– used by native Chicagoans and people in the Chicago metropolitan area "The 312" – a reference to the city's original area code under the North American Numbering Plan before the overlays of area code 773 and later area code 872. "Paris on the Prairie" - a name from Daniel Burnham's "Plan for Chicago". See also List of city nicknames in Illinois List of songs about Chicago Lists of nicknames References Nicknames for Chicago Culture of Chicago Chicago Names of places in the United States