Chicago’s crown is growing heavy with accolades—from being home to one of Time Out’s coolest neighborhoods in the world to now being named Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Big City in the U.S.
This marks the ninth consecutive year Chicago has claimed this prestigious title—the longest winning streak in the awards program’s 30-plus-year history. This should come as no surprise: With a seemingly endless supply of amazing restaurants, world-class museums and unique things to do, Chicago has plenty to offer to both locals and tourists alike. And, once again, Condé Nast Traveler readers couldn’t agree more.
Along with earning the Best Big City in the U.S. title once again, Chicago also nabbed some much-deserved accolades in the U.K. edition of this year’s Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards: The only U.S. city to earn a spot on the list of the friendliest cities in the world.
The timing of this award comes at a critical point in Chicago’s history. Earlier this year, President Trump referred to the city as a crime-ridden “hellhole” and erroneously labelled Chicago as “the most dangerous city in the world.” Since the summertime, protestors have regularly packed Chicagoland’s streets to protest the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Operation Midway Blitz and the recent deployment of the National Guard into Chicago.
“While critics try to paint Chicago as something to fear, the rest of the world knows the truth—this is the best big city in America,” said Governor JB Pritzker said in a press release. “Chicago is a city of strength, resilience and heart, powered by the people who welcome visitors from every corner of the globe with unmatched warmth and pride. For the ninth consecutive year, the world’s most discerning travelers have recognized what we already know: no one does it like Chicago. No narrative can change that because the spirit of this city is simply unstoppable.”
Choose Chicago, the city’s official tourism agency, also released some numbers highlighting Chicago’s record-breaking summer 2025 travel season. Over 3.56 million hotel rooms were occupied June through August 2025, marking a 4.3% increase over 2024 demand levels and surpassing the city’s previous record set in 2019. Better yet, hotel revenue during those same summer months surpassed $948 million, eclipsing the previous record set in 2024.
Check out the full list of Best Big Cities in the United States: 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards below.
Condé Nast Traveler’s Best Big Cities in the United States: 2025
- Chicago, IL
- San Francisco, CA
- Milwaukee, WI
- Portland, OR
- New Orleans, LA
- Washington, D.C.
- San Diego, CA
- Columbus, OH
- New York City
- Seattle, WA