DuPage County, Illinois
| DuPage County, Illinois | ||
 Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve on the West Branch of the DuPage River.
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| Motto: The Magnificent Miles West of Chicago | ||
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 Location in the state of Illinois |
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 Illinois's location in the U.S. |
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| Founded | 1839 | |
| Named for | Du Page (French fur trader) | |
| Seat | Wheaton | |
| Largest city | Naperville | |
| Area - Total - Land - Water |
337 sq mi (873 km²) 334 sq mi (865 km²) 3 sq mi (8 km²), 0.88% |
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| PopulationEst. - (2008) - Density |
930,528 2,784/sq mi (1,075/km²) |
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| Congressional districts | 6th, 13th, 14th | |
| Time zone | Central: UTC-6/-5 | |
| Website | www.dupageco.org | |
| Footnotes: [1] | ||
DuPage County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. Its county seat is the city of Wheaton. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The population estimate by the U.S. Census Bureau for 2008 is 930,528,[2] making it the second most populous county in Illinois after Cook County, which borders it to the north and east; the two counties account for half of the state's population. The county is divided into nine different townships: Addison, Bloomingdale, Downers Grove, Lisle, Milton, Naperville, Wayne, Winfield and York. The majority of DuPage County is in the 630 and 331 area codes. However, the areas of the county that are in the city of Chicago are in area code 773, primarily part of O'Hare International Airport.[3]
Long known as one of the nation's wealthiest counties, DuPage County has transformed itself from a primarily agricultural economy to one rich in many different types of commerce. Today, DuPage County has a per capita income which is the highest in the state. DuPage County's per capita income is also the highest in the midwest; nineteen of the county's towns have average household incomes of over $100,000.
The most populous municipality within DuPage County is Naperville. The next largest communities are Wheaton and Downers Grove. A small portion of the City of Chicago is located within the county limits; however, this area is primarily commercial and, as of recent census estimates, has only 230 residents.
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History
DuPage County was formed in 1839 out of Cook County. The county took its name from the DuPage River, which was, in turn, named after a French fur trapper, DuPage.[4] The first written history to address the name, the 1882 History of DuPage County, Illinois, by Rufus Blanchard, relates:[5]
| “ | The DuPage River had, from time immemorial, been a stream well known. It took its name from a French trader who settled on this stream below the fork previous to 1800. Hon. H. W. Blodgett, of Waukegan, informs the writer that J. B. Beaubien had often spoken to him of the old Frenchman, Du Page, whose station was on the bank of the river, down toward its mouth, and stated that the river took its name from him. The county name must have the same origin. Col Gurden S. Hubbard, who came into the country in 1818, informs the writer that the name DuPage, as applied to the river then, was universally known, but the trader for whom it was named lived there before his time. Mr. Beaubien says it is pronounced Du Pazhe (a having the sound of ah, and that the P should be a capital). This was in reply to Mr. Blodgett’s inquiry of him concerning the matter. | ” |
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 337 sq mi (873 km2), of which, 334 sq mi (865 km2) of it is land and 3 sq mi (7.8 km2) of it is water. The DuPage River and the Salt Creek flow through DuPage County. According to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the highest point in the county is located at the Mallard Lake Landfill, which at its highest point is 982 feet (299 m) above mean sea level.[6]
Adjacent counties
Counties that are adjacent to DuPage include:
- Cook County (north and east)
- Will County (south)
- Kendall County (southwest)
- Kane County (west)
Demographics
| Historical populations | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1840 | 3,535 |
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| 1850 | 9,290 | 162.8% | |
| 1860 | 14,701 | 58.2% | |
| 1870 | 16,685 | 13.5% | |
| 1880 | 19,161 | 14.8% | |
| 1890 | 22,551 | 17.7% | |
| 1900 | 28,196 | 25.0% | |
| 1910 | 33,432 | 18.6% | |
| 1920 | 42,120 | 26.0% | |
| 1930 | 91,998 | 118.4% | |
| 1940 | 103,480 | 12.5% | |
| 1950 | 154,599 | 49.4% | |
| 1960 | 313,459 | 102.8% | |
| 1970 | 491,882 | 56.9% | |
| 1980 | 658,835 | 33.9% | |
| 1990 | 781,666 | 18.6% | |
| 2000 | 904,161 | 15.7% | |
| Est. 2008 | 930,528 | 2.9% | |
As of the 2000 United States Census,[2] there were 904,161 people, 325,601 households and 234,432 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,710 inhabitants per square mile (1,050 /km2). There were 335,621 housing units, at an average density of 1,006 inhabitants per square mile (388 /km2). The racial makeup of the county was 84.05% White, 3.05% Black or African American, 0.17% Native American, 7.88% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 3.12% from other races and 1.71% from two or more races. 9.00% of the population is Hispanic or Latino of any race. 17.3% were of German, 11.8% Irish, 11.0% Italian, 9.8% Poles and 5.1% English ancestry according to the Census. 79.3% spoke English, 7.7% Spanish, 1.5% Polish and 1.2% Tagalog as their first language.
