Chicago Named America’s Best Big City for an Incredible 10th Straight Year

If you needed any more reason to believe that having Chicago so close to Rockford is awesome, here's one more.

Condé Nast Traveler just dropped its 2026 Readers' Choice Awards for best cities in America. They split the awards into two groups: best small city and best big city.

READ MORE: Chicago Named Best Big City for Tourism

Chicago Named America's Best Big City Again

For America's best big cities, Chicago finished #1. If you want to say that result is a fluke, think again, as Condé Nast Traveler readers named the Windy City America's Best Big City for the 10th consecutive year.

Why?

• Architecture
• Museums
• Restaurants

Long exposure light trails passing the illuminated Chicago Theatre marquee at night

Why Travelers Keep Choosing Chicago

Those are three major reasons, but Chicago is more than tourist destinations like the Magnificent Mile or Gold Coast. It's the neighborhoods surrounding those attractions that help make the city what it is.

Condé Nast called out Chicago's 77 different neighborhoods as a major highlight and a reason people visit and return often.

READ MORE: Which Rockford Neighborhood Deserves To Be Called The City’s Coolest?

Chicago's Neighborhoods Help Make the City Stand Out

As a born-and-raised Chicago person, it's always cool to see the city get pub, and this time in a positive way. What I never understood is the people who dislike Chicago. I get it; it can be busy and loud, and traffic is everywhere, but if you live in Illinois and you want cool architecture, awesome museums, and some of the best food on the planet, you go to Chicago.