Cook County, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Cook County is a county
in the U.S. state
of Illinois
, with its county seat
in Chicago
. It is the second most populous county in the United States
after Los Angeles County
. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than that of 29 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the seven smallest U.S. states. There are over 130 incorporated municipalities in Cook County, the largest of which is Chicago, which makes up approximately 54% of the population of the county. That part of the county which lies outside of the Chicago city limits is divided into 30 townships. Geographically the county is the fifth largest in Illinois by land area and shares the state's Lake Michigan
shoreline with Lake County
. Cook County is mainly urban and very densely populated, containing the City of Chicago and many suburbs.
. It was the 54th county established in Illinois and was named after Daniel Cook
, one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history, who served as the second U.S. Representative
from Illinois and the state's first Attorney General
. Shortly thereafter, in 1839, DuPage County
was carved out of Cook County.
Cook County's current County Board president is Toni Preckwinkle
. The county has by far more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county, and is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States. It has voted only once for a Republican candidate in a Presidential election in the last forty years, when county voters preferred Richard Nixon
to George McGovern
in 1972.
The Cook County Democratic Organization is one of the best known political machine
s in American history. Commonly called the "Chicago Democratic machine", or simply the "Chicago Machine", the machine has dominated Chicago politics since the 1930s when it supplanted a Republican machine. The machine's power has waned considerably since patronage
was curtailed with the Shakman Decrees of 1972 and 1983.
The Circuit Court of Cook County, which files more than 1.2 million cases every year, the Cook County Department of Corrections
, also known as the Cook County Jail
, the largest single-site jail in the nation, and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation, are solely the responsibility of Cook County government. The Cook County Law Library is the second largest county law library in the nation.
The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the second largest public health system in the nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
, Provident Hospital, and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County
, along with over 30 clinics.
The Cook County Highway Department is responsible for the design and maintenance of roadways in the county. These thoroughfares are mostly composed of major and minor arterials, with a few local roads. Although the Highway Department was instrumental in designing many of the expressways in the county, today they are under the jurisdiction of the state.
The Cook County Forest Preserves
, organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as its Board of Commissioners. The district is a belt of 69000 acres (279.2 km²) of forest reservations surrounding the City of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo
(managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden
(managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.
In the 1980s, Cook County was ground zero to an extensive FBI investigation called Operation Greylord
. Ninety-two officials were indicted, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, 8 policemen, 10 deputy sheriffs, 8 court officials, and a state legislator.
Cook County is the fifth largest employer in Chicago.
In March 2008, the County Board increased the sales tax
by one percent to 1.75 percent. This followed a quarter-cent increase in mass transit taxes. In Chicago
, the rate increased to 10.25 percent, the steepest nominal rate of any major metropolitan area in America. In Evanston
, sales tax reached 10 percent and Oak Lawn
residents pay 9.5 percent. On July 22, 2008, the Cook County board voted against Cook County Commissioner's proposal to repeal the tax increase.
movements have been made over the years which called for certain townships
or municipalities
to form their own independent counties.
In the late 1970s, a movement started which proposed a separation of six northwest suburban townships, Cook County's panhandle
(Barrington
, Hanover
, Palatine
, Wheeling
, Schaumburg
, and Elk Grove
) from Cook to form Lincoln
County, in honor of the former U.S. president and Illinois resident. It is likely that Arlington Heights
would have been the county seat. This northwest suburban region of Cook is moderately conservative
and has a population over 500,000. Local legislators, led by State Senator Dave Regnar, went so far as to propose it as official legislation in the Illinois House
. The legislation died, however, before coming to a vote.
In 2004, Blue Island
Mayor Donald E. Peloquin organized a coalition of fifty-five south and southwest suburban municipalities to form a new county, also proposing the name Lincoln County. The county would include everything south of Burbank
, stretching as far west as Orland Park
, as far east as Calumet City
, and as far south as Matteson
, covering an expansive area with a population of over one million residents. Peloquin argued that the south suburbs are often shunned by the city (although Chicago is not bound or required to do anything for other municipalities) and he blamed the Chicago-centric policies of Cook County for failing to jumpstart the somewhat-depressed south suburban local economy. Pending sufficient interest from local communities, Peloquin planned a petition drive to place a question regarding the secession on the general election ballot, but the idea was not met with success.
Talk of secession from Cook County amongst some outlying communities again heated up in mid-2008 in response to a highly controversial 1% sales tax hike which has pushed the tax rates across the county communities up amongst the highest in the nation. Some border towns in particular had been outraged, as people can take their business across the county border (paying, for instance, 7% in Lake County instead of Palatine's 9.5%). The secession issue eventually died down from the nominal tax increase.
Although Cook County is heavily populated, the second most-populous county in the entire nation, it is highly unlikey it would ever be split in two as Cook County is simply not large in a geographical sense. It is unlikely that the state of Illinois would approve giving the county an even smaller geographical footprint.
In 2011, two downstate Republican state representatives, Bill Mitchell
of the 87th district and Adam Brown of the 101st district, proposed statehood for Cook County. Mitchell said that Chicago is "dictating its views" to the rest of the state and Brown added that Chicago "overshadows" the rest of Illinois.
. The highest point in Cook County is its northwest corner, at nearly 1,000 feet above sea level.
, the population of the county was 5,194,675, White American
s made up 55.4% of Cook County's population; non-Hispanic whites
represented 43.9% of the population. Black Americans made up 24.8% of the population. Native Americans
made up 0.4% of Cook County's population. Asian American
s made up 6.2% of the population (1.8% Indian, 1.2% Filipino, 1.2% Chinese, 0.7% Korean, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.8% Other). Pacific Islander American
s made up just 0.0% of the population. Individuals from other races made up 10.6% of the population; people from two or more races
made up 2.5% of the county's population. Hispanics and Latinos
(of any race) made up 24.0% of Cook County's population.
As of the 2000 Census
, there were 5,376,741 people, 1,974,181 households, and 1,269,398 families residing in the county. The population density
was 5,686 people per square mile (2,195/km²). There were 2,096,121 housing units at an average density of 2,216 per square mile (856/km²). The racial makeup
of the county was 56.27% White, 26.14% Black
or African American
, 0.29% Native American
, 4.84% Asian
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
, 9.88% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 19.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
of any race. 9.1% were of Polish, 8.1% German
, 7.9% Irish
and 5.7% Italian
ancestry according to Census 2000. 17.63% reported speaking Spanish
at home; 3.13% speak Polish
.
Whites are the largest racial group in Cook County. Whites of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin form a majority (53%) of the population; however, whites of non-Hispanic origin make up just under 45% of the population. This makes Cook County a minority-majority county. Whites (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) number at roughly 2,793,500 individuals. There are roughly 2,372,500 non-Hispanic whites residing in Cook County. The White
population is ethnically diverse. The bulk of the White population is of German
(11.4%), Irish
(10.3%), Polish
(9.7%), Italian
(6.1%), and English
(3.3%) descent. There are sizable numbers of Swedes
(1.5%), Russians
(1.5%), French
(1.3%), Greeks
(1.2%), Czechs
(1.0%), Dutch (1.0%), Lithuanians (0.9%), Norwegians
(0.8%), and Scots
(0.8%).
Black Americans are the second largest racial group. Black Americans form over one-quarter (25.4%) of Cook County's population. Blacks of non-Hispanic origin form 25.2% of the population; black Hispanics make up the remaining 0.2% of the populace. There are roughly 1,341,000 African Americans of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin living in Cook County; 1,328,000 are non-Hispanic blacks. Roughly 52,500 individuals were of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, making up 1.0% of the total population.
Native Americans are sizable in number but small in the percentage of the population. Over 10,200 residents of Cook County are of Native American heritage, equivalent to just 0.2% of the total population. There are 974 Cherokee
, 612 Chippewa, 430 Navajo
, and 96 Sioux
living in Cook County. Native Americans of Hispanic origin represent much of the Native American population group. Some 5,900 Native Americans are of non-Hispanic origin, so some 4,300 are of Hispanic origin. Over 40% of the Native American racial group is of Hispanic descent.
Asian Americans are a sizable racial group despite the much larger numbers of African and European Americans. Over 300,800 Americans of Asian origin reside in Cook County. Like the Caucasian populace, the Asian population is ethnically diverse, and includes roughly 87,900 Indians
, 61,700 Filipinos
, 60,700 Chinese
, 35,000 Koreans
, 13,700 Vietnamese
, and 11,100 Japanese
. Roughly 30,800 individuals are of other Asian ethnic groups, such as Thai
, Cambodian
, and Hmong
. Indian Americans make up 1.7% of the population, while Chinese and Filipino Americans make up 1.2% of the population each.
Pacific Islander Americans are, by far, the smallest racial group in Cook County. Just over 3,000 individuals are of Pacific Islander heritage. This group includes roughly 780 Native Hawaiians
, 670 Guamanians, 120 Samoans, and 1,400 people of other Pacific Islander groups.
Hispanic and Latino Americans make up over one-fifth (22.8%) of Cook County's population. Roughly 1,204,000 Hispanics live in the county. Mexicans
are, by far, the most common Hispanic group. Cook County's 925,000 Mexican Americans make up 17.5% of its population. Roughly 127,000 Puerto Ricans
make up 2.4% of the population. About 12,200 Cubans
form 0.2% of the total population. There are some 140,000 Hispanics and Latinos of other nationalities living in Cook County (i.e. Colombian
, Bolivian
, etc., and they collectively make up 2.6% of the county's population.
