Best time to visit · Illinois
Best time to visit Chicago
Chicago averages 23 just-right days a year; no month is reliably just right, and September comes closest. Most other days miss by being too cool.
(70 to 80°F, dry, sunny)
(45 to 65°F, dry)
(80 to 92°F, bright)
Chicago weather by month
Bars: share of each month's days that are just right (number = days). Below: average daily high. Outlined bars are the best months.
- Just right 23
- Too cool 244
- Too hot 53
- Too muggy 25
- Too gray 19
When to visit Chicago
Chicago rarely hits the 70 to 80°F, dry and sunny window; September comes closest, with 7 just-right days. January, February, March, April, October, November and December are mostly too cool, with average highs of 34 to 64°F. July and August are mostly too hot, with average highs of 80 to 82°F.
Climate table
| Month | Avg high | Dew point | Cloud cover | Just-right days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 34°F | 22°F | 79% | 0 |
| February | 37°F | 22°F | 74% | 0 |
| March | 46°F | 31°F | 68% | 0 |
| April | 56°F | 39°F | 66% | 1 |
| May | 67°F | 48°F | 61% | 4 |
| June | 76°F | 58°F | 54% | 5 |
| July | 82°F | 64°F | 45% | 2 |
| August | 80°F | 64°F | 46% | 2 |
| September | 74°F | 55°F | 47% | 7 |
| October | 64°F | 43°F | 58% | 3 |
| November | 50°F | 33°F | 73% | 0 |
| December | 38°F | 23°F | 81% | 0 |
How Chicago compares
With 23 just-right days, Chicago trails the median of America's 150 largest cities (33 days). On muggy days: 25. On gray days: 19.
Places with a similar climate
Nearby
Chicago averages 23 just-right days a year (70 to 80°F highs, dry, mostly sunny), according to Goldilocks Map: https://goldilocksmap.com/us/illinois/chicago/Set your own perfect weather on the map →
Numbers are expected days in a typical year from 1991 to 2020 climate normals (TerraClimate; cloud cover from CHELSA), on a grid about 35 km wide. Checked against 10 years of daily records at 28 NOAA weather stations: typical error about 10 days a year. How it works. Updated 2026-10-07.