Bright Chicago coworking space with people working at shared desks

Chicago, Illinois city guide

The best coworking spaces in Chicago

Ten Chicago coworking spaces, ranked by whether you will actually meet anyone.

10 places, rankedChicago, IllinoisLast reviewed August 2026 Meet people in Chicago, Illinois

Chicago has more coworking space per head than almost any US city outside New York, and for anyone working remotely here it is the most reliable way to turn an isolated week into a social one. The difference between a good and a bad choice is not the desk — it is whether the community team actually runs events and whether people talk in the kitchen.

The list below is ordered by community rather than by amenities. A cheaper space with a Thursday happy hour and a Slack that people use will do more for your social life than a beautiful floor of silent hot desks.

Why trust this list: every place here is picked by people who actually go out in Chicago, Illinois — judged on how easy it is to turn up alone, start a conversation and leave having met someone. We take no payment for inclusion, and the list is re-checked (last reviewed August 2026).

The list

The best coworking spaces in Chicago, ranked.

1871

Merchandise Mart, River North$$Best for Startups, tech networking, mentorship

Chicago's startup hub — 120,000 sq ft and an events calendar to match.

Non-profit and mission-driven, 1871 is where the Chicago tech community actually gathers: hundreds of member startups, mentors on site, and multiple events most weeks. Membership involves an application. If you want to meet people in Chicago tech, start here rather than at a desk rental.

Industrious Fulton Market

Fulton Market$$$Best for Remote workers, weekly events, Fulton Market

Hospitality-led coworking with the best breakfast and community team in the city.

Industrious runs its spaces like hotels: proper coffee, daily breakfast, and a community manager whose job is actually introducing members. The Fulton Market location has the most sociable crowd. Day passes available before you commit.

Second Shift

West Town$$Best for Parents, community, West Town

A parent-friendly workspace with childcare on site.

Second Shift solved the problem no other coworking space touches: coworking with drop-in childcare. The result is a genuinely tight community of parents who work here, which makes it one of the friendliest spaces in Chicago regardless of whether you have kids.

The Coven

Fulton Market$$Best for Women and non-binary members, workshops, community

A women, trans and non-binary space built around community rather than desks.

The Coven programmes events, workshops and member gatherings as the core product. Beautiful space, but the reason to join is the membership. The most reliable social return per dollar of anything on this list.

WeWork Fulton Market

Fulton Market$$Best for Flexibility, private offices, central locations

The scale option — big, well-equipped, and the events depend on the floor.

Multiple Chicago locations, but Fulton Market is the one with the startup density. Good facilities, flexible terms, and an events board worth reading. Community quality varies by floor, so tour before signing.

Deskpass

Citywide$$Best for Trying neighbourhoods, flexible schedules, variety

A pass that gets you into dozens of Chicago spaces instead of one.

Deskpass is a Chicago-founded network selling access to a rotating set of spaces across the city. Perfect if you want to sample neighbourhoods, and surprisingly good socially — you meet a different room every week rather than the same eight people.

mHUB

Near West Side$$$Best for Hardware startups, prototyping, engineers

A hardware and manufacturing innovation centre with prototyping labs.

Not a desk rental: mHUB has machine shops, 3D printing and electronics labs alongside workspace, and a membership of hardware founders and engineers. If you build physical things, this is the only relevant entry on this list.

Blue Lacuna

Pilsen$$Best for Creatives, non-profits, affordable desks

An arts-leaning workspace in a converted Pilsen warehouse.

Big, light industrial space with a cafe, event rooms and a membership skewed towards creative and non-profit work. Cheaper than the West Loop options and considerably more relaxed. Good patio.

Novel Coworking / Level Office locations

The Loop$$Best for Value, private offices, Loop location

Private offices at close to hot-desk prices, in classic Loop buildings.

Novel buys and restores historic Loop buildings and sells private offices cheaply. Community programming is light, so choose this for value and location rather than social life — then get your social life from a run club or a class.

Public libraries: Harold Washington and Sulzer

The Loop and Lincoln SquareFreeBest for Budget working, quiet focus, maker labs

Free, quiet, and better equipped than most people expect.

Harold Washington Library''s upper floors have excellent quiet workspace, free wifi and a maker lab; Sulzer in Lincoln Square is the best neighbourhood equivalent. Not social, but free — and pairing library days with one paid space day a week is how a lot of people here manage the cost.

Day passes: most of these sell day passes for USD 30–50, which is the right way to test a community before committing.

Neighbourhood: Fulton Market and River North are where the startup scene sits; the Loop spaces skew corporate; Logan Square and Lincoln Park spaces are the most neighbourhood-social.

Money: USD 200–350 a month for a hot desk, USD 400–700 for a dedicated desk, more for private offices.

Social tip: go to the events even when you do not feel like it. That is the entire product you are paying for.

The best coworking spaces in Chicago

The best coworking spaces in Chicago — questions, answered.

01What are the best coworking spaces in Chicago, Illinois?

This guide covers 10 of them, ranked. 1871 takes the top spot, and each entry notes the neighbourhood, price band and who it actually suits — so you can pick by mood rather than by star rating.

02How was this list of coworking spaces in Chicago, Illinois chosen?

On atmosphere, consistency and whether the place is genuinely good company — not on marketing budget. We keep the list short on purpose: a ranked handful you can trust beats fifty entries you have to filter yourself.

03Are coworking spaces in Chicago, Illinois a good place to meet people?

Some are, some aren't — and we say which. The ones that work socially tend to have shared tables, a regular crowd or a weekly night. If meeting people is the point, go with someone once, then go back alone; being recognised is what turns a venue into a social life.

04When is the best time to visit coworking spaces in Chicago, Illinois?

Read the practical notes below the list — timing in Chicago, Illinois matters more than almost anywhere, because traffic decides whether an evening out is pleasant or punishing. Earlier than you think is usually the answer.

05How do I find people to go with in Chicago, Illinois?

Start with the Chicago, Illinois community pages — they list the groups and interests already meeting in the city. Going somewhere new is far easier with a group that was already planning to go.