General Plan

Chicago is built on a relatively flat plain that once formed part of a glacial lake and lies about 600 feet (180 m) above sea level. Away from Lake Michigan the land rises slightly and in a few places forms low hills. The Chicago River, spanned by numerous bridges, flows through the heart of the city for about one mile (1.6 km), then divides into north and south branches.

Downtown Chicago lies along the lakefront on both sides of the Chicago River. The main section is an area south of the river known as the Loop, which is usually defined as the 35 square blocks encircled by the city transit system's elevated tracks but which includes nearby areas as well. Concentrated in and around the Loop are major office buildings, financial and government institutions, retail stores, hotels, and theaters.

The area just north of the river, called the Near North Side, is the site of numerous high-rise office and apartment buildings, luxury hotels, fine shops, and restaurants. Its eastern section, near the lake, is one of the most prestigious parts of the city and is sometimes called the Gold Coast. The North Pier, Navy Pier, and River North areas have many nightclubs and other entertainment facilities.

Except on the far north and far south, the lakefront is marked by an almost continuous belt of parkland. Many of Chicago's recreational facilities, including beaches and yacht basins, and a number of its cultural institutions are located here.

Outside the downtown area the city divides into five general sections—the North, Northwest, West, Southwest, and South sides, each named according to its direction from the Loop. The North Side, which extends to the city limits between Lake Michigan and the North Branch of the Chicago River, includes several fashionable old residential neighborhoods and several popular entertainment districts, including Old Town.

Most of the large black population and much of the city's industry are concentrated on the West and South sides. These sections are marked by sprawling industrial districts, public housing projects, and many badly deteriorated residential and commercial areas.

Hyde Park, an old, well-kept residential community that adjoins the University of Chicago, and several outstanding urban renewal projects are on the South Side. The Northwest and Southwest sides are composed mainly of residential neighborhoods.

Chicago's suburbs vary from stable residential communities nearly as old as the city itself to residential and industrial cities that have developed largely since World War II. Much of the postwar growth has been northwest of the city near O'Hare International Airport in such suburbs as Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect, and Schaumburg. Other large suburbs include Arlington Heights and Des Plaines on the northwest, Evanston and Skokie on the north, Berwyn, Cicero, Elmhurst, and Oak Park on the west, and Oak Lawn on the southwest. Norridge and Harwood Heights, two small, independent communities near O'Hare, are completely surrounded by Chicago.

Stretching along Lake Michigan north of the city are the wealthy residential suburbs of Wilmette, Kenilworth, Winnetka, Glencoe, Highland Park, and Lake Forest, which are part of the area known as the North Shore. Large outlying cities, all more than 25 miles (40 km) from downtown Chicago, include Waukegan, Elgin, Naperville, Aurora, and Joliet.

Except for several major diagonals, Chicago's streets follow a rectangular pattern, running north-south and east-west. State Street, which extends north and south, is the east-west dividing line for the city's street numbering system; Madison Street is the north-south dividing line. Michigan Avenue, a broad boulevard two blocks east of State Street, borders Grant Park in the Loop and forms the principal business street of the Near North Side, where it is called the Magnificent Mile. Extending nearly the entire length of the lakefront is scenic Lake Shore Drive.

Expressways, including the Edens, John F. Kennedy, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Adlai E. Stevenson, and Dan Ryan, converge on downtown Chicago, providing access from many suburbs and outlying areas. They also link up with northern Illinois' tollway system, including the Tri-State Tollway, which skirts the city on the south and west.