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Chicago Tourism Statistics for November 2026
Chicago received an estimated 56.8 million visitors in 2025, up 2.6% on 2024: 54.9 million from within the United States and 1.87 million from abroad. Visitors spent an estimated $21.5 billion, up 2.7%. International visitors fell 8.6%, with Canada down 23.4%, while passengers at O'Hare airport were 5.6% higher in January–August 2026 than a year earlier.
How many people visit Chicago, why they come, what they spend and how the city's downtown hotels and airports are performing. The figures are compiled from official and industry statistics, and full sources are listed at the bottom of the page. Headline numbers are for 2025, the most recent full year, with 2026 airport data where available. Visitor and spending totals are model-based estimates for the city of Chicago, not a head count.
Visitor numbers
Visitors to Chicago
Chicago drew an estimated 56.8 million visitors in 2025, 2.6% more than in 2024. All of the growth came from domestic travel: 54.9 million visitors from within the United States (+3.0%). International visitors fell 8.6% to 1.87 million. Day trips grew faster than overnight stays: 25.7 million domestic day visitors (+4.4%) against 29.2 million domestic overnight visitors (+1.8%).
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 30.7m | pandemic recovery |
| 2022 | 48.6m | |
| 2023 | 52.0m | |
| 2024 | 55.4m | |
| 2025 | 56.8m | +2.6% |
Consultancy estimates combining domestic visitor surveys and international arrival models, published in millions to two decimal places. They include day trips as well as overnight stays. International figures for 2025 are preliminary. Estimates for 2019 and earlier were published on a different basis and are not shown.
Visitor spending
What visitors spend in Chicago
Visitors spent an estimated $21.5 billion in Chicago in 2025, up 2.7% on 2024 and a record. Overnight leisure travel parties spent an average of $1,342 per stay. Downtown hotels alone took $2.89 billion in room revenue (+2.9%).
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | $20.6bn | as first published |
| 2025 | $21.5bn | +2.7% |
Model-based estimates of total tourism expenditure, nominal. The 2024 figure is as first published in May 2025. The 2.7% growth rate for 2025 is as published in June 2026 and is measured against a revised 2024 estimate, so it does not match the change between the two bars. Per-stay spending is a survey average for overnight leisure travel parties.
Where they come from
International visitors by origin
Nearly all visitors come from within the United States: 54.9 million of the 56.8 million in 2025. Of the 1.87 million international visitors in 2025, 1.33 million came from overseas (−3.8%). Visitors from Canada fell 23.4% to 362,000 and visitors from Mexico 6.1% to 183,000. Bars show 2025 visitors; the muted figure is the change on 2024.
Preliminary estimates, published in millions to three decimal places. The Canada figure counts overnight visitors only and the Mexico figure air arrivals only. No country-by-country breakdown of overseas visitors is published. In 2024 international visitors numbered 2.05 million, the first year above 2 million since 2019.
Why they come
Purpose of visit
Most visitors come for leisure: 40.7 million domestic leisure visitors in 2025, up 4.8%. Domestic business visitors fell 1.8% to 14.2 million, with overnight business trips down 5.1% to 8.5 million. The leisure market rose for overnight stays (+4.9%) and day trips (+4.7%) alike.
- Domestic leisure 40.7m
- Domestic business 14.2m
- International 1.87m
Visitors by segment, 2025, model-based estimates. International visitors are not split by purpose. Domestic leisure: 20.7 million overnight and 20.0 million day visitors. Domestic business: 8.5 million overnight and 5.7 million day visitors.
Seasonality
When they visit
Chicago is busiest in summer, which accounted for 34% of visits in 2025. Fall took 28%, winter 22% and spring 16%.
View data table
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| Winter | 22% |
| Spring | 16% |
| Summer | 34% |
| Fall | 28% |
Share of visits by season of trip, 2025, from visitor survey data. Seasons are as defined in the source; no monthly visitor series is published.
Accommodation
Hotels & occupancy
Downtown Chicago hotels filled 69.2% of their rooms in 2025, up from 68.1% in 2024, and sold 11.9 million room nights (+2.3%). The average daily rate was $243.31 (+0.6%) and revenue per available room $168.25 (+2.1%). Leisure demand set a record of 8.2 million room nights (+4.6%), while group demand fell 3.0% to 3.4 million. The downtown area had 46,901 hotel rooms in 161 properties at the end of 2025.
