Typical July weather
Chicago
Illinois · July
85° days
66° nights
about 6 rainy days · 15 hours of daylight · lake 72°
What to pack
- Swimsuit
- Sunscreen
What July feels like
Festival season takes over Grant Park and the lakefront trail gets genuinely congested from Oak Street north. Hot stretches happen, and the neighborhoods away from the water feel them first: the lake breeze is a real amenity here, not a figure of speech.
Expect about 6 days with real rain — enough to notice, not enough to plan around. There’s a little humidity in the air, but nothing that changes your plans. about 7 afternoons top 90°.
Can you swim?
The lake runs about 72° — comfortable for swimming.
The numbers
| Typical high | 85° |
|---|---|
| Typical low | 66° |
| Days with real rain | 6 |
| Total rain | 3.7 in |
| Humidity | a touch humid |
| Water temperature | 72° |
| Sunrise / sunset (mid-month) | 5:28 am / 8:24 pm |