US Chicago · Autumn

Visit Chicago
in September?

Good window in September — July is a notch above.

Open-Meteo · 10 years · 12 months compared · 41.88°N 87.63°W
23°CMax temperature
32%Rainy days
11.3hSunshine / day

Chicago weather in September

✅ Good
🌡️ Temperature min / max
16°C – 23°C
🌧 Rainy days
32% of days
☀️ Sunshine
11.3h per day on average
🌊 🌊 Season
Autumn
⭐ ⭐ Weather score
7.8/10
📅 📅 Best month
July (8.2/10)

Should you visit Chicago in September?

✅ Good

✅ Yes if: you want shoulder-season value — fewer crowds, 23°C.

❌ No if: you need maximum sunshine — some overcast days are possible.

🌧 Rain : ███░░░░░░░ 32%
🌡 Temperature : ██████░░░░ 23°C
☀️ Sunshine : ████████░░ 11.3h/d

Our take: Chicago in September: 23°C and 11.3h of sunshine. Decent, but not the peak.

Chicago in September by trip type

What to expect in September

🎯 Peak cultural season — museums and sites accessible in good weather conditions Autumn in Chicago is often underrated: 23°C, golden light and declining crowds. An interesting window. Expect rain on 32% of days — a light raincoat in the bag is recommended. A good balance between weather and crowds, even if July (8.2/10) remains theoretically better.

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 September, Chicago averages 23°C, 32% rainy days and 11.3h of sunshine per day. Overall weather score: 7.8/10. See methodology →

September vs July (best month)

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

FAQ — Chicago in September

Is September a good time to visit Chicago?
September is an excellent time to visit Chicago (score 7.8/10). With 23°C, 11.3h of sunshine and 32% rain, conditions are very favourable.
What to do in Chicago in September?
With 23°C max and 11.3h of sunshine, focus on cultural sites, museums and local gastronomy.

Find a place to stay in Chicago

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

Activities and tours in Chicago

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

Find a flight to Chicago

Compare flights from all airlines. Search flights

Similar destinations in September

Other top destinations in September

Compare destinations by weather

Explore or compare

📅 Live forecast — next 12 months

Real-time data with ECMWF seasonal corrections · updated daily

Try the weather app