Economic impact
Tourism in Chicago's economy
Tourism supported an estimated 135,360 jobs in Chicago in 2025, 1.6% more than in 2024, including 2,108 new jobs. Visitor spending generated $2.9 billion in state and local taxes (+3.3%): $1.8 billion in local taxes and $1.1 billion in state taxes. Leisure and hospitality employment across the Chicago Metropolitan Division averaged 377,300 in 2025 (+0.9%), 97% of the 2019 level.
The hotel tax figure is an estimate published alongside downtown hotel performance data and rises in line with downtown hotel revenue; it is not taken from the city's accounts. Leisure and hospitality employment is a monthly payroll survey average for the Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg area, a wider geography than the city. Twelve major conventions set attendance records in 2025, and 65 future citywide conventions and 2.8 million future hotel room nights were booked during the year.
At a glance
Fast facts
- 54.9m Domestic visitors (2025, +3.0%)
- 84.9m O'Hare airport passengers (2025, +6.0%)
- 19.4m Midway airport passengers (2025, −9.9%)
- $1,342 Spend per stay, overnight leisure travel party (2025)
- 37% Millennial share of domestic leisure travellers (2025)
- 12 Major conventions that set attendance records (2025)
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many tourists visit Chicago each year?
Chicago received an estimated 56.8 million visitors in 2025, up 2.6% from 55.4 million in 2024. Of these, 54.9 million came from within the United States and 1.87 million from abroad. About 29.2 million of the domestic visitors stayed overnight and 25.7 million came for the day.
How many international tourists visit Chicago?
An estimated 1.87 million in 2025 (preliminary), 8.6% fewer than in 2024. Overseas visitors numbered 1.33 million (−3.8%). Overnight visitors from Canada fell 23.4% to 362,000, and air arrivals from Mexico fell 6.1% to 183,000.
How much do tourists spend in Chicago?
Visitors spent an estimated $21.5 billion in Chicago in 2025, up 2.7%. That spending supported an estimated 135,360 jobs and generated $2.9 billion in state and local taxes. Overnight leisure travel parties spent an average of $1,342 per stay.
What is the hotel occupancy rate in Chicago?
Downtown Chicago hotels averaged 69.2% occupancy in 2025, up from 68.1% in 2024. The average daily room rate was $243.31 and revenue per available room $168.25. Hotels sold 11.9 million room nights, and the downtown area had 46,901 hotel rooms at the end of 2025.
How busy is O'Hare airport?
O'Hare handled 84.9 million passengers in 2025, up 6.0%, including 14.8 million international passengers, and 857,392 aircraft operations (+10.5%). In January–August 2026 it handled 59.6 million passengers, 5.6% more than a year earlier. Midway handled 19.4 million passengers in 2025, down 9.9%.
Are Chicago tourism statistics for the city or the state?
The figures on this page are for the city of Chicago, and hotel figures cover the downtown area only. Illinois as a whole received an estimated 115 million visitors in 2025, including 2.2 million from abroad, who spent $50.2 billion. The state and city estimates use different methods and should not be combined.
Using these figures?
Cite this page
Journalists, researchers and bloggers are welcome to use the statistics on this page. Please credit Chicago Tourism Statistics and link to this page.
Chicago Tourism Statistics (2026). Visitors, spending and trends. Last reviewed 2 November 2026. https://www.ustourismstatistics.com/chicago
<a href="https://www.ustourismstatistics.com/chicago">Chicago Tourism Statistics</a> Notes & sources
Methodology & sources
This page compiles publicly available official and industry statistics; the sources for every figure are listed below. Main caveats:
- Visitor figures for 2021–2025 come from Choose Chicago's Chicago Tourism Overview 2025 (update of July 2026). Spending, jobs, taxes and survey results come from Choose Chicago's Economic Impact of Tourism in Chicago 2025 profile, released on 25 June 2026. 2026 airport figures are January–August from the Chicago Department of Aviation summary dated 19 October 2026 and may be revised.
