Chicago is located in the northern part of the mid-western United States about 800 miles due west of New York City and over 2000 miles northeast of Los Angeles, California. It is usually considered the third great metropolis in the USA along with its East Coast and West Coast sister cities of New York and LA. The city is situated on the western shore of Lake Michigan, one of those five great inland seas known as the Great Lakes.


The major tourist attractions of Chicago include a trip to the observation deck at the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower and a tour along Lakeshore Drive with its beautiful parks, beaches and museums. Chicago offers visitors over a dozen major museums, two zoos, a large aquarium and a planetarium. It also offers lots of shopping opportunities and a variety of sports and entertainment.

The downtown loop area has many stores and shops especially along State Street, but the real heart of the Chicago shopping district lies just north of the Chicago River. The section of North Michigan Avenue across the river from downtown is known as the Magnificent Mile and is lined with world-class department stores, vertical shopping malls and many fine restaurants. As in most US cities, many large shopping malls and outlet centers are located in the suburban communities. For discount shopping, the Gurnee Mills Outlet Mall is along I-94 about one hour north of Chicago.