About Chicago
Quick Links: Geography | Weather | City of Chicago
Population: 2000 Census
| Non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Total | |
| Chicago | 2,142,372 | 753,644 |
2,896,016 |
|
White |
907,166 | 308,149 | 1,215,315 |
|
African American |
1,053,739 | 11,270 | 1,065,009 |
|
Asian |
124,437 | 1,537 | 125,974 |
|
Pacific Islanders |
972 | 816 | 1,788 |
|
Native American |
4,253 | 6,037 | 10,290 |
|
Other Race |
4,331 | 388,872 | 393,203 |
|
Multi-racial |
47,474 | 36,963 | 84,437 |
|
Cook County |
5,376,741 | ||
|
9 County Metropolitan Area |
8,272,768 | ||
|
Illinois |
12,419,293 | ||
|
2008 Population Estimate for Chicago |
2,853,114 | ||
| *www.census.gov | |||
| Geography: | |
| Location1 | Latitude, 41° 51´ N, Longitude, 87° 39´ W |
| Area2 (square miles) | 228 |
| Lake front3 (miles of shore line) | 28 |
| Altitude3 (feet above sea level in business district) | 595 |
| Base line of street-numbering system2 | State and Madison |
| Weather: | ||
| Temperature4 | ||
| Highest recorded temperature | 105°F | July 24, 1934 |
| Lowest recorded temperature | -27°F | January 20, 1985 |
| Most # of days in a year with temp at 90°F | 47 | 1988 |
| Most # of days in a year with temp below 32°F | 43 | 1976-77 |
| Precipitation5 | ||
| Most recorded precipitation in a month | 6.64 inches | September 13, 2008 |
| Most recorded precipitation in a 24-hour period | 17.1 inches | August, 1987 |
| Snowfall4 | ||
| Most recorded accumulation in a 24-hour period | 23 inches | January 26-27, 1967 |
| Most recorded accumulation in a season | 89.7 inches | Winter, 1978-79 |
City of Chicago
Unless otherwise noted, all data is from the City of Chicago Budget Program and Budget Summary, statistics for 2008.
| Board of Election Commissioners | |
| Eligible voters registered | 86% |
| Voter turnout, as a percentage of registered voters (2008 election) | 75% |
| Chicago Department of Public Health | |
| Primary Health Care visits at CDPH clinics | 93,080 |
| Food safety/sanitation inspections | 15,780 |
| Homes inspected for lead hazards | 7,081 |
| Chicago Fire Department | |
| Fire dispatches | 306,286 |
| Structure fires | 2,271 |
| Calls for emergency medical services | 360,374 |
| Fire-related deaths (non-CFD personnel | 18 |
| Fire inspections conducted | 78,787 |
| Water rescues/recoveries | 49 |
| Chicago Park District6 | |
| Golf courses | 6 |
| Acres of green space | 7,613 |
| Bird and wildlife gardens | 10 |
| Beaches | 31 |
| Field houses | 263 |
| Museums | 10 |
| Historic lagoons | 16 |
| Conservatories | 2 |
| Chicago Police Department7 | |
| Number of sworn and exempt personnel | 13,354 |
| Crossing guards | 997 |
| Marked squad cars | 1,564 |
| Unmarked squad cars | 1,303 |
| Canine mini-vans | 29 |
| Prisoner transport vans | 14 |
| Boats | 8 |
| Total homicides | 510 |
| Arsons | 633 |
| Change in Total Index Crimes from previous year | +3.6% |
| Chicago Public Library | |
| Libraries with free WiFi | 100% |
| Materials loaned per capita | 3.4 |
| CPL website ‘hits’ average monthly | 28,000,000 |
| Children participating in Summer Reading Program | 50,386 |
| Annual circulation | 9,781,703 |
| Chicago Schools | |
| Chicago Parochial Schools8 | |
|
Elementary Schools |
114 |
|
High Schools |
23 |
|
Total enrollment |
44,719 |
| Chicago Public Schools9 | |
|
Elementary Schools |
474 |
|
Special Schools |
17 |
|
High Schools |
98 |
|
Vocational/Technical Schools |
10 |
|
Charter Schools |
28 |
|
Total Enrollment |
408,601 |
| Chicago Transit Authority10 | |
| Bus Routes | 150 |
| Bus Stops | 11,833 |
| Buses | 2,069 |
| Bus miles traveled each weekday | 690,000 |
| Rail lines | 8 |
| Stations and platforms | 144 |
| Rail cars | 1,190 |
| Rail miles driven daily | 225,400 |
| Average weekday passengers | 1,600,000 |
| Miles of track | 242 |
| Miles of subway tunnels | 11.4 |
| Miles of elevated structure | 86.2 |
| Commission on Animal Care and Control | |
