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DuPage County, Illinois facts for kids

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DuPage County
County
County of DuPage
Warrenvillegrove.jpg
Restored tallgrass prairie in DuPage County, Illinois.jpg
Warrenville Grove Forest Preserve on the West Branch of the DuPage River; Restored tallgrass prairie in Dunham Forest Preserve
Official seal of DuPage County
Seal
Motto(s): 
The Magnificent Miles West of Chicago
Map of Illinois highlighting DuPage County
Location within the U.S. state of Illinois
Map of the United States highlighting Illinois
Illinois's location within the U.S.
Country  United States
State  Illinois
Founded February 9, 1839
Named for DuPage River
Seat Wheaton
Largest city Aurora (population)
Naperville (area)
Area
 • Total 336 sq mi (870 km2)
 • Land 327 sq mi (850 km2)
 • Water 8.9 sq mi (23 km2)  2.6%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 932,877
 • Density 2,776/sq mi (1,072.0/km2)
Time zone UTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−5 (CDT)
Area code 630 and 331
Congressional districts 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th

DuPage County ( DOO-payj) is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, and one of the collar counties of the Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 932,877, making it Illinois' second-most populous county. Its county seat is Wheaton.

Known for its vast tallgrass prairies, DuPage County has become mostly developed and suburbanized, although some pockets of farmland remain in the county's western and northern parts. Located in the Rust Belt, the area is one of few in the region whose economy quickly became dependent on the headquarters of several large corporations due to its close proximity to Chicago. As steel mills closed in the 1970s and 1980s, several acres that were formerly industrialized areas were converted into business parks to meet the growing tax base. The county has a mixed socioeconomic profile and residents of Hinsdale, Naperville and Oak Brook include some of the wealthiest people in the Midwest. On the whole, the county enjoys above average median household income levels and low overall poverty levels when compared to the national average. In 2018, Niche ranked two DuPage municipalities (Clarendon Hills #3 and Naperville #16) amongst the top 20 best places to live in America.

History

DuPage County was formed on 9 February 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:

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 336 square miles (870 km2), of which 327 square miles (850 km2) is land and 8.9 square miles (23 km2) (2.6%) 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.

Climate

Weather chart for Wheaton, Illinois
J F M A M J J A S O N D
 
 
1.9
 
32
14
 
 
1.6
 
38
19
 
 
2.6
 
50
28
 
 
3.8
 
63
38
 
 
3.9
 
75
48
 
 
3.9
 
84
57
 
 
4
 
87
63
 
 
4.6
 
85
61
 
 
3.4
 
78
53
 
 
2.7
 
67
42
 
 
3.2
 
50
32
 
 
2.5
 
37
20
temperatures in °F
precipitation totals in inches
source: The Weather Channel

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Wheaton have ranged from a low of 14 °F (−10 °C) in January to a high of 87 °F (31 °C) in July, although a record low of −26 °F (−32 °C) was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of 105 °F (41 °C) was recorded in July 1995. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 1.56 inches (40 mm) in February to 4.60 inches (117 mm) in August.

Adjacent counties

Counties that are adjacent to DuPage include:

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1840 3,535
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%
2010 916,924 1.4%
2020 932,877 1.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
1790-1960 1900-1990
1990-2000 2010-2019

DuPage County's population's distribution by race and ethnicity in the 2010 census was as follows:

Race / Ethnicity Percentage of
county population
White 77.9 %
Asian 10.1 %
Black or African American 4.6 %
American Indian and Alaska Native 0.3 %
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 0.0 %
Two or more races 2.2 %
Hispanic or Latino 13.3 %
White, not Hispanic or Latino 70.5 %

DuPage County has become more diverse. The population of foreign-born residents increased from about 71,300 in 1990 to 171,000 by 2009 estimates.

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 $98,441 and the median income for a family was $113,086. 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.

Religion

DuPage County has several hundred Christian churches, and especially around Wheaton is a Bible Belt, with Wheaton College and various other evangelical Christian colleges, and publishing houses including InterVarsity Press, Crossway, Tyndale House, Christianity Today and other smaller ones in the area. Well-known churches include the Community Christian Church of Naperville, College Church of Wheaton, Wheaton Bible Church, and First Baptist Church of Wheaton. There is also a large Catholic contingency, the county being part of the Diocese of Joliet, the National Shrine of St Therese in Darien, and a Ukrainian Orthodox Church in Glendale Heights.

The Theosophical Society in 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 (two mosques), Glendale Heights, Willowbrook, Westmont, Lombard, Bolingbrook, Addison, Woodale, West Chicago, and unincorporated Glen Ellyn. 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 and a Theravada Buddhist Temple, called the Buddha-Dharma Meditation Center, in Willowbrook. There is also a Reform synagogue, Congregation Etz Chaim, in Lombard and an unaffiliated one in Naperville, called Congregation Beth Shalom.

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. 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 some 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.

Museums and historical sites

DuPage museums include: the Naper Settlement and 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, and the DuPage County Historical Museum in Wheaton; Elmhurst's Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art and Elmhurst Art Museum, which includes Mies Van Der Rohe's McCormick House; Oak Brook's Mayslake Peabody Estate and Graue Mill; Glen Ellyn's Stacy's Tavern; West Chicago's City Museum; Westmont's Gregg House Museum; and Villa Park's Villa Park Historical Society Museum.

