At Global Alliance, we take the “Worldwide” in our company name very seriously. We pride ourselves in offering premium limousine services to our clientele not only in our home base of Toronto but around the globe. Through our sophisticated network of trusted worldwide affiliates, Global Alliance can provide professional chauffeured services in hundreds of international cities. We will discuss many of the major worldwide destinations served via our affiliate network on this blog. Today’s virtual visit is to the Midwest metropolis known as the Windy City: Chicago, Illinois.

The third-largest metropolitan region in the United States, the greater Chicago area (sometimes called Chicagoland) is home to almost 10 million people. Founded in the mid-19th Century on the west shore of Lake Michigan, Chicago’s prime location on the continental divide between the Great Lakes and the watershed of the Mississippi River has made it a major trade hub along waterways for over a century. Even in the modern age of air, train, and automobile travel, Chicago remains a major mercantile and transportation exchange in the middle of the North American continent.

Chicago’s core downtown area, referred to as The Loop, stretches west from Lake Michigan and is traditionally enclosed by the Chicago River. This is the main business district, featuring many iconic skyscrapers, an urban architectural innovation that Chicago can claim as its own. Many of the city’s skyscrapers were built in the late 19th Century following the infamous Great Chicago Fire of 1871, which necessitated a near-total rebuild of the city; ironically, one of the structures to survive the Fire was the Chicago Water Tower, now one of the city’s oldest edifices and a highlight of the Magnificent Mile. More modern towers also feature on Chicago’s skyline, such as the Willis Tower (formerly the Sears Tower) and Trump International Hotel and Tower, the second and third tallest buildings in the U.S.

The Loop is also home to economic institutions such as the Chicago Board of Trade (whose headquarters is another of the city’s many architectural highlights) and the Chicago Stock Exchange. Chicago is also rich in culture, as home to major museums such as the Art Institute of Chicago, the Field Museum, and the Adler Planetarium. The city’s parklands and recreational areas are extensive, from Grant Park in the Loop to Lincoln Park with its zoo and conservatory to the South Side waterfront-facing Jackson Park, the site of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.

Navy Pier, stretching 1,000 metres from the Near North Side into the lake, is Chicago’s most visited attraction, an entertainment district and amusement park wrapped into one. A city of neighbourhoods, Chicago has a wide variety of diverse restaurants, shopping options, and heritage theatres to occupy its visitors and residents alike. Chicago is also home to many iconic sports franchises, including the NFL’s Chicago Bears who play home games at historic Soldier Field, the Chicago Cubs (residents of the legendary Wrigley Field) and Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball, as well as the NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks, whose games are held at the United Centre.

Chicago’s main airport is Chicago O’Hare International, the second-busiest airport in the world which not only offers international departures and arrivals but also a common connection point on continental flights. It is the main hub for United Airlines, the world’s third largest airline that is also headquartered in Chicago. The Chicago area is also served by Midway International Airport, and may see a third airport built in the Illinois suburbs in the future to serve the area’s air traffic.

Please feel free to contact Global Alliance Worldwide Chauffeured Services for all of your transportation needs in Chicago.