DuPage County, Illinois

history

| lat deg = 41 | lat min = 50 | long deg = 88 | long min = 05 }} 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, 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.

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 boasts a personal 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.

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. The first written history to address the name, the 1882 History of DuPage County, Illinois, by Rufus Blanchard, relates:

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which, of it is land and 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 above mean sea level.

Adjacent counties

Counties that are adjacent to DuPage include:

Architecture

The 31-story Oakbrook Terrace Tower in Oakbrook Terrace, designed by Helmut Jahn, is the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago.»Oakbrook Terrace Tower, Oakbrook Terrace 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. 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.

Commerce

DuPage County is the primary location of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. It is home to many large corporations, including:

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.

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 campus.

Secondary

Dupage County is home to many academically and athletically successful public high schools, such as:

Additionally, DuPage County is home to several private high schools, including:

Government and politics

{| align="right" border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;" |+ Presidential elections results |- bgcolor=lightgrey ! Year ! Republican ! Democrat |- |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|2008 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|44.3% 182,860 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|'''55.1% 217,416 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2004 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''54.4% 218,902 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|44.8% ''180,097 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|2000 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''55.2% 201,037 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|41.9% ''152,550 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1996 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''50.7% 164,630 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|40.0% ''129,709 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1992 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''48.1% 178,271 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|30.9% ''114,564 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1988 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''69.4% 217,907 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|30.0% ''94,285 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1984 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''75.7% 227,141 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|23.8% ''71,430 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1980 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''64.0% 182,308 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|24.2% ''68,991 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1976 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''68.8% 175,055 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|28.3% ''72,137 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1972 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''75.0% 172,341 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|24.8% ''57,043 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1968 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''66.6% 124,893 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|25.9% ''48,492 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1964 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''59.9% 98,871 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|40.1% ''66,229 |- |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|1960 |align="center" bgcolor="#fff3f3"|'''69.5% 101,014 |align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0ff"|30.4% ''44,263 |}

DuPage County government is most infamous for the prosecution and conviction of an innocent man. Rolando Cruz, a Hispanic man from Aurora, Illinois, was indicted and convicted of the murder of 10 year-old Jeanine Nicarico. Cruz spent ten years on death row, but all charges against Cruz were eventually dropped. The murder case was never solved. Seven policemen and State's Attornies ("The DuPage Seven") were charged with 47 counts of perjury and obstruction of justice and framing Cruz. The men were found not guilty. Public outcry over the case eventually resulted in Illinois governor George Ryan instituting a moratorium on the death penalty in Illinois.

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.

Hospitals

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.

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»Elmhurst Art Museum 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.Max Grinnell, »"Going to the Movies" The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago, 2005, Chicago Historical Society In addition to showing movies, the Tivoli is home to several local performing arts groups.»Tivoli Theatre history

Parks, trails, golf courses

ecosystem in Morton Arboretum.]]

,of DuPage County consists of forest preserves.»Forest Preserve District of DuPage County 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 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.

Religion

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"»ChurchReport.com 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, led by 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 and Glendale Heights.»Islamic Center of Naperville 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 ShōshÅ« Zen Buddhist temple in West Chicago»Buddhists and a Theravada Buddhist Temple, called the Buddha-Dharma Meditation Center, in Willowbrook.»http://www.buddhistbmc.org/ There are also Reform synagogues in Lombard and Naperville.

Science

particle accelerator at the Fermilab site.]]

Fermilab, which has the world's second-highest-energy particle accelerator in the world, is in Batavia, where it straddles the border between Kane and DuPage counties. Argonne National Laboratory, one of the United States government's oldest and largest science and engineering research laboratories, is in unincorporated, southeast DuPage County. Both laboratories conduct tours of their facilities.

Transportation

Aside from the part of O'Hare International Airport that lies in the county, 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.

Demographics

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 904,161 people, 325,601 households and 234,432 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 335,621 housing units, at an average density of . 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. 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.

Townships by population

DuPage County has nine townships (listed in order of population, largest to smallest):

See also

References

External links

home | This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. See full license termsIt uses material from the Wikipedia article "DuPage_County%2C_Illinois ". | compliance | March 18th 2010