Chicago Has Everything

a global business needs

Central Location

“Dual-hub” airport

  • Handling nearly 2,900 flights daily and 87 million passengers annually
  • Non-stop flights to more than 200 destinations worldwide

Top 5 container port in the world

  • Intersection of all six Class-One North American railroads
  • One of the nation’s largest intermodal activity centers

North American hub of fiber-optic telecom

Strong and Diverse Economy

GRP of over $500 billion, just ahead of Switzerland

Significant jobs in a range of industries; a leader in:

  • Professional & business services 
  • Financial services 
  • Manufacturing Wholesale trade
  • Transportation & warehousing 
  • Educational services 
  • Religious, grant-making, civic/professional organizations

Home to numerous corporate headquarters: 

  • 29 Fortune 500
  • 10 Fortune Global 500
  • 9 Financial Times Global 500

Over 250 scientific, medical and technology R&D facilities

Top 20 global destination city based on investment

Creative hub with cutting edge architecture, fashion design and digital media

Emphasis on growing sustainable “green” businesses

Skilled Workforce

4.3 million workers in the metro region:

  • 680,000+ in professional and business services 
  • 636,000+ in health and education services 
  • 400,000+ in manufacturing 
  • 190,000+ in information technology

65,000+ college students in or near downtown

  • 100,000+ degrees from Chicago area colleges & universities

Home to two of America’s top business schools:

  • Booth School of Business at University of Chicago 
  • Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Unparalleled Quality of Life

Affordable cost of living

  • Lower than N.Y., Boston, S.F, L.A., and D.C.

80 miles of shoreline with 194 beaches and over 3,000 parks

Nearly 15,000 restaurants

10 professional sports teams

World-renowned symphony, opera, and dance

365 performing arts companies and 90+ museums

More sustainable (green) buildings than any U.S. metro

ChicagoBizAmbassador.com Mobile

Contains key talking points about Chicago's central location, strong and diverse economy, skilled workforce, unparalleled quality of life, and more.

Just point your smartphone browser to ChicagoBizAmbassador.com, add the app to your home screen, and you'll alwasys have up-to-date talking points on Chicago's business climate right in your pocket.