Lake Zurich, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Lake Zurich is a village in Lake County
, Illinois
, United States
, a suburb of Chicago
. The population was 18,104 at the 2000 census. A 2003 special census put the village's population at 19,005.
The village is named after the lake, Lake Zurich, which is completely located inside the village.
In 2006, Lake Zurich was named by Frommer's
as one of the top hundred "Best Places to Raise Your Family" and by U.S. News as one of the "Top Twenty-five Affordable Places to Live in the Country".
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which, 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (5.26%) is water.
Landscape is mainly Marshland, Forest, and Beach(by the lake)
of 2000, there were 18,104 people, 5,746 households, and 4,866 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,792.3 people per square mile (1,078.7/km²). There were 5,828 housing units at an average density of 898.9 per square mile (347.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 92.31% White, 0.81% African American, 0.17% Native American, 3.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.97% from other races
, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.55% of the population.
There were 5,746 households out of which 54.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.3% were married couples
living together, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the village the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $101,872, and the median income for a family was $108,108. Males had a median income of $63,909 versus $43,047 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $30,287. About 2.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
in 1922 and Half Day Road, Illinois Route 22
in 1927 established Lake Zurich as a convenient summer resort. The now-defunct Palatine, Lake Zurich and Wauconda Railroad
also served the community. Housing development began in the 1950s, with the population expanding throughout the latter part of the 20th century.
In October 2006, a four-lane bypass to Illinois Route 22 (Main Street) was completed, rerouting east-west traffic to the south and east of the downtown area. This project caused a local controversy when environmental authorities determined that construction crews were dumping silt-laden water into the spring-fed Lake Zurich. The threat of State and Federal enforcement was brought against the project in 2006 and 2007.
In order to compensate for the loss of traffic on Route 22, the Village began a 'downtown redevelopment' plan which would eventually become one of the most contentious battles in village history.
Plans were drawn several years earlier but the first developer, the Flex Group, determined it would not have sufficient resources to handle the project and abandoned it.
A second developer, McCaffery Interests, was hired and began construction on the first phase. In 2006 The Somerset Townhomes, located on the north side of West Main Street, broke ground. Unfortunately, sales were not as strong as once hoped. As of June 2009, the townhomes are about 50% unfilled due to various factors which include the nationwide housing slump. The developer abandoned the project, and legal action between the village and the developer followed.
In 2008, the village government began talks with a third developer, Equity Service Group, to redesign and recapitalize the downtown redevelopment. The developer immediately came under scrutiny from members of the community, who were wary of the past two failed attempts to redevelop the downtown area. The backlash culminated with the 2009 full-slate election of an opposition party, who vowed fiscal restraint and environmental protection during future attempts to redevelop the downtown area. While the new village administration is legally bound to negotiate with Equity Services Group, the village has begun renting out previously-vacant downtown buildings to local businesses while the redevelopment plans are on hold for analysis.
.
Elementary Schools (K-5)
Until 2009, Charles Quentin Elementary School was also a school in the district open in Kildeer
, right outside Lake Zurich that served students in Kildeer, parts of Deer Park
and a small part of Lake Zurich, but it closed due to small size of all the students who were attending it, and the school that takes students from the area now is Isaac Fox.
Middle Schools (6-8)
High School (9-12)
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...
, 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,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, a suburb 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...
. The population was 18,104 at the 2000 census. A 2003 special census put the village's population at 19,005.
The village is named after the lake, Lake Zurich, which is completely located inside the village.
In 2006, Lake Zurich was named by Frommer's
Frommer's
Frommer's is a travel guidebook series and one of the bestselling travel guides in America. The series began in 1957 with the publication of Arthur Frommer's book, Europe on $5 a Day. Frommer's has expanded to include over 350 guidebooks across 14 series, as well as other media including the award...
as one of the top hundred "Best Places to Raise Your Family" and by U.S. News as one of the "Top Twenty-five Affordable Places to Live in the Country".
Geography
Lake Zurich is located at 42°11′32"N 88°5′17"W (42.192324, -88.088098) with an elevation of 850 feet above sea level.According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 6.8 square miles (17.6 km²), of which, 6.5 square miles (16.8 km²) of it is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²) of it (5.26%) is water.
Landscape is mainly Marshland, Forest, and Beach(by the lake)
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 18,104 people, 5,746 households, and 4,866 families residing in the village. 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 2,792.3 people per square mile (1,078.7/km²). There were 5,828 housing units at an average density of 898.9 per square mile (347.3/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 92.31% White, 0.81% African American, 0.17% Native American, 3.82% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.97% from other races
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...
, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.55% of the population.
There were 5,746 households out of which 54.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 75.3% 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, 7.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 15.3% were non-families. 12.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.12 and the average family size was 3.42.