According to the 2000 Census there were 1,974,181 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples
living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,922, and the median income for a family was $53,784. Males had a median income of $40,690 versus $31,298 for females. The per capita income
for the county was $23,227. About 10.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
According to Census Bureau estimates, the county's population was down to 5,303,683 in 2005.
, in addition to the City of Chicago
.
Image:Map of Cook County Illinois showing townships.png|Cook County townships (clickable)|400px|thumb
rect 321 449 394 522 Worth Township
rect 198 112 270 184 Wheeling Township
rect 393 518 488 594 Thornton Township
rect 319 374 355 400 Stickney Township
rect 320 418 357 452 Stickney Township
rect 113 181 183 246 Schaumburg Township
rect 295 357 320 382 Riverside Township
rect 300 309 319 334 River Forest Township
rect 325 591 397 664 Rich Township
rect 248 310 319 383 Proviso Township
rect 251 451 324 524 Palos Township
rect 128 111 200 183 Palatine Township
rect 253 521 326 594 Orland Township
rect 317 309 337 346 Oak Park Township
rect 299 256 330 276 Norwood Park Township
rect 267 113 340 185 Northfield Township
rect 317 183 377 239 Niles Township
rect 327 113 393 185 New Trier Township
rect 248 183 318 241 Maine Township
rect 249 380 322 465 Lyons Township
rect 248 258 318 312 Leyden Township
rect 182 464 254 526 Lemont Township
rect 41 181 115 247 Hanover Township
rect 361 178 403 222 Evanston Township
rect 182 182 249 243 Elk Grove Township
rect 333 344 358 381 Cicero Township
rect 392 496 432 524 Calumet Township
rect 323 519 397 594 Bremen Township
rect 396 591 488 664 Bloom Township
rect 318 345 335 381 Berwyn Township
rect 58 111 129 182 Barrington Township
County (United States)
In the United States, a county is a geographic subdivision of a state , usually assigned some governmental authority. The term "county" is used in 48 of the 50 states; Louisiana is divided into parishes and Alaska into boroughs. Parishes and boroughs are called "county-equivalents" by the U.S...
in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, with its county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. It is the second most populous county in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after Los Angeles County
Los Angeles County, California
Los Angeles County is a county in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 U.S. Census, the county had a population of 9,818,605, making it the most populous county in the United States. Los Angeles County alone is more populous than 42 individual U.S. states...
. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than that of 29 individual U.S. states and the combined populations of the seven smallest U.S. states. There are over 130 incorporated municipalities in Cook County, the largest of which is Chicago, which makes up approximately 54% of the population of the county. That part of the county which lies outside of the Chicago city limits is divided into 30 townships. Geographically the county is the fifth largest in Illinois by land area and shares the state's Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
shoreline with Lake County
Lake County, Illinois
Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
. Cook County is mainly urban and very densely populated, containing the City of Chicago and many suburbs.
History
Cook County was created on January 15, 1831, out of Putnam County by an act of the Illinois General AssemblyIllinois General Assembly
The Illinois General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois and comprises the Illinois House of Representatives and the Illinois Senate. The General Assembly was created by the first state constitution adopted in 1818. Illinois has 59 legislative districts, with two...
. It was the 54th county established in Illinois and was named after Daniel Cook
Daniel Pope Cook
Daniel Pope Cook was a politician from the U.S. state of Illinois.He was born in Scott County, Kentucky into a branch of the prominent Pope family of Kentucky. He moved to Kaskaskia, Illinois, in 1815 and began to practice law...
, one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history, who served as the second U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Illinois and the state's first Attorney General
Illinois Attorney General
The Illinois Attorney General is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by election through universal suffrage...
. Shortly thereafter, in 1839, DuPage County
DuPage County, Illinois
As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
was carved out of Cook County.
Government and politics
Toni Preckwinkle
Toni Reed Preckwinkle is the current Cook County Board President and a former alderman in the Chicago City Council representing Chicago's 4th ward in Cook County, Illinois, United States. She was elected on November 2, 2010, as president of the Cook County Board...
. The county has by far more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county, and is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States. It has voted only once for a Republican candidate in a Presidential election in the last forty years, when county voters preferred Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
to George McGovern
George McGovern
George Stanley McGovern is an historian, author, and former U.S. Representative, U.S. Senator, and the Democratic Party nominee in the 1972 presidential election....
in 1972.
The Cook County Democratic Organization is one of the best known political machine
Political machine
A political machine is a political organization in which an authoritative boss or small group commands the support of a corps of supporters and businesses , who receive rewards for their efforts...
s in American history. Commonly called the "Chicago Democratic machine", or simply the "Chicago Machine", the machine has dominated Chicago politics since the 1930s when it supplanted a Republican machine. The machine's power has waned considerably since patronage
Spoils system
In the politics of the United States, a spoil system is a practice where a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its voters as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the party—as opposed to a system of awarding offices on the...
was curtailed with the Shakman Decrees of 1972 and 1983.
The Circuit Court of Cook County, which files more than 1.2 million cases every year, the Cook County Department of Corrections
Cook County Jail
The Cook County Jail, located on in Cook County, Illinois, is the largest jail in the United States of America housing approximately 9,800 men and women. The facility is located at 3015 S California Ave in the city of Chicago...
, also known as the Cook County Jail
Cook County Jail
The Cook County Jail, located on in Cook County, Illinois, is the largest jail in the United States of America housing approximately 9,800 men and women. The facility is located at 3015 S California Ave in the city of Chicago...
, the largest single-site jail in the nation, and the Cook County Juvenile Detention Center, the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation, are solely the responsibility of Cook County government. The Cook County Law Library is the second largest county law library in the nation.
The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the second largest public health system in the nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County
The John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County, formerly Cook County Hospital is a public urban teaching hospital in Chicago that provides primary, specialty and tertiary healthcare services to the five million residents of Cook County, Illinois. The hospital has a staff of 300 attending...
, Provident Hospital, and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County
Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County
Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County is a 600+ bed hospital located in south suburban Oak Forest, Illinois. It specializes in long-term care, Ventilator care, chronic disease and rehabilitation services. It is part of the Cook County Bureau of Health Services, which also includes the more prominent...
, along with over 30 clinics.
The Cook County Highway Department is responsible for the design and maintenance of roadways in the county. These thoroughfares are mostly composed of major and minor arterials, with a few local roads. Although the Highway Department was instrumental in designing many of the expressways in the county, today they are under the jurisdiction of the state.
The Cook County Forest Preserves
Cook County Forest Preserves
The Cook County Forest Preserves are a network of open spaces, containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes, that are set aside as natural areas. Cook County contains Chicago, Illinois, and is the center of a densely-populated urban metropolitan area in northeastern Illinois...
, organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as its Board of Commissioners. The district is a belt of 69000 acres (279.2 km²) of forest reservations surrounding the City of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo
The Brookfield Zoo is zoo located in the Chicago suburb of Brookfield, Illinois. The zoo covers an area of and houses around 450 species of animals....
(managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden
Chicago Botanic Garden
Located at 1000 Lake Cook Road, Glencoe, Illinois, USA, the Chicago Botanic Garden is a living plant museum situated on nine islands featuring 24 display gardens and surrounded by four natural habitats: McDonald Woods, Dixon Prairie, Skokie River Corridor, and Lakes and Shores. The Garden is open...
(managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves.
In the 1980s, Cook County was ground zero to an extensive FBI investigation called Operation Greylord
Operation Greylord
Operation Greylord was an investigation conducted jointly by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation Division into corruption in the judiciary of Cook County, Illinois...
. Ninety-two officials were indicted, including 17 judges, 48 lawyers, 8 policemen, 10 deputy sheriffs, 8 court officials, and a state legislator.
Cook County is the fifth largest employer in Chicago.
In March 2008, the County Board increased the sales tax
Sales tax
A sales tax is a tax, usually paid by the consumer at the point of purchase, itemized separately from the base price, for certain goods and services. The tax amount is usually calculated by applying a percentage rate to the taxable price of a sale....
by one percent to 1.75 percent. This followed a quarter-cent increase in mass transit taxes. In Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, the rate increased to 10.25 percent, the steepest nominal rate of any major metropolitan area in America. In Evanston
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
, sales tax reached 10 percent and Oak Lawn
Oak Lawn, Illinois
Oak Lawn is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 55,245 at the 2000 census.Oak Lawn is a suburb of the city of Chicago, located southwest of the city...
residents pay 9.5 percent. On July 22, 2008, the Cook County board voted against Cook County Commissioner's proposal to repeal the tax increase.
| Year | Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous... |
Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S... |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 76.48% 1,582,973 | 23.05% 477,038 |
| 2004 | 70.25% 1,439,724 | 29.15% 597,405 |
| 2000 | 68.63% 1,280,547 | 28.65% 534,542 |
| 1996 | 66.79% 1,153,289 | 26.73% 461,557 |
| 1992 | 58.21% 1,249,533 | 28.20% 605,300 |
| 1988 | 55.77% 1,129,973 | 43.36% 878,582 |
| 1984 | 51.02% 1,112,641 | 48.40% 1,055,558 |
| 1980 | 51.99% 1,124,584 | 39.60% 856,574 |
| 1976 | 53.44% 1,180,814 | 44.69% 987,498 |
| 1972 | 46.01% 1,063,268 | 53.41% 1,234,307 |
| 1968 | 50.56% 1,181,316 | 41.11% 960,493 |
| 1964 | 63.18% 1,537,181 | 36.82% 895,718 |
| 1960 | 56.37% 1,378,343 | 43.33% 1,059,607 |
Secession movements
To establish more localized government control and policies which reflect the often different values and needs of large suburban sections of the sprawling county, several secessionSecession
Secession is the act of withdrawing from an organization, union, or especially a political entity. Threats of secession also can be a strategy for achieving more limited goals.-Secession theory:...
movements have been made over the years which called for certain townships
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
or municipalities
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
to form their own independent counties.
