Chicago in January

January is the coldest month in Chicago, and nobody here will pretend otherwise. It's also the month when the city goes back to being a place where people live instead of a place people visit. The holiday crowds leave after New Year's, hotel rates are about as low as they get all year, and the big museums are about as quiet as they get. If you can handle the cold, and you pack for it, January is the cheapest good trip Chicago offers.

January weather

The official 1991-2020 normals from the National Weather Service, measured at O'Hare, give January an average high of 31.6°F and an average low of 18.8°F. That's the coldest of any month. January also gets the most snow, about 11.3 inches on average, with 1.99 inches of total precipitation.

Averages hide the bad weeks. A cold snap with a few days below zero comes along most winters, and O'Hare averages six or seven nights a year below 0°F. The number that matters on the street is the wind chill. Downtown, the gusts funnel between the towers on Wacker Drive and across the river bridges, and a 20-degree day can feel like single digits. Check the NWS Chicago forecast the week you travel, and read our Chicago weather page for how the lake changes things.

Crowds and hotel prices

January is off-season, and you'll see it in the prices. Downtown hotels that charge a fortune in July cut their rates, and the weekends are often the best deals because the business travelers are gone. Leave the dates flexible if you can. A big trade show at McCormick Place can fill the Loop's hotels on the wrong week, so check its event calendar before you book. Our guides to where to stay and hotels in the Loop will help you pick a base, and how to save money in Chicago has more ways to stretch the budget.

Lines are short almost everywhere. The one exception comes late in the month, when Chicago Restaurant Week starts and the popular restaurants fill up. Book those tables early.

What to pack

Dress for standing at a bus stop in the wind, because at some point you will. That means a warm coat that covers your hips, a hat that covers your ears, gloves, a scarf you can pull over your face and waterproof boots with some grip. The city salts the sidewalks, and the slush it leaves behind will soak through sneakers in a block. Wear layers underneath, since every museum, restaurant and L car is heated, and you'll be peeling things off the minute you get inside. Our what to wear in Chicago in winter page goes item by item.

Staying warm between stops

You don't have to spend much time outside. The L and CTA buses cover most of what visitors want to see (see our transportation page), and the downtown Pedway lets you walk a good chunk of the Loop through tunnels and bridges, from Millennium Station to Macy's on State Street. It's a confusing maze, and some sections close outside business hours, so bring a map or take the Chicago Architecture Center's Pedway tour.

For what to actually do this month, from skating in Millennium Park to Restaurant Week and the museum free days, see things to do in Chicago in January. Our winter activities and Chicago in winter pages cover the whole season, and Chicago in February is the next month along.

Photo by conlawprof