Why is Chicago called the Windy City

Chicago is nicknamed the Windy City because of its winds.

Chicago is a city with a lot of nicknames. There’s Chi-town, the Windy City, and the Second City. While Chicago is called the Second City because it was once considered to be just as important as New York, Chicago is also called the Windy City because of its winds.

The name “Windy City” was coined by New York newspaper editor Charles Dana in 1870. He used it to describe Chicago, saying that it was “full of wind and bluster and self-esteem” (via NPR). The nickname stuck, but some people have taken issue with it over time. In fact, there are a few other nicknames that have been used for Chicago over time.

What are some other nicknames for Chicago?

In addition to being called the Windy City, Chicago has also been called Chiraq and Chi-raq in recent years. This nickname came about after several violent crimes occurred in the city between 2014 and 2016. However, this nickname doesn’t necessarily reflect how dangerous or safe a city is overall. For example, New York had more murders than any other city in 2015 but still wasn’t considered to be as dangerous as cities like Detroit or St Louis (via USA Today).

Chicago has also been called Packingtown because of its meatpacking industry (via WBEZ). The meatpacking industry began in 1864 when William Tyson brought refrigerated railroad cars from Iowa to help transport his cattle from Texas to Illinois markets (via NPR). The industry grew quickly thanks to slaughterhouses like Armour & Company packing plants that were built near railroads lines so that animals could be transported easily.

Other nicknames for Chicago include C-Town and Chi Town.