Behind a noun:
- destination + へ (= まで、に) = to, toward, into, onto, as far as
シカゴへ行きます。I go to Chicago.
- destination + へ (= に) = to, at, on, in
シカゴへ明日着きます。I get to Chicago tomorrow.
- へ focuses on the direction and process of an action. に focuses on a point of time of place, or the result of action. Go to ni (に)
ねこはあっちへ行きました。The cat went over there.
※に can replace most of the へ, but the reverse is not true so long as に has a wider range of meanings.
ねこはあっちに行きました。The cat went over there.
- Strictly speaking, へ emphasizes the action of going, whereas に emphasizes arrival.
妹への手紙 a letter to my sister
ねこはここにいます。The cat is over there.
※Here, へ and に cannot be switched.
- まで focuses on the extent (up to, as far as). Go to made (まで)
東京駅までの切符を買ってください。Please buy a ticket to Tokyo Station.