Is it hot at Navy Pier?

Navy Pier in July: an exposed deck with a lake breeze working for you

Navy Pier pushes more than half a mile out into Lake Michigan, and almost all of that walk is open deck. As a waterfront attraction it trades tree cover for water and wind: there is little natural shade along the promenade, but the breeze coming off the lake takes a real edge off the heat that the numbers alone would predict. Chicago's July afternoons top out around 85°F, warm but rarely brutal, and out on the pier that lake air keeps things more comfortable than a downtown sidewalk.

Sun and shade out on the deck

Expect open pavement for most of the pier. The shade you find comes from the buildings and structures clustered along its length rather than from any canopy over the walkways, so the eastern, water-facing end is the most exposed stretch. At 3 PM in high summer the sun stands about 57 degrees high on a west-southwest bearing near 241 degrees, which means the taller structures throw their shadows toward the east and northeast as the afternoon goes on. Duck to the shaded side of a building, or step indoors, when the sun is at its strongest, out on the open deck there is nowhere to hide from it.

When to go, and how the breeze helps

Sunrise in July lands near 5:28 AM and sunset around 8:23 PM, so the pier gets a long, bright day. The good news is the water: a steady lake breeze and the cooler air over Lake Michigan make even midday walkable most days.

• Mornings are calm and cool, and the pier is quieter before the crowds arrive.
• Late afternoon and evening, as the sun drops toward the west, the deck shades gradually and the light softens over the water.
• Bring sunscreen regardless, the breeze hides how much sun you are getting, and reflection off the lake adds to it.

Chicago's shoulder seasons are pleasant on the pier. May near 64°F and September around 75°F give you comfortable air with the same open views, and far less of the summer crowd.

The water's edge

The very tip of Navy Pier and its railings sit fully in the open, with the lake throwing light back at you from all sides. That is the spot to enjoy in the morning or evening rather than at midday, when the sun is high and unobstructed. The trade for those long, uninterrupted lake views is that you are standing in full sun to get them.

To see how the pier's buildings cast their shadows across the deck at the hour you plan to visit, open the satellite shadow view before you go.