In the late 1970s, a movement started which proposed a separation of six northwest suburban townships, Cook County's panhandle
Panhandle
A panhandle is an informal geographic term for an elongated arm-like protrusion of a geo-political entity, such as a subnational entity or a sovereign state.-Term:...
(Barrington
Barrington Township, Cook County, Illinois
Barrington Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 14,026. The northwestern corner of the Cook County panhandle, it is the county's northwesternmost township.-Geography:...
, Hanover
Hanover Township, Cook County, Illinois
Hanover Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA located at the end of the county's panhandle. As of the 2000 census, its population was 83,471.-Geography:...
, Palatine
Palatine Township, Cook County, Illinois
Palatine Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 112,740. It is the north central township of the six northwest townships that form the Cook County panhandle...
, Wheeling
Wheeling Township, Cook County, Illinois
Wheeling Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 155,834. It is the northeasternmost and most populated of the six northwest Cook County townships that form the panhandle.-Geography:...
, Schaumburg
Schaumburg Township, Cook County, Illinois
Schaumburg Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 134,114. It is the south central township of the Cook County panhandle.-Geography:...
, and Elk Grove
Elk Grove Township, Cook County, Illinois
Elk Grove Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 94,969. Elk Grove Township formerly housed the United Airlines headquarters.-Geography:...
) from Cook to form Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
County, in honor of the former U.S. president and Illinois resident. It is likely that Arlington Heights
Arlington Heights, Illinois
Arlington Heights is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. A suburb of Chicago, it lies about 25 miles northwest of the city's downtown. The population was 75,101 at the 2010 census....
would have been the county seat. This northwest suburban region of Cook is moderately conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
and has a population over 500,000. Local legislators, led by State Senator Dave Regnar, went so far as to propose it as official legislation in the Illinois House
Illinois House of Representatives
The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Illinois. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The state House of Representatives is made of 118 representatives elected from...
. The legislation died, however, before coming to a vote.
In 2004, Blue Island
Blue Island, Illinois
Blue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 22,556 at the 2010 census. Blue Island was established in the 1830s as a way station for settlers traveling on the Vincennes Trace, and the settlement prospered because it was conveniently situated a day's journey outside of Chicago...
Mayor Donald E. Peloquin organized a coalition of fifty-five south and southwest suburban municipalities to form a new county, also proposing the name Lincoln County. The county would include everything south of Burbank
Burbank, Illinois
Burbank is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,902 at the 2000 census. It is located at the southwest edge of the city of Chicago; the Chicago city limit – specifically that of the Ashburn neighborhood – is in common with Burbank's eastern city limit...
, stretching as far west as Orland Park
Orland Park, Illinois
Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; it also extends slightly into Will County. The population was 56,767 at the 2010 census. The office of the Assistant Village Manager, Ellen Baer, states that the Will County section of Orland Park is industrial while the Cook County...
, as far east as Calumet City
Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...
, and as far south as Matteson
Matteson, Illinois
Matteson is a village in Cook and Will Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,928 at the 2000 census and an estimated 17,080 as of July 2007.-Geography:Matteson is located at ....
, covering an expansive area with a population of over one million residents. Peloquin argued that the south suburbs are often shunned by the city (although Chicago is not bound or required to do anything for other municipalities) and he blamed the Chicago-centric policies of Cook County for failing to jumpstart the somewhat-depressed south suburban local economy. Pending sufficient interest from local communities, Peloquin planned a petition drive to place a question regarding the secession on the general election ballot, but the idea was not met with success.
Talk of secession from Cook County amongst some outlying communities again heated up in mid-2008 in response to a highly controversial 1% sales tax hike which has pushed the tax rates across the county communities up amongst the highest in the nation. Some border towns in particular had been outraged, as people can take their business across the county border (paying, for instance, 7% in Lake County instead of Palatine's 9.5%). The secession issue eventually died down from the nominal tax increase.
Although Cook County is heavily populated, the second most-populous county in the entire nation, it is highly unlikey it would ever be split in two as Cook County is simply not large in a geographical sense. It is unlikely that the state of Illinois would approve giving the county an even smaller geographical footprint.
In 2011, two downstate Republican state representatives, Bill Mitchell
Bill Mitchell (politician)
Bill Mitchell is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 87th district since 1999.Bill Mitchell is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University, receiving a B.A. in Political Science in 1982. He has been a Decatur City Councilman, Macon County Republican...
of the 87th district and Adam Brown of the 101st district, proposed statehood for Cook County. Mitchell said that Chicago is "dictating its views" to the rest of the state and Brown added that Chicago "overshadows" the rest of Illinois.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1635 square miles (4,234.6 km²), the largest county in Illinois, of which 946 square miles (2,450.1 km²) is land and 689 square miles (1,784.5 km²) (42.16%) is water, most of it in Lake MichiganLake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
. The highest point in Cook County is its northwest corner, at nearly 1,000 feet above sea level.
Major expressways, U.S. and state routes
|
 U.S. Highway 6 U.S. Highway 12 U.S. Highway 14 U.S. Highway 20 U.S. Highway 30 U.S. Highway 34 U.S. Highway 41 U.S. Highway 45 |
 Illinois Route 1Illinois Route 1 Illinois Route 1 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. Running parallel to the Indiana border, it is also the longest state road, starting on the south side of Chicago as Halsted Street at the intersection with 95th Street, south to a free ferry crossing to Kentucky at Cave-In-Rock on...  Illinois Route 7Illinois Route 7 Illinois Route 7 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. Currently, Illinois 7 runs from U.S. Route 6 at Rockdale north through Joliet, into Lockport, and then east to Orland Park before terminating at Illinois Route 43 in Worth...  Illinois Route 19Illinois Route 19 Illinois Route 19 is a major east–west arterial road in northeastern Illinois, United States. It runs from Illinois Route 25 in Elgin, to Lake Shore Drive on the north side of Chicago. Illinois 19 is long...  Illinois Route 21Illinois Route 21 Illinois Route 21 is an arterial north–south state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 43 in Niles to U.S. Route 41 north of Gurnee. Illinois 21 is 28.13 miles long....  Illinois Route 22Illinois Route 22 Illinois Route 22, also known as Half Day Road for part of its length, is an east–west state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 14 in Fox River Grove to U.S. Route 41 in Highland Park...  Illinois Route 25Illinois Route 25 Illinois Route 25 is a state road in northeast Illinois. It runs north from U.S. Highway 34 in Oswego to Illinois Route 62 in Algonquin. Illinois 25 is in length.- Route description :...  Illinois Route 38Illinois Route 38 Illinois Route 38 is an east–west state road that runs across northern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 52 in downtown Dixon to U.S. Highways 12, 20, and 45 in Westchester. This is a distance of . As Roosevelt Road it continues through Forest Park and into Cicero and Chicago before...  Illinois Route 43Illinois Route 43 Illinois Route 43 is a major north–south state road in the U.S. state of Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 30 in Frankfort north to the large intersection of Illinois Route 120 and U.S...  Illinois Route 50Illinois Route 50 Illinois Route 50 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from the junction with U.S. Route 45 in West Kankakee north to U.S. Route 41 in Skokie. This is a distance of . In Chicago and the suburbs it's known as Cicero Avenue...  Illinois Route 53Illinois Route 53 Illinois Route 53 is an arterial north–south state highway in northeast Illinois. Route 53 runs south from Long Grove at Illinois Route 83 to Gardner at Interstate 55 west of old U.S. Highway 66, a distance of... |
 Illinois Route 56Illinois Route 56 Illinois Route 56 is an east–west state road in northern and northeastern Illinois. It runs from the interchange of Illinois Route 47 at U.S. Route 30 in Sugar Grove east to US 12/US 20/US 45 by Bellwood...  Illinois Route 58Illinois Route 58 Illinois Route 58 is a state highway in northeast Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 25 in Elgin east to U.S. Route 41 in Skokie...  Illinois Route 59Illinois Route 59 Illinois Route 59 is a north–south state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs south from Illinois Route 83 in Antioch to Interstate Highway 55 in Shorewood, spanning the north–south width of Chicago's western suburbs...  Illinois Route 60Illinois Route 60 Illinois Route 60 is an east–west state highway in Lake County, in northeastern Illinois. It connects the village of Volo at Illinois Route 120 just east of Illinois Route 59 with the village of Lake Forest at U.S. Highway 41...  Illinois Route 62Illinois Route 62 Illinois Route 62 is an east–west state road in northeast Illinois. It runs from downtown Algonquin at Illinois Route 31 to the intersection with Illinois Route 83 by industrial Mount Prospect. This is a distance of ....  Illinois Route 64Illinois Route 64 Illinois Route 64 is an east–west road in north-central Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 and Iowa Highway 64 via the Savanna-Sabula Bridge at the Mississippi River west of Savanna...  Illinois Route 72Illinois Route 72 Illinois Route 72 is an east–west state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from the intersection with Illinois Route 73 north of Lanark east to Illinois Route 43 in Chicago...  Illinois Route 83Illinois Route 83 Illinois Route 83 is a major north–south state road in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Highway 30 by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Highway 83. Incidentally, this alignment is concentric with Interstate 294...  Illinois Route 68Illinois Route 68 Illinois Route 68 is an east–west state highway in northeast Illinois. It runs east from Illinois Route 72 in the Dundee area to the Interstate 94/U.S. Route 41 concurrency in Glencoe. This is a distance of ....  Illinois Route 171Illinois Route 171 Illinois Route 171 is a north–south state road in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 6 in Joliet north to Illinois Route 72 at the Chicago/Park Ridge border...  Illinois Route 394Illinois Route 394 Illinois Route 394 is a four-lane state freeway that travels south from Thornton at the Interstate 294/Interstate 94/Interstate 80 interchange to Illinois Route 1 south of Steger and Crete. Before taking the Illinois 394 route, it was known as Illinois 1... |
Adjacent counties
- Lake County, IllinoisLake County, IllinoisLake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
- north - Lake County, IndianaLake County, IndianaLake County is a county located in the U.S. state of Indiana. In 2010, its population was 496,005, making it Indiana's second-most populous county. The county seat is Crown Point. This county is part of Northwest Indiana and the Chicago metropolitan area. The county contains a mix of urban,...
