Chicago in November

November is really two months in Chicago. For the first three weeks, the city is gray, quiet and cheaper than it's been since spring, and you'll have the museums nearly to yourself on a weekday. Then, the weekend before Thanksgiving, the Christmas market opens in Daley Plaza, the lights go on along Michigan Avenue, and the holiday season starts all at once. Which half you pick decides what kind of trip you get.

This page is for planning. For events and ideas, see things to do in Chicago in November.

November weather

By the National Weather Service's official 1991-2020 normals, measured at O'Hare, November averages a high of 48.4°F and a low of 34.1°F, with 2.42 inches of precipitation and 1.8 inches of snow. That's a drop of more than 14 degrees from October, and most of it happens in the back half of the month. Early November can still bring a 60-degree afternoon. By Thanksgiving, freezing nights are normal and the first snow is possible.

The dark matters more than the cold. Clocks go back on the first Sunday of November, and by the end of the month the sun sets around 4:20pm. The wind off the lake picks up, too, and a 45-degree day on the river bridges feels a lot colder than 45. Check the NWS Chicago forecast before you pack, and see our Chicago weather page for more.

Crowds and hotel prices

Early and mid-November are shoulder season. Summer and October crowds are gone, the holiday shoppers haven't arrived, and hotel rates start to come down, especially on weekends, when the business travelers leave. Conventions still run at McCormick Place, so check its calendar before you settle on a week. Restaurant tables are easy to get, and museum lines are short. It's also the last month for the Chicago Architecture Center's river cruise, which runs through November.

The weekend before Thanksgiving is different. The Magnificent Mile Lights Festival brings a parade and fireworks to Michigan Avenue on that Saturday, and it pulls in families from across the Midwest. Expect hotels near Michigan Avenue to book up that weekend. If you want to see it, book early and stay somewhere with an easy L ride in. Thanksgiving weekend itself brings holiday shoppers to State Street and Michigan Avenue, and Black Friday crowds are what you'd expect. The Field Museum and many other places close on Thanksgiving Day, so plan that day around the parade and dinner. Our Thanksgiving in Chicago page covers the holiday, and where to stay in Chicago and how to save money in Chicago help with the rest.

What to pack

Bring a real coat. Not a parka yet, but something warm and windproof that you'd wear in the mountains in fall. Pack a hat, gloves and a scarf, which you may not need on day one and will want by day three. Jeans, sweaters and a layer or two underneath work for most days. Waterproof shoes or boots help, since November rain turns to slush on the colder days. If you're here for the Lights Festival or the Thanksgiving Parade, you'll be standing still outside for a couple of hours, so dress a layer warmer than you think. More in what to wear in Chicago in fall, and if you're coming late in the month, what to wear in winter is closer to the mark.

What to do

The first half of the month is for indoor Chicago. Take the museums slowly, see a show (our theatre page has ideas), or warm up in the palm house at the Garfield Park Conservatory. Green City Market stays outdoors into late November. From the week before Thanksgiving, it's Christkindlmarket, the free skating rink in Millennium Park, ZooLights at Lincoln Park Zoo, and the Thanksgiving Parade on State Street.

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>> things to do in Chicago in fall
>> Chicago in October and Chicago in December
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