Windy City? (Chicago, Columbia: stats, moving, vacation)

[Sonic]

Dumb question, but is Chicago nicknamed Windy City because it's windy?

[Steve-o]

Well, there are two stories... It got its nickname back when the politicians were boasting about the city and trying to get the World's Fair to come here (which it did). Other cities saw this boasting and called us the "windy city" because of all the hot air the politicians were spewing.

But in recent times it has been acknowledged that Chicago's tourism bureau was using that term to get vacationers to visit here and enjoy the breezes off the lake. I guess either term fits. All in all, Chicago is NOT that windy (it has bad spells though, but its never constant) and there are lots more cities with higher steady wind measurements. Im sure a quick Google search on "windiest cities" or something like that would show the results. I forget which cities are windier. I hope this helps explain a little better.

[Southside Shrek]

That's a new one on me. I grew up in the city and never heard that the Windy City name came from wind bag Chicago politicians.

The Loop area normally always seemed pretty windy to me and that's where I thought the name came from. the tall buildings in the Loop create wind tunnels.

[mdz]

Here's the windy city answer and stats straight from the mouth of the guru of Chicago weather, Tom Skilling. We're 76th out of the metro areas in average wind speed.

http://www.chipublib.org/004chicago/chiweather.html

all that being said, on a day when a front is moving through the city, if you're walking/running along the lakefront it seems pretty darned windy.

[Ankhharu]

US Cellular field seems windy during the month of May. At least it has in all my visits. I miss Chicago...

[Georgia]

Steve-o is right.
It is the blowhard politicians that gave it's name

[prairiestate]

Not quite. It was bestowed by New Yorkers as we were competing with them for the Columbian Exposition. We earned the honor because of our boasting of why we were the superior choice.

[Attrill]

There is no one single accepted origin of the term, but it is generally accepted to have come from both politicians and city boosters in the late 1800's.

The Encyclopedia of Chicago's explanation sums it up pretty well:
"The power of the name lies in the metaphorical use of "windy" for "talkative" or "boastful". Chicago politicians early became famous for long-windedness, and the Midwestern metropolis's central location for political conventions helped cement the association......Perhaps even more import , however, is early Chicagoans' boosterism, or self-promotion."

The exact origin will probably never be agreed upon.

[prairiestate]

I think everyone would agree, though, that it has absolutely nothing to do with the weather.

[Attrill]

Originally Posted by prairiestate

I think everyone would agree, though, that it has absolutely nothing to do with the weather.

Agreed!