So if you’re wondering “how dangerous is Chicago?” the answer is that anywhere you’d actually plan to go as a tourist is safe and secure. The violent crime you hear about on the news happens in neighborhoods that are far away from tourist hotspots.

Chicago is actually very safe to visit! When you account for population, Chicago’s crime rate is actually lower than the national average. Outside of a few neighborhoods whose high crime rates skew statistics for the whole city, you are unlikely to encounter danger in Chicago as long as you take basic precautions to protect yourself.

Chicago is a safe city to visit. It may have a reputation for crime – of all kinds – but Chicago is about as safe as any other megalopolis city in the Western world. It has gentrified the main visiting areas, especially the far north side.

Although Chicago has become synonymous with being one of America’s most dangerous cities, and the news makes it sound rife with violent crime, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Most lists of dangerous cities or cities with high crime ratios don’t even include Chicago!

There's a medium overall risk in Chicago, and some neighborhoods rise to high risk. Chicago is notorious for its gun violence and gang crimes, which are being fueled by increased gun crime across America and the nationwide opioid epidemic.