Aerial View of Downtown Chicago, Illinois, between 1980 and 2006

Dozens of skyscrapers seen near the shore of Lake Michigan in this photograph of downtown Chicago. Navy pier visible in the foreground. Photo is too high up to see any vehicles or pedestrians.

Courtesy of Library of Congress, Highsmith, Carol M., "Aerial view of downtown Chicago, Illinois, from Lake Michigan," between 1980 and 2006

Description

This image was taken from an airplane flying along the downtown skyline of Chicago, Illinois, in 1980. Chicago's business district is the second largest business district in the United States, second only to Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Navy Pier, a popular tourist destination with large ferris wheel, is seen in the left corner. In 1980, the population of Chicago, Illinois, was 3,005,072 and in 2010, the population was 2,695,598.

Source-Dependent Questions

Is Chicago, Illinois, an urban area or a rural area? Use evidence from the image to support your answer.
Compare this image to "Chicago, 1857" map and "Madison Avenue in Chicago." How have the streets and buildings of Chicago changed over time?
Compare and contrast this image to main streets in Elliott, Iowa, Columbus Junction, Iowa, Des Moines and on Madison Avenue in Chicago?

Citation Information

Highsmith, Carol M., "Aerial view of downtown Chicago, Illinois, from Lake Michigan," between 1980 and 2006. Courtesy of Library of Congress