- southeast - Will County, IllinoisWill County, IllinoisAs of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
- south - DuPage County, IllinoisDuPage County, IllinoisAs of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
- west - Kane County, IllinoisKane County, IllinoisKane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :...
- west - McHenry County, IllinoisMcHenry County, IllinoisMcHenry County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 308,760, which is an increase of 18.7% from 260,077 in 2000. Its county seat is Woodstock. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county, in...
- northwest - Berrien County, MichiganBerrien County, MichiganBerrien County is a county located in the extreme southwest of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is included in the Niles-Benton Harbor, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2010 census, the population was 156,813. The county seat is St. Joseph....
- east (across Lake Michigan)
Demographics
As of the 2010 CensusUnited States Census, 2010
The Twenty-third United States Census, known as Census 2010 or the 2010 Census, is the current national census of the United States. National Census Day was April 1, 2010 and is the reference date used in enumerating individuals...
, the population of the county was 5,194,675, White American
White American
White Americans are people of the United States who are considered or consider themselves White. The United States Census Bureau defines White people as those "having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa...
s made up 55.4% of Cook County's population; non-Hispanic whites
Non-Hispanic Whites
Non-Hispanic Whites or White, Not Hispanic or Latino are people in the United States, as defined by the Census Bureau, who are of the White race and are not of Hispanic or Latino origin/ethnicity. Hence the designation is exclusive in the sense that it defines who is not included as opposed to who is...
represented 43.9% of the population. Black Americans made up 24.8% of the population. Native Americans
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
made up 0.4% of Cook County's population. Asian American
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
s made up 6.2% of the population (1.8% Indian, 1.2% Filipino, 1.2% Chinese, 0.7% Korean, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.8% Other). Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander American
Pacific Islander Americans, also known as Oceanian Americans, are residents of the United States with original ancestry from Oceania. They represent the smallest racial group counted in the United States census of 2000. They numbered 874,000 people or 0.3 percent of the United States population...
s made up just 0.0% of the population. Individuals from other races made up 10.6% of the population; people from two or more races
Multiracial American
Multiracial Americans, US residents who identify themselves as of "two or more races", were numbered at around 9 million, or 2.9% of the population, in the census of 2010. However there is considerable evidence that the real number is far higher. Prior to the mid-20th century many people hid their...
made up 2.5% of the county's population. Hispanics and Latinos
Hispanic and Latino Americans
Hispanic or Latino Americans are Americans with origins in the Hispanic countries of Latin America or in Spain, and in general all persons in the United States who self-identify as Hispanic or Latino.1990 Census of Population and Housing: A self-designated classification for people whose origins...
(of any race) made up 24.0% of Cook County's population.
As of the 2000 Census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, there were 5,376,741 people, 1,974,181 households, and 1,269,398 families residing in the county. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 5,686 people per square mile (2,195/km²). There were 2,096,121 housing units at an average density of 2,216 per square mile (856/km²). The racial makeup
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of the county was 56.27% White, 26.14% Black
Black people
The term black people is used in systems of racial classification for humans of a dark skinned phenotype, relative to other racial groups.Different societies apply different criteria regarding who is classified as "black", and often social variables such as class, socio-economic status also plays a...
or African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.29% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 4.84% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 0.05% Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islander , is a geographic term to describe the indigenous inhabitants of any of the three major sub-regions of Oceania: Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia.According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, these three regions, together with their islands consist of:Polynesia:...
, 9.88% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 19.93% of the population were Hispanic or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race. 9.1% were of Polish, 8.1% German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 7.9% Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
and 5.7% Italian
Italian people
The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...
ancestry according to Census 2000. 17.63% reported speaking Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
at home; 3.13% speak Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
.
Whites are the largest racial group in Cook County. Whites of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin form a majority (53%) of the population; however, whites of non-Hispanic origin make up just under 45% of the population. This makes Cook County a minority-majority county. Whites (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) number at roughly 2,793,500 individuals. There are roughly 2,372,500 non-Hispanic whites residing in Cook County. The White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
population is ethnically diverse. The bulk of the White population is of German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(11.4%), Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
(10.3%), Polish
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
(9.7%), Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
(6.1%), and English
English American
English Americans are citizens or residents of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England....
(3.3%) descent. There are sizable numbers of Swedes
Swedish American
Swedish Americans are Americans of Swedish descent, especially the descendants of about 1.2 million immigrants from Sweden during 1885-1915. Most were Lutherans who affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America ; some were Methodists...
(1.5%), Russians
Russian American
Russian Americans are primarily Americans who traces their ancestry to Russia. The definition can be applied to recent Russian immigrants to the United States, as well as to settlers of 19th century Russian settlements in northwestern America which includes today's California, Alaska and...
(1.5%), French
French American
French Americans or Franco-Americans are Americans of French or French Canadian descent. About 11.8 million U.S. residents are of this descent, and about 1.6 million speak French at home.An additional 450,000 U.S...
(1.3%), Greeks
Greek American
Greek Americans are Americans of Greek descent also described as Hellenic descent. According to the 2007 U.S. Census Bureau estimation, there were 1,380,088 people of Greek ancestry in the United States, while the State Department mentions that around 3,000,000 Americans claim to be of Greek descent...
(1.2%), Czechs
Czech American
Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
(1.0%), Dutch (1.0%), Lithuanians (0.9%), Norwegians
Norwegian American
Norwegian Americans are Americans of Norwegian descent. Norwegian immigrants went to the United States primarily in the later half of the 19th century and the first few decades of the 20th century. There are more than 4.5 million Norwegian Americans according to the most recent U.S. census, and...
(0.8%), and Scots
Scottish American
Scottish Americans or Scots Americans are citizens of the United States whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in Scotland. Scottish Americans are closely related to Scots-Irish Americans, descendants of Ulster Scots, and communities emphasize and celebrate a common heritage...
(0.8%).
Black Americans are the second largest racial group. Black Americans form over one-quarter (25.4%) of Cook County's population. Blacks of non-Hispanic origin form 25.2% of the population; black Hispanics make up the remaining 0.2% of the populace. There are roughly 1,341,000 African Americans of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin living in Cook County; 1,328,000 are non-Hispanic blacks. Roughly 52,500 individuals were of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, making up 1.0% of the total population.
Native Americans are sizable in number but small in the percentage of the population. Over 10,200 residents of Cook County are of Native American heritage, equivalent to just 0.2% of the total population. There are 974 Cherokee
Cherokee
The Cherokee are a Native American people historically settled in the Southeastern United States . Linguistically, they are part of the Iroquoian language family...
, 612 Chippewa, 430 Navajo
Navajo people
The Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
, and 96 Sioux
Sioux
The Sioux are Native American and First Nations people in North America. The term can refer to any ethnic group within the Great Sioux Nation or any of the nation's many language dialects...
living in Cook County. Native Americans of Hispanic origin represent much of the Native American population group. Some 5,900 Native Americans are of non-Hispanic origin, so some 4,300 are of Hispanic origin. Over 40% of the Native American racial group is of Hispanic descent.
Asian Americans are a sizable racial group despite the much larger numbers of African and European Americans. Over 300,800 Americans of Asian origin reside in Cook County. Like the Caucasian populace, the Asian population is ethnically diverse, and includes roughly 87,900 Indians
Indian American
Indian Americans are Americans whose ancestral roots lie in India. The U.S. Census Bureau popularized the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Indigenous peoples of the Americas who are commonly referred to as American Indians.-The term: Indian:...
