Chicago Tribune
Chicago's major daily newspaper covering local news, politics and sports.
Chicago Tribune at a glance
Chicago Tribune is a news & media website and one of the most visited sites in United States, currently ranked #337 in the country. It was founded in 1847 by James Kelly, John Wheeler, Joseph Medill and is headquartered in Chicago, IL, USA. Today Chicago Tribune is owned by Alden Global Capital. Our estimates put its audience at ≈ 45 million visits per month. The business earns money mainly through subscriptions, digital advertising. Its closest rivals include suntimes.com, nytimes.com, usatoday.com.
Traffic statistics
Traffic history
| Period | Visits | Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 | ≈ 42.3 million / month | +2% |
| Q2 | ≈ 43.6 million / month | +3% |
| Q3 | ≈ 45 million / month | +3% |
| Q4 | ≈ 47.7 million / month | +6% |
Traffic sources
- Direct37%
- Organic search34%
- Social18%
- News aggregators8%
- Email3%
Audience & demographics
- Men55%
- Women45%
- Age 35-4426%
- Age 45-5423%
- Age 25-3422%
The audience is concentrated in United States, skewing urban and mobile, with usage peaks in the evening hours.
Geographic reach
- United States86%
Home market
- Diaspora and neighbouring markets7%
- Europe3%
- North America2%
- Rest of world2%
SEO profile
- Estimated organic traffic
- ≈ 13.5 million visits / month
- Branded share of search
- High — brand terms lead the keyword profile
- Indexed pages
- Large — category, listing or article level
- Primary search market
- United States
Top organic keywords
| Keyword | Position | Volume | Traffic share |
|---|---|---|---|
| chicago tribune | 1 | Very high | Dominant |
| breaking news | Top 10 | High | — |
| today's headlines | Top 10 | High | — |
| live coverage | Top 10 | High | — |
Backlink profile
- Referring domains
- Tens of thousands
- Link profile
- News coverage, directories, blogs and partner sites
- Authority
- High within the United States web
Top referral sources
- News and media31%
- Directories and aggregators24%
- Blogs and forums20%
- Partner sites14%
- Other11%
Technology stack
Website technologies
Advertising & analytics technologies
Stack details are inferred from public front-end signals and engineering communications; internal systems may differ.
Mobile app statistics
Available in the local store
Available in the local store
- App share of traffic
- ≈ 79% mobile
- Position in country
- Among the leading news & media apps in United States
Company information
- Website
- chicagotribune.com
- Sector
- News & Media
- Owner
- Alden Global Capital
- Owner type
- Private company
- Founders
- James Kelly, John Wheeler, Joseph Medill
- Founded
- 1847
- Headquarters
- Chicago, IL, USA
- Employees
- 500+
- Ownership
- Alden Global Capital controls the platform. Ownership details are based on public filings and press reporting.
- Revenue
- ≈ $250 million annual revenue (est.)
- Languages
- English
- Top traffic sources
- direct, organic search, social
Financials
- Revenue
- ≈ $250 million annual revenue (est.)
- Ownership
- Private company
- Reporting
- Figures based on public filings, press reports and market estimates
Business model & revenue
Chicago Tribune operates a news and media publisher focused on United States. Chicago's major daily newspaper covering local news, politics and sports. Revenue comes mainly from subscriptions, supported by the other lines listed below.
- Subscriptions
- Digital advertising
Products & services
International presence
- Primary market
- United States
- Expansion
- Regional and diaspora audiences beyond the home market
Employee statistics
Customer statistics
Website rankings
- Country rank (United States)
- #337 in this index
- Sector rank
- Leading news & media site in United States
- Global rank
- 1800
Main competitors
Website comparisons
| Website | Monthly visits | Rank | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| suntimes.com | ≈ 27 million / month | #338 class competitor | — |
| nytimes.com | ≈ 20.2 million / month | #339 class competitor | — |
| usatoday.com | ≈ 13.5 million / month | #340 class competitor | — |
What is Chicago Tribune?
