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Metropolitan area in the United States
Photo: Sean McMenemy, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Chicagoland consists of the Chicago metropolitan area in northeastern Illinois, including Chicago and its surrounding suburbs including those in Northwest Indiana. Broader definitions also include parts of Southeast Wisconsin. It covers all of Cook, DuPage, Lake, Kane and Will Counties in Illinois, and portions of Kenosha County, Wisconsin; McHenry County, Illinois, and in Indiana, Lake, Porter, and portions of LaPorte Counties.
The largest city in Illinois, and the third largest in the United States.
Suburbs along Lake Michigan between Chicago and High Wood which include some of the most affluent communities in the United States and in the Midwest in particular. Prominent tourist attractions in the region include among others the Ravinia Festival (where artists perform), the Chicago Botanical Gardens, and the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette.
The region generally on and in close proximity to the Union Pacific Northwest Metra Line. Prominent tourist attraction in this region include the Volo Car Museum, the largest mall in Greater Chicago "Woodfield Mall", the main campus of Willow Creek Community Church, one of the country's largest megachurches, in South Barrington, and the family dinner theater "Medieval Times" which features staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting.
Those suburbs generally in Lake County and near Lake Michigan. Prominent tourist attractions in this region include among others the Gurnee theme park Six Flags Great America.
The region generally south of O'Hare, north of I-55, and west of Chicago. Prominent tourist attractions in this region include the Brookfield Zoo.
A region generally along I-57 and south.
Prominent tourist attractions in these regions include among others the Morton Arboretum, and the Chain O' Lakes waterway system in northwestern part of Lake County which is composed of 15 lakes connected by the Fox River and man-made channels.
By car
By plane
By train
Chicagoland is served by numerous Amtrak routes.
By train
Chicagoland's Metra commuter train system is one of the most connected and advanced in the United States with 241 stations on 11 routes.
By bus
Two major bus systems serve the region: the Chicago Transportation Authority (CTA) and Pace. CTA services Chicago while PACE covers the rest of the region.
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Chicago is the home of the blues and the truth of jazz, the heart of comedy and the idea of the skyscraper. Here, the age of railroads found its center, and airplanes followed suit.
Aurora is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Illinois, located about 35 miles west of Chicago. It's at the very edge of Chicagoland and, situated on the Fox River, has many opportunities for urban, suburban, and rural recreation.
Elgin is a city in Chicagoland known for its Victorian architecture and the Elgin Symphony Orchestra.
Joliet is a city in the Chicagoland region of Illinois, a state in the Midwest of the United States of America. It is the largest city and county seat of Will County.
Naperville is a bedroom community in the Chicagoland area. In 2008, Money magazine ranked Naperville third on its list of the 100 best places to live in the United States.
Waukegan is in the Far North Suburbs of the Chicagoland region of Illinois. It sits on Lake Michigan, has a large harbor, and is the county seat of Lake County, Illinois.
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