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Voykit pocket guide · United States
North Chicago
Skip unless you're visiting the National Museum of the American Sailor or have family at Naval Station Great Lakes. A half-day stop from Chicago or Milwaukee.
North Chicago is a small Lake Michigan suburb dominated by Naval Station Great Lakes, the Navy's only boot camp. The main draw for visitors is the National Museum of the American Sailor, which is free and open six days a week. There's little else for tourists, so most travellers use nearby Libertyville or Gurnee as a base and visit North Chicago for a few hours.
- Country
- United States
- Best months
- May–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (cold, lake-effect snow)
- Stay
- 0 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $50–80 excl. bed · Mid $80–150 excl. bed · High $150+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee | $2–4 |
| Fast-food meal | $8–12 |
| Sit-down restaurant dinner | $15–30 |
| Beer (domestic) | $4–7 |
| Taxi from Waukegan Metra to North Chicago | $10–15 |
| Gas (per gallon) | $3.50–4.50 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- ORD · Chicago O'Hare International
- About 40 min by car (check traffic); Metra from O'Hare Transfer station to Waukegan, then bus or taxi.
- MDW · Chicago Midway International
- About 1 h by car; Metra from Chicago Union Station.
Typical fares
- Metra from Chicago Union Station to Waukegan
- about $10 one-way, about 1 h (check)
- Taxi from Waukegan Metra to North Chicago
- $10–15
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
A car is easiest. Pace Bus route 565 connects the North Chicago Metra station to the naval base and Sheridan Road. Taxis and ride-hail are available but limited.
See and do
Known for
- Naval Station Great Lakes
- National Museum of the American Sailor
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Libertyville | Car, about 10 min; Pace Bus 565 to downtown Libertyville | About 20 min |
| Gurnee | Car, about 10 min; Pace Bus 565 | About 20 min |
| Waukegan | Car, about 5 min; Pace Bus 565 | About 15 min |
Sleep
- Gurnee
- 10 min north; hotels near Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills.
- Libertyville
- 10 min west; quieter, with restaurants and a Metra station.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | Hello |
| Thank you | Thank you |
| How much is this? | How much is this? |
| Where is the museum? | Where is the museum? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- Naval Station Great Lakes is an active military base; visitors need a valid ID and may be subject to security checks.
- The museum is inside the base but does not require base access — enter through the Main Gates.
- Lake-effect snow can make driving hazardous in winter; check conditions before heading north from Chicago.
North Chicago is generally safe, but the area around the naval base has limited foot traffic after dark. Standard suburban precautions apply.
One and two days
No timed day plan for North Chicago yet. Suggested stay: 0 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Naval Station Great Lakes
- National Museum of the American Sailor
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Wikivoyage: North Chicago, revision 4333509 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=4333509
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
North Chicago
To this address, please
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
English is universal; no phrasebook needed.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/north-chicago). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.