Chicago Tribune (chicagotribune.com) is a news and media publisher serving users in United States. Chicago's major daily newspaper covering local news, politics and sports. It ranks #337 among the most visited websites in the country in this index, within the news & media category.
Who owns Chicago Tribune?
The site is operated by Alden Global Capital, founded by James Kelly, John Wheeler, Joseph Medill. The company was established in 1847 and is headquartered in Chicago, IL, USA. It employs around 500+.
Traffic and audience
Traffic estimates place Chicago Tribune at roughly 45 million visits per month, about 1.5 million per day. Around 79% mobile of sessions come from mobile devices, and visitors view about 3.1 pages per visit with an average session of 3 min.
How Chicago Tribune makes money
Revenue comes primarily from subscriptions, alongside digital advertising.
Competitors in United States
Its closest rivals include suntimes.com, nytimes.com, usatoday.com.
Data and accuracy
Company facts are drawn from public sources. Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or sector benchmarks, marked with ≈ where modelled, and are reviewed periodically.
Company history & milestones
- 1847
Chicago Tribune is founded in Chicago, IL, USA.
- Growth phase
Expands its news & media offering and moves to a mobile-first product.
- Today
Ranks #337 among the most visited websites in United States.
User reviews & ratings
| Source | Score | Reviews | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Play | ≈ 4.3 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| App Store | ≈ 4.5 / 5 | — | Ratings from the local store listing |
| Consumer review platforms | Mixed | — | Service and support are common themes |
App store ratings are solid, while consumer review platforms show the usual friction around support and service quality.
Pros & cons
Pros
- Broad daily news coverage with national reach
- Fast breaking-news publishing
- Free access to most articles
- Strong presence in search and social
Cons
- Heavy advertising load on article pages
- Editorial line criticised by parts of the audience
- Clickbait headlines on high-traffic sections
- Paywall limits on premium content
Key statistics
Frequently asked questions
Who owns Chicago Tribune?
Chicago Tribune is operated by Alden Global Capital. Private company structure, based on public filings and press reporting.
Where is Chicago Tribune headquartered?
Chicago Tribune is headquartered in Chicago, IL, USA.
When was Chicago Tribune founded?
Chicago Tribune was founded in 1847 by James Kelly, John Wheeler, Joseph Medill.
How many employees does Chicago Tribune have?
Chicago Tribune employs approximately 500+ people.
What is Chicago Tribune's revenue?
Chicago Tribune's revenue: ≈ $250 million annual revenue (est.).
Who are Chicago Tribune's competitors?
Main competitors in United States include suntimes.com, nytimes.com, usatoday.com.
How does Chicago Tribune make money?
Mainly subscriptions, digital advertising.
Is Chicago Tribune publicly traded?
No — Chicago Tribune is not listed as an independent public company; it is operated by Alden Global Capital.
How many visitors does Chicago Tribune get?
Third-party estimates place Chicago Tribune at roughly 45 million visits per month, mostly from United States, with 79% mobile traffic.
Is Chicago Tribune safe?
Chicago Tribune is an established news & media site founded in 1847 and ranked #337 in United States; use the official domain chicagotribune.com and HTTPS.
Popular searches
Data sources & confidence
- Company website and public announcementschicagotribune.com
- Third-party traffic estimation providersSimilarweb-class estimates
Visit figures are modelled, not measured
- App store listingsApple App Store, Google Play
- Press and market coverageUnited States and international business media
- Data confidence
- Medium for company facts, medium-low for traffic and financial estimates. All modelled figures are rounded and marked with ≈.
- Last updated
- September 2026
Traffic, revenue and audience figures are third-party estimates or derived from sector benchmarks, and are reviewed periodically.
Social media profiles & statistics
Official brand account
Announcements and support
Community and campaigns
Company and hiring updates
Brand and product videos