CHICAGO — Make it a perfect 10 for the Windy City.
Condé Nast Traveler readers named Chicago the best big city in the United States for the 10th consecutive year in the magazine's annual Readers' Choice Awards, released Tuesday. The streak began in 2017, and Chicago is the only city to hold the title for a full decade, according to Choose Chicago.
The magazine's 39th annual awards drew 798,867 votes across travel categories around the world, including cities, hotels, resorts and cruises. Its U.S. city rankings were divided into big and small cities.
In its write-up, Condé Nast Traveler highlighted Chicago's architecture, museums, chefs and brewing scene. It also encouraged visitors to explore beyond downtown, pointing to the restaurants, neighborhood bars and welcoming residents found throughout the city's 77 neighborhoods.
Gov. JB Pritzker celebrated the distinction in an Oct. 6 post on X.
"10 for 10!" Pritzker wrote. "Some may try to paint the City of Big Shoulders as something to fear, but the nation knows that this is the best big city in the nation — 10 years in a row."
Mayor Brandon Johnson credited Chicago's residents and communities in a statement included in Choose Chicago's announcement.
"Chicago continues to stand out as a global urban destination because of the people and communities that bring our city to life," Johnson said.
The recognition followed a strong year for the city's tourism industry. Chicago welcomed 56.8 million visitors in 2025, generating a record $21.5 billion in visitor spending and supporting 135,360 jobs across the region, according to Choose Chicago.
To mark the milestone, the city proclaimed this Saturday "Best Big City Day."
The celebration will include a floating house music party featuring DJ Lori Branch aboard a boat docked near City Winery on the Chicago Riverwalk from approximately 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Goose Island will offer a limited-edition "Perfect 10" beer at its Fulton Street and Salt Shed brewpubs, while Eli's Cheesecake will offer a special edition featuring four classic flavors.
Chicago hotels also earned recognition in the separate U.K. edition of Condé Nast Traveller's Readers' Choice Awards. As Patch previously reported, the St. Regis Chicago ranked first among U.S. hotels outside New York City, followed by the Langham, Chicago, at No. 5 and 21c Museum Hotel Chicago at No. 9.
Readers can view the Condé Nast Traveler city rankings and details about Saturday's celebration online.
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