Large nomad scene
Good to know
Good to Know
- Chicago has an established digital nomad and remote work community with over 1,000 members in the main Chicago Digital Nomads group alone.
- Spring and fall offer the highest frequency of networking events and conferences, while summer features more casual outdoor gatherings.
- The city supports multiple professional networking tiers—from casual digital nomad meetups to structured business groups (BNI, WCBN) and industry-specific events.
- West Loop, Wicker Park, Bucktown, and Logan Square neighborhoods attract creative professionals and have active community scenes.
- Chicago's networking infrastructure includes both specialized nomad/remote work communities and broader professional groups that welcome remote workers.
Event Seasonality
- Fall
- Busiest season for business and creative networking
- Spring
- Busiest season for business and creative networking with major conferences and expos
- Summer
- Casual rooftop and outdoor mixers
- Winter
- Intimate professional luncheons
Community Platforms
- Meetup Groups
- Extensive Meetup community presence for tech, professional, and digital nomad groups
- Facebook Groups
- Active 'Digital Nomads in Chicago' and expat groups
- Industry Specific Events
- Tech Chicago events, entrepreneurship meetups, industry-specific conferences
Community Infrastructure
Coliving Spaces
- Count
- 6
- Note
- 6 documented coliving spaces specifically marketed to digital nomads
Coworking Spaces
- Count
- 33
- Note
- 33 documented coworking spaces across Chicago for remote workers and digital nomads
Laptop Friendly Cafes
- Count
- 29
- Note
- 29 cafés identified as laptop-friendly work spaces
Named Meetup And Networking Groups
Chicago Digital Nomads (CDN)
- Platform
- Meetup
- Frequency
- Active regular meetups
- Organizer
- Groundwave Consulting
- Description
- Community of 1,000+ remote workers, entrepreneurs and wellness enthusiasts
Windy City Business Network (WCBN)
- Founded
- 2008
- Frequency
- Ongoing monthly events
- Activities
- Monthly after-work mixers, rooftop happy hours, exclusive member events, lead-sharing opportunities
- Description
- One of the largest and most established professional groups in Chicago with 3,000+ LinkedIn members and dozens of live events annually
Network After Work Chicago
- Platform
- Meetup
- Frequency
- Regular informal in-person events
- Description
- Professional community of entrepreneurs, professionals, executives and thought leaders focused on meaningful connections
Chicago Council on Global Affairs Young Professionals Network
- Frequency
- Ongoing year-round
- Activities
- In-person and virtual events, YP-only meetups, private LinkedIn group, global affairs discussions
- Description
- Community for globally minded young professionals with exclusive events and networking opportunities
Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce
- Frequency
- 150+ webinars and virtual events annually
- Description
- Business association providing webinars, virtual events, programs and networking opportunities
AI-generated estimateData refreshed July 2026
Sources cited for this category
These are the sources cited in this nomad & expat scene density research for this city. Individual figures may not each trace to one of them.
More About Chicago
Data last updated July 2026 · Verify anything important.