CHICAGO population grows 2%, remains 3rd largest city (Washington, Phoenix: gangs, move)

[RamenAddict]

Originally Posted by Ivory Lee Spurlock

Does Chicago not have suburban sprawl out into the farmland? On the map it looks like some of those western suburbs are at least 50 miles from Downtown Chicago. I do believe that vast majority of people prefer to get around town in the privacy of their own vehicle rather than rely on public transportation.

You gotta remember, too, Chicago had about a hundred year head start on Houston and Dallas-Ft Worth.

? To get 50 miles out, you have to go north into Wisconsin, and I’m not sure places like Pleasant Prairie would be considered Chicago suburbs as it is closer to Milwaukee than Chicago. The far out western suburbs like Elgin, Aurora, and Joliet are all around 40 miles. People can and do rely on the train as parking in the city is expensive.

[andrew61]

Originally Posted by Don Cuccino

I can't think of one western suburb that is at 50 or more miles away from downtown Chicago.

It's more northwest, but Crystal Lake is ~50 miles out. (Actually closer to Rockford at that point.)

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by Don Cuccino

LA and Phoenix are both smaller than Houston. Houston had massive annexation as recent as the 90s. Point isnt whether Chicago can or will annex, point is that incorporating new land will undoubtedly increase population in almost any city. If San Francisco were to Annex just one suburb, Oakland, it's population would increase by 50%. If Dallas were to annex just Ft Worth it would have almost the same population as Houston.

Weather forecast for Houston for the next 10 days is low to mid 90s every day and very humid. That sounds like a nightmare.

I'm a fifth generation SF Bay Area native whose roots in the Bay Area go back 175 years, and I've never heard anyone refer to Oakland as a suburb of San Francisco (I'm a second half of the boom Baby Boomer).

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by kwr

Clearly, you do not understand the concept of a metro area. Oakland IS already included in the San Francisco metro area. Ft Worth IS already included in the Dallas metro area. The entire Houston metro area continues to grow. Highlighting annexations that happened thirty years ago in the city proper that is by the way included in the metro is a distraction.

Both the Houston and Dallas Ft Worth metros are forested to pass the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN-WI MSA this decade by 2030. There is nothing wrong with that. If the projections hold, they don’t take anything away from Chicago. Chicago would still be an awesome city to visit.

The real nightmare is having to wear snow boots and a coat when it is <=20 degrees with gray skies for several months out of the year in Chicago, and then having to deal with hot and humid summer days occasionally. Almost 1 1/2 times more people live in Texas (29mm) than Illinois (12mm). Seems many more people like warm than cold weather as TX is the 2nd most populated state in the US behind California.

We don't have to shovel humidity in the Houston metro .

[G in MP]

Originally Posted by andrew61

It's more northwest, but Crystal Lake is ~50 miles out. (Actually closer to Rockford at that point.)

CL has a metra stop, though.

[Don Cuccino]

Originally Posted by andrew61

It's more northwest, but Crystal Lake is ~50 miles out. (Actually closer to Rockford at that point.)

it's 48 miles and it's northwest not west

[CCrest182]

Originally Posted by Don Cuccino

I can't think of one western suburb that is at 50 or more miles away from downtown Chicago.

Sandwich/Plano, are both connected to the Chi Area by sprawl and are part of the CSA, are 55-60 miles away from DT Chicago. There are talks of extending the Metra BNSF line to Sandwich.

[Don Cuccino]

Originally Posted by CCrest182

Sandwich/Plano, are both connected to the Chi Area by sprawl and are part of the CSA, are 55-60 miles away from DT Chicago. There are talks of extending the Metra BNSF line to Sandwich.

I wouldn't consider sandwhich to be a suburb.

[BigLake]

Originally Posted by Don Cuccino

it's 48 miles and it's northwest not west

So... pretty much exactly what he posted.

[Don Cuccino]

Originally Posted by BigLake

So... pretty much exactly what he posted.

Northwest isn't west and 48 is less than 50