Chicago · Month comparison
November vs October
October ranks #1 overall vs November at #6. Chicago Marathon weekend (second Sun in Oct) — 50,000 runners through every neighbourhood.
November
#6 of 12 months
Strong option
Magnificent Mile Lights Festival (Sat before Thanksgiving) — Mickey Mouse pushes the button, holidays begin.
- ↑Mag Mile Lights Festival — Disney Parade and tree-lighting kicks off Christmas season
- ↑Christkindlmarket opens in Daley Plaza (German Christmas market) late Nov
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
| Factor | November | October |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 5 | 9 |
| Value score | 8 | 7 |
| Crowd score | 8 | 7 |
| Events score | 7 | 9 |
| Atmosphere | 8 | 10 |
| Avg high temp | 9°C | 17°C |
| Monthly rain | 70mm | 80mm |
| Daily sunshine | 5hrs | 7hrs |
November trade-offs
- ↓First Hawk days arrive — wind chills already -10°C on lake-effect afternoons
- ↓Thanksgiving week travel chaos at O'Hare and Midway
October trade-offs
- ↓Marathon weekend hotel rates double; Loop streets closed
- ↓First frost and possible early snow late month
Scores compare months within Chicago. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →