November is when Chicago commits to winter. The average high sits around 9.5°C (49°F), the average low around 2.3°C (36°F), and the wind off Lake Michigan regularly shaves another 5-8°C off what the thermometer reads. By the second week, the trees in Lincoln Park and along the lakefront trail are bare, and the sky settles into a flat, pewter overcast that might not lift for 3-4 days at a stretch. This is not the month that sells Chicago to first-time visitors.
That said, Chicago's indoor season has real pull. Christkindlmarket opens at Daley Plaza around the third week of November, filling the square with the smell of roasted almonds and hot Glühwein. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival, usually held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, draws tens of thousands to Michigan Avenue for a parade that ends with over a million lights switching on along the boulevard. Hotel rates in River North and the Loop tend to run 30-40% below summer peaks, and restaurants that required reservations 3 weeks out in September might have same-day openings.
November in Chicago is for people who like their cities turned inward. The Art Institute is quiet enough to stand in front of Seurat's 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte' without a crowd behind you. Second City runs nightly comedy shows in Old Town. Green Mill Jazz Club in Uptown still packs its red-leather booths on weeknight sets. If your trip centers on outdoor sightseeing in comfortable weather, pick June or September instead.
Why visit in November
- Hotel rates run 30-40% below summer peaks, with midweek deals in the Loop and River North dropping further still
- Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza opens mid-November, bringing a Nuremberg-style holiday market with over 50 vendors to the city center
- World-class museums like the Art Institute and the Field Museum have noticeably shorter lines than their summer peaks
- The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival and Macy's State Street holiday windows kick off the season with genuine spectacle, and you beat the December crowds by weeks
Worth knowing
- Average highs of 9.5°C (49°F) and wind chill off Lake Michigan can make afternoons feel near freezing, limiting comfortable outdoor time to about 2 hours before you need to duck inside
- Overcast skies are common for 3-4 consecutive days, and November averages only about 9.5 hours of daylight by month's end, with sunset before 4:30 PM by late November
- Architecture boat tours on the Chicago River shut down for the season in the first or second week of November, closing one of the city's top-rated attractions
- Lake-effect rain and occasional early-season snow squalls can arrive with little warning from the northeast
Best for
Think twice if
November in Chicago feels like the city is bracing itself. Daytime highs average 9.5°C (49°F), but the wind off Lake Michigan often drops the effective temperature 5-8 degrees lower. The first week can still carry some residual October warmth, with occasional days reaching 14-15°C (57-59°F). By Thanksgiving, though, you might see mornings below freezing and the first flurries of the season. Rain falls across about 7 days, totaling roughly 55mm. Some years bring an early November snowfall that melts by afternoon. Humidity sits around 72%, which doesn't feel oppressive at these temperatures but adds a damp edge to the cold that cuts through thin layers.
Seasonal caution
- Wind chill off Lake Michigan can drop the feels-like temperature 5-8°C below the actual reading, especially along the lakefront trail and near Navy Pier. Exposed skin at these temperatures and wind speeds becomes uncomfortable within 20-30 minutes.
- Lake-effect snow squalls occasionally appear from late November onward, typically brief but capable of reducing visibility rapidly along the lakeshore. These tend to hit neighborhoods closest to the lake first.
- By late November, sunset falls before 4:30 PM, leaving fewer than 9.5 hours of daylight. Plan outdoor activities for the midday window between 10 AM and 2 PM for the best light and warmth.
Year-round climate
Averages from the last 5 years.
| Month | Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | -7 | 68 |
| Feb | 2 | -6 | 52 |
| Mar | 9 | 0 | 97 |
| Apr | 14 | 5 | 83 |
| May | 19 | 10 | 91 |
| Jun | 26 | 17 | 102 |
| Jul | 27 | 19 | 164 |
| Aug | 27 | 19 | 102 |
| Sep | 24 | 16 | 83 |
| Oct | 18 | 10 | 111 |
| Nov | 10 | 2 | 55 |
| Dec | 4 | -3 | 67 |
Headline events
Christkindlmarket Chicago
Opens mid-November, runs through late December
A Nuremberg-style outdoor holiday market at Daley Plaza, featuring over 50 vendors selling handcrafted ornaments, German sausages, and hot Glühwein in a setting anchored by a towering Christmas tree and the Picasso sculpture. The market has drawn over a million visitors per season since its founding in 1996 and remains the Midwest's most recognized holiday market.
