Fun Fact Friday – Origin of the “Windy City”

April 20, 2012 10:10 am CT

It’s common for Chicago to be referred to as the “Windy City,” but how did it get that name? Next time you’re walking downtown, you may think the strong wind that steals your hat and flips your umbrella is the reason behind the nickname, but that isn’t the case

In the mid 1800s, Chicago sent promoters to the east coast to encourage others to invest in the city. When detractors heard of this, they labeled Chicagoans as braggarts who were “full of wind,” thus deeming Chicago the Windy City.

This nickname resurfaced and became popular in the late 1890s when Chicago and New York City were competing to host the World’s Fair. When advertisements appeared naming Chicago a better host city, a New York City newspaper reporter publicly dismissed the propaganda by deeming Chicago nothing but a “Windy City” in the news.

Now you know!