Navy Pier, Chicago's number one tourist attraction

Located in the Midwest region of the United States, Chicago, Illinois, attracts worldwide visitors for its culture, entertainment and educational opportunities. Chi-Town, as many know it, is the third most populous city in the United States with 2.7 million residents. With more than 100 universities and colleges, students from around the world call Chicago home. 

Interested in learning more? Here’s a look into one of the most culturally diverse and exciting cities in the United States – Chicago, Illinois.

Cloud Gate is a public sculpture by Indian-born British artist Anish Kapoor

• Exploring Chicago: Incorporated as a city in 1837, Chicago is one of the most vibrant cities in the United States. Home to the world’s first skyscraper in 1885, Chicago now has 463 skyscrapers in the city, including the iconic Willis Tower in Downtown Chicago. Cloud Gate, the Lincoln Park Zoo and Navy Pier are also popular attractions for the 48 million people that visit Chicago each year. If you happen to make your way to this beautiful Midwestern city, you’ll want to bring your winter coat! Chicago’s official nickname is the “Windy City,” due to the blustery conditions year-round and the freezing weather during the winter months.

Willis Tower: a 108-story, 1,451-foot skyscraper in Chicago

• Experience the arts: Similar to New York City, Chicago is known as a creative home to many of the world’s most influential artists. The city has 60 museums and 90 art galleries. The Art Institute of Chicago attracts more than 1.5 million visitors annually and is the most well-known museum in the city. For aspiring artists, the School of the Art Institute of Chicago is recognized as one of the best art and design schools in the country. 

• Entertainment for everyone: Whether it’s catching a game, attending a concert or just enjoying a night on the town, you’ll always have something exciting to do in Chicago! 

A street artist performing crowd flips in downtown Chicago

Chicago has some of the most passionate sports fans in the world, cheering on their Chicago Bears (Football), Cubs (Baseball), White Sox (Baseball), Bulls (Basketball) and Blackhawks (Hockey). Impressively, all of their major professional sports team have won championships. 

Blackhawks fans celebrate the 2015 Stanley Cup win

If you are interested in other forms of live entertainment, Chicago has more than 200 theaters and 225 music venues! Many of these are located in Downtown Chicago (also called the “Chicago Loop”). The Downtown Chicago area also offers some of the city’s best in dining, shopping and sightseeing.

Shoppers in downtown Chicago

• Getting an education: Many of the country’s greatest educational facilities are located in Chicago. Hundreds of thousands of students from all over the world choose Chicago for their education. A few of the esteemed universities in the city include the University of Chicago, DePaul University and Northwestern University. The city also offers many smaller colleges for students looking for different educational settings.

Yoga class at Millenium Park

• Finding your new home: There are plenty of great housing options in Chicago. If you are interested in living off-campus, apartments are a great option. ApartmentSearch.com is a helpful resource for searching for the best areas to live for students. The tool allows you to search for an apartment in your favorite location, while also showing you crime statistics, the cost of living, local restaurants, the length of your commute and more. If your apartment is unfurnished, furniture rental is an economical and hassle-free way to furnish your home. CORT, the leading provider of furniture rental in the U.S., furnishes thousands of student apartments with furniture and accessories, with rental packages starting as low as $99 per month.

Historic Tree Studios building in the River North neighborhood

If you’ve been looking for an exciting city that is full of opportunity, Chicago may be the perfect place for you. The city is also known for its incredible Chicago-style pizza, so grab a slice when you’re in town! For more information on CORT’s furniture rental solutions, please visit CORT.com. 

Chicago fun facts:

• Four states are visible from the Skydeck Chicago

• Chicago has several city-wide music festivals each year, including Lollapalooza and Pitchfork

• The first televised U.S. presidential debate was broadcast from Chicago

• Gotham City from Batman was inspired by Chicago

• Chicago was the birthplace of Walt Disney

• Ray Kroc's first McDonald's franchise opened in Chicago in 1955

by Yu Wu and CORT.

Colleges, universities and boarding schools in or near Chicago:

College of DuPage

College of Lake County

DePaul University

ELS Language Center

Elgin Community College

Governors State University

Joliet Junior College

Lewis University

Marquette University

North Central College

University of Illinois at Chicago

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagn