Cities have an important status and value in today's era,and their influence has become an important part of a country's comprehensive strength.As a famous industrial city in the United States,Chicago has gone through the pre-industrialisation,industrialisation and post-industrialisation eras,and each phase has had a great influence on other cities.Chicago in the pre-industrial era relied on transport and commerce to achieve urban prosperity,and became a model for the development of commercial cities.In the industrial era,Chicago relied on the industrial revolution to transform the city,relying on transport hubs,industrial production,urban construction,and cultural dissemination to establish its influence in the United States and the world.In the post-industrial era,Chicago has built the Greater Chicago region through the concept of regionalisation,creating the Chicago metropolitan area with international influence.The generation and evolution of Chicago's urban influence can be a reference for industrial cities such as the old industrial bases in Northeast China,and help the transformation and influence of China's industrial cities.