Research Guides: Big Chicago : Chicago Basics

Chicago News

Block Club Chicago
Block Club Chicago is a nonprofit news organization dedicated to delivering reliable, nonpartisan and essential coverage of Chicago’s diverse neighborhoods. Block Club Chicago was created by former DNAinfo Chicago editors following the shutdown of DNAinfo and Gothamist in November of 2017.

Chicago Defender (1999-2019) This link opens in a new window
Chicago's nationally recognized African American newspaper.
Chicago Defender Historical Archive (1909-2010) This link opens in a new window
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Full text articles from this prominent Black newspaper. Includes page images of the entire contents, such as classified ads, advertisements, obituaries, and comics.

Chicago Reader
Excellent in-depth coverage of local news. Click on the Archive link to search back issues. Note: The Lincoln Park Campus Library of DePaul holds back issues of the Reader on microfilm.

Chicago Sun-Times (1986-present) This link opens in a new window
Chicago's second largest major newspaper. Additional content options include image content from 2018-present and web edition content from 2008-2014.
Chicago Tribune (1989-present) This link opens in a new window
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Founded in 1847, it remains the most-read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region.
Chicago Tribune Historical Archive (1849-1997) This link opens in a new window
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Contains full text and page images of the entire contents of the Chicago Tribune, including classified ads, advertisements, obituaries, and comics.
Crain's Chicago Business This link opens in a new window
A weekly business newspaper in Chicago that covers healthcare, real estate, manufacturing, government, sports, and more.

"Search within a Specific Newspaper," recorded August 2020, 5 minutes.

"Historical Newspaper Archives: Chicago Tribune," recorded November 2017, 3 minutes.

City of Chicago
City of Chicago site containing facts and figures on Chicago business, housing, employment, health care, weather, and many other topics. For neighborhood data from the 2000 Census, look on this site under Community Areas.
City of Chicago Data Portal
Chicago Community Data Snapshots This area of the CMAP website contains a set of Community Data Snapshots that summarize demographics, housing, employment, transportation habits, retail sales, property values, and land use in metropolitan Chicago's 284 municipalities. You may browse the municipalities alphabetically or grouped by county. Snapshots are also available for all 77 Chicago Community Areas. Each snapshot is presented in an easy-to-print PDF file.
Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (CMAP) The official regional planning organization for the northeastern Illinois counties of Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry, and Will. See the DATA tab for especially useful basic statistics.

Encyclopedia of Chicago This link opens in a new window
Published online by the Chicago History Museum, it includes thousands of articles, photos, maps, broadsides, and newspapers related to the history of Chicago and its neighborhoods.
Illinois Sanborn Insurance Maps (1867-1970) This link opens in a new window
Fire insurance maps give a snapshot of an Illinois city or town during a certain time period, and provide detailed information for some individual buildings. Includes street names, property boundaries, building use, and house and block numbers. (NOTE: May not be available from off campus.)

Metropolitan Planning Council Since 1934, the Metropolitan Planning Council (MPC) has been dedicated to shaping a more sustainable and prosperous greater Chicago region. As an independent, nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, MPC serves communities and residents by developing, promoting and implementing solutions for sound regional growth.
Office of Inspector General - City of Chicago
Statistical Atlas of the U.S. - Chicago