, 61,700 Filipinos
Filipino American
Filipino Americans are Americans of Filipino ancestry. Filipino Americans, often shortened to "Fil-Ams", or "Pinoy",Filipinos in what is now the United States were first documented in the 16th century, with small settlements beginning in the 18th century...
, 60,700 Chinese
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
, 35,000 Koreans
Korean American
Korean Americans are Americans of Korean descent, mostly from South Korea, with a small minority from North Korea...
, 13,700 Vietnamese
Vietnamese American
A Vietnamese American is an American of Vietnamese descent. They make up about half of all overseas Vietnamese and are the fourth-largest Asian American group....
, and 11,100 Japanese
Japanese American
are American people of Japanese heritage. Japanese Americans have historically been among the three largest Asian American communities, but in recent decades have become the sixth largest group at roughly 1,204,205, including those of mixed-race or mixed-ethnicity...
. Roughly 30,800 individuals are of other Asian ethnic groups, such as Thai
Thai American
A Thai American is an American of whose parents or grandparents came from Thailand. Many of them may in fact be of Thai Chinese or at least part Chinese ancestry, but they are still considered to be Thais.-History in U.S.:...
, Cambodian
Cambodian American
A Cambodian American is an American who is born, raised, or from Cambodia usually of Khmer descent but also including Chinese Cambodians, Vietnamese Cambodians, Cham people and other ethnicities of Cambodia...
, and Hmong
Hmong American
A Hmong American is a resident of the United States who is of ethnic Hmong descent. Hmong Americans are one group of Asian Americans. Many Lao Hmong war refugees resettled in the U.S. following the communist takeover of Laos in 1975...
. Indian Americans make up 1.7% of the population, while Chinese and Filipino Americans make up 1.2% of the population each.
Pacific Islander Americans are, by far, the smallest racial group in Cook County. Just over 3,000 individuals are of Pacific Islander heritage. This group includes roughly 780 Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians
Native Hawaiians refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands or their descendants. Native Hawaiians trace their ancestry back to the original Polynesian settlers of Hawaii.According to the U.S...
, 670 Guamanians, 120 Samoans, and 1,400 people of other Pacific Islander groups.
Hispanic and Latino Americans make up over one-fifth (22.8%) of Cook County's population. Roughly 1,204,000 Hispanics live in the county. Mexicans
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
are, by far, the most common Hispanic group. Cook County's 925,000 Mexican Americans make up 17.5% of its population. Roughly 127,000 Puerto Ricans
Puerto Ricans in the United States
Stateside Puerto Ricans are American citizens of Puerto Rican origin, including those who migrated from Puerto Rico to the United States and those who were born outside of Puerto Rico in the United States...
make up 2.4% of the population. About 12,200 Cubans
Cuban American
A Cuban American is a United States citizen who traces his or her "national origin" to Cuba. Cuban Americans are also considered native born Americans with Cuban parents or Cuban-born persons who were raised and educated in US...
form 0.2% of the total population. There are some 140,000 Hispanics and Latinos of other nationalities living in Cook County (i.e. Colombian
Colombian American
Colombian Americans are citizens of the United States who trace their nationality or heritage from the South American nation of Colombia. They are the largest South American ethnic group in the United States.-Causes of migration:...
, Bolivian
Bolivian American
Bolivian American is a compound term that applies to American citizens of Bolivian origin. Racially, Bolivian Americans are identified as Indigenous, European , Afro Bolivian, or a combination of any or all three races in varying degrees of admixture...
, etc., and they collectively make up 2.6% of the county's population.
According to the 2000 Census there were 1,974,181 households out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the county the population was spread out with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.
The median income for a household in the county was $45,922, and the median income for a family was $53,784. Males had a median income of $40,690 versus $31,298 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the county was $23,227. About 10.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over.
According to Census Bureau estimates, the county's population was down to 5,303,683 in 2005.
Townships
The county is divided into thirty townshipsCivil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
, in addition to the City of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
.
Image:Map of Cook County Illinois showing townships.png|Cook County townships (clickable)|400px|thumb
rect 321 449 394 522 Worth Township
Worth Township, Cook County, Illinois
Worth Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 152,239. It was founded in 1849, when the county voted to subdivide itself into townships.-Geography:...
rect 198 112 270 184 Wheeling Township
Wheeling Township, Cook County, Illinois
Wheeling Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 155,834. It is the northeasternmost and most populated of the six northwest Cook County townships that form the panhandle.-Geography:...
rect 393 518 488 594 Thornton Township
rect 319 374 355 400 Stickney Township
Stickney Township, Cook County, Illinois
Stickney Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 38,673, with approximately 72% of that total living in the city of Burbank ....
rect 320 418 357 452 Stickney Township
Stickney Township, Cook County, Illinois
Stickney Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 38,673, with approximately 72% of that total living in the city of Burbank ....
rect 113 181 183 246 Schaumburg Township
Schaumburg Township, Cook County, Illinois
Schaumburg Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 134,114. It is the south central township of the Cook County panhandle.-Geography:...
rect 295 357 320 382 Riverside Township
Riverside Township, Cook County, Illinois
Riverside Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 15,704.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Riverside Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Brookfield *...
rect 300 309 319 334 River Forest Township
River Forest Township, Cook County, Illinois
River Forest Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 11,635 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
rect 325 591 397 664 Rich Township
Rich Township, Cook County, Illinois
Rich Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 67,623.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Rich Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Country Club Hills*...
rect 248 310 319 383 Proviso Township
Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois
Proviso Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 155,831. It was organized in 1850 and originally named Taylor, but shortly afterward its name was changed to make reference to the Wilmot Proviso, a contemporary piece of...
rect 251 451 324 524 Palos Township
Palos Township, Cook County, Illinois
Palos Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 53,419.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Palos Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Boundaries:Palos Township is bordered by Harlem...
rect 128 111 200 183 Palatine Township
Palatine Township, Cook County, Illinois
Palatine Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 112,740. It is the north central township of the six northwest townships that form the Cook County panhandle...
rect 253 521 326 594 Orland Township
Orland Township, Cook County, Illinois
Orland Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 91,418.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Orland Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water...
rect 317 309 337 346 Oak Park Township
Oak Park Township, Cook County, Illinois
Oak Park Township is a civil township located in Cook County, Illinois, coexistent with the Village of Oak Park. The population was 52,524 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
rect 299 256 330 276 Norwood Park Township
Norwood Park Township, Cook County, Illinois
Norwood Park Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 26,176.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Norwood Park Township covers an area of .-Cities, towns, villages:...
rect 267 113 340 185 Northfield Township
Northfield Township, Cook County, Illinois
Northfield Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 82,880. The township office is located in the Passport Plaza Building in Glenview...
rect 317 183 377 239 Niles Township
Niles Township, Cook County, Illinois
Niles Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 102,638.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Niles Township covers an area of .-Cities, towns, villages:* Glenview...
rect 327 113 393 185 New Trier Township
rect 248 183 318 241 Maine Township
Maine Township, Cook County, Illinois
Maine Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 135,623 at the 2000 census. The township was founded in 1850....
rect 249 380 322 465 Lyons Township
Lyons Township, Cook County, Illinois
Lyons Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 109,264. Lyons Township was established in 1850.-Geography:...
rect 248 258 318 312 Leyden Township
Leyden Township, Cook County, Illinois
Leyden Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 94,685.-Geography:Leyden Township is located just northwest of the city of Chicago, an edge of which lies within the township but as a separate entity...
rect 182 464 254 526 Lemont Township
Lemont Township, Cook County, Illinois
Lemont Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 18,002.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Lemont Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Lemont* Palos Park *...
rect 41 181 115 247 Hanover Township
Hanover Township, Cook County, Illinois
Hanover Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA located at the end of the county's panhandle. As of the 2000 census, its population was 83,471.-Geography:...
rect 361 178 403 222 Evanston Township
Evanston Township, Cook County, Illinois
Evanston Township is a civil township located in Cook County, Illinois, coterminous with the city of Evanston. The population was 74,239 at the 2000 census.-External links:****...
rect 182 182 249 243 Elk Grove Township
Elk Grove Township, Cook County, Illinois
Elk Grove Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 94,969. Elk Grove Township formerly housed the United Airlines headquarters.-Geography:...
rect 333 344 358 381 Cicero Township
Cicero Township, Cook County, Illinois
Cicero Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 85,616.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Cicero Township covers an area of...
rect 392 496 432 524 Calumet Township
Calumet Township, Cook County, Illinois
Calumet Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 22,374.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Calumet Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Blue Island *...
rect 323 519 397 594 Bremen Township
Bremen Township, Cook County, Illinois
Bremen Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 109,575. It was organized in 1850 and is located southwest of Chicago, Illinois in southern Cook County...
rect 396 591 488 664 Bloom Township
Bloom Township, Cook County, Illinois
Bloom Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 93,901.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Bloom Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Chicago Heights*...
rect 318 345 335 381 Berwyn Township
Berwyn Township, Cook County, Illinois
Berwyn Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 54,016. It is coterminous with the city of Berwyn.-Geography:...
rect 58 111 129 182 Barrington Township
Barrington Township, Cook County, Illinois
Barrington Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 14,026. The northwestern corner of the Cook County panhandle, it is the county's northwesternmost township.-Geography:...
Townships by population in 2010
- Thornton Township - 169,326
- Wheeling TownshipWheeling Township, Cook County, IllinoisWheeling Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 155,834. It is the northeasternmost and most populated of the six northwest Cook County townships that form the panhandle.-Geography:...
