US Chicago · Autumn

Chicago in October
what's the weather like?

Good window in October — July is a notch above.

Open-Meteo · 10 years · 12 months compared · 41.88°N 87.63°W
17°CMax temperature
38%Rainy days
9.3hSunshine / day

Chicago weather in October

✅ Good
🌡️ Temperature min / max
9°C – 17°C
🌧 Rainy days
38% of days
☀️ Sunshine
9.3h per day on average
🌊 🌊 Season
Autumn
⭐ ⭐ Weather score
7.0/10
📅 📅 Best month
July (8.2/10)

Should you visit Chicago in October?

✅ Good

✅ Yes if: you want to explore the city on foot without suffering from heat.

❌ No if: you're looking for a beach destination — water and air are still cool.

🌧 Rain : ████░░░░░░ 38%
🌡 Temperature : ████░░░░░░ 17°C
☀️ Sunshine : ███████░░░ 9.3h/d

Our take: Chicago in October: 17°C and 9.3h of sunshine. Decent, but not the peak.

Chicago in October by trip type

What to expect in October

🎯 Good family period — decent temperatures and sites accessible without crowds Autumn in Chicago is often underrated: 17°C, golden light and declining crowds. An interesting window. Expect rain on 38% of days — a light raincoat in the bag is recommended. Not the best window, but acceptable if dates are constrained. July (8.2/10) is significantly better if possible.

All months for Chicago

Month-by-month comparison

MonthMin °CMax °CRain %Precip mmSun h/dScore
🌨️ January-5°C1°C31%2.15.6h4.0/10
🌨️ February-5°C2°C30%2.18.3h4.2/10
🌦️ March0°C7°C40%3.09.4h4.2/10
🌦️ April4°C12°C46%3.39.9h4.9/10
🌤️ May9°C18°C39%4.011.8h7.1/10
🌤️ June16°C25°C37%3.713.3h8.1/10
🌤️ July19°C27°C40%4.813.3h8.2/10
🌤️ August19°C26°C38%3.412.7h8.1/10
🌤️ September16°C23°C32%3.111.3h7.8/10
⛅ October9°C17°C38%4.09.3h7.0/10
🌫️ November2°C9°C26%2.07.2h4.7/10
🌨️ December-3°C3°C28%1.95.8h4.0/10
Ideal Fair Challenging climate ◀ Current month · Source Open-Meteo · 10 years
📊 Data source Data based on 10 years of ERA5 records via Open-Meteo, with ECMWF seasonal adjustment. In October, Chicago averages 17°C, 38% rainy days and 9.3h of sunshine per day. Overall weather score: 7.0/10. See methodology →

October vs July (best month)

The best month is July (score 8.2/10). Difference:

FAQ — Chicago in October

Is October a good time to visit Chicago?
October is an acceptable time for Chicago (score 7.0/10). Conditions are decent but not optimal — consider July (8.2/10) if possible.
What to do in Chicago in October?
With 17°C max and 9.3h of sunshine, focus on cultural sites, museums and local gastronomy.

Find a place to stay in Chicago

Find places to stay in Chicago in October Search on Hotels.com

Activities and tours in Chicago

Guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and local experiences. Browse activities on GetYourGuide

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📅 Live forecast — next 12 months

Real-time data with ECMWF seasonal corrections · updated daily

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