There were 325,601 households, out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% were married couples living together, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.00% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.27.
In the county, the population was spread out with 26.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64 and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $77,441 and the median income for a family was $93,086.[2] Males had a median income of $60,909 versus $41,346 for females. The mean or average income for a family in DuPage County is $121,009, according to the 2005 census. The per capita income for the county was $38,458. About 2.40% of families and 3.60% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.90% of those under age 18 and 4.30% of those age 65 or over.[2]
Economy
DuPage County is the primary location of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. It is home to many large corporations, including:
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Shopping malls in DuPage County include Oakbrook Center, which is the largest open air mall in the nation, Westfield Fox Valley, Yorktown Center, Town Square Wheaton, and Stratford Square Mall. In addition, many of DuPage County's towns have prosperous and quaint downtown areas, especially in Naperville, Glen Ellyn, Wheaton, Downers Grove and Hinsdale, which are mixed with boutiques, upscale chain stores and restaurants.
National Laboratories
Fermilab, which has the world's second-highest-energy particle accelerator in the world,[7] is in Batavia, where it straddles the border between Kane and DuPage counties.[8] Argonne National Laboratory, one of the United States government's oldest and largest science and engineering research laboratories,[9] is in unincorporated, southeast DuPage County.[10] Both laboratories conduct tours of their facilities.
Arts and culture
Architecture
The 31-story Oakbrook Terrace Tower in Oakbrook Terrace, designed by Helmut Jahn, is the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago.[11] The Elmhurst Art Museum is housed in a Mies Van Der Rohe building. There is a Frank Lloyd Wright house in Elmhurst. Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, a conservative Hindu sect, has built BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago, a large, intricately carved, marble temple in Bartlett. There are many Sears Catalog Homes in Downers Grove and Villa Park. The Byzantine-style clubhouse of the Medinah Country Club is also an architectural highlight of the county. Lombard is home to over thirty Lustron prefabricated steel homes.[12]
Museums
DuPage museums include the DuPage Children's Museum in Naperville, Wheaton College's Billy Graham Center, the Cantigny Estate and First Division Museum on the former estate of Chicago Tribune magnate Robert R. McCormick, the DuPage County Historical Museum, Hinsdale's Graue Mill, Elmhurst's Lizzadro Lapidary Museum, Oak Brook's Mayslake Peabody Estate, Naperville's Naper Settlement, the Elmhurst Art Museum, housed in a Mies Van Der Rohe building[13] and Glen Ellyn's Stacy's Tavern.
Music and theater
DuPage also plays host to a rich, local music scene. Some of the better-known bands to come out of the area include: The Hush Sound; Lucky Boys Confusion; Spitalfield and The Plain White T's.
