Chicago · Month comparison

January vs October

October ranks #1 overall vs January at #11. Chicago Marathon weekend (second Sun in Oct) — 50,000 runners through every neighbourhood.

Chicago skyline from a frozen Lake Michigan in January

January

#11 of 12 months

Avoid

The Hawk arrives — lake-effect wind chill hits -25°C, but Restaurant Week and museums are at their cheapest.

  • ↑Chicago Restaurant Week (late Jan/early Feb) — Michelin tasting menus for $55
  • ↑Art Institute, Field Museum and Shedd at lowest crowd levels of the year
Chicago Marathon runners through downtown

October

#1 of 12 months

Best match

Chicago Marathon weekend (second Sun in Oct) — 50,000 runners through every neighbourhood.

  • ↑Chicago Marathon — World Marathon Majors event, the entire city stops to watch
  • ↑Lincoln Park and the lakefront in red-and-gold maple
FactorJanuaryOctober
Weather score
2
9
Value score
9
7
Crowd score
9
7
Events score
5
9
Atmosphere
7
10
Avg high temp-1°C17°C
Monthly rain50mm80mm
Daily sunshine4hrs7hrs

January trade-offs

  • ↓Wind chill regularly -20 to -25°C; outdoor sightseeing windows are 90 min max
  • ↓Lake-front trail dangerous on ice-storm days
  • ↓Some smaller museums and rooftop bars closed entirely

October trade-offs

  • ↓Marathon weekend hotel rates double; Loop streets closed
  • ↓First frost and possible early snow late month
See all 12 months for Chicago →January in detail →October in detail →
Scores compare months within Chicago. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →