harbor on the South Side. The lake also provides another positive effect: moderating Chicago's climate, making waterfront neighborhoods slightly warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
When Chicago was founded in 1837, most of the early building was around the mouth of the Chicago River, as can be seen on a map of the city's original 58 blocks.[109] The overall grade of the city's central, built-up areas is relatively consistent with the natural flatness of its overall natural geography, generally exhibiting only slight differentiation otherwise. The average land elevation is 579 ft (176.5 m) above sea level. While measurements vary somewhat, the lowest points are along the lake shore at 578 ft (176.2 m), while the highest point, at 672 ft (205 m), is the morainal ridge of Blue Island in the city's far south side. Lake Shore Drive runs adjacent to a large portion of Chicago's waterfront. Some of the parks along the waterfront include Lincoln Park, Grant Park, Burnham Park, and Jackson Park. There are 24 public beaches across 26 miles (42 km) of the waterfront. Landfill extends into portions of the lake providing space for Navy Pier, Northerly Island, the Museum Campus, and large portions of the McCormick Place Convention Center. Most of the city's high-rise commercial and residential buildings are close to the waterfront.
An informal name for the entire Chicago metropolitan area is "Chicagoland", which generally means the city and all its suburbs, though different organizations have slightly different definitions.

Belles of Hell: The Belles of Hell is a saloon own since 1860 by the Maguire family. He is run by Dylan Maguire, a philanthropic person who was also the land-lord of Kitty Pryde. She also worked there for a time.
The Berghoff: When news of Reed Richards and Susan Storm's engagement broke out, celebrations erupted across the country, not just in New York City. Among the venues where this occurred was the renowned Chicago restaurant, The Berghoff.
O'Hare Airport: Chicago O'Hare International Airport is the primary international airport serving Chicago. As of 2024, O'Hare is considered the most connected airport in the United States, and fifth most connected airport in the world. It is also the world's fourth busiest airport and 16th largest airport. It is the airport with the most runways in the world.
Soldier Field: Soldier Field is a multi-purpose stadium on the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The stadium has a football capacity of 62,500, making it the smallest stadium in the NFL.[12] Soldier Field is also the oldest stadium in the NFL and MLS
Taylor Foundation Building: The Headquarters of the Taylor Foundation, Daryl Taylor used the money he inherited from his parents to found the Taylor Foundation which is a conglomeration of financial intuitions. Daryl parents had made several good investments. Daryl made the company a billion dollar enterprise. When Daryl was 18 he married his high school sweetheart Melody. Some time later they had a son named Dwayne.
Willis Tower: The Willis Tower, formerly and still commonly referred to as the Sears Tower, is a 110-story skyscraper in the Loop of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Designed by architect Bruce Graham and engineer Fazlur Rahman Khan of Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM), it opened in 1973 as the world's tallest building, a title that it held for nearly 25 years. It is the third-tallest building in the Western Hemisphere, as well as the 26th-tallest in the world. Each year, more than 1.7 million people visit the Skydeck, the highest observation deck in the United States, making it one of Chicago's most popular tourist destinations. Due to its height and location, the tower is visible from a great distance. The building has appeared in numerous films and television shows set in Chicago.
University of Chicago: The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, UChi, or U of C) is a private research university in the Hyde Park community area of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The university is composed of an undergraduate college and four graduate research divisions: the Arts & Humanities Division, the Biological Sciences Division, the Physical Sciences Division, and the Social Sciences Division, all of which include various organized departments and institutes. In addition, the university operates seven professional schools in the fields of business, social work, theology, public policy, law, medicine, and molecular engineering, and a school of continuing studies. The university maintains satellite campuses and centers in London, Hong Kong, Paris, Beijing, Delhi, Luxor, and downtown Chicago.
Gaffney Chicago Medical Center: Gaffney Chicago Medical Center is a hospital located in Chicago, Illinois. It is also known as Chicago Med. The hospital is also frequently featured on Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. Originally, the hospital was not-for-profit and owned by the Gaffney Medical Group. Later, Jack Dayton purchased a majority stake in the Group, and changed the hospital to a for-profit model, headlined by his OR 2.0. When the new technology proves defective, Dayton and the hospital are bankrupted, and at the beginning of 2024, it is mentioned that the hospital has been bought by a new set of investors (who are still very much focused on turning a profit)

Notable People

Meredith Kane	Emma Kane	Sentinel Owner Peter Baine	Sentinel Journalist Sam Miller	Sentinel Journalist Jackie Shope

TV Reporter Kendra Simmons	Contractor Moco Ruiz	Rhodes Industries Claire Rhodes	Scientia CEO Mike Boscovic	Dayton Corp. CEO Jack Dayton

Legitimate Businessman Trey Rogers	Native Representative Billy English	Belles of Hell Owner Dylan Macguire	UoC Dean John Joseph Macguire	Doctor Maureen Lyszinski

Chicago City Council

The Chicago City Council is the legislative branch of the government of the city of Chicago in Illinois. It consists of 50 alderpersons elected from 50 wards to serve four-year terms. The council is called into session regularly, usually monthly, to consider ordinances, orders, and resolutions whose subject matter includes code changes, utilities, taxes, and many other issues. The Chicago City Council Chambers are located in Chicago City Hall, as are the downtown offices of the individual alderpersons and staff.
The presiding officer of the council is the mayor of Chicago, who is usually non-voting, except in rare cases, such as to break a tie. The secretary is the city clerk of Chicago. Both positions are city-wide elected offices. In the absence of the mayor, an alderperson is elected to the position of President Pro Tempore serves as the presiding officer. Originally established as the Common Council in 1837, it was renamed City Council in 1876. The Council assumed its modern form of 50 wards electing one alderperson each in 1923.

Mayor Tom Kane	Mayor's Aide Ian Todd	Mayor's Aide Kitty O'Neill	Mayor's Aide Ezra Stone	Alderman Phillip Alverson

Alderman Lalo Mata	Alderman Diana Vulkovich	Alderman Linda Driscoll	Alderman Adriana Mata	Alderman Eduardo Ortiz

Alderman William Ross	Alderman's Aide Mona Fredericks

Chicago Justice

The judiciary of Illinois is the unified court system of Illinois primarily responsible for applying the Constitution and law of Illinois. It consists of the Supreme Court, the Appellate Court, and circuit courts. The Supreme Court oversees the administration of the court system. The Administrative Office of the Illinois Courts (AOIC) assists the Supreme Court in administration, and is headed by the Administrative Director. The AOIC conducts the election process for the appointment of associate judges; provides support services to the courts and the judicial conference; develops the judicial budget; provides legislative support services to the courts; assists in the development and oversight of the judicial education plan; develops and monitors probation programs for the circuit courts and administrative-service training for all judges; collects and publishes statistical information on caseloads; and handles payroll for all judicial personnel. The Administrative Director also is secretary of the Illinois Courts Commission, and is an ex officio member of the Illinois Judicial Conference. The AOIC Executive Office plans and directs AOIC staff support for Supreme Court Committees and the Committees of the Illinois Judicial Conference.

Judge Charles Abernathy	Judge Don Schakowsky	Judge George Kluger	Judge Harvey Winter	Judge Henry Baxter

State's Attorney Mark Jeffries	Deputy Chief, S.P.B. Peter Stone	Assistant State Attorney Anna Valdez	CC Chief Investigator Antonio Dawson	Cook County Investigator Laura Nagel

Attorney at Law Diane Lockhart Managing Partner	Attorney at Law Will Gardner Named Partner	Attorney at Law Eli Gold Equity Partner	Attorney at Law David Lee Head of Family Law	Attorney at Law Julius Cain Head of Litigation

Chicago Police Department

The Chicago Police Department (CPD) is the primary law enforcement agency of the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, under the jurisdiction of the Chicago City Council. It is the second-largest municipal police department in the United States, behind the New York City Police Department. As of 2023 CPD had 11,703 sworn officers on duty, and in 2020 had more than 948 other employees. Tracing its roots to 1835, the Chicago Police Department is one of the oldest modern police departments in the world. The Chicago Police Department has a history of police brutality, racial profiling, misconduct, corruption, and the torture of multiple people in custody in the 1980s. In 2017, the US Department of Justice criticized the department for poor training, lack of oversight, and repeated incidents of excessive force.
The Chicago Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency for the City of Chicago, Illinois. It is the second largest municipal law enforcement agency in the United States, behind the New York City Police Department and has more than 12,000 sworn officers. The department consists of five bureaus, each of which is commanded by a Chief who is assisted by a Deputy Chief and report directly to the Deputy Superintendent. The Bureau of Patrol is responsible for general field operations, protection of life and property, apprehension of criminals and enforcement of laws. The bureau is split into three patrol area; Central, South & North, which are commanded by a deputy chief. The patrol areas consists of Patrol Districts and are headed by a Commander. The Bureau of Detectives is responsible for conducting numerous investigations. The Bureau of Organized Crime (AKA: Bureau of Counterterrorism) is responsible for intelligence gathering and complex investigations. The bureau consists of: Criminal Network Group & Special Operations Group. The Criminal Network Group consists of the; Narcotics & Vice Division and Gang Investigation Division. The Special Operations Group consists of; Counterterrorism Division, Special Functions Division, Airport Operations Division and the Public Transportation Division. The Bureau of Internal Affairs (BIA) is responsible for investigating misconduct and corruption within the police department. There is only one division within the Bureau: Internal Affairs Division (IAD), this is why the abbreviations BIA and IAD (and sometimes just "IA") are used interchangeably. The top commanding office, led by the Superintendent.
CPD callsigns identify the unit, district, beat, and sometimes the officer's function or shift. A typical CPD callsign is made up of a district number, a beat number, and sometimes a letter or functional code.