- Visitor totals are model-based estimates built from DK Shifflet domestic travel data and Tourism Economics international estimates, published by Choose Chicago. They are not a head count and include day trips. International figures for 2025 are marked preliminary pending final revision. The Canada figure counts overnight visitors only and the Mexico figure air arrivals only. Recent years are revised between releases (2024: 55.34 million in the 2024 annual report, 55.35 million in the July 2026 update). Figures for 2019 and earlier were published on a different basis and are not comparable.
- Tourism expenditure, jobs and state and local taxes are Tourism Economics estimates published by Choose Chicago. Figures are nominal. The 2024 spending estimate was first published as $20.6 billion with 2024 jobs at 131,394; the 2025 growth rates are measured against revised 2024 estimates. The Illinois statewide figures in the FAQ come from the Illinois Office of Tourism and are a separate estimate. No Cook County breakdown for 2025 was found.
- Hotel figures are STR data for the Chicago Central Business District (downtown), not the whole city or metro area. The July 2026 overview and the January 2026 hotel report differ slightly (for example ADR $243.31 and $243.10, room nights 11.865 and 11.895 million); this page uses the July 2026 figures except for the leisure and group segments, which appear only in the January report. The Chicago hotel tax revenue shown is the estimate published in the same overview, not audited city receipts. Room counts are year-end daily room supply from the August 2026 capacity update.
- Airport figures count passenger movements (arrivals and departures, including residents, connecting passengers and non-revenue passengers), not visitors. Leisure and hospitality employment is Bureau of Labor Statistics data for the Chicago Metropolitan Division (Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg), compiled by Choose Chicago.
Primary sources
- Choose Chicago: Chicago Tourism Overview 2025 : Research and Analysis sheet, update of July 2026: visitation 2021–2025 by segment (domestic business and leisure, day and overnight, overseas, Canada, Mexico) and downtown hotel performance 2021–2025; sources STR, DK Shifflet and Tourism Economics; international figures preliminary.
- Choose Chicago: Economic Impact of Tourism in Chicago 2025 : One-page profile released with the Mid-Year Outlook of 25 June 2026: visitors, tourism expenditures, tourism-related jobs, state and local tax revenue, visitor survey results and conventions (STR, DK Shifflet, Tourism Economics and MMGY Travel Intelligence data).
- Choose Chicago: 2025 visitation press release : Release of 25 June 2026: 56.8 million visitors in 2025, $21.5 billion in visitor spending and 135,360 jobs.
- Choose Chicago: Annual Report 2024 : Published May 2025: 2024 visitation, estimated visitor spending ($20.6 billion), tourism-related employment and state and local taxes (Tourism Economics estimates).
- Choose Chicago: 2025 Hotel Performance : Research and Analysis sheet, January 2026: Chicago Central Business District hotel demand, occupancy, ADR and RevPAR 2021–2025, total and by leisure and group segment (STR data).
- Choose Chicago: Hotel Capacity Update August 2026 : Central Business District lodging supply 2019–2027: daily room supply, annual room supply and properties at year end.
- Choose Chicago: Leisure & Hospitality Employment 2025 : Research and Analysis sheet: leisure and hospitality employment in the Chicago Metropolitan Division (Chicago-Naperville-Schaumburg) 2018–2025, from Bureau of Labor Statistics data.
- Chicago Department of Aviation: O'Hare Year-To-Date Operations, Passengers, Cargo Summary : As of December 2025 (revised, dated 9 April 2026): 2025 aircraft operations and passenger volume, domestic and international.
- Chicago Department of Aviation: O'Hare Year-To-Date Operations, Passengers, Cargo Summary : As of August 2026 (dated 19 October 2026): January–August 2026 passenger volume and change on the same period of 2025.
- Chicago Department of Aviation: Midway Year-To-Date Operations, Passengers, Cargo Summary : As of December 2025 (dated 4 March 2026): 2025 passenger volume, domestic and international.
- Illinois Office of Tourism (Enjoy Illinois): Economic Impact of Illinois Tourism 2025 data sheet : Statewide 2025 visitor volume, visitor spending, total economic impact, jobs and taxes (Tourism Economics, DK Shifflet/MMGY and Longwoods data), September 2026.