Chicago is positioned by the Great Lakes.
Chicago . Positioned along Lake Michigan , the city is an international hub for finance , commerce , industry , technology , telecommunications , and transportation : O'Hare International Airport is the second-busiest airport in the world when measured by aircraft traffic ; the region also has the largest number of U.S. highways and rail road freight . Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States .