CPD Notable Personnel

Superintendent Racine	Captain Stewart	Captain Lewis	Lieutenant Frank Darling	Sergeant Trudy Platt

Detective Deena Pilgrim	Detective Christian Walker	Detective Randolph O'Neil	Detective Tom Dixon	Detective Sherman Burrell

Officer Alex Wilde	Officer Ben Dover	Officer Frank Darling Jr.	Officer Howard Niseman	Officer Nina Fuerte

Chicago Fire Department

The Chicago Fire Department (CFD) provides firefighting services along with emergency medical response services, hazardous materials mitigation services, and technical rescue response services in the city of Chicago, Illinois, United States, under the jurisdiction of the mayor of Chicago. The Chicago Fire Department is the second-largest municipal fire department in the United States, after the New York City Fire Department (FDNY). It is also one of the oldest major organized fire departments in the nation. It has numerous general purpose and specialized vehicles and equipment to accomplish its missions. The Chicago Fire Department is led by the fire commissioner, currently Annette Nance-Holt. The Fire Commissioner is appointed by the mayor of Chicago, is confirmed by the Chicago City Council, and is assisted by the First Deputy Commissioner, who oversees the department's bureaus. There are four bureaus under the command of the First Deputy Commissioner: Operations, Fire Prevention, Administrative Services, and Logistics. The Chicago Fire Department receives over 800,000 emergency calls annually.
The Bureau of Operations is one of four Bureaus within the organization of the Chicago Fire Department. Like the other Bureaus, the Bureau of Operations is commanded by a Deputy Fire Commissioner, who reports to the 1st Deputy Commissioner, who in-turn reports to the Fire Commissioner. The Bureau of Operations is currently the largest Bureau within the Chicago Fire Department and is organized into four Divisions: Fire Suppression and Rescue, Emergency Medical Services (EMS), Special Operations (including the Technical Rescue Unit, the Hazardous Materials Unit, and the Air-Sea Rescue Unit), and the Office of Fire Investigation (OFI). The Fire Suppression and Rescue Division is commanded by an Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner. The Special Operations Division and the EMS Division are also commanded by an Assistant Deputy Commissioner. The Office of Fire Investigation (OFI) is under the command of the Commanding Fire Marshal, equivalent to the rank of Deputy District Chief.

Fire Commissioner Carl Grissom	Dep. Fire Commissioner Wallace Boden	Battalion Chief Dominic Pascal	Fire Captain Matthew Casey	Fire Lieutenant Kelly Severide

Fire Lieutenant Stella Kidd	Engineer Randy McHolland	Firefighter Christopher Hermann	Firefighter Josef Cruz	Firefighter Brian "Otis" Zvonecek

Chicago EMTs

The Emergency Medical Services Division is an administrative division within the Chicago Fire Department's Bureau of Operations. The division is commanded by an Assistant Deputy Fire Commissioner (2-1-11) and consists of two field divisions; EMS North and EMS South.

Paramedic Field Chief Danya Robinson	Paramedic in-Charge Violet Mikami	Paramedic in-Charge Sylvie Brett	Paramedic Lyla Novak	EMT Gabriella Dawson

Gaffney Chicago Medical Center

Gaffney Chicago Medical Center is a hospital located in Chicago, Illinois. It is also known as Chicago Med. The hospital is also frequently featured on Chicago Fire and Chicago P.D. Originally, the hospital was not-for-profit and owned by the Gaffney Medical Group. Later, Jack Dayton purchased a majority stake in the Group, and changed the hospital to a for-profit model, headlined by his OR 2.0. When the new technology proves defective, Dayton and the hospital are bankrupted, and at the beginning of 2024, it is mentioned that the hospital has been bought by a new set of investors (who are still very much focused on turning a profit)
The Department of Emergency Medicine (more commonly known as the Emergency Department) is a location at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center. The Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery also known as Cardio, Cardiothoracics, and Cardiology. Is a department located in the Cardiothoracics unit at Gaffney Chicago Medical Center.