In the village the population was spread out with 34.1% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 34.1% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 100.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.4 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $101,872, and the median income for a family was $108,108. Males had a median income of $63,909 versus $43,047 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 village was $30,287. About 2.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
History
The area of Lake Zurich was first settled by Europeans in the 1830s. Two early pioneers were George Ela, after whom the Ela township is named, and Seth Paine, who established a number of commercial ventures in the town. New England farmers moved to the area in the 1830s and 1840s, and German immigrants began to move to the area from the middle of the century. The lake now known as Lake Zurich was once named Cedar Lake in the 19th century. http://landplats.ilsos.net:9001/StyleServer/calcrgn?cat=Lake&item=29-20.sid&style=basic&wid=600&hei=400&oif=jpg&rgn=0.2774139379,0.3810022243,0.6804366079,0.5903441057&cmd=pan&x=0 The village of Lake Zurich was incorporated on September 19, 1896. It remained primarily a farming community; although the village was connected to the railroad in 1910, the line was closed ten years later. However, the arrival of the highway system with Rand Road, U.S. Route 12U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 12 or US 12 is an east–west United States highway, running from Grays Harbor on the Pacific Ocean, in the state of Washington, to downtown Detroit, for almost . As a thoroughfare, it has mostly been supplanted by I-90 and I-94, but remains an important road for local travel.The...
in 1922 and Half Day Road, Illinois Route 22
Illinois 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...
in 1927 established Lake Zurich as a convenient summer resort. The now-defunct Palatine, Lake Zurich and Wauconda Railroad
Palatine, Lake Zurich and Wauconda Railroad
The Palatine, Lake Zurich and Wauconda Railroad was an 11-mile short-line railroad built to connect the towns of Palatine, Lake Zurich, and Wauconda in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinois....
also served the community. Housing development began in the 1950s, with the population expanding throughout the latter part of the 20th century.
Redevelopment Plans
In order to compensate for the loss of traffic on Route 22, the Village began a 'downtown redevelopment' plan which would eventually become one of the most contentious battles in village history.
Plans were drawn several years earlier but the first developer, the Flex Group, determined it would not have sufficient resources to handle the project and abandoned it.
A second developer, McCaffery Interests, was hired and began construction on the first phase. In 2006 The Somerset Townhomes, located on the north side of West Main Street, broke ground. Unfortunately, sales were not as strong as once hoped. As of June 2009, the townhomes are about 50% unfilled due to various factors which include the nationwide housing slump. The developer abandoned the project, and legal action between the village and the developer followed.
In 2008, the village government began talks with a third developer, Equity Service Group, to redesign and recapitalize the downtown redevelopment. The developer immediately came under scrutiny from members of the community, who were wary of the past two failed attempts to redevelop the downtown area. The backlash culminated with the 2009 full-slate election of an opposition party, who vowed fiscal restraint and environmental protection during future attempts to redevelop the downtown area. While the new village administration is legally bound to negotiate with Equity Services Group, the village has begun renting out previously-vacant downtown buildings to local businesses while the redevelopment plans are on hold for analysis.
Eminent domain controversy
The village government has used eminent domain to obtain properties in an attempt to increase downtown revenue via new businesses. As of 2004 Lake Zurich had acquired all the property intended to fulfill its downtown redevelopment project. While many protests occurred regularly throughout 2005 near the promenade, the protests failed to garner much attention and ended up failing. A 2007 court defeat brought the issue back into the public eye, as a village owned rental parcel was denied eminent domain. The renters were granted the ability to stay through the end of their lease due to clerical errors made by the village's legal and administrative employees regarding this parcel in particular.Village Government
The Village of Lake Zurich is headed by Village President Suzanne Branding, who was elected in 2009 to a four-year term. The Village has a six member Board of Trustees. Jim Johnson and Tom Poynton were elected in 2007 to four-year terms. Jeffrey Halen, Jonathan Sprawka and Richard Sustich were elected in 2009 to four-year terms. Dana Rzeznik was appointed in 2009 to a two-year term to replace Suzanne Branding, who was elected in 2007 to a four-year Trustee position but was elected mayor in 2009.Public schools
Public schools are managed by the Lake Zurich Community Unit School District 95Community Unit School District 95
Community Unit School District 95 is the school district that covers Lake Zurich, Illinois, USA, which is located in the Northwest suburbs of Chicago, Illinois...
.
Elementary Schools (K-5)
- Isaac Fox,
- Sarah Adams,
- Seth Paine,
- Spencer Loomis,
- May Whitney.
Until 2009, Charles Quentin Elementary School was also a school in the district open in Kildeer
Kildeer, Illinois
Kildeer is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,460 at the 2000 census.-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...
, right outside Lake Zurich that served students in Kildeer, parts of Deer Park
Deer Park, Illinois
Deer Park is an affluent village in Lake and Cook Counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. The population was 3,200 at the 2010 census. The village is one of the few left in the Chicago area that enjoy a green belt which is bordered by two large natural areas providing outdoor recreation and open...
and a small part of Lake Zurich, but it closed due to small size of all the students who were attending it, and the school that takes students from the area now is Isaac Fox.
Middle Schools (6-8)
- Lake Zurich Middle School South (Takes students from Fox, Adams and took students from the former school Quentin),
- Lake Zurich Middle School North (Takes students from Paine, Loomis and Whitney).
High School (9-12)
- Lake Zurich High School.
Private schools
- St. Francis de Sales (Catholic) (Grades Preschool-8)
- St. Matthew (Lutheran) (Grades K-8)
- Quentin Road Christian School (Baptist) (Grades K-12)