USS Chicago (CA-29), a Northampton-class heavy cruiser, was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the city of Chicago, Illinois. She was launched 10 April 1930 by Mare Island Naval Shipyard, sponsored by Miss. E. Britten; and commissioned 9 March 1931, Captain M. H. Simons in command.

After a shakedown cruise to Honolulu, Tahiti, and American Samoa, Chicago departed Mare Island 27 July 1931 and sailed to the east coast, arriving at Fort Pond Bay, New York, 16 August. There, she became flagship of Commander, Cruisers, Scouting Force, and operated with that force until 1940.

In February 1932, Chicago, in company with other ships of the Scouting Force, conducted gunnery exercises preliminary to the annual fleet problem off the California coast. The Fleet was based on the west coast thereafter and, until 1934, operated in the Pacific, from Alaska to the Pacific Canal Zone and the Hawaiian Islands. In 1934, the annual fleet exercises were held in the Caribbean, followed in May 1934 by the Presidential Fleet Review in New York Harbor. The Scouting Force operated along the east coast and in the Caribbean until October and then returned to base at San Pedro, California. Chicago continued to operate out of San Pedro until 29 September 1940 when she sailed to Pearl Harbor.

During the next 14 months, the heavy cruiser operated out of Pearl Harbor, exercising with various task forces to develop tactics and cruising formations, and cruising to Australia and to the west coast. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, 7 December 1941, Chicago was at sea with TF 12 and the Force immediately began a 5-day sweep in the Oahu-Johnston-Palmyra triangle in an effort to intercept the enemy. The Force returned to Pearl Harbor 12 December; between 14 December and 27 December, Chicago operated with TF 11 on patrol and search missions.