Every building standing today, by the year it went up. Press play to watch the city grow, then tap a neighborhood.
Tap a neighborhood on the map to see its population since 1930 and how old its buildings are.
Buildings: City of Chicago footprints (2013) and Cook County's 2022 footprints, with year built from the Cook County Assessor for 427,000 of 500,000 (gray = unknown; the Assessor's oldest years are often estimates). This map shows only buildings that still stand: many thousands that came down are missing, which is why early decades look thin. Population: U.S. Census. Old photos: Historic American Buildings Survey, Library of Congress (public domain).
Not affiliated with the City of Chicago.