When to go · Chicago, United States
Best time to visit Chicago
The sweet spot is June, August and September — averages 21°C, 11 rainy days, peak-season crowds and peak prices.
May–June and September–October. July and August are hot and full of festivals; January and February are brutally cold.
Continental with lake effect: hot, humid summers (27–29°C), very cold windy winters (-6 to 0°C, often far colder with wind chill). Spring and autumn are short.
The short answer
21°C · 11 rainy days · high season
23°C · 9 rainy days · high season
19°C · 9 rainy days · high season
Hardest months: February and December. averages a raw -3°C, 8 rainy days, few other visitors.
Month by month
| Month | Avg temp | Rain days | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -5°C | 10d | low | Cold |
| February | -3°C | 8d | low | Cold |
| March | 3°C | 11d | low | Cold |
| April | 9°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| May | 15°C | 12d | mid | Wet |
| June | 21°C | 11d | high | Comfortable but damp |
| July | 24°C | 10d | high | Comfortable but damp |
| August | 23°C | 9d | high | Comfortable but damp |
| September | 19°C | 9d | high | Comfortable but damp |
| October | 12°C | 10d | mid | Chilly |
| November | 5°C | 10d | low | Cold |
| December | -2°C | 10d | mid | Cold |
Verdicts are read off the three columns to their left — temperature distance from 21°C first, then rainfall, with crowds breaking ties. Averages, so any given week can differ.
If you'd rather go cheap than perfect
January, February, March and November are low season in Chicago — thinner crowds, and the months where accommodation is easiest to book late. Budget travellers already work to about $70–120 a day here; low season is where the accommodation share of that goes furthest.
Book the month you picked
Fares move with the same seasons as the crowds — the quiet months above are usually the cheap ones to fly.