Oakbrook Terrace's Drury Lane Theatre is an important live theatre in DuPage County. The Tivoli Theatre, one of the first theaters in the United States to be equipped with sound, is still in use in Downers Grove.[14] In addition to showing movies, the Tivoli is home to several local performing arts groups.[15]
Parks, trails, and golf courses
37.5 sq mi (97.1 km2) of DuPage County consists of forest preserves.[16] DuPage parks include: Lisle's Morton Arboretum; Westmont's Ty Warner Park; Lombard's Lilacia Park and Naperville's Centennial Beach.
In the 1980s, DuPage County also had another major attraction, Ebenezer Floppen Slopper's Wonderful Water slides, which today, stands abandoned and neglected.
The Illinois Prairie Path, a 116-mile (187 km) rail-to-trail multi-use path, runs through the center of DuPage County. It intersects with the Great Western Trail at several points, as well as the Fox River trail at a few points.
DuPage golf courses include: Wheaton's Chicago Golf Club and Cantigny Golf Courses; the Medinah Country Club; Glen Ellyn's Village Links and Glen Oak Country Club; Addison's Oak Meadows; Wood Dale's Maple Meadows; Westmont's Green Meadows; Wheaton's Arrowhead Golf Club; Lisle's River Bend (9 Holes); West Chicago's St. Andrews Golf & Country Club and Winfield's Klein Creek Golf Club.
Government
| Year | Republican | Democrat |
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| 2008 | 44.3% 182,860 | 55.1% 217,416 |
| 2004 | 54.4% 218,902 | 44.8% 180,097 |
| 2000 | 55.2% 201,037 | 41.9% 152,550 |
| 1996 | 50.7% 164,630 | 40.0% 129,709 |
| 1992 | 48.1% 178,271 | 30.9% 114,564 |
| 1988 | 69.4% 217,907 | 30.0% 94,285 |
| 1984 | 75.7% 227,141 | 23.8% 71,430 |
| 1980 | 64.0% 182,308 | 24.2% 68,991 |
| 1976 | 68.8% 175,055 | 28.3% 72,137 |
| 1972 | 75.0% 172,341 | 24.8% 57,043 |
| 1968 | 66.6% 124,893 | 25.9% 48,492 |
| 1964 | 59.9% 98,871 | 40.1% 66,229 |
| 1960 | 69.5% 101,014 | 30.4% 44,263 |
DuPage County has long been a stronghold of the Republican Party, and has voted for its presidential candidates without exception from 1960 to 2004. In 2008, however, the county supported Democrat Barack Obama, a resident of Chicago.
Townships by population
DuPage County has nine townships (listed in order of population, largest to smallest):
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Education
Colleges and universities
The College of DuPage, in Glen Ellyn, is one of the largest community colleges in the United States. Wheaton College is one of the most well-known and respected evangelical Christian colleges in the country. Benedictine University, Elmhurst College and North Central College also have long and respected histories in their communities.
Other prominent colleges and universities include: Midwestern University in Downers Grove; National University of Health Sciences and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lombard; the Addison, Naperville and Oak Brook campuses of DeVry University; the Aurora campus of Robert Morris University; the Lisle campus of National-Louis University; the Naperville campuses of DePaul University and Northern Illinois University; the Wheaton campus of Illinois Institute of Technology; and the DuPage campus of Westwood College in Woodridge. Hamburger University, McDonald's global training facility, is located at its corporate headquarters in Oak Brook, on an 80-acre (32 ha) campus.
Secondary
Dupage County is home to many academically and athletically successful public high schools, such as:
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Additionally, DuPage County is home to several private high schools, including:
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Infrastructure
Health care
DuPage hospitals include: Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield; Edward Hospital in Naperville; Elmhurst Memorial Hospital in Elmhurst; Adventist Hinsdale Hospital in Hinsdale; Advocate Good Samaritan in Downers Grove and Adventist GlenOaks Hospital in Glendale Heights.
Transportation
Aside from the part of O'Hare International Airport that lies in the county[3], DuPage also has many railroads and several small airports, including DuPage Airport. DuPage is served by the Pace bus system.