- 153,630 - Worth TownshipWorth Township, Cook County, IllinoisWorth Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 152,239. It was founded in 1849, when the county voted to subdivide itself into townships.-Geography:...
- 152,633 - Proviso TownshipProviso Township, Cook County, IllinoisProviso Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 155,831. It was organized in 1850 and originally named Taylor, but shortly afterward its name was changed to make reference to the Wilmot Proviso, a contemporary piece of...
- 151,704 - Maine TownshipMaine Township, Cook County, IllinoisMaine Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 135,623 at the 2000 census. The township was founded in 1850....
- 135,772 - Schaumburg TownshipSchaumburg Township, Cook County, IllinoisSchaumburg Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 134,114. It is the south central township of the Cook County panhandle.-Geography:...
- 131,288 - Palatine TownshipPalatine Township, Cook County, IllinoisPalatine Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 112,740. It is the north central township of the six northwest townships that form the Cook County panhandle...
- 112,994 - Lyons TownshipLyons Township, Cook County, IllinoisLyons Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 109,264. Lyons Township was established in 1850.-Geography:...
- 111,688 - Bremen TownshipBremen Township, Cook County, IllinoisBremen Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 109,575. It was organized in 1850 and is located southwest of Chicago, Illinois in southern Cook County...
- 110,118 - Niles TownshipNiles Township, Cook County, IllinoisNiles Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 102,638.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Niles Township covers an area of .-Cities, towns, villages:* Glenview...
- 105,882 - Hanover TownshipHanover Township, Cook County, IllinoisHanover Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA located at the end of the county's panhandle. As of the 2000 census, its population was 83,471.-Geography:...
- 99,538 - Orland TownshipOrland Township, Cook County, IllinoisOrland Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 91,418.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Orland Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water...
- 97,558 - Elk Grove TownshipElk Grove Township, Cook County, IllinoisElk Grove Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 94,969. Elk Grove Township formerly housed the United Airlines headquarters.-Geography:...
- 92,905 - Leyden TownshipLeyden Township, Cook County, IllinoisLeyden Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 94,685.-Geography:Leyden Township is located just northwest of the city of Chicago, an edge of which lies within the township but as a separate entity...
- 92,890 - Bloom TownshipBloom Township, Cook County, IllinoisBloom Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 93,901.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Bloom Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Chicago Heights*...
- 90,922 - Northfield TownshipNorthfield Township, Cook County, IllinoisNorthfield Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 82,880. The township office is located in the Passport Plaza Building in Glenview...
- 85,102 - Cicero TownshipCicero Township, Cook County, IllinoisCicero Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 85,616.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Cicero Township covers an area of...
- 83,891 - Rich TownshipRich Township, Cook County, IllinoisRich Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 67,623.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Rich Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Country Club Hills*...
- 76,727 - Evanston TownshipEvanston Township, Cook County, IllinoisEvanston Township is a civil township located in Cook County, Illinois, coterminous with the city of Evanston. The population was 74,239 at the 2000 census.-External links:****...
- 74,486 - New Trier Township - 55,424
- Palos TownshipPalos Township, Cook County, IllinoisPalos Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 53,419.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Palos Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Boundaries:Palos Township is bordered by Harlem...
- 54,615 - Berwyn TownshipBerwyn Township, Cook County, IllinoisBerwyn Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 54,016. It is coterminous with the city of Berwyn.-Geography:...
- 56,657 - Oak Park TownshipOak Park Township, Cook County, IllinoisOak Park Township is a civil township located in Cook County, Illinois, coexistent with the Village of Oak Park. The population was 52,524 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- 51,878 - Stickney TownshipStickney Township, Cook County, IllinoisStickney Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 38,673, with approximately 72% of that total living in the city of Burbank ....
- 40,772 - Norwood Park TownshipNorwood Park Township, Cook County, IllinoisNorwood Park Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 26,176.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Norwood Park Township covers an area of .-Cities, towns, villages:...
- 26,385 - Lemont TownshipLemont Township, Cook County, IllinoisLemont Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 18,002.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Lemont Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Lemont* Palos Park *...
- 21,113 - Calumet TownshipCalumet Township, Cook County, IllinoisCalumet Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 22,374.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Calumet Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Blue Island *...
- 20,777 - Barrington TownshipBarrington Township, Cook County, IllinoisBarrington Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 14,026. The northwestern corner of the Cook County panhandle, it is the county's northwesternmost township.-Geography:...
- 15,636 - Riverside TownshipRiverside Township, Cook County, IllinoisRiverside Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 15,704.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Riverside Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Brookfield *...
- 15,594 - River Forest TownshipRiver Forest Township, Cook County, IllinoisRiver Forest Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 11,635 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...
- 11,172
Former townships
Chicago's eight former townships and annexed parts of others no longer have any governmental structure or responsibility since their annexations, but their names and boundaries are still used on property plats and by Cook County for tax assessment purposes.- Jefferson TownshipJefferson Township, Cook County, IllinoisJefferson Township is a former civil township in Cook County, Illinois, United States that existed as a separate municipality from 1850 until 1889 when it was annexed into the city of Chicago. Its borders were Devon Avenue on the north, Harlem Avenue on the west, Western Avenue to the east, and...
- Hyde Park TownshipHyde Park Township, Cook County, IllinoisHyde Park Township is a former civil township in Cook County, Illinois, United States that existed as a separate municipality from 1861 until 1889 when it was annexed into the city of Chicago...
- Lake TownshipLake Township, Cook County, IllinoisLake Township, also known as the Town of Lake, was a former civil township in Cook County, Illinois, which now forms the south-west portion of Chicago. It was bounded by present-day Pershing Road on the north, State Street on the east, and the Chicago city boundaries on the south and west...
- Lake View Township
- North Township
- Rogers Park Township
- South Township
- West Township
Cities
- BerwynBerwyn, IllinoisBerwyn is a city in Cook County, Illinois, co-existent with Berwyn Township, which was formed in 1908 after breaking off from Cicero Township. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 54,016.-Demographics:...
- Blue IslandBlue Island, IllinoisBlue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 22,556 at the 2010 census. Blue Island was established in the 1830s as a way station for settlers traveling on the Vincennes Trace, and the settlement prospered because it was conveniently situated a day's journey outside of Chicago...
- BurbankBurbank, IllinoisBurbank is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,902 at the 2000 census. It is located at the southwest edge of the city of Chicago; the Chicago city limit – specifically that of the Ashburn neighborhood – is in common with Burbank's eastern city limit...
- BridgeviewBridgeview, IllinoisBridgeview is a village in Cook County, Illinois in the United States. It is located approximately from the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446...
- Calumet CityCalumet City, IllinoisCalumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...
- ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
- a small, non-residential part of the Chicago city limits (at O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International AirportChicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
) is in DuPage CountyDuPage County, IllinoisAs of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population...
- approximately 1/3 of O'Hare lies in DuPage. - Chicago HeightsChicago Heights, IllinoisChicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 31,373 at the 2005 census. Chicago Heights is nicknamed 'Crossroads of the Nation'.-History:...
- Country Club HillsCountry Club Hills, IllinoisCountry Club Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 16,169 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Country Club Hills is located at ....
- CountrysideCountryside, IllinoisCountryside is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,991 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Countryside is located at ....
- Des PlainesDes Plaines, IllinoisDes Plaines is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It has adopted the official nickname of "City of Destiny." As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 58,720. It is a suburb of Chicago, and is next to O'Hare International Airport...
- ElginElgin, IllinoisElgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
- mostly in Kane CountyKane County, IllinoisKane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :... - EvanstonEvanston, IllinoisEvanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
- HarveyHarvey, IllinoisHarvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
- HometownHometown, IllinoisHometown is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,467 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Hometown is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- MarkhamMarkham, IllinoisMarkham is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,620 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Markham is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
- NorthlakeNorthlake, IllinoisNorthlake is a city in suburban Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,878 at the 2000 census. The city's moniker is "The City of Friendly People".-Geography:...
- Oak ForestOak Forest, IllinoisOak Forest is a suburban city about south/southwest of downtown Chicago in Bremen Township in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,051 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- Oak LawnOak Lawn, IllinoisOak Lawn is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 55,245 at the 2000 census.Oak Lawn is a suburb of the city of Chicago, located southwest of the city...
- Palos HeightsPalos Heights, IllinoisPalos Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 12,561 in 2005.-Geography:Palos Heights is located at ....
- Palos HillsPalos Hills, IllinoisPalos Hills is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,665 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Moraine Valley Community College as well as Amos Alonzo Stagg High School.-Geography:...
- Park RidgePark Ridge, Illinois-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 37,775 people, 14,219 households, and 10,465 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,374.6 people per square mile . There were 14,646 housing units at an average density of 2,083.8 per square mile...
- Rolling MeadowsRolling Meadows, IllinoisRolling Meadows is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,607 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Rolling Meadows is located at ....