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. In addition to showing movies, the Tivoli is home to several local performing arts groups.

Parks and recreation

Morton Arboretum woodland
A woodland ecosystem in the Morton Arboretum

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County owns and manages 25,000 acres (10,000 ha) of prairies, woodlands and wetlands. More than 4 million visitors each year enjoy 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, and five education centers.

Local urban parks include Lombard's Lilacia Park, Naperville's Centennial Beach, Woodridge's Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park and Wheaton's Cosley Zoo. Privately funded attractions include Lisle's Morton Arboretum.

In the 1980s, DuPage County also had another major attraction, Ebenezer Floppen Slopper's Wonderful Water slides in Oakbrook Terrace, which today, stands abandoned and neglected.

The Illinois Prairie Path, a 61-mile (98 km) rail-to-trail multi-use path, runs through Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. 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, Arrowhead Golf Club and Cantigny Golf courses; the Medinah Country Club; the Village Links and Glen Oak Country Club of Glen Ellyn; Addison's Oak Meadows; Oak Brook's Oak Brook Golf Club, Butler National Golf Club, and Butterfield Country Club; Wood Dale's Maple Meadows; Westmont's Green Meadows; Lisle's River Bend (9 holes); West Chicago's St. Andrews Golf & Country Club and Winfield's Klein Creek Golf Club, among others.

Communities

Cities

Villages

Unincorporated communities

Townships

DuPage County has nine townships:

  • Addison Township
  • Bloomingdale Township
  • Downers Grove Township
  • Lisle Township
  • Milton Township
  • Naperville Township
  • Wayne Township
  • Winfield Township
  • York Township

Ghost towns

Economy

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, Fox Valley Mall, 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, Elmhurst, Wheaton, Downers Grove and Hinsdale, which are mixed with boutiques, upscale chain stores and restaurants.

National Laboratories

Fermilab
Aerial view of the Tevatron particle accelerator at the Fermilab site

Fermilab, which has the world's second-highest-energy particle accelerator, 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.

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 University and North Central College also have long and respected histories in their communities.

Other prominent colleges and universities include: Midwestern University and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in Downers Grove; National University of Health Sciences in Lombard; Northern Seminary and National Louis University in Lisle; the Addison and Naperville campuses of DeVry University; the Naperville campus of Northern Illinois University; and the Wheaton campus of Illinois Institute of Technology.

Secondary schools

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

  • Addison Trail High School
  • Bartlett High School
  • Downers Grove North High School
  • Downers Grove South High School
  • Fenton High School
  • Glenbard East High School
  • Glenbard North High School
  • Glenbard South High School
  • Glenbard West High School
  • Hinsdale Central High School
  • Hinsdale South High School
  • Lake Park High School
  • Lisle High School
  • Metea Valley High School
  • Naperville North High School
  • Naperville Central High School
  • Waubonsie Valley High School
  • West Chicago Community High School
  • Westmont High School
  • Wheaton North High School
  • Wheaton Warrenville South High School
  • Willowbrook High School
  • York Community High School

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

  • Benet Academy
  • Clapham School
  • College Preparatory School of America
  • Driscoll Catholic High School (closed 2009)
  • IC Catholic Prep
  • Islamic Foundation School
  • Montini Catholic High School
  • St. Francis High School
  • Timothy Christian School
  • Wheaton Academy

School districts

The DuPage County Regional Office of Education provides regulatory and compliance oversight, quality services and support, and a variety of other services and information to the public schools within the forty-two school districts of the county that provide education to over 161,000 students in 245 schools.

Infrastructure

Transportation

Aside from the part of O'Hare International Airport that is located inside the county, DuPage also has many railroads and several small airports, including DuPage Airport. DuPage is served by the Pace bus system. DuPage County is also well-covered by Metra, the Chicago-area commuter rail system. Three of Metra's eleven lines pass through the county: Milwaukee District West Line, Union Pacific West Line, and BNSF Line. Nineteen Metra stations are within DuPage County.

Major highways

DuPage County is served by five Interstate Highways, three US Highways, and nine Illinois Routes.

  • I-55
  • I-88
  • I-290
  • I-294
  • I-355
  • US 66 (historic).svg U.S. Route 66
  • US 20
  • US 34
  • IL 19
  • IL 38
  • IL 53
  • IL 56
  • IL 59
  • IL 64
  • IL 83
  • IL 110
  • IL 390

North–south roads (from west to east) include: IL 59 (Sutton Road), IL 53 (Rohlwing Road), I-355 (Veterans Memorial Tollway) and IL 83 (Kingery Highway). East–west roads (from south to north) include: I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) I-88 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway), US 34 (Ogden Avenue), IL 56 (Butterfield Road), IL 38 (Roosevelt Road), IL 64 (North Avenue), Army Trail Road, US 20 (Lake Street), IL 19 (Irving Park Road) and IL 390 (Elgin–O'Hare Expressway), which begins at the Thorndale Avenue exit on I-290 and ends on Lake Street, in Hanover Park. I-294 partially enters DuPage County on its eastern border between Westchester, in Cook County, and Oak Brook, in DuPage County. Only the southbound lanes enter the county though. Historic U.S. Route 66 crosses through the southeast portion of the county near Darien and Willowbrook.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Condado de DuPage para niños

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