ZIP Code 60120

Elgin is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located 35 mi (56 km) northwest of Chicago, along the Fox River. As of the 2020 Census, the city had a population of 114,797, the seventh-largest city in Illinois. Elgin is home to the Elgin Academy, the oldest coeducational, non-sectarian college preparatory school west of the Allegheny Mountains. The Elgin Watch Company employed three generations of Elginites from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, when it was the largest producer of fine watches in the United States. In March 1920, Elgin was struck by several tornadoes that caused significant damage to Chicago and several western suburbs. On March 28, 1920, 23 people were killed and several businesses and homes were destroyed, including the Opera House and Grant Theater. The city is located at 42°218N 88°1922W (42.0384225, 88.3226510) and has a total area of 38.60 square miles (99.97 km²) (or 98.52%) is land and 0.57 sq miles (1.48 km²), (or 1.48%) is water. The population of the city was 43.42% White, 6.60% Native American, 2.40% Asian, 648% Pacific Islander, 24.33% Hispanic or Latino of any race, and 69.69% from two or more races.

History

Elgin is the primary city name, but also Campton Hills, Plato Center, South Elgin are acceptable city names or spellings. The official name is City of Elgin . Elgin was founded in 1835 by James T. Gifford and his brother Hezekiah. The city was named after the Scottish tune "Elgin" Elgin is home to the Elgin Academy, the oldest coeducational, non-sectarian college preparatory school west of the Allegheny Mountains. Elgin High School boasts five Navy admirals, a Nobel Prize winner, a Pulitzer Prize winner and two Academy Award-winning producers. The Elgin Watch Company was the largest producer of fine watches in the U.S. and the operator of the largest watchmaking complex in the world. The clocks at Chicago's Union Station still bear theElgin name.. John Murphy invented the motorized streetsweeper in 1914. Earl "Madman" Muntz and Max Adler, founder of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, were Elgin native's. They later formed Elgin Sweeper Corporation, which invented the car stereo and the air conditioner. The watch factory employed three generations of Elginites from the late 19th century to the mid 20th century, when it was torn down in the summer of 1966. It was named in honor of Gail Borden, who established a condensed milk factory here in 1866, and the local library wasnamed in his honor. The local historian E. C. Alft wrote several books and a long-running newspaper column about Elgin's history. He also wrote a book on the history of the city.

Geography

On March 28, 1920, Elgin was struck by several tornadoes along the Fox River that caused significant damage to Chicago and several western suburbs. Twenty-three people were killed and several businesses and homes were destroyed, including the Opera House and Grant Theater. Elgin is located at 42°218N 88°1922W (42.0384225, 88.3226510).According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Elgin has a total area of 38.60 square miles (99.97 km²), of which 38.03 square miles. (98.50 km²) (or 98.52%) is land and 0.57 sq miles (1.48 km²). (or 1.48%) is water. The city is located on the Illinois River, which runs through the center of the city. The town has a population of 1,816,000 (as of the 2011 census). It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area, which is in the northwestern part of the state. It is also in the state of Illinois, in the western suburbs of Chicago and the city of Winnebago. It has a temperature of  °C (°F) (°C) (°C) and a humid continental climate (Dfa) (Dgfa). The city's name is derived from the Latin word "elgin" which means "home" or "town" and means "place" in Latin.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 114,797 people, 36,825 households, and 26,310 families residing in the city. There were 40,530 housing units at an average density of 1,050.00 per square mile (405.41/km²) The city's age distribution consisted of 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27. 2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.2%. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. The median income for a family was $82,334. The per capita income for the city was $29,423. About 16.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 6.5 per cent of those age 65 or over. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race. The U.S. Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. The city is located in the state of New Mexico, which has a population of 1.2 million. The state's largest city is Bakersfield, where the population is 1.3 million. It is located on the U.N. River, which flows through the city and into the San Francisco Bay Area. The population of the city is 2,974.02 people, making it one of the largest cities in New Mexico.

Elgin today

Elgin has been a sister city of Vientiane, the capital of Laos, since 1967. A significant Laotian American community calls Elgin home. Elgin's civic society is characterized by a large, diverse, and effective group of grassroots organizations, a sense of community pride and a spirit of volunteerism and participation. In October 2003 the Gail Borden Public Library moved into a new $30 million, 139,980 square foot, 460,000 volume-capacity building. In August 2009, Elgin opened its first-ever satellite branch. The 10,000 square foot Rakow Branch, situated on Elgin’s West Side, was LEED registered, and was designed to be expandable up to 30,000square feet. In 2014 Elgin completed the Central Business District Streetscape Improvement Project and the Riverside Drive Promenade. The Grand Victoria Casino initially generated controversy, but went on to be a significant source of income for the city. Drawing nearly four million people annually, as of March 2005 it was the fifth most popular tourist attraction in Illinois. In the years since, more casinos have opened in the area and the Grand Victoria casino had seen attendance and revenue decline. In recognition of this, for the second time, the city won the National Civic League's prestigious All-America City Award in 2002. The city is home to many restaurants and businesses of Mexican origin, including multiple Helados La Michoacana ice-cream shops and Elgin Fresh Market grocery stores, and a multitude of taquerias.

Government

Elgin was chartered as a city by the State of Illinois in 1854. 100 years later it became the first city in Illinois to adopt a council-manager form of government. Residents elect eight at-large council members and a mayor, who serve on a part-time basis. The city council meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the council chambers, located on the second floor of City Hall. Elgin Township is governed by a supervisor, highway commissioner, assessor, clerk, and four trustees elected to four-year terms. The front-line fire apparatus consists of six Advanced Life Support (ALS) fire engines, one quint, two part- time trucks, five ALS ambulances, two boats, and a rescue raft, along with several vehicles used for inspections and other official business.Elgin Fire Department has 133 sworn firefighters and seven fire stations. Residents may attend in person at City Hall, watch the live video stream from the online newsroom, or view the replays on cable Channel 17. Elgin is represented in the Illinois legislature by Representatives Anna Moeller (D), Dan Ugaste (R), and Fred Crespo (D) and Senators Cristina Castro (D) and Don DeWitte (R) In the US House of Representatives, Elgin was represented by Lauren Underwood (D)," Elgin includes portions of Hanover Township, Plato Township, Rutland Township, Dundee Township, and Campton Township in Kane County.