Villages
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Franklin Park, Illinois Franklin Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,800 at the 2004 census.-Geography:Franklin Park is located at .... Glencoe, Illinois Glencoe is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 8,723. Glencoe is located on suburban Chicago's North Shore. Glencoe is located within the New Trier High School District. Glencoe is regarded as one of the most affluent suburbs on... Glenview, Cook County, Illinois Glenview is a suburban village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 41,847... Glenwood, Illinois Glenwood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,000 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glenwood is located at .... Golf, Illinois Golf is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was projected to be 449 for the year 2007.-Geography:Golf is located at .... Hanover Park, Illinois Hanover Park is a village in Cook and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The population was 38,278 at the 2000 census... - partly in DuPage County DuPage County, Illinois As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population... Harwood Heights, Illinois Harwood Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,297 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor is Arlene Jezierny... Hazel Crest, Illinois Hazel Crest is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,816 at the 2000 census. Despite being primarily located in Bremen Township, the village is also located in Rich Township south of 183rd Street and Thornton Township east of I-80/94 The Village is located in... Hillside, Illinois Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,155 at the 2000 census.One notable landmark in Hillside is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. On the grounds of the cemetery are the graves of a number of organized crime figures, such as Al Capone and Dion O'Bannion... Hinsdale, Illinois Hinsdale is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois; it is located partly in Cook County and mainly in DuPage County in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 17,349 at the 2000 census. The town's ZIP code is 60521. The town has a rolling, wooded topography, with a quaint downtown and is a 30-minute... - primarily in DuPage County DuPage County, Illinois As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population... Hodgkins, Illinois Hodgkins is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,134 at the 2000 census.A large United Parcel Service sorting facility, known as CACH, is located partly in Hodgkins and partly in nearby Willow Springs on the outskirts of Chicago... Hoffman Estates, Illinois Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003... - partly in Kane County Kane County, Illinois Kane County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 515,269, which is an increase of 27.5% from 404,119 in 2000. Its county seat is Geneva, and its largest city is Aurora.- Geography :... Homewood, Illinois Homewood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,543 at the 2000 census. Homewood is a sister city to Homewood, Alabama.- Geography :... Indian Head Park, Illinois Indian Head Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois slightly north of the intersection of Interstate 294 and Interstate 55. The village is south of Western Springs, north of Burr Ridge, and west of Countryside. The population was 3,685 at the 2000 census... Inverness, Illinois Inverness is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 6,749 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Inverness is located at .... Justice, Illinois Justice is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States established in 1911. The population was 12,850 as of 2006.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water.A major road running through the town is... Kenilworth, Illinois Kenilworth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, north of downtown Chicago. It is the newest of the nine suburban North Shore communities bordering Lake Michigan, and is the only one developed as a planned community... La Grange, Illinois La Grange, a suburb of Chicago, is a village in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 15,608 at the 2000 census.-History:... La Grange Park, Illinois La Grange Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village, which is a suburb of Chicago, population was 13,295.-Geography:La Grange Park is located at .... Lansing, Illinois Lansing is a village in Cook County, Illinois, USA. Lansing is a southern suburb of Chicago. The population was 28,332 at the 2000 census.-Geography:... Lemont, Illinois Lemont is a village located in Cook, DuPage, and Will Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, and is roughly southwest of Chicago. The population was 16,625 at the 2007 Special Census.-History:... Lincolnwood, Illinois Lincolnwood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,359 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lincolnwood is located at .... Lynwood, Illinois Lynwood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 7,377 at the 2000 census.Lynwood was founded in 1959. The Village is surrounded by Lansing to the north, Glenwood to the west, Sauk Village to the south, and Munster and Dyer, Indiana to the east. The Indiana state... Lyons, Illinois Lyons is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,255 at the 2000 census.-History:Incorporated in 1888, Lyons is steeped in earlier historical roots. In 1673 French Explorer Louis Joliet and Jesuit missionary Father Pierre Marquette left Green Bay, Wisconsin by canoe... Matteson, Illinois Matteson is a village in Cook and Will Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,928 at the 2000 census and an estimated 17,080 as of July 2007.-Geography:Matteson is located at .... Maywood, Illinois Maywood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It was founded on April 6, 1869 and organized October 22, 1881. The population was 26,987 at the 2000 census.-Overview:... McCook, Illinois McCook is a suburb of Chicago in Cook County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 254, which is the lowest population of all municipalities in the county. It was named for John J. McCook, a late 19th century director of the Santa Fe Railroad and a former... Melrose Park, Illinois Melrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a "near-in" suburb of Chicago. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park has long been home to a large Italian-American population, though now it is majority Mexican-American. It was the home of Kiddieland... Merrionette Park, Illinois Merrionette Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,999 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Merrionette Park is located at .... Midlothian, Illinois Midlothian is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,315 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Midlothian is located at .... Morton Grove, Illinois Morton Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 22,451 at the 2000 census.The Village President of Morton Grove since April 27, 2009, is Daniel J... |
Mount Prospect, Illinois Mount Prospect is a village in Elk Grove and Wheeling Townships in Cook County, Illinois, about northwest of downtown Chicago. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 54,167.-Geography:... Niles, Illinois Niles is a village in Maine and Niles Townships, Cook County, Illinois, United States. The 2010 population from the U.S. Census Bureau is 29,803.The current mayor of Niles is Robert M. Callero.-History:Niles was first settled in 1827.... Norridge, Illinois Norridge is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,582 at the 2000 census. The current Mayor of Norridge is Ronald A. Oppedisano.The village is completely surrounded by Chicago and Harwood Heights.-Name origin:... North Riverside, Illinois North Riverside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,688 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Riverside is located at .... Northbrook, Illinois Northbrook is a village located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, which is also a North Shore suburb of Chicago. The population was 33,170 at the 2010 census.... Northfield, Illinois Northfield is an affluent village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately north of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 5,389... Oak Park, Illinois Oak Park, Illinois is a suburb bordering the west side of the city of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is the twenty-fifth largest municipality in Illinois. Oak Park has easy access to downtown Chicago due to public transportation such as the Chicago 'L' Blue and Green lines,... Olympia Fields, Illinois Olympia Fields is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,732 at the 2000 census. It is the location of the prestigious Olympia Fields Country Club, and is also noteworthy as one of the wealthiest majority black communities in the United States... Orland Hills, Illinois Orland Hills is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,779 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Orland Hills is located at .... Orland Park, Illinois Orland Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States; it also extends slightly into Will County. The population was 56,767 at the 2010 census. The office of the Assistant Village Manager, Ellen Baer, states that the Will County section of Orland Park is industrial while the Cook County... Palatine, Illinois Palatine is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a northwestern residential suburb of Chicago. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 65,479, making it the sixth-largest community in Cook County and the 16th-largest in the state of Illinois at that time... Palos Park, Illinois Palos Park is an affluent village, in southwestern Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,689 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Palos Park is located at .... Park Forest, Illinois Park Forest is a village located south of Chicago in Cook County and Will County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 23,462... - partly in Will County Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... Phoenix, Illinois Phoenix is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,157 at the 2000 census. It is located approximately 19 miles south of the Chicago Loop and is part of the Chicago–Naperville–Joliet, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Phoenix is located at... Posen, Illinois Posen is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Posen is the German-language name for the western Polish city of Poznań. The population was 4,730 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Posen is located at .... Prospect Heights, Illinois Prospect Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, which is a suburb of Chicago. The population was 17,081 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Prospect Heights is located at .... Richton Park, Illinois Richton Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,533 at the 2000 census. It is bordered by Matteson to the north, Park Forest to the east, University Park and Crete to the south.-Geography:... River Forest, Illinois River Forest is a suburban village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Two universities make their home in River Forest, Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago. The village is closely tied to the larger neighboring community of Oak Park, Illinois. There are significant... River Grove, Illinois River Grove is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,668 at the 2000 census.-Geography:River Grove is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of .... Riverdale, Illinois Riverdale is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,055 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Riverdale is located at .... Riverside, Illinois Riverside is an affluent suburban village in Cook County, Illinois. A significant portion of the village is in the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The population was 8,895 at the 2000 census... Robbins, Illinois Robbins is a village in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 6,635 at the 2000 census. Irene H. Brodie is the current mayor of the city.-Demographics:... Roselle, Illinois Roselle is a city located in DuPage County and a small portion in Cook County Illinois in northeastern Illinois. It was first incorporated in 1922 and can correctly be relegated to a bedroom community — that is, a community that largely consists of residential zoning in both income streams... - primarily in DuPage County DuPage County, Illinois As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population... Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that... Sauk Village, Illinois Sauk Village is a village in Cook County and small parcel south of 231st St. in Will County, Illinois. The population was 10,411 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sauk Village is located at .... - partly in Will County Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... Schaumburg, Illinois Schaumburg is a city located in Cook County in northeastern Illinois. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under northwest of downtown Chicago and approximately northwest of O'Hare International Airport. As... - partly in DuPage County DuPage County, Illinois As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population... Schiller Park, Illinois Schiller Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,850 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Schiller Park is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land.... Skokie, Illinois Skokie is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Native American word for "fire". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, per the 2000 census, was 63,348... South Barrington, Illinois South Barrington is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States south of Barrington, Illinois. The population was 3,760 at the 2000 census. South Barrington is a wealthy suburb of Chicago and home to the famous megachurch Willow Creek Community Church. The village is known throughout the area... South Chicago Heights, Illinois South Chicago Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,970 at the 2000 census.-Geography:South Chicago Heights is located at .... |
