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Cell Phone Coverage In Chicago

All three major networks are expected to offer good cell coverage in Chicago. Check coverage at your location with the map below.

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(Uses Verizon)
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(Uses Verizon)
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Chicago Coverage Maps

Coverage maps draw on data from the FCC's Broadband Data Collection and Coverage Critic's crowdsourcing.

Coverage maps draw on data from the FCC's Broadband Data Collection and Coverage Critic's crowdsourcing.

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- ◄ Signal Strength ► +
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  • Unlimited calls, texts, and data
  • Excellent coverage expected in Chicago
  • Service over Verizon’s network
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4G LTE & 5G Coverage In Chicago

The table below shows the proportion of Chicago with coverage from different cellular technologies.
Network4G Coverage5G Coverage
AT&T100%100%
T-Mobile100%100%
Verizon100%99%
Dish0%98%
Don't be alarmed by Dish's lack of 4G coverage in Chicago. Dish has a newly-built network that's 5G-only.

US Cellular And Dish Roaming Coverage

US Cellular does not have native coverage in Chicago. However, some US Cellular subscribers may still have coverage in Chicago thanks to roaming agreements.

Millimeter Wave 5G

Parts of Chicago have millimeter wave 5G coverage. This novel celluar technology offers extremely fast speeds, but the coverage potential is limited. Millimeter waves aren't well-suited for traveling long distances.

Network Millimeter Wave
Verizon
AT&T
T-Mobile ?

Millimeter wave coverage in Chicago is likely sparse (mostly limited to dense, outdoor areas like popular parks or sports stadiums).

Chicago Cell Signal Strength

There are 5,644 map hexes within the census-defined boundaries of Chicago. The table below shows the proportion of hexes at various levels of signal strength. Where both 4G and 5G coverage is available, data is drawn from whichever technology offers a stronger signal.

NetworkStrongDecentWeakNone
AT&T13%78%9%0%
T-Mobile94%6%0%0%
Verizon45%54%1%0%
Dish10%84%4%2%

For most purposes, decent signals are perfectly sufficient. Weak or non-existent signals cause far greater degradation in user experience.

Due to data-reliability concerns, 105 hexes in Chicago that fall in bodies water, along rivers, or near shorelines are excluded from the table above.

Crowdsourced Coverage Data In Chicago

Coverage Critic has 619,767 crowdsourced data points from 4,233 map hexes within the boundaries of Chicago. Data is available for AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon.

NetworkUnique HexesTotal Observations
AT&T3,190162,279
T-Mobile3,910399,860
Verizon2,22055,903

Click here to toggle to the map's crowdsourced data layer.

Illinois State-Wide Coverage Scores

Network Coverage Score
Verizon 8.6 / 10
AT&T 8.7 / 10
T-Mobile 7.8 / 10

All the major networks generally perform well in Chicago and the surrounding area. Verizon and AT&T may have an advantage in rural portions of Illinois.

Data Confidence

The coverage information for Chicago is rated as high confidence. The predictions likely reflect reality. However, small areas of Chicago may have worse coverage than predicted. Documentation is available elsewhere covering limitations of Coverage Critic's approach.

Last updated: February 27, 2024