Twelve novel substituted 2‐chloroquinoline‐3‐carboxamide derivatives were prepared from acetanilides using the Vilsmeier–Haack reaction, producing 2‐chloro‐3‐carbaldehyde quinolines, followed by oxidation of the 3‐carbaldehyde to the carboxylic acid and coupling this group with various anilines. The structures of the synthesized compounds were confirmed by NMR, mass spectrometry, and single crystal X‐ray diffraction. The chemical shifts of H‐5 and H‐8 were shown to be influenced by the substituent at C‐6. The substituent at C‐6 was also seen to affect the chemical shift of C‐5, C‐7, and C‐8, with C‐5 and C‐7 being more shielded in 5j (F substituted) in comparison with 5g (Cl substituted) and 5d (CH3 substituted). The compounds showed weak activity in the mM range against Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria of which 5b, 5d, and 5f showed the best activity with minimum bactericidal concentration values for 5b being 3.79 mM against methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus and 5d and 5f having minimum bactericidal concentration values of 3.77 and 1.79 mM against S. aureus ATCC 25923, respectively.