Accessible. Vibrant. Unstoppable: Chicago’s Formula for Global Appeal

Chicago’s reputation as one of the world’s great cities is no accident. From legendary music festivals and blockbuster events to curated art fairs, farmers markets, world-renowned architecture, iconic museums, Michelin-starred restaurants, and 77 vibrant neighborhoods—each with its own character and street life—Chicago really has it all.

Even better, our offerings are more accessible and often more economical than those in other major metros.

This helps explain why our tourism numbers continue to rise year after year, but there’s more to the story. At the heart of Chicago’s momentum is Build Better Together, Mayor Brandon Johnson’s initiative to align city departments so that planning, development, business, culture, and travel are more seamless and impactful.

This summer has been a stellar example of collaboration—especially between the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) – O’Hare & Midway International Airports and the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE):

• making it easier for visitors to get here
• move effortlessly from runways to attractions
• and experience everything Chicago has to offer

O’Hare International’s Expansion Set the Stage for Chicago’s Tourism Surge

We can chalk some of this up to the chicken-and-egg effect. Stellar summer events boost tourism, and more event-driven tourists boost air traffic—and vice versa! Just as the most significant expansion and modernization in O’Hare’s 70-year history is elevating how it welcomes and serves more than 80 million passengers today, DCASE’s blockbuster slate of iconic, citywide events is making Chicago a magnetic destination. From the recent Air & Water Show—which drew an estimated one million people to the lakefront—to festivals, concerts, and cultural showcases, Chicago continues to prove itself a city of experiences. This powerful pairing of travel infrastructure and cultural programming is making Chicago not just accessible—but irresistible.

O’Hare’s modernization program kicked off in March 2023 with O’Hare 21, which included new infrastructure, upgrades to runways to Terminals 3 and 5, and streamlined ground operations—improvements that have already expanded routes, added new gates and concessions, and spurred United and American Airlines to ramp up services and amenities.

Now ORDNext, our airport’s newest phase of growth, is building on O’Hare 21’s progress. It recently broke ground and is adding two new concourses, an underground passage to connect them for passengers, personal and luggage transport, and a new international terminal.

Mayor Johnson and aviation and civic leaders recently broke ground on the highly anticipated $1.3 billion Concourse D at O’Hare, signaling Chicago’s next evolution in global connectivity and infrastructure-driven economic growth.

Coupled with the increasingly enticing and expanding cultural ecosystem Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE)is curating each year, visitors aren’t just passing through—they’re prolonging their stay to take part in our dynamic offerings.

That was certainly the case in 2024, which set Chicago’s post-pandemic record with 55.3 million, behind Orlando with 75.3 million (courtesy of the Disneyland effect)—and New York City with 64.3 million.  And we’re on-track to top that number this year—even with a slight decline in international visitors. Arts and culture attendance in Q2 2025 reached 1.16 million visitors, generating over $315 million in direct economic impact—an18% increase compared to Q2 2024.

We’re less than half the size of New York, yet our skies are busier and likely to stay that way, as O’Hare International Airport welcomes record-breaking traffic this summer.

Growing Traffic and Streamlining Operations at O’Hare

• Historic June 2025: ORD welcomed 8.04 million passengers in June—the highest June count in its 70-year history and the airport’s second-busiest month ever. That marked an 8.7% increase over June 2024. (Chicago Government)
• First Half of 2025 Performance: Over 40.1 million travelers passed through O’Hare from January through June, reflecting a 6% year-over-year rise in traffic. Flight operations also increased to over 407,000 takeoffs/landings, up 10.4%. (Chicago Government)
• Record-Breaking Single Day: July 20, 2025 marked O’Hare’s busiest single day ever, with 115,962 passengers processed—one of seven top-ten busiest days happening this summer. (VisaVerge)
• Seat Capacity Expansion: Scheduled departing seats for June–August 2025 reached 17.8 million, up 7% from 2024 and 4% higher than summer 2019, positioning O’Hare as the second busiest U.S. airport for seat capacity. (VisaVerge)
• Fourth of July Surge: Over the six-day holiday period, O’Hare handled about 1.54 million passengers—an 11% jump compared to 2024 and a 9.2% increase over 2019. The peak day saw more than 300,000 travelers. (Chicago Government)
• O’Hare responded with operational enhancements:
• Airlines scheduled nearly 17.8 million departing seats from June through August 2025—a 7% jump from 2024 and 4% improvement over 2019 (Chicago).
• O’Hare added connections to 265 destinations worldwide (up from 250), making it one of the most connected airports globally (Chicago)

The airport set monthly and daily traffic records, with June 2025 being the busiest June on record and TSA checkpoint screenings hitting new highs (Chicago).

Aviation + Cultural Affairs: A High-Altitude Partnership will Help Chicago Soar Even Higher

By mid-2025, O’Hare is continuing its upward trajectory: over 40.1 million travelers passed through O’Hare in the first half of 2025, marking a 6% year-over-year increase compared to the same period in 2024.

With both aviation infrastructure and cultural programming accelerating, Chicago is well-positioned for sustained tourism momentum. As summer transitions into fall, the foundation laid by this combined strategy—from robust air connectivity to pulsating festivals and iconic attractions—ensures the city isn’t just riding a wave but building lift. If trends continue, Chicago won’t just remain a top-tier destination—it will chart a new altitude on the map of global urban tourism.

What’s Next

This is the second in our ongoing series highlighting how Build Better Together, a program to strengthen collaboration between city departments, is shaping a more vibrant Chicago.  From cultural programming to affordable housing, the improvements underway are creating a more inclusive, dynamic Chicago for everyone.

Labor Day weekend in Chicago is more than a holiday — it’s a celebration of tradition, innovation, and community. The air is alive with music and festivals, neighborhoods are brimming with culture, and the lakefront glows with unforgettable experiences. To check out what is happening around town, visit Choose Chicago.

And at the heart of so many gatherings is a Chicago invention that changed how the world celebrates: the grill.

First created here in 1952 by George Stephen Sr., the Weber grill transformed a humble buoy cut in half into a global icon of outdoor cooking. Today, more than 2.2 million Chicago-area households fire up their grills each year, fueling an industry where Chicago leads as the nation’s #1 food production hub. From backyards to boardrooms, from street festivals to global trade, Chicago’s story is one of momentum — a city that knows how to spark something lasting.