Waukegan, Illinois
Encyclopedia : W : WA : WAU : Waukegan, Illinois
Waukegan is a city in Lake County, Illinois, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. It is the 9th largest city in Illinois by population. A 2002 census estimated the city population to be at 91,323.
The name "Waukegan" means "Little Fort" in the Potawatomi language.
Shimer College is located in Waukegan.
Geography
Waukegan is located at (42.372471, -87.861521)[Geographic references#1GR1]. Waukegan is on the shore of Lake Michigan, about 10 miles south of the border with Wisconsin and 40 miles north of Chicago, at an elevation of about 669 feet above sea level.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 59.8 km² (23.1 mi²). 59.6 km² (23.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.35%) is water.
Waukegan is commonly referred to as the midpoint between Chicago and Milwaukee, although it is still a part of Chicagoland.
Demographics
As of the census[Geographic references#2GR2] of 2000, there were 87,901 people, 27,787 households, and 19,450 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,475.0/km² (3,819.8/mi²). There were 29,243 housing units at an average density of 490.7/km² (1,270.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.14% White, 19.21% African American, 0.54% Native American, 3.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 22.96% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.82% of the population.There were 27,787 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.68.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,335, and the median income for a family was $47,341. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $25,632 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,368. About 10.7% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
History
Waukegan was established as a French trading post in the late 17th century. The town became the county seat in 1841, replacing Libertyville. The Chicago North Western Railway reached the town in 1855. The town was incorporated as a city on February 23, 1859.
| City of Waukegan Population by year | |
|
1860 - 3,433 1870 - 4,507 1880 - 4,012 1890 - 4,915 1900 - 9,426 1910 - 16,069 1920 - 19,226 1930 - 33,499 1940 - 34,241 1950 - 46,698 1960 - 61,784 1970 - 65,134 1980 - 67,653 1990 - 69,392 2000 - 87,901 | |
Waukegan is considered the hometown of comedian Jack Benny (1894-1974), though he was born in Chicago; a Waukegan middle school is named for him, and a statue of him stands in the downtown. Waukegan is the birthplace of writer Ray Bradbury (born 1920), whose great-grandfather was mayor of the city in 1882. The Waukegan of the 1920s appears as "Green Town" in several of Bradbury's fictional works, particularly Dandelion Wine. Ray Bradbury Park, named in the author's honor, includes the bridge over the ravine featured in that novel. [link] A science fiction writer of a later generation, Kim Stanley Robinson, was born in Waukegan in 1952.
Other notable people
- Brian Van Holt, actor
- Dan Bentel, Actor
- Brian Chrzandowski, Actor
- Neil Flynn, Actor (Scrubs and many movies)
- Conni Marie Brazelton, Actor (Judging Amy,etc.)
- Greg Strause, Director and visual effects supervisor (directing Alien vs Predator 2)
- Mickey Kuhn, Actor
- Otto Graham, NFL Legend
- David Clennon, Actor
Transportation
Waukegan has a port district which operates the city harbor and regional airport.- Waukegan Harbor:
- *Provides services and facilities for recreational boaters.
- Waukegan Regional Airport:
- *FAA certified for general aviation traffic
- *Has a U.S. Customs facility, allowing for direct international flights.
- *A wide range of VIPs arrive and depart from the airport in private airplanes. This includes the Dali Lama and Dick Cheney.
- Provides a non-motor route spanning from Kenosha, WI to the North Shore.
Pace provides busing throughout the city as part of the Regional Transportation Authority.
Artistic References
Waukegan's Amstutz Expressway, locally known as the "highway to nowhere," has been used as a shooting location for such films as Blues Brothers, Groundhog Day, The Ice Harvest, and Batman Begins.
Waukegan is mentioned in the Tom Waits song "Gun Street Girl."
- Dyed his hair in the bathroom of a Texaco
- With a pawnshop radio, quarter past four
- Well, he left Waukegan at the slammin' of the door
- He left Waukegan at the slammin' of the door
- then in Waukegan I met a furniture manufacturer
- and it wiped out all dreams of pleasantness from my mind
- it was like being pushed down hard
- on a chair
- it was like something horrible you hadn't expected
- which is the most horrible thing
In an episode of That 70's Show, Kelso mentions the new police academy he is going to attend (after he burned down the old building with a misfired flare). The new academy is located in Waukegan.
External links
- [Waukegan Official City Website]
- [Waukegan Historical Society]
- [Waukegan Public Schools]
- [Taskforce on Waukegan Neighborhoods]
- [Waukegan Port District]
- [Out and About: Waukegan, IL]
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