| Spay/neuter services provided | 5,351 |
| Animals adopted | 2,399 |
| Animals euthanized | 13,569 |
| Department of Aviation | |
| O'Hare Airport | |
|
Airport Operations |
881,566 |
|
Passenger Enplanements |
33,500,000 |
| Midway Airport | |
|
Airport Operations |
253,901 |
|
Passenger Enplanements |
8,228,443 |
| Department of Buildings | |
| Total inspections conducted | 314,610 |
| Troubled Buildings Program (demolitions | 583 |
| Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection | |
| Consumer service requests | 16,658 |
| Public vehicle safety inspections | 22,082 |
| Maxwell Street inspections | 13,481 |
| Department of Community Development | |
| Jobs created and retained in Chicago | 12,633 |
| Department of Environment | |
| Community gardens created or improved | 60 |
| Acres of improved habitat | 200 |
| Hazardous materials responses | 217 |
| Department of Family and Support Services | |
| Head start children served | 16,518 |
| Youth served in Out of School Time programs | 11,000 |
| Youth who received summer jobs | 23,301 |
| Home delivered meals | 4,121,396 |
| Senior Centers | 17 |
| Department of Fleet Management | |
| Alternative fuel and hybrid vehicles in fleet | 540 |
| Department of General Services | |
| Electricity usage in City buildings, in kilowatt-hours | 262,000,000 |
| Natural gas usage in City buildings, in therms | 44,000,000 |
| Department of Human Resources | |
| Applications received | 126,816 |
| Employees hired | 3,658 |
| Department of Innovation and Technology | |
| City of Chicago web ‘hits’ for year | 61,558,488 |
| Department of Procurement Services | |
| Contracts awarded | 495 |
|
........Awarded to Minority Business Enterprises |
30% |
|
........Awarded to Women Business Enterprises |
11% |
| Total dollar amount | $1,114,380,000 |
| Department of Revenue | |
| Parking and red light camera tickets | $211,930,000 |
| Parking boots applied | 63,523 |
|
Department of Streets and Sanitation | |
| Graffiti removal requests | 172,199 |
| Abandoned vehicles towed | 5,716 |
| Traffic signals converted to LED | 58 |
| Trees planted | 6,022 |
| Department of Transportation | |
| Blocks of sidewalks repaired | 128 |
| New bike racks installed | 422 |
| Pot hold repair requests | 69,412 |
| Stop sign repair requests | 3,262 |
| Blocks of streets resurfaced | 410 |
| Department of Water Management | |
| Water usage in the City average gallons per day | 544,000,000 |
| Total miles of water mains constructed or replaced | 16 |
| Total miles of sewer mains constructed or replaced | 7 |
| Department of Zoning and Land Use Planning | |
| Inspections of illegal conversion | 3,988 |
| Landscape plans reviewed | 6,809 |
| Business licenses reviewed | 19,811 |
| Landmark designations initiated | 11 |
| Mayor’s Office for People with Disabilities | |
| Clients placed in jobs | 141 |
| Building permit plan reviews | 1,568 |
| Homes modified | 67 |
| Mayor’s Office of Special Events | |
| Lakefront festivals | 12 |
| Attendance | 9,000,000 |
| Farmers markets provided, days | 447 |
| Office of Emergency Management and Communications | |
| 9 1 1 calls | 5,285,248 |
| Prank calls | 416,607 |
| 3 1 1 call volume, average monthly | 4,543,125 |
| Office of the City Clerk | |
| City stickers purchased | 1,201,329 |
| City stickers sales revenue | $98,000,000 |
| Vehicles cited for not displaying a sticker | 54,897 |
Sources:
1World Almanac website
2World Book Encyclopedia website
3Encyclopedia Americana 2006
4Encyclopedia of Chicago website
5Chicago Tribune via Proquest database
6Chicago Park District Budget Summary 2009
7Chicago Police Department Annual Report 2008
8Archdiocese of Chicago Office of Catholic Schools of Cook and Lake Counties Report 2009
9Chicago Public Schools Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the year ended June 30, 2008
10Chicago Transit Authority President’s Budget Recommendations 2010