Waukegan, Illinois Weather
Waukegan, Illinois — live current conditions, hourly and 7-day forecasts, NWS alerts, radar and satellite imagery for Waukegan, Lake County.
Full aviation weather for Waukegan is published on the Waukegan National Airport (KUGN) page, 7 km away. It carries the current METAR decoded into plain language — surface wind, visibility, cloud layers and ceiling, temperature and dewpoint, and altimeter setting — alongside the raw observation as transmitted. 6 airfields within reach of Waukegan have their own pages, listed below.
The Terminal Aerodrome Forecast (TAF) is shown across its full validity period, with each change group broken out so you can see when conditions are expected to shift. Flight category is derived automatically — VFR, MVFR, IFR or LIFR — from reported ceiling and visibility, with runway details and field elevation alongside. Observations update roughly hourly and forecasts several times a day.
Other airports near Waukegan: Campbell Airport (KC81) 19 km · Kenosha Regional Airport (KENW) 27 km · Chicago Executive Airport (KPWK) 28 km · Camp Lake Airport (K49C) 31 km · Sylvania Airport (KC89) 39 km
Conditions reported at KUGN describe the airfield itself. Weather 7 km away can differ, particularly in terrain or near the coast. For conditions at Waukegan specifically, see the current conditions and forecast above.
About Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan unfolds along the western edge of a great, breathing lake, a place where the land gently slopes toward the vast blue expanse. It lies 2.6 miles north of North Chicago, IL (from North Chicago, IL: bearing 356°T), and is situated 3.0 miles east of Gurnee. The air here carries the distinct tang of fresh water, a constant companion to the wide skies that often bloom with dramatic clouds. Streets, some straight and purposeful, others winding with the old contours of the earth, lead toward the lakefront, revealing glimpses of weathered piers and the distant shimmer of boats. The rhythm of Waukegan is one of ebb and flow, a steady pulse set by the seasons and the persistent lapping of waves against the shore. Even the brick buildings, some showing the patina of decades, seem to absorb the diffused light that filters across the water, giving the town a softened, reflective character. The story of Waukegan is deeply entwined with the bounty of Lake Michigan and the fertile land surrounding it. Once a bustling hub for shipbuilding and a vital port for commerce, its industrial past is still visible in the sturdy bones of its older structures. This heritage has given way to a more diverse economy, yet the spirit of enterprise remains, evident in the local businesses that serve the community. The presence of Ravinia Festival, a world-renowned summer concert venue, draws a sophisticated crowd, adding a cultural counterpoint to the town’s working-class roots. Waukegan's history is also marked by the creative sparks of its residents, including the legendary cartoonist and animator Walt Disney, whose formative years were spent here, a testament to the enduring influence of this lakeside locale.
Live animated radar for Waukegan and surroundings — RainViewer.
NOAA GOES-16 GEOCOLOR — live animated loop updated every 10 minutes. Shows cloud cover, storm systems and weather patterns across the continental US.
Source: NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East · Public domain · Auto-updates on page reload
| Location | Waukegan, Lake County, Illinois |
| Coordinates | 42.363633°N, 87.844794°W |
| Timezone | Central Time (America/Chicago) |
| ZIP Code(s) | 60085, 60079, 60087, 60048 |
| Area Code | 312, 773 |
| Page generated | September 2026 |
| Weather data | Open-Meteo (open-source), NOAA National Weather Service |
About This Waukegan, Illinois Weather Page
This page provides live weather conditions and forecasts for Waukegan, Illinois, including current conditions, a 24-hour hourly forecast, 7-day outlook, NWS extended text forecast, precipitation radar and NOAA GOES-16 satellite imagery. Aviation weather — live METAR observations and TAF forecasts — is published separately on the pages for the nearest reporting airports, linked from the aviation section above. Additional sections may include tide predictions, wave height, wave direction and sea-surface temperature, a barometric pressure trend, and a solunar-based fishing forecast with a fishing-conditions rating for coastal localities, and soil temperature, crop weather and live USGS river gauge data for agricultural areas near a monitored waterway. All data updates automatically on every page visit.
Location data for Waukegan includes coordinates 42.363633°N, 87.844794°W, situated in Lake County. ZIP code 60085, 60079, 60087, 60048. Telephone area code: 312, 773. Timezone: Central Time (America/Chicago).
Weather data is sourced from the NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) and the open-source Open-Meteo API. River and stream data is sourced from the USGS National Water Information System. Tide predictions are sourced from NOAA CO-OPS; marine and solunar data are modeled from Open-Meteo and public sunrise/moon calculations and should be treated as a general guide alongside on-the-water conditions. Radar is provided by RainViewer. Satellite imagery is sourced from NOAA/NESDIS GOES-East and is public domain.
