Historically to currently, why is Chicago so insanely populated?

[jadillac]

This isn't a bash thread at all. Just curious. There's almost 10 million people in the Chicago metro area

We all can understand why NYC and LA are so populated. They are both basically coastal metro areas that historically many legal & illegal immigrants hit first upon arriving to America, whether they came on a boat, or a plane, and then they found ppl like them and they all settled there & thus the mass amounts of people. They're also near oceans which is simply an attraction itself as well as being a huge shipping hub for business.

But Chicago is literally in the midwest/middle of the country. It's landlocked, there's nothing to see geographically except for the great lake I guess, but I've never been, what makes it such a great place?

 

[R.E.N. Spells Ren]

It was a rail hub making it the gateway to the west.

 

[Romell]

Chicago borders a great lake which was great for shipping and rail. As a result steel mills and such set up in the surrounding areas. Like @R.E.N. Spells Ren said it also became the gateway to the West. People came, people stayed.

 

[invalid]

Midwest is the breadbasket of the country and Chicago is essentially it’s hub.

The US Commodities market was born out of Chicago which essentially regulated the midwest production of wheat, corn, pig, and cattle to the rest of the country.

Chicago also had the stockyards which is where America got all of its beef/meat at one point in time.

Was a gateway to the West via trade routes originally created by Natives Americans, followed by traders/merchants, followed by frontiersman, and later migrants.

Connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Connects to the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River.

Had the most active airport in the country until Hartsfield.

Was a rail hub. - Could not go east to west without coming through Chicago.

Is a port of entry for many ethnic communities including Latinos, Irish, Polish, and Italians.

Was a terminal city on the Underground Railroad and the Great Migration.

Has the best of coastal amenities at a relatively affordable price.

And the Great Lakes are not just some unimpressive geographical feature. The Great Lakes are actually inland seas with a wide range of diverse geographical ecosystems.

 

[Luck]

Look a map of the United States and ask yourself that question again...

 

[Cadillac]

a simple google or search on YT will tell you why it is

 

[Samori Toure]

Midwest is the breadbasket of the country and Chicago is essentially it’s hub.

The US Commodities market was born out of Chicago which essentially regulated the midwest production of wheat, corn, pig, and cattle to the rest of the country.

Chicago also had the stockyards which is where America got all of its beef/meat at one point in time.

Was a gateway to the West via trade routes originally created by Natives Americans, followed by traders/merchants, followed by frontiersman, and later migrants.

Connects to the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River.

Connects to the Gulf of Mexico through the Mississippi River.

Had the most active airport in the country until Hartsfield.

Was a rail hub. - Could not go east to west without coming through Chicago.

Is a port of entry for many ethnic communities including Latinos, Irish, Polish, and Italians.

Was a terminal city on the Underground Railroad and the Great Migration.

Has the best of coastal amenities at a relatively affordable price.

And the Great Lakes are not just some unimpressive geographical feature. The Great Lakes are actually inland seas with a wide range of diverse geographical ecosystems.

There was actually only one trader/merchant with those Native people.

Yup Chicago was founded by a Black man.

 

[GnauzBookOfRhymes]

This isn't a bash thread at all. Just curious. There's almost 10 million people in the Chicago metro area

We all can understand why NYC and LA are so populated. They are both basically coastal metro areas that historically many legal & illegal immigrants hit first upon arriving to America, whether they came on a boat, or a plane, and then they found ppl like them and they all settled there & thus the mass amounts of people. They're also near oceans which is simply an attraction itself as well as being a huge shipping hub for business.

But Chicago is literally in the midwest/middle of the country. It's landlocked, there's nothing to see geographically except for the great lake I guess, but I've never been, what makes it such a great place?

19th century - manufacturing, rail/transportation, becoming financial center for commodity markets, agriculture, coal, various minerals/chemicals etc
20th century - same as above, but also food (meat, ingredients, candy), steel/paper, consumer/industrial goods (watches, furniture, tvs/electronics etc), cars, trains etc
21st century - growing tech industry, headquarters to fortune 100 companies etc

All of this attracted millions of immigrants - european (Irish, Italian, Polish, E. Europe), Black (Great Migration), Hispanics (Mexicans/Puerto Ricans) and now Chinese

Ppl will always go to where the jobs are

 

[The G.O.D II]

People are actually leaving Chicago, especially black people

 

[Originalman]

Chicago borders a great lake which was great for shipping and rail. As a result steel mills and such set up in the surrounding areas. Like @R.E.N. Spells Ren said it also became the gateway to the West. People came, people stayed.

This right here. Same reason most civilizations pop up near water.

Also chicago might have ended up the biggest city in america if it wasn't for that cow starting the Chicago fire and burning down the city.

 

[Originalman]

People are actually leaving Chicago, especially black people

Man are just moving to the suburbs. The population that OP is referencing is the Chicagoland area. Which is the city and suburbs and surrounding areas.

 

[Samori Toure]

Man are just moving to the suburbs. The population that OP is referencing is the Chicagoland area. Which is the city and suburbs and surrounding areas.

Nah. Chicago's suburbs are losing population too. Black people are literally relocating to many to different Southern and Western States.

Chicago is still losing population
The metro area fell below 9.5 million for the first time since 2010. The nation's two biggest cities, New York and Los Angeles, also slipped last year.
Chicago is still losing population



Downtown Gaining Residents, While People Are Leaving The South Side, South Suburbs In Droves
Read more at: Taking A Deeper Dive Into The Chicago Area's Population Loss

 

[Black Magisterialness]

This isn't a bash thread at all. Just curious. There's almost 10 million people in the Chicago metro area

We all can understand why NYC and LA are so populated. They are both basically coastal metro areas that historically many legal & illegal immigrants hit first upon arriving to America, whether they came on a boat, or a plane, and then they found ppl like them and they all settled there & thus the mass amounts of people. They're also near oceans which is simply an attraction itself as well as being a huge shipping hub for business.

But Chicago is literally in the midwest/middle of the country. It's landlocked, there's nothing to see geographically except for the great lake I guess, but I've never been, what makes it such a great place?

It's not land locked it sits on one of the largest fresh water sources on earth. The Great Lakes combined are like the size of certain seas.

Its centrally located for rail, trade, industry and the sort. Also, you cannot negate the Great Migration which flooded Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh and the sort with MILLIONS of people (and not just black people).

 

[L&HH]

Sleep in U.S. history class brehs

 

[invalid]

There was actually only one trader/merchant with those Native people.

Yup Chicago was founded by a Black man.

Actually, Dusable was the first to settle the area, but other traders and explorers had already traversed the area.

Remember the area of Illinois was originally part of French North America and so you already had a few French traders and explorers that had been through the area before DuSable came in and settled.

Explorers like René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle

And Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette.

DuSable was the first non-native though to come in and settle the area and build a homestead right at the mouth of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan.