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Waukegan, IL

Frequently asked questions

Waukegan, IL

Waukegan is the most populous city in and the county seat of Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is an industrial suburb about 36 miles (58 km) north of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, its population was 89,321, making it the seventh-most populous city within the Chicago metropolitan area and the 10th-most populous city in Illinois.

Unlike many of the surrounding North Shore suburbs, Waukegan is socioeconomically diverse. A significant working-class population and moderately sized middle-class community exist in the community, as well as several poorer neighborhoods.

Waukegan is located at 42°22′13″N 87°52′16″W (42.3703140, −87.8711404). Waukegan is on the shore of Lake Michigan, about 11 miles (18 km) south of the border with Wisconsin and 37 miles (60 km) north of downtown Chicago at an elevation of around 650 feet (200 m) above sea level. Chicago has two major streets that venture north to Waukegan, one being Sheridan Road, which extends north from Diversey Parkway in Lincoln Park. The second street is Milwaukee Avenue, which starts at the intersection of Desplaines Street and Kinzie Street in downtown Chicago.

According to the 2010 census, Waukegan has a total area of 24.50 square miles (63.45 km²), of which 0.24 square miles (0.62 km²), or 0.99%, is covered by water.

The site of present-day Waukegan was recorded as Rivière du Vieux Fort ("Old Fort River") and Wakaygagh on a 1778 map by Thomas Hutchins. By the 1820s, the French name had become "Small Fort River" in English, and the settlement was known as "Little Fort". The name "Waukegance" and then "Waukegan" (meaning "little fort"; cf. Potawatomi wakaigin "fort" or "fortress") was created by John H. Kinzie and Solomon Juneau, and the new name was adopted on March 31, 1849.

Waukegan had an abolitionist community dating to these early days. In 1853, residents commemorated the anniversary of the emancipation of slaves in the British Empire with a meeting. Waukegan arguably has the distinction of being the only place where Abraham Lincoln failed to finish a speech. When he was campaigning in the town in 1860, he was interrupted by a ringing fire alarm.

Health and wellness are integral aspects of life in Waukegan. One notable institution is the Vista Medical Center East, which offers a range of medical services, including emergency care, surgical procedures, and specialized treatments. East Bank Club is one of the largest and most comprehensive fitness centers in the country. It offers extensive workout areas, over 150 group exercise classes per week, swimming pools, a golf center, and racquetball and squash courts. LA Fitness is a well-known chain of fitness centers with multiple locations across Illinois. Facilities typically include a wide variety of cardio and strength training equipment, group fitness classes, personal training services, and amenities such as swimming pools, basketball courts, and saunas. Fitness Formula Clubs (FFC) offers multiple locations in Chicago, each providing a range of fitness services including group classes, personal training, and specialized fitness programs. Lifetime Fitness centers are known for their large, resort-style facilities that include extensive gym equipment, indoor and outdoor pools, tennis courts, and a variety of fitness classes Chicago Athletic Clubs (CAC) offer several locations throughout the city, each providing a unique blend of modern fitness equipment, group exercise classes, personal training, and wellness programs.

Top sites in Waukegan, IL are Six Flags Great America, National Museum of the American Sailor, and Independence Grove Forest Preserve.

Population: 88,570 (2024). ZIP codes: 60079, 60085, 60087. Area codes: 847, 224. Elevation: 715 ft (218 m).  Area: 24.47 sq mi (63.38 km²).

FAQs

What is Waukegan, IL famous for?

Toward the middle of the nineteenth century, Waukegan became a thriving center of industry with enterprises that included ship and wagon building, flour milling, sheep raising, pork packing, and dairying. The most successful of these early Waukegan industries was the brewing of malt liquors. By the late 1860s, William Besley's Waukegan Brewing Company sold throughout America and beyond.

What was Waukegan, IL called before?

Proud of the growth of their community and no longer wanting to be characterized as "little", on March 31, 1849, the residents of Little Fort changed the name of their town to Waukegan, the Potawatomie word for "fort" or "trading post". Early settlers were initially attracted to Waukegan as a port city and shipped produce and grain from Lake County and McHenry County farms to Chicago. The creation of the Illinois Parallel Railroad (now the Chicago and North Western Railway) in 1855 stimulated interest in Waukegan as a manufacturing center.

What is the median family income in Waukegan, IL?

The median property value in Waukegan, IL was $146,900 in 2021, which is 0.6 times smaller than the national average of $244,900. The median household income in Waukegan, IL is $58,844. In 2021, the place with the highest median household income in Waukegan, IL was Census Tract 8636.01 with a value of $230,250. This was followed by Census Tract 8616.03 and Census Tract 8615.07, with respective values of $109,803 and $86,360.

Sources

City of Waukegan

Wikipedia

Data USA

Encyclopedia Chicago History

Vista Medical Center East

East Bank Club

LA Fitness

Fitness Formula Clubs (FFC)

Lifetime Fitness

Chicago Athletic Clubs (CAC)

Six Flags Great America

National Museum of the American Sailor

Independence Grove Forest Preserve

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