Population: City: 3 million; In the suburbs: another 5 million.

Time zone: Chicago is located in the central time zone. When it is 12:00 noon in New York City, it is 11:00 AM in Chicago.

Average Monthly Temperatures:

Weather:
Chicago experiences four very distinct seasons, with chilly, snowy winters and hot, sometimes humid, summers. Fall and spring are temperate, and provide pleasant weather for the many outdoor activities available in the Chicago area.

National Weather Service's current conditions and forecast are available at 312/976-1212 (toll call ).

Holidays

New Year's Day Jan. 1

Martin Luther King, Jr., Day 3rd Mon. in Jan.

President's Day 3rd Mon. in Feb.

Memorial Day last Mon. in May;

Independence Day July 4

Labor Day 1st Mon. in Sept.

Thanksgiving Day 4th Thurs. in Nov.

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Dec. 24 and 25

New Year's Eve Dec. 31.

Area Codes: The 312 area code applies to the Loop and the neighborhoods closest to it, including River North, North Michigan Avenue, and the Gold Coast. The code for the rest of the city is 773. Suburban area codes are 847 (north), 708 (west and southwest), and 630 (far west). You must dial "1" plus the area code for all telephone numbers, even if you are making a call within the same area code.

Business Hours: Normal business hours are 10am-6pm Monday through Saturday. Malls are until 7pm and for shorter hours on Sunday. Banking hours in Chicago are 8-5 Monday-Friday. Some banks open at 8AM.

Emergencies: For fire or police emergencies, call tel. 911.

Hospitals: Newest: Northwestern Memorial Hospital, 251 E. Huron St. (312/926-2000) has a state-of-the-art medical center just off North Michigan Avenue. The emergency department (312/926-5188) is located at 251 E. Erie St. Ambulance: 911.

Police: For emergencies, call 911. For non-emergencies, dial 311.

Taxes: The local sales tax is 8.75%. Restaurants in the central part of the city, are taxed an additional 1%, for a total of 9.75%. There is also a hotel tax.

Transit Information: CTA Directory 836-7000 (from any area code in the city or suburbs)

Getting around:
The city's streets are set up in a grid pattern, providing ease of navigation. Parking is often hard to find. Taxis are readily available. The elevated "El" trains are color coded and run through the downtown "Loop" every five to fifteen minutes during the day Walking is an option year round as the underground Pedway pedestrian tunnels link more than 40 blocks of the central business district.

Chicago's O'Hare International Airport (773) 686-2200 is one of the world's busiest. O'Hare is located northwest of the city; depending on traffic, drive time is 30 minutes to more than an hour.

On the opposite end of the city, the Southwest Side, is Chicago's other major airport, Midway International Airport ( 773) 838-0600.

Getting Into Town From the Airport: Taxis are plentiful at both O'Hare and Midway. Public transportation is convenient from both airports. You can take the El directly into downtown. O'Hare is located on the Blue Line; a trip to downtown takes about 40 minutes. Trains leave every 6 to 10 minutes during the day, and every half-hour in the evening and overnight. Getting downtown from Midway on the Orange Line takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Continental Airport Express (tel. 888/2-THEVAN or 312/454-7800) serves most first-class hotels in Chicago with its blue-and-white vans; ticket counters are located at both airports near the baggage claim.

Free Ride: During the summer, the city of Chicago operates free trolleys daily between Michigan Avenue and the Museum Campus (site of the Adler Planetarium, the Field Museum of Natural History, and the Shedd Aquarium) and on weekends in the fall and spring. Free trolleys also run year-round between Navy Pier and the Grand/State El station on the Red Line (you can check out the routes and get details on schedules at

Ticket to Ride: Visitors can buy a Visitor Pass, which works like a fare card and allows individual users unlimited rides on the El and CTA buses over a 24-hour period.

El & the Subway: Sky Train: Chicago's El: Chicago has the biggest El in the country, and the second-largest public transportation system.

The rapid transit system operates five major lines, which the CTA identifies by color: The Red Line runs north-south; the Green Line runs west-south; the Blue Line runs through Wicker Park/Bucktown west-northwest to O'Hare Airport; the Brown Line runs in a northern zigzag route; and the Orange Line runs southwest, serving Midway airport.

A separate express line, the Purple Line, services Evanston, while a smaller, local line in Skokie (the Yellow Line) is linked to the north-south Red Line. Skokie and Evanston are adjacent suburbs on Chicago's northern boundary.

By Car

Chicago is laid out in a very straight forward grid pattern, and it is easy for visitors to get around the city by car. Unless otherwise posted, a right turn on red is allowed after stopping and signaling.

By Boat

During the summer, boat traffic greatly expands along the Lake Michigan shoreline and the Chicago River. Water Taxi and River Bus service operate every few minutes.