Chicago (or) is the third largest city in the United States in terms of population, and with more than 2.8 million people, the largest city in the state of Illinois and the Midwestern United States. Located on the southwestern shores of Lake Michigan, bordering the Illinois-Indiana State Line, Chicago is the third-most densely populated major city in the U.S. , and anchor to the world's 26th largest metropolitan area with over 9.56 million people across three states.
The city of Chicago is located in northern Illinois at the south western tip of Lake Michigan. It sits on the St. Lawrence Seaway continental divide at the site of the Chicago Portage, an ancient trade route connecting the Mississippi River and the Great Lakes watersheds.
This list of tallest buildings in Chicago ranks skyscrapers by height in the U.S. city of Chicago, Illinois, which is considered to be the birthplace of the skyscraper. The tallest building in Chicago is the 108-story Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower), which rises 1,451 feet (442 m) in the Chicago Loop and was completed in 1974. It also stands as the tallest building in the United States, and the fifth-tallest building in the world.