Walk down Michigan Avenue in January and you’ll feel it. The lake effect winds whip around skyscrapers, funnelling through the concrete canyons of the Loop until your face feels like it’s been hit by a frozen sledgehammer. It’s cold. It's aggressive. It's exactly why everyone assumes the nickname is about the weather.
But here’s the thing: Chicago isn't even the windiest city in America. Not by a long shot.
If we’re talking strictly about anemometer readings and meteorological data, cities like Dodge City, Kansas, or even Boston often clock higher average wind speeds than the "Windy City." So, windy city why is chicago called that if the weather isn't the primary culprit? It’s a mix of salty 19th-century politics, a massive inferiority complex, and a legendary rivalry with New York City.
The nickname is actually a dig. It was an insult that Chicagoans eventually decided to wear like a badge of honor.
The Popular Myth: Charles Dana and the World’s Fair
Most history buffs will point you toward a specific guy: Charles Dana. He was the editor of the New York Sun back in the late 1800s. The story goes that Chicago and New York were locked in a bitter, ego-driven battle to host the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.
Dana, tired of hearing Chicago politicians boast about their "frontier" city being a world-class metropolis, supposedly penned an editorial telling people to ignore the "nonsensical claims of that windy city." He was calling them full of hot air. He meant they were braggarts.
It makes for a great story. It feels right. It captures the spirit of the era when Chicago was the upstart "Second City" trying to steal the spotlight from the established elites out East.
However, there’s a catch.
Historians, including the late, great David Lowe, have scoured the archives of the New York Sun and haven't actually found that specific editorial. While Dana likely used the term—and certainly popularized the sentiment—he didn't invent it. The phrase was already swirling around the American lexicon long before the World's Fair was even a twinkle in a developer's eye.
The Real Origins: Cincinnati and the "Gas" of the West
To find the true roots of the nickname, you have to look further back to the 1870s. Chicago was growing at a terrifying pace. It was messy, loud, and incredibly proud. This rubbed its neighbors the wrong way, especially Cincinnati, which at the time was a major rival for Midwestern dominance.
The Cincinnati Enquirer is often credited by linguists like Barry Popik with using "Windy City" as early as 1876. They weren't talking about a breeze off Lake Michigan. They were talking about the "wind" coming out of the mouths of Chicago's boosters.
Chicago had a reputation for being a city of talkers. Politicians and businessmen would travel East or South and scream from the rooftops about how Chicago was going to outpace every other city in the world. To the rest of the country, Chicagoans were just "windy."
"Chicago is a city of gas," one 19th-century critic wrote. "The inhabitants are all blowers."
It was a classic case of big-city rivalry. Chicago was the "new money" kid on the block, and the "old money" cities thought they were obnoxious.
The Weather Factor: Is It Actually Windy?
Okay, let’s be fair. It is windy.
Even if the nickname started as a political insult, the geography of the city certainly helped it stick. Chicago sits right on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. Because the city is built on a flat plain, there is very little to break the wind as it sweeps across the water.
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When that air hits the high-rise buildings downtown, it undergoes something called the Venturi effect. Basically, the air is forced into narrow spaces (the streets), which causes it to compress and speed up. This is why you’ll see people literally clinging to handrails on street corners near the Willis Tower on a gusty day.
- Average wind speed in Chicago: Approximately 10.3 mph.
- Average wind speed in Mt. Washington, NH: Over 35 mph.
- Top 10 windiest cities: Chicago rarely makes the list.
So, while the wind is a physical reality, it’s the metaphorical wind—the bragging, the shouting, the political posturing—that cemented the name in history.
The 1893 World's Fair: The Nickname Goes Global
Whether or not Charles Dana wrote that specific editorial, the competition for the 1893 World’s Fair is what turned a regional insult into a global brand.
Chicago won the bid. They beat out New York, Washington D.C., and St. Louis. They built the "White City," a temporary marvel of neoclassical architecture that proved Chicago wasn't just a slaughterhouse town—it was a cultural powerhouse.
By the time the fair opened, the term "Windy City" was being used in newspapers across the Atlantic. But something interesting happened. Chicagoans, known for their grit and "I Will" attitude, stopped taking it as an insult. They leaned into it. If being "windy" meant being loud, proud, and successful, they were happy to be the windiest people on earth.
Why the Nickname Still Matters Today
In the 21st century, the origins don't really matter to the average tourist. If you ask a guy selling hot dogs at Navy Pier, he’ll probably just point at the lake and shrug.
But for those who live there, the name represents a specific kind of resilience. It's a city that was burned to the ground in 1871 and rebuilt itself to be bigger and louder than before. It’s a city that doesn't care if New York thinks it’s "gaseous."
The nickname survives because it fits the personality of the place. Chicago is a city of big shoulders, big dreams, and, yes, a fair amount of talk. Whether that talk is about sports, politics, or where to find the best deep-dish pizza, the "wind" hasn't stopped blowing since the 1870s.
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Surprising Nicknames That Didn't Stick
Before "Windy City" became the undisputed champion, Chicago had a few other monikers.
Some called it "Porkopolis" (a name it actually stole from Cincinnati as the meatpacking industry grew). Others referred to it as "The Garden City," which is still the city's official motto (Urbs in Horto). You might still hear it called "Chi-town" or "The 312," but none of those carry the historical weight of the original insult.
Seeing the Windy City for Yourself
If you’re planning to visit to see if the name holds up, there are a few things you should actually do to experience both the literal and metaphorical wind.
- Walk the Skydeck: Head to the 103rd floor of the Willis Tower. On a high-wind day, you can actually feel the building sway slightly. It’s designed to do that. It’s a terrifying, beautiful reminder of the elements.
- Visit the Chicago History Museum: They have incredible archives that detail the rivalry between Chicago and New York. You can see the actual promotional materials from the 1890s that riled up the East Coast editors.
- The Lakefront Trail: Rent a bike and ride from North Avenue Beach down to Museum Campus. You’ll get a face full of that "meteorological" wind that people mistakenly think the name is about.
- Listen to a Local: Go to a neighborhood tavern in Bridgeport or Lakeview. Listen to the way people talk about their city. The "wind" is still there—it’s in the passion, the storytelling, and the refusal to be quiet.
Actionable Takeaways for Your Next Visit
Don't just take the nickname at face value. When you hear someone call it the Windy City, remember you're hearing a 150-year-old political burn.
- Pack for layers: The wind chill is real, even if the nickname is political. A "Chicago handshake" (a shot of Malört and an Old Style beer) might warm you up, but a windproof jacket works better.
- Check the wind speed: If you're looking for the real windy city for your next vacation, maybe look into Brockton, Massachusetts or Casper, Wyoming. But don't expect the same level of deep-dish pizza.
- Explore the "Big Shoulders": Read Carl Sandburg’s poetry before you go. It captures the "bragging" spirit that gave the city its name better than any history book.
Chicago is a city built on talk, hustle, and a relentless need to prove itself to the world. It’s windy, sure. But more importantly, it’s a place that refuses to be ignored. Next time you're standing on a gusty corner in the Loop, just remember: you aren't just feeling the weather; you're feeling the legacy of a city that talked its way into greatness.
Experience the city by starting at the Chicago Riverwalk. It's the best place to see the architecture that the "windy" boosters of the 1890s were so proud of. Then, head to the Newberry Library to see the original maps and newspapers that tracked the city's meteoric, and very loud, rise to fame.