South Holland, Illinois South Holland is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States and serves as the seat of Thornton Township. The population was 22,147 at the 2000 census.-History:... Steger, Illinois The village of Steger lies along the dividing line on the south end of Cook County and north end of Will County in the U.S. state of Illinois... - partly in Will County Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... Stickney, Illinois Stickney is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,148 at the 2000 census. It was well known in the 1920s and early 1930s as the home for several bordellos linked to mobster Al Capone's empire.... Stone Park, Illinois Stone Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,127 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Stone Park is located at .... Streamwood, Illinois Streamwood is a village of Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,497 at the 2006 census. It is a suburb of Chicago.Streamwood, along with Bartlett and Hanover Park, is one of the three communities that make up the so called "Tri Village" area... Summit, Illinois Summit is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 10,637 at the 2000 census. The village is best known as the setting to Ernest Hemingway's 1927 short story "The Killers".-Geography:... Thornton, Illinois Thornton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,582 at the 2000 census. Thornton is home to the Thornton Quarry, one of the largest quarries in the world.-Geography:Thornton is located at .... Tinley Park, Illinois Tinley Park is a village located primarily in Cook County, Illinois, United States with a small portion in Will County. The population was 48,401 at the 2000 census, and 58,322 in the 2007 census. It is one of the fastest growing suburbs south of Chicago... - partly in Will County Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... University Park, Illinois University Park is a village in Will County, Illinois. A very small parcel is in Cook County. University Park has been the home of Governors State University since 1969... - primarily in Will County Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... Westchester, Illinois Westchester is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago. The population was 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D... Western Springs, Illinois Western Springs is a suburb of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 12,493. It is twinned with Rugeley, United Kingdom.... Wheeling, Illinois Wheeling is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, and a suburb of Chicago. The population was 34,496 at the 2000 census, and 38,555 at the 2006 special village census.-Geography:Wheeling is located at .... Willow Springs, Illinois Willow Springs is a village in Cook and DuPage Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,027 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Willow Springs is located at .... Wilmette, Illinois Wilmette is a village in New Trier Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located north of Chicago's downtown district and has a population of 27,651. Wilmette is considered a bedroom community in the North Shore district... Winnetka, Illinois Winnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011... Woodridge, Illinois Woodridge is a suburb of Chicago, located primarily in DuPage County, Illinois with portions in Will County and Cook County. It uses the 630 and 331 area codes. The population was 30,934 at the 2000 census. A special census commissioned in 2003 put the population at 33,253... - primarily in DuPage DuPage County, Illinois As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 916,924, White Americans made up 77.9% of Dupage County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 70.5% of the population. Black Americans made up 4.6% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.3% of Dupage County's population... ; partly in Will County Will County, Illinois As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile... Worth, Illinois Worth is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago. The population was 10,789 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Worth is located at .... |
Climate and weather
In July, temperatures in Chicago, Cook County average daytime highs of 84°F, and nighttime lows of 68°F; and January daytime highs of 31°F, and nighttime lows of 18°F. Winter temperatures will sometimes veer above 40°F, and, although not common, have also risen over 50°F on some winter days. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 4.3 inches (10.9 cm) in June to 1.77 inches (4.5 cm) in February.Pop culture references
- NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
medical-drama, ERER (TV series)ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television...
is set in Cook County. The hospital is named "Cook County General Hospital".
- The 1928 play The Front PageThe Front PageThe Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
is a newspaper comedy focused on the impending hanging of a prisoner at the Cook County Jail. The play has been made into at least four movies and four television productions.
- In the 1980 film, The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers (film)The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
, the title characters race to the offices of the Cook County Assessor to pay the back taxes owed by the church-owned orphanage in which the characters were reared. In reality, however, back taxes are paid in the Office of the Cook County Clerk in room 434, and church-owned property is tax exempt anyway. Near the end, a car is driven through the lobby of the Daley Center courthouseRichard J. Daley CenterThe Richard J. Daley Center, also known by its courtyard Daley Plaza and named after longtime mayor Richard J. Daley, is the premier civic center of the City of Chicago in Illinois. Situated on Randolph and Washington Streets between Dearborn and Clark Streets, the Richard J. Daley Center is...
, and the County Building is stormed by the title characters and hundreds of policemen and soldiers. Murphy DunneMurphy DunneMurphy Dunne is an American actor and musician. He is known for his role as the keyboardist/pianist for the Blues Brothers in the 1980 film The Blues Brothers. He reprised his role in the sequel, Blues Brothers 2000...
, who played the pianist in the movie, is the son of then Cook County Board President George DunneGeorge DunneGeorge W. Dunne was an American Democratic Party politician from Chicago, Illinois. He was President of the Cook County Board of Commissioners from 1969 to 1991; the longest service of anyone holding that office....
.
- In the film The FugitiveThe Fugitive (1993 film)The Fugitive is a 1993 American thriller film based on the television series of the same name. The film was directed by Andrew Davis and stars Harrison Ford and Tommy Lee Jones. The film was one of the few movies associated with a television series to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best...
, a jail visitation is placed not in the jail but in the County Building, again for better visual effect. This film also places the lead character in the old Cook County Hospital for some key scenes.
- In “Otis”, an episode of the television series Prison BreakPrison BreakPrison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, LJ Burrows is sent to a court hearing at the Cook County Courthouse, while his father, Lincoln BurrowsLincoln BurrowsLincoln Burrows, played by Dominic Purcell, is one of the main protagonists of the American television series, Prison Break. The plot of Prison Break revolves around Lincoln Burrows' setup for the murder of the vice president's brother and his brother's plan to help him escape his death sentence....
, and his uncle, Michael ScofieldMichael ScofieldMichael J. Scofield is the main protagonist in the American television series Prison Break. He is portrayed by Wentworth Miller. The character first appeared in the series pilot as a man who stages a bank robbery in order to get sent into the prison where his older brother, Lincoln Burrows , is...
, attempt to take him out of custody by extracting him while he is in the elevator.
- In 1927's ChicagoChicago (1927 film)Chicago is a 1927 comedy-drama silent film produced by Cecil B. DeMille and directed by Frank Urson.-Plot:Drawn from the play of the same name by Maurine Dallas Watkins which was in turn based on the true story of Beulah Annan, fictionalized as Roxie Hart , and her spectacular murder of her boyfriend...
, 1942's Roxie HartRoxie Hart (film)Roxie Hart is a 1942 film directed by William A. Wellman and starring Ginger Rogers, Adolphe Menjou, George Montgomery, Nigel Bruce, Phil Silvers, William Frawley, and Spring Byington....
, and 2002's ChicagoChicago (2002 film)Chicago is a 2002 musical film adapted from the satirical stage musical of the same name, exploring the themes of celebrity, scandal, and corruption in Jazz-age Chicago....
(all of which were based upon stage plays entitled Chicago), Roxie Hart is confined to the Cook County Jail.
- Exterior photography of the Cook County Criminal Courthouse was used frequently on the television series, Hill Street BluesHill Street BluesHill Street Blues is an American serial police drama that was first aired on NBC in 1981 and ran for 146 episodes on primetime into 1987. Chronicling the lives of the staff of a single police precinct in an unnamed American city, the show received critical acclaim and its production innovations ...
, to set up the program's court scenes.
- In the 1990 film, Home Alone, the house is located in the inner-ring suburbs of ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, in the village of WinnetkaWinnetka, IllinoisWinnetka is an affluent North Shore village located approximately north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, Illinois. Winnetka was featured on the list of America's 25 top-earning towns and "one of the best places to live" by CNN Money in 2011...
which is located around 19 miles (30 km) north of the city in New Trier Township, Cook County.
- In the sitcom Married with Children, the Bundy family house (as well as the Rhoades/D'Arcy house) is supposed to be in Cook County.
- In the musical Pal JoeyPal JoeyPal Joey is a 1940 epistolary novel by John O'Hara, which became the basis of the 1940 stage musical comedy and 1957 motion picture of the same name, with music by Richard Rodgers and lyrics by Lorenz Hart....
, Ludlow Lowell says that's his real name because "Cook County says it's my name."
- CBSCBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
legal dramaLegal dramaA legal drama is a work of dramatic fiction about crime and civil litigation. Subtypes of legal dramas include courtroom dramas and legal thrillers, and come in all forms, including novels, television shows, and films. Legal drama sometimes overlap with crime drama, most notably in the case of Law...
The Good Wife is set in Cook County.
- The lyrics to the song PUT YOUR FAITH IN ME from Dance Dance Revolution 2ndMIXDance Dance Revolution 2ndMIXDance Dance Revolution 2ndMix, or 2ndMix, is the 2nd game in the Dance Dance Revolution series of music video games. It was released as an arcade game by Konami on January 19, 1999. Although only officially released in Japan, units exist worldwide...
mention Cook county ("Born and raised in Chicago cook county...")
- The television medical-drama Chicago HopeChicago HopeChicago Hope is an American medical drama series created by David E. Kelley that ran from September 18, 1994, to May 5, 2000. It takes place in a fictional private charity hospital.-Premise:The show stars Mandy Patinkin as Dr...
was set in Cook County.
External links
- Cook County Government Website
- Cook County Assessor
- Cook County Board of Review
- Circuit Court of Cook County
- Clerk of the Circuit Court of Cook County
- Clerk of Cook County
- Vote! from the Cook County Election Department
- Cook County Recorder of Deeds
- Cook County Sheriff
- Cook County Jail
- Cook County State's Attorney
- Cook County Treasurer
- Forest Preserve District of Cook County
- Cook County History Pages