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Most Urban Cities in Illinois

Densely populated city centers with the largest urban footprints.

Best Climate Cleanest Air Sunniest Most Urban All Rankings →
All United States  ·  Illinois

How We Score

Each metric is normalized 0-100 across U.S. cities, then weighted and summed. Cities missing any metric are excluded.

Density · 65% Population · 35%

Top 12 Most Urban Cities in Illinois

Ranked by composite score across 2 weighted metrics.

#1
Score 88.8
Chicago, IL
2,707,648 residents
Density 11,889
Population 2,707,648
#2
Score 65.7
Berwyn, IL
55,888 residents
Density 14,330
Population 55,888
#3
Score 65.4
Cicero, IL
83,223 residents
Density 14,178
Population 83,223
#4
Score 60.1
Stone Park, IL
4,504 residents
Density 13,247
Population 4,504
#5
Score 57.2
Elmwood Park, IL
23,982 residents
Density 12,556
Population 23,982
#6
Score 52
Oak Park, IL
53,315 residents
Density 11,344
Population 53,315
#7
Score 48.3
Harwood Heights, IL
8,851 residents
Density 10,664
Population 8,851
#8
Score 45.4
Evanston, IL
76,552 residents
Density 9,840
Population 76,552
#9
Score 39.9
Hometown, IL
4,244 residents
Density 8,842
Population 4,244
#10
Score 38.7
Maywood, IL
23,173 residents
Density 8,519
Population 23,173
#11
Score 38
Norridge, IL
15,177 residents
Density 8,385
Population 15,177
#12
Score 35.2
Arbury Hills, IL
1,408 residents
Density 7,822
Population 1,408

Full Ranking, Illinois

Top 50 cities. Click any city to see its full profile.

1 Chicago IL 88.8
2 Berwyn IL 65.7
3 Cicero IL 65.4
4 Stone Park IL 60.1
5 Elmwood Park IL 57.2
6 Oak Park IL 52
7 Harwood Heights IL 48.3
8 Evanston IL 45.4
9 Hometown IL 39.9
10 Maywood IL 38.7
11 Norridge IL 38
12 Arbury Hills IL 35.2
13 Bellwood IL 34.7
14 Highwood IL 32.8
15 Wilmington IL 31.4
16 Burbank IL 31.4
17 Oak Lawn IL 30.7
18 Ridgewood IL 30.6
19 Skokie IL 30.5
20 Park City IL 29.6
21 La Grange IL 28.6
22 Brookfield IL 28.5
23 Boulder Hill IL 28.2
24 Chicago Ridge IL 28.1
25 Evergreen Park IL 27.9
26 Glendale Heights IL 27.8
27 Calumet Park IL 27.5
28 La Grange Park IL 26.8
29 Orland Hills IL 26.4
30 Forest Park IL 26.3
31 Hanover Park IL 26.2
32 Blue Island IL 26.1
33 Melrose Park IL 25.5
34 Merrionette Park IL 25.3
35 Park Ridge IL 25.3
36 Kingston IL 24.7
37 Round Lake Beach IL 24.3
38 Mount Prospect IL 23.9
39 Niles IL 23.5
40 Hickory Hills IL 23.4
41 Wilmette IL 23.1
42 Summit IL 23.1
43 Forest Lake IL 23
44 Streamwood IL 22.8
45 Midlothian IL 22.4
46 Calumet City IL 22.3
47 Lincolnwood IL 22
48 Morton Grove IL 22
49 Palatine IL 21.9
50 Westmont IL 21.8

Chicago, IL tops the list with a composite score of 88.8 out of 100, followed by Berwyn and Cicero. IL dominates the top 12 with 12 cities, reflecting strong performance across the weighted metrics for most urban.

Rankings combine 2 independent metrics: Density, Population. Cities are weighted to reflect what matters most to most urban, and any city missing one or more metrics is excluded to avoid artificially inflated rankings.

Explore Other Best Cities Rankings

Best Climate Cities
Warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine and clean air.
Cleanest Air Cities
Lowest pollution levels for healthy outdoor living.
Sunniest Cities
Most days of sunshine per year, with warm and dry climate.