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Dew Point Today in Chicago
The current dew point in Chicago, IL, what comfort level it falls into, and what that means for running, sleeping, and working outdoors today.
Chicago gets short, sharp humid spells. Lake Michigan moderates the worst of it, but mid-summer dew points still push past 70°F several times a season.
Current Dew Point in Chicago, IL
7-Day Dew Point Forecast
Today and tomorrow at a glance — the next seven days of dew point at Chicago, IL, so you can see the sticky ones coming.
Dew Point Today, Hour by Hour
The next 24 hours of dew point at Chicago, IL, in local time. The quiet stretches are usually the early morning — dew point climbs through the afternoon and eases after sunset.
Dew Point Around Chicago and Nearby Cities
Humidity changes fast across short distances — a lake breeze or a hill can move the dew point by several degrees. These readings refresh with the page.
| Location | Dew point now | Compared to Chicago | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago, IL — this page | … | — | … |
| Milwaukee, WI | … | — | … |
| Gary, IN | … | — | … |
| Aurora, IL | … | — | … |
| Rockford, IL | … | — | … |
Dew Point Records and Averages in Chicago
Chicago's humidity has a long memory. Using 30 years of reanalysis data (1995–2024) for the coordinates of Chicago, IL, the numbers below are what this city actually does — not a national average applied to it. These are the highest values in that reanalysis period, not an official observing-station record.
- Highest dew point in reanalysis
- 80°F
- July 19, 2019
- Typical July peak
- 69°F
- Median 64°F — July is the hardest month
- When it eases off
- September
- Dew points fall back below the sticky range
So if someone asks what the average dew point in Chicago is, the honest answer is that it depends on the month: the city spends half the year in the comfortable range and a few weeks in the oppressive one. The month-by-month table above shows exactly where the line falls. See the comfort scale →
Dew Point in Chicago by Month
Typical dew point for each month in Chicago, IL — the middle 50% of days (25th to 75th percentile) from 1995–2024 of reanalysis data, with the median for the month.
| Month | Typical range | Median | Feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 9–27°F | 20°F / -6.7°C | Dry |
| February | 11–28°F | 21°F / -6.1°C | Dry |
| March | 21–35°F | 28°F / -2.2°C | Dry |
| April | 32–44°F | 37°F / 2.8°C | Dry |
| May | 43–56°F | 49°F / 9.4°C | Dry |
| June | 54–65°F | 60°F / 15.6°C | Slightly humid |
| Julyhardest | 60–69°F | 64°F / 17.8°C | Slightly humid |
| August | 59–68°F | 64°F / 17.8°C | Slightly humid |
| September | 51–62°F | 57°F / 13.9°C | Comfortable |
| October | 37–52°F | 44°F / 6.7°C | Dry |
| November | 25–40°F | 33°F / 0.6°C | Dry |
| December | 16–32°F | 25°F / -3.9°C | Dry |
July is the hardest month in Chicago — the median dew point is 64°F (17.8°C) and the muggiest quarter of days sit in the 60–69°F band. January is the most comfortable, at a median of 20°F (-6.7°C).
Today’s reading is at the top of this page — compare it against the table to see whether you are in a normal stretch or an unusual one. See the comfortable dew point range →
What This Dew Point Means in Chicago
Whatever the reading above says, the interpretation is the same everywhere. Below 55°F you can go at full effort outdoors. Between 55°F and 65°F it is pleasant to slightly sticky. From 65°F to 70°F most people feel genuinely uncomfortable and outdoor workouts get harder. Above 70°F, sweat stops cooling you efficiently — move exercise to early morning and take heat safety seriously.
Dew Point in Chicago — Frequently Asked Questions
What's the highest dew point ever in Chicago?
The highest value in Chicago's 1995–2024 reanalysis record is 80°F, reached on July 19, 2019. That is the same 30-year window the monthly table above uses — not an official observing-station record, which is a different and shorter dataset. The median July dew point reaches about 64°F, so the all-time mark sits roughly 16°F above a normal summer high.
Is Chicago more humid or dry?
Dry for most of the year. The median dew point sits below the sticky range from September through May. Chicago's sticky stretch runs June–August, peaking at a median of 64°F.
Is Milwaukee as humid as Chicago?
The two cities share the same air mass, so their sticky days line up closely — when one turns muggy, the other usually does within a day. The table above shows the current readings side by side.
What is a comfortable dew point in Chicago?
The comfort scale is the same everywhere: a dew point between 50°F and 60°F (10–16°C) feels comfortable to most people in Chicago, 60–65°F starts to feel sticky, and anything above 70°F feels oppressive. Local climate changes how often you see each range, not how it feels.
How often does the Chicago dew point update?
The reading on this page refreshes every 30 minutes from Open-Meteo, and the timestamp shown is Chicago local time. Dew point moves slowly compared with air temperature, so a recent reading is reliable for planning the next few hours.
Why is dew point better than the humidity percentage?
Relative humidity changes meaning with the temperature — 50% is dry on a cool morning and oppressive on a hot afternoon. Dew point is absolute, so 65°F always represents the same amount of moisture and the same sticky feeling.
← Back to the dew point chart | Dew point vs humidity: why it matters →