Highland Park, Illinois

Highland Park is a suburban municipality in Lake County, Illinois, United States, about 23 miles (37 km) north of downtown Chicago. As of 2009, the population is 33,492. Highland Park is one of several municipalities located on the North Shore of the Chicago Metropolitan Area.

Overview

Highland Park was founded in 1869 with a population of 500, and evolved from two settlements: St. John and Port Clinton^[1]. The town also annexed the Village of Ravinia in 1899.

Highland Park has several attractions including a vibrant downtown shopping district and Ravinia Festival, the summer home of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and a nightly music program covering classical, blues, jazz and rock. The Ravinia Festival is located in the Ravinia District, originally an artists' colony which still retains much of its early character and architecture.

Highland Park has several landmark structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places, notably the Willits House, by Frank Lloyd Wright. In addition to several houses designed by Wright, the National Register lists homes designed by prominent architects including John S. Van Bergen, Howard Van Doren Shaw, Robert E. Seyfarth, and David Adler. Landscape architect Jens Jensen lived in Highland Park and designed a number of projects in the community that are listed on the register.

The international headquarters of the Solo Cup Company was formerly located in Highland Park, before relocating to neighboring Lake Forest in 2009.

Highland Park is located at (42.182525, -87.807052).^[2]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.4 square miles (32.0 km²) of which 12.3 square miles (31.7 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km²) is water. Its geographic features include a 100 foot (30 m) high bluff running along 6 miles (9.7 km) of Lake Michigan shoreline and deep, wooded ravines extending up to one mile (1.6 kilometers) inland. Elevations range from 580 feet (177 m) to 725 feet (218 m).

Demographics

As of the census^[3] of 2000, there were 31,365 people, 11,521 households and 8,917 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,537.5 people per square mile (979.8/km²). There were 11,934 housing units at an average density of 965.5 per square mile (372.8/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 91.20 percent White, 0.18 percent African American, 0.8 percent Native American, 2.28 percent Asian, 0.001 percent Pacific Islander, 3.46 percent from other races, and 1.18 percent from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.90 percent of the population.

As of the 2000 census, there were 11,521 households out of which 36.9 percent had children under age 18 living with them, 69.9 percent were married couples, 5.8 percent had a female householder with no husband present and 22.6 percent were non-families. Nineteen-point-five percent of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3 percent had someone living alone who was 65-years-old, or older. The average household size was 2.71 people and the average family size was 3.09 people.

As of the 2000 census, in the city, the population was spread out with 27.0 percent under age 18, 4.6 percent from 18-to-24-years-old, 25.5 percent from 25-to-44-years-old, 27.8 percent from 45-to-64-years-old, and 15.1 percent who were 65-years-old, or older. The median age was 41-years-old. For every 100 females there were 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males.

According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the city was $113,350, and the median income for a family was $137,703.^[4] Males had a median income of $83,121 versus $41,175 for females. The per capita income for the city was $55,331. About 2.3 percent of families and 3.8 percent of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.9 percent of those under age 18 and 3.1 percent of those age 65 or over.

Government

Highland Park is governed by the council-manager form of government. The non-partisan City Council consists of seven members, including an elected mayor and six councilmembers, all elected at-large and serving staggered four-year terms. The current city council consists of:

Politics

Highland Park is considered a Democratic stronghold, perhaps due in part to its significant Jewish and Hispanic populations, traditional Democratic constituencies. Highland Park voters overwhelmingly broke for Illinois Senator Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, choosing him over Arizona Senator John McCain 76.3%-23.1%, a 53.2% margin. Highland Park voters also tend to prefer Democrats in local races. However, Republican Illinois Senator Mark Kirk is also from Highland Park.

At the state level, Highland Park is a part of the 58th House District, represented by Karen May (D-Highland Park), and the 29th Senate District, represented by Susan Garrett (D-Lake Forest). At the county level, the city is split between Districts 22 and 23, represented by Michele Feldman (D-Deerfield) and Ann Flanigan Bassi (D-Highland Park), respectively.

Transportation

The main highway in Highland Park is US-41, which connects Chicago to Milwaukee. Commuter rail is available at four Metra stations within city borders (Braeside, Ravinia Park, Ravinia, and Highland Park), as well as two in nearby Highwood (Highwood and Fort Sheridan) on the Union Pacific North Line, which begins in Chicago and terminates in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Pace also offers several bus routes. Boat launch facilities are available along Lake Michigan. O'Hare International Airport is located approximately 20 miles (32 km) southwest.

Notable people

Highland Park is popular with professional athletes, as the Chicago Bulls and Chicago Bears practice facilities are nearby in Deerfield and Lake Forest, respectively. The most famous past resident is Michael Jordan. His 25,000-square-foot (2,300 m²) home is on several acres behind large iron gates bearing the number 23. ^[5]

In popular culture

Highland Park is the location of the former home of the main characters in the CBS drama The Good Wife.

Highland Park was used for location shots for several movies written and directed by John Hughes in the 1980s including Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Weird Science, Sixteen Candles, Uncle Buck and Home Alone. Other popular films from the 1980s shot or partially set in Highland Park include: Ordinary People, Risky Business, and Lucas. Since 2000, Highland Park movies have included Kicking & Screaming and Shattered Memories of Love.

It also was the setting for the 2000/2001 Fox and PBS documentary show American High.

Education

North Shore School District 112 operates some elementary schools in Highland Park.

Township High School District 113 operates Highland Park High School.

See also

• Highland Park High School
• Highland Park Public Library
• Highland Park Hospital
• Highland Park Presbyterian Church

References

http://www.aclu.org/racialjustice/racialprofiling/15831prs20000927.html

1. ^ Place Names of Illinois. p. 161. 
2. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23. 
3. ^ "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
4. ^ http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/ACSSAFFFacts?_event=Search&geo_id=16000US1732018&_geoContext=01000US%7C04000US17%7C16000US1732018&_street=&_county=highland+park&_cityTown=highland+park&_state=04000US17&_zip=&_lang=en&_sse=on&ActiveGeoDiv=geoSelect&_useEV=&pctxt=fph&pgsl=160&_submenuId=factsheet_1&ds_name=ACS_2007_3YR_SAFF&_ci_nbr=null&qr_name=null&reg=null%3Anull&_keyword=&_industry=
5. ^ http://chicago.blockshopper.com/property/1616311003/2700_point

External links

• City website
• Information gateway
• The Art Center of Highland Park