Best things to do in November
Browse Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza
festivalOver 50 vendor stalls sell handcrafted ornaments, wooden toys, and German sausages beneath the Picasso sculpture and a towering Christmas tree. The scent of roasted almonds and cinnamon carries across the plaza. Live performances run on the small stage most evenings.
The market opens mid-November, and the first two weeks tend to be less packed than December, when weekend foot traffic can double.Booking tipWeekday lunchtimes between 11 AM and 1 PM see the lightest crowds. No tickets needed.
Walk the Magnificent Mile Lights Festival
festivalMichigan Avenue's 200+ trees light up during a Saturday-evening parade that typically draws over a million spectators across the weekend. The parade runs about 40 blocks from Oak Street south to the Wrigley Building, with marching bands, floats, and fireworks at the end.
The festival is held the Saturday before Thanksgiving, making it a November fixture. By December the lights are up but the parade itself is done.Booking tipArrive at least 90 minutes early if you want a spot along the lower stretch of Michigan Avenue near the river. Upper Michigan Avenue near Oak Street tends to be less dense.
Spend a quiet afternoon at the Art Institute of Chicago
cultureThe museum's collection spans 5,000 years across 300,000 works. November's lower attendance means you can linger in front of Edward Hopper's 'Nighthawks' or the Impressionist galleries on the second floor without navigating a crowd. The building itself, a Beaux-Arts structure on Michigan Avenue, opens onto Millennium Park.
Summer foot traffic at the Art Institute can mean 30-minute gallery bottlenecks. In November, even Saturday afternoons feel manageable, and weekday mornings can be nearly empty.Booking tipTimed entry is still required on weekends. Book online ahead for a morning slot if you want the quietest experience.
Catch a show at Second City in Old Town
entertainmentThe comedy theater that launched the careers of Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, and Bill Murray runs improv and sketch shows most nights. The intimate 300-seat mainstage puts you close enough to hear performers' ad-libs clearly. The bar in the lobby serves local craft beers.
November's early darkness and cold evenings make a 7:30 PM show feel perfectly timed. Weeknight tickets are easier to get than during the summer tourist season.Booking tipThe mainstage revue tends to sell out on Fridays and Saturdays. Wednesday and Thursday shows offer the same cast with more open seats.
Explore the Museum of Science and Industry in Hyde Park
cultureOne of the largest science museums in the Western Hemisphere, housed in the former Palace of Fine Arts from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition. The U-505 submarine exhibit lets you walk through a captured World War II German U-boat. The Coal Mine ride descends into a simulated shaft.
November marks the opening of the museum's Christmas Around the World exhibit, featuring over 50 decorated trees representing different cultures. The holiday displays typically launch the week before Thanksgiving.Listen to live jazz at Green Mill Jazz Club
entertainmentThis Uptown jazz club has been open since 1907 and still has its original art deco interior with curved red-leather booths and a low stage. Al Capone reportedly had a regular booth here. Live acts perform 7 nights a week, and the Sunday-night poetry slam has run since 1986.
November's cold drives Chicagoans indoors, and Green Mill's intimate 200-capacity room feels like the kind of place that was built for dark, windy nights. Weeknight sets are less crowded than summer.Walk through Millennium Park and photograph Cloud Gate
sightseeingAnish Kapoor's 110-ton stainless steel sculpture, known locally as 'The Bean,' reflects the November skyline in its curved surface. The park's Crown Fountain is typically shut down for winter by November, but the Lurie Garden still has late-autumn textures in its perennial beds.
Overcast November skies create a soft, even light that makes Cloud Gate's reflections particularly striking for photography. The usual crowds of 50-100 people waiting for a photo thin to a handful on weekday mornings.Take a Chicago food tour through Pilsen or Wicker Park
foodGuided walking tours through Pilsen cover 4-6 stops over about 3 hours, sampling Mexican bakeries, taquerias, and the neighborhood's mural-lined 18th Street corridor. Wicker Park tours tend to focus on newer restaurants and craft cocktail bars along Milwaukee and Division.
November's cooler weather means the walks between stops feel brisk rather than grueling. Tour group sizes tend to shrink from summer's 15-20 to 8-10, which means more attention from guides and less waiting at each stop.Booking tipBook at least a week in advance. Weekend morning tours fill up faster than weekday options.
What to eat in November
On menus now
Deep-dish pizza
A year-round staple, but November's cold and gray skies make the 45-minute wait for a thick, bubbling pie at spots like Lou Malnati's or Pequod's feel more like a ritual than a meal. The cheese pulls steam in the cold air when you cut into it.
Street food peaks
Italian beef sandwich
Thinly sliced beef on a chewy Italian roll, dipped in hot jus and loaded with giardiniera peppers. The steam from a fresh dip at Al's Beef hits your face before the first bite. Peak comfort food when the temperature drops below 10°C.
Apple cider donuts
The tail end of Midwest apple season means warm, cinnamon-sugar-coated donuts are still showing up at the Green City Market in Lincoln Park and at stands around the city. They tend to disappear from stalls by early December.
Chicago-style hot dog
Vienna beef on a poppy seed bun with yellow mustard, neon-green relish, chopped onion, tomato wedges, a dill pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt. No ketchup. The snap of the natural casing is sharper in cold air. Portillo's on Ontario Street and Superdawg on Milwaukee Avenue are the perennial picks.
Festival food
Glühwein at Christkindlmarket
Hot spiced wine served in a collectible ceramic boot mug at Daley Plaza's Christkindlmarket. Each year features a new mug design that regulars collect. The drink itself is warm, clove-heavy, and sweet enough to take the edge off a 4°C afternoon.
Regular events in November
Magnificent Mile Lights FestivalFree
A Saturday-evening parade along Michigan Avenue that ends with over a million lights switching on across 200+ trees along the boulevard. Fireworks close the event near the Wrigley Building.
Saturday before ThanksgivingChicago Thanksgiving Day ParadeFree
A parade running along State Street from Congress Parkway to Randolph Street, featuring floats, marching bands, and large character balloons. The tradition dates back to 1934, originally organized by State Street retailers.
Thanksgiving morning, fourth Thursday of NovemberChicago Humanities Festival
A multi-week series of talks, panels, and performances across venues in Hyde Park, the Loop, and other neighborhoods. Past speakers have included authors, filmmakers, and public intellectuals. Events cover topics from architecture to social justice.
Throughout NovemberMacy's State Street Holiday Windows UnveilingFree
Macy's flagship store on State Street reveals its animated holiday window displays, a tradition carried over from Marshall Field's. Each window features a different scene with moving figures and detailed backdrops. Crowds gather for the unveiling ceremony in early November.
Early NovemberBest places this November
Art Institute of Chicago
museumOne of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States, holding over 300,000 works including Seurat's 'A Sunday on La Grande Jatte' and Grant Wood's 'American Gothic.' November's low attendance makes the Impressionist wing on the second floor feel almost private.
LoopDaley Plaza and Christkindlmarket
marketThe plaza anchored by Picasso's untitled 50-foot steel sculpture transforms into an outdoor holiday market mid-November. The smell of bratwurst and spiced wine fills the air between the vendor stalls. The market stays open into the evening, and the lights on the Christmas tree are visible from several blocks away.
LoopGreen Mill Jazz Club
nightlifeA 1907 jazz club in Uptown with original art deco decor, red-leather booths, and live music 7 nights a week. The room holds about 200 people and the stage sits at floor level, putting musicians within arm's reach of the front tables.
UptownMuseum of Science and Industry
museumHoused in the only remaining building from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition, the museum covers 14 acres of exhibits. The Christmas Around the World display, launching in late November, fills the main hall with over 50 decorated trees.
Hyde ParkWillis Tower Skydeck
observationThe observation deck on the 103rd floor sits 412 meters above street level. November's thinner crowds mean shorter waits for the glass-floored Ledge boxes that extend over the street. On clear days, you can see 4 states from the top.
LoopPilsen neighborhood
neighborhoodChicago's Mexican-American cultural hub along 18th Street, lined with murals, panaderías, and taquerias. The National Museum of Mexican Art on 19th Street has free admission year-round and houses over 10,000 works.
PilsenSecond City
entertainmentThe improv and sketch comedy theater in Old Town that launched careers from John Belushi to Tina Fey. The intimate mainstage seats about 300, and the attached bar area sometimes hosts free improv sets after the main show.
Old TownGarfield Park Conservatory
gardenOne of the largest botanical conservatories in the United States, spanning about 1.8 hectares under glass. Warm and humid inside regardless of November's chill, with palm rooms, fern rooms, and seasonal flower shows. Admission is free.
East Garfield Park
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Insider tips
The CTA Blue Line runs 24 hours between O'Hare Airport and downtown, and November ridership is low enough that you'll likely get a seat even during weekday rush hours. The train takes about 45 minutes from O'Hare to the Loop.
Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza is most comfortable on weekday afternoons between noon and 3 PM. Weekend evenings, especially the first two weekends after opening, can feel shoulder-to-shoulder near the Glühwein stand.