North-south roads (from west to east) include: Illinois Route 59 (Sutton Road); Illinois Route 53 (Rohlwing Road); Interstate 355 (the North-South Tollway) and Illinois Route 83 (Kingery Highway). East-west roads (from south to north) include: Interstate 55 (Stevenson Expressway); Interstate 88 (East-West Tollway; U.S. Route 34 (Ogden Avenue); Illinois Route 56 (Butterfield Road); Illinois Route 38 (Roosevelt Road); Illinois Route 64 (North Avenue); Army Trail Road; U.S. Route 20 (Lake Street); Illinois Route 19 (Irving Park Road) and the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, which begins at the Thorndale Ave exit of I-290 and ends on Lake St. (U.S. Rte 20), in Hanover Park.
Religion
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DuPage County has several hundred Christian churches. Community Christian Church of Naperville was named the 13th most influential church in the nation by "The Church Report"[17] and College Church of Wheaton was ranked 37th. Other well-known churches include the Wheaton Bible Church and Christ Church of Oak Brook. There is also a large Catholic contingency, part of the Diocese of Joliet, and a Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Glendale Heights.
The Theosophical Society of America in Wheaton, the North American headquarters of the Theosophical Society Adyar, provides lectures and classes on Theosophy, meditation, yoga, Eastern and New Age spirituality. Islamic mosques are located in Villa Park, Naperville, Glendale Heights, and unincorporated Glen Ellyn.[18] There are Hindu temples in Bartlett, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Itasca and Medinah, and an Arya Samaj center in West Chicago. There is a Nichiren Shōshū Zen Buddhist temple in West Chicago[19] and a Theravada Buddhist Temple, called the Buddha-Dharma Meditation Center, in Willowbrook.[20] There are also Reform synagogues in Lombard and Naperville.
See also
- List of counties in Illinois
- List of Illinois townships
References
- ↑ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: DuPage County, Illinois
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "DuPage County Map of Communities". Official website. DuPage County. 2008. http://www.co.dupage.il.us/generic.cfm?doc_id=809. Retrieved 2009-04-19.
- ↑ Thompson, Richard A.. "The French Connection". History of DuPage County: DuPage Roots. DuPageHistory.org. http://www.dupagehistory.org/dupage_roots/Chapter2.htm. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
- ↑ Blanchard, Rufus (1882). "History of DuPage County, Illinois". Illinois Digital Archives. Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian. http://www.idaillinois.org/u?/npl,1195. Retrieved 2009-01-03.
- ↑ Forest Preserve District of DuPage County (2008). "Frequently Asked Questions about Environmental Services". http://www.dupageforest.com/info/envservicesfaq.html. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
- ↑ "About Fermilab". Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory. 18 March 2004. http://www.fnal.gov/pub/about/faqs/index.html. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ↑ "County Board District 6 map". DuPage County. 2010. http://www.dupageco.org/cobrd/generic.cfm?doc_id=1100. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ↑ "About Argonne". Argonne National Laboratory. 2010. http://www.anl.gov/Administration/index.html. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ↑ "County Board District 3 map". DuPage County. 2010. http://www.dupageco.org/cobrd/generic.cfm?doc_id=1097. Retrieved 19 February 2010.
- ↑ Oakbrook Terrace Tower, Oakbrook Terrace
- ↑ "Lombard Lustrons". Scott Vargo. http://www.piranhagraphix.com/Lustron/Lombard_Lustrons/lombard_lustrons.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ↑ Elmhurst Art Museum
- ↑ Max Grinnell, "Going to the Movies" The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2005, Chicago Historical Society
- ↑ Tivoli Theatre history
- ↑ Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
- ↑ ChurchReport.com
- ↑ Islamic Center of Naperville
- ↑ Buddhists
- ↑ http://www.buddhistbmc.org/
External links
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Wikinews has news related to:
DuPage County, Illinois
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- Official website
- DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau
- DuPage County Fair Grounds in Wheaton
- DuPage County Historical Society
- Forest Preserve District of DuPage County
- Forest Preserve District of DuPage County Golf Facilities
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Cook County | |
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| Kane County |  |
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 DuPage County, Illinois  |
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| Kendall County | Will County |
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