Arts, recreation and conservation

Elgin's city parks include 112-acre (45 ha) Lords Park, which features the Elgin Public Museum and a small zoo featuring a herd of American bison. The Centre of Elgin, which among other features includes an aquatic park and a climbing wall, remains one of the largest municipal recreation centers in the United States. The Elgin Sports Complex on the city's southwest side offers ten lighted ballfields, ten soccer fields and The Hill BMX track. Elgin connects to Algonquin and Dundee to the north, and St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia to the south by the Fox River Trail bike path. In 2017, the city introduced free curbside textile recycling to residents, and it is the first city in Illinois to do so. The city also has a proposed Sustainability Action Plan that includes plans for creating renewable sources of energy for the city, a Curbside organics/composting pilot-program, and information about community gardens. Many interesting Sears Homes arrived in Elgin as kits from 1908 to 1940, before the Great Depression. Many of the most remarkable homes once belonged to the National Watch Company. The Tower Building was recently renovated, converting it to residential apartments. It was believed that Elgin had at one time the largest concentration of cobblestone homes outside of Rochester, New York. Several of the earliest settlers still stand. They can be seen in El gin's historic districts, which are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

Economy

According to Elgin's 2018 Comprehensive Plan, the top employers in the city are: oil, gas and mining. The city's unemployment rate is 3.7 per cent. The unemployment rate for women is 4.1 per cent, according to the city's report. Elgin is home to the Canadian Institute for Research in the Built Environment. The institute is based in Elgin and has offices in Ottawa and Toronto. The province's economy is the second-largest in the province, after Ottawa. The U.S. is the third-largest, with a population of more than 1.4 million. The Canadian economy is one of the fastest-growing in the world. The country's economy has the highest unemployment rate, at 3.8 per cent in 2017. The United States has the lowest unemployment rate in the country, at 2.9 per cent and the lowest in the United States, at 1.7. The top employers are oil and gas, mining and mining equipment, as well as construction and manufacturing. The number of women working in the Elgin area is at a record-high, with more than 50 per cent of women in the workforce. The average age of Elgin residents is 44.5 years old. The town's population is 1.3 per cent; it's the highest in the region. The economy is expected to grow by 2 per cent next year. The growth rate is projected to be 3.5 per cent for the next five years.

Transportation

Elgin has three stations on Metra's Milwaukee District/West Line. Local bus service is provided by PACE (the Suburban bus provider of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Authority) Elgin used to have a streetcar system, operated by the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company. Elgin was served by several interurban lines, the most prominent of these was the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad which provided frequent service into Chicago. Major highways in Elgin include: I-90, I-355, Iola Road, and I-294. The city is located on the Illinois River, which flows into the Chicago River from the north and south. The Chicago River runs through Elgin, which runs into the city from the east and the west. The Elgin River runs from the south to the north, running through the city and into Chicago from the west and the north. The river runs through the Elgin neighborhood, which is located in the north of the city. It is also the western terminus of the Big Timber Road rail line, which provides service between Chicago and the city of Elgin on weekends and major U.S. holidays. It also provides service on major holidays such as Christmas and New Year's Day. The town is also home to the Chicago Cubs baseball team, which plays in Chicago's Wrigley Field. The team's home stadium is the Soldier Field, which was built in the 1930s. The Cubs won the World Series in 1988 and 1989.

Education

Four public school districts and 18 private schools serve Elgin. Almost 40,000 children of school age are in its area. Elgin Community College is one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state. Judson University is an accredited, four-year liberal arts American Baptist college on the banks of the Fox River on the city's northwest side. The Elgin Math & Science Academy, a charter school, will open for the Fall 2018 school year, initially serving grades K-3. It features graduate programs in architecture, education, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Human Services Administration, Organizational Leadership, Business Administration, Leadership in Ministry and the Doctor of Education in Literacy programs. It is the second largest school district in Illinois, serving an area of some 90 square miles (230 km²) in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. It also operates the Elgin High School and Larkin High School, home to the Gifted and Talented Academy and the Visual and Performing Arts Academy, respectively. There are also two private schools: Harvest Christian Academy and The Einstein Academy. The city's public school district is U-46, which serves most of Elgin and some western portions of the city. The private schools include: St. Edward Central Catholic High and St. John's Lutheran School and Preschool, St. Thomas More Catholic Elementary School and Westminster Christian School. There is also a public high school, Elgin Academy, and a private elementary school, Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois = 46.3. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 71. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Elgin = 3.5 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 114,797 individuals with a median age of 32.1 age the population grows by 15.30% in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 3,018.83 residents per square mile of area (1,165.59/km²). There are average 2.97 people per household in the 34,393 households with an average household income of $62,327 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 12.40% of the available work force and has dropped -4.37% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 21.16%. The number of physicians in Elgin per 100,000 population = 132.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Elgin = 36 inches and the annual snowfall = 32.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 104. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 189. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 11.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 45, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Elgin, Kane County, Illinois which are owned by the occupant = 70.97%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 35 years with median home cost = $181,170 and home appreciation of -16.48%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $19.77 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,872 per student. There are 18.6 students for each teacher in the school, 1138 students for each Librarian and 1122 students for each Counselor. 7.28% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 15.32% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.95% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).