If the lakefront trail is too windy, the Chicago Riverwalk offers a more sheltered walking path through downtown. The east-west blocks between State Street and Lake Shore Drive create enough of a wind buffer to make the difference noticeable.
The Art Institute offers free admission for Illinois residents on certain evenings. Check the museum's calendar before your visit, as the schedule shifts seasonally.
For deep-dish pizza without the tourist wait, try Pequod's in Lincoln Park rather than the Magnificent Mile locations. The caramelized cheese crust is a different style from Lou Malnati's butter crust, and the line tends to move faster on weeknights.
Navy Pier is mostly empty in November and many of its outdoor attractions close for the season. It's worth a walk for the skyline view from the east end, but don't plan a full afternoon there.
Avoid these mistakes
- Underestimating the wind chill along Lake Michigan. The thermometer might read 8°C, but the wind off the lake can make it feel like 0°C. Dress for the feels-like temperature, not the forecast high.
- Planning a full day of outdoor sightseeing. November daylight runs from roughly 6:30 AM to 4:30 PM, and the comfortable outdoor window narrows to about 4 hours in the middle of the day. Front-load outdoor plans and shift to museums and restaurants by mid-afternoon.
- Booking an architecture boat tour without checking the season schedule. Most operators on the Chicago River wrap up by the first or second week of November. The Chicago Architecture Center's walking tours run year-round and cover many of the same buildings.
- Skipping Thanksgiving dinner reservations. Many hotel restaurants and popular spots fill their Thanksgiving seatings weeks in advance. If you're in Chicago over the holiday, book dining before you book the flight.
- Assuming Uber and Lyft will be quick on Thanksgiving weekend. Ride-share demand near Michigan Avenue during the Lights Festival and around O'Hare during the holiday travel window can push wait times past 20-30 minutes. The CTA is faster and more predictable for those routes.
Practical tips for November
Layer for indoor-outdoor transitions, as museums, restaurants, and CTA trains keep interiors warm while November air outside hovers near freezing with wind chill. The CTA day pass covers unlimited rides on buses and L trains, which is more practical than ride-shares when moving between the Loop, Lincoln Park, and Hyde Park. Sunset arrives before 4:30 PM by late November, so schedule outdoor activities like the lakefront trail or Millennium Park before 2 PM for the best light. Christkindlmarket vendors at Daley Plaza are cash-friendly, though most now accept cards. Restaurants in River North and the West Loop that typically need reservations 2-3 weeks out in peak season often have same-week availability in November, but Thanksgiving week is the exception. Check the CTA's trip planner for any scheduled maintenance on the Brown and Red Lines, which serve the most tourist-heavy stops.
FAQ
Is November a good time to visit Chicago?
November is a fair month for visiting Chicago. The weather turns cold, with average highs near 9.5°C (49°F) and frequent wind chill off Lake Michigan. That said, hotel rates drop 30-40% from summer peaks, museums are notably less crowded, and Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza opens mid-month. If you're comfortable with cold weather and shorter days, November offers good value and easy access to indoor attractions that feel packed in summer.
What is the weather like in Chicago in November?
Expect daytime highs around 9.5°C (49°F) and lows near 2.3°C (36°F), with wind chill off Lake Michigan regularly making it feel 5-8 degrees colder. Overcast skies are common for 3-4 consecutive days. Rain falls on roughly 7 days across the month, totaling about 55mm, and some years bring early snowfall that typically melts by afternoon. By late November, sunset falls before 4:30 PM.
What should I wear in Chicago in November?
A wind-resistant winter coat is the most important piece, as the lake wind can cut through lighter jackets within minutes. Layer thermal base layers under your clothes for outdoor stretches, and bring a winter hat, gloves, and a scarf for evenings. Waterproof ankle boots handle the mix of rain, slush, and puddles on downtown sidewalks.
Is Christkindlmarket worth visiting in November?
Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza typically opens mid-November and runs through late December. Visiting in November means lighter crowds than December weekends, when the market can feel packed. Over 50 vendors sell handcrafted ornaments, German sausages, and hot Glühwein. The market is free to enter and sits beneath the Picasso sculpture and a large Christmas tree.
Are architecture boat tours available in Chicago in November?
Most architecture boat tour operators on the Chicago River end their season in the first or second week of November. If you arrive after that window, the Chicago Architecture Center runs indoor walking tours year-round that cover many of the same buildings. The center itself, on Michigan Avenue, has a scale model of the city that's worth a visit on its own.
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