Vernon Hills, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Vernon Hills is a village in Lake County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 20,120 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 23,957 as of 2005. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area (Libertyville
, Lake Forest
, Mundelein
, Lincolnshire
, Buffalo Grove
,).
, the village has a total area of 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (2.49%) is water.
of 2000, there were 20,120 people, 7,568 households, and 5,312 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,708.3 people per square mile (1,045.5/km²). There were 7,813 housing units at an average density of 1,051.7 per square mile (406.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 82% White, 12% Asian, 2% African American, and 0.1% Native American. 3% are from other races
, and 2% from two or more races. 7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,568 households out of which 41% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59% were married couples
living together, 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30% were non-families. 25% of all households were made up of individuals and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the village the population was spread out with 29% under the age of 18, 6% from 18 to 24, 37% from 25 to 44, 22% from 45 to 64, and 6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $83,358, and the median income for a family was $99,064. Males had a median income of $54,807 versus $39,136 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $32,246. About 2.5% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
in 1971, which led to the building of 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) Hawthorn Center
(now known as Westfield Hawthorn
). By 1980, the village's population had grown to almost 10,000 residents, and by 2000, it had surpassed 20,000.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, the village grew geographically through the annexation of surrounding areas. This included land that would become the Corporate Woods business park and Centennial Crossing residential development (1986), a 1200 acres (4.9 km²) section of Hawthorne-Mellody Farms (1988), and part of the village of Half Day
(1994). In 2000, the village acquired land that had belonged at different times to the U.S. Army
as a Nike missile base
, the U.S. Navy
as a naval training center, and the Curtiss Candy Company
; it was converted to what is now the 184 acre (0.74462224 km²) Vernon Hills Athletic Complex.(VHAC )
. In 2006, Hawthorn Junior High School was formally divided into Hawthorn Middle School North and Hawthorn Middle School South. High school students, who formerly went to Libertyville High School
, now attend either Libertyville High School
or Vernon Hills High School
.
Students living in the southwest corner of Vernon Hills attend Long Grove
grade schools (Country Meadows & Woodlawn). Students in a section of the Grosse Pointe subdivision go to Mundelein
schools, including the Diamond Lake School District
. Some subdivisions in southern Vernon Hills send students to Lincolnshire
schools, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School
.
. The Evergreen Interim library, which was one of the District's two library facilities, closed on July 3, 2010. On July 10, 2010 the new Aspen Drive Library opened to the public. This 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) building is located across the street from the Vernon Hills Elementary and Grade School Campus.
The remainder of Vernon Hills is in the Vernon Area Public Library District
.
When Tiger Electronics
was an independent company, its headquarters were in Vernon Hills.
on Metra
's North Central Service
, which provides daily rail service between Antioch, Illinois
and Chicago, Illinois (at Union Station
). It is also serviced by Pace
buslines.
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...
. The population was 20,120 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 23,957 as of 2005. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area (Libertyville
Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, Lake Forest
Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest is an affluent city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The city is south of Waukegan along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is a part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded around Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in...
, Mundelein
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
, Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire is a village in the Vernon Township region of Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a suburb of Chicago, a city in the adjacent Cook County. Its population was 6,108 at the time of the 2000 census. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the...
, Buffalo Grove
Buffalo Grove, Illinois
Buffalo Grove is an affluent village located in the northern suburbs of Chicago, and in Cook and Lake counties in Illinois, United States. The town was named for Buffalo Creek, which was itself named for bison bones found in the area....
,).
Geography
According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 7.6 square miles (19.7 km²), of which, 7.4 square miles (19.2 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square mile (0.517997622 km²) of it (2.49%) is water.
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 20,120 people, 7,568 households, and 5,312 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 2,708.3 people per square mile (1,045.5/km²). There were 7,813 housing units at an average density of 1,051.7 per square mile (406.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 82% White, 12% Asian, 2% African American, and 0.1% Native American. 3% are 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 2% from two or more races. 7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,568 households out of which 41% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59% 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, 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30% were non-families. 25% of all households were made up of individuals and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the village the population was spread out with 29% under the age of 18, 6% from 18 to 24, 37% from 25 to 44, 22% from 45 to 64, and 6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90 males.
According to a 2007 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $83,358, and the median income for a family was $99,064. Males had a median income of $54,807 versus $39,136 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 $32,246. About 2.5% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
The land that was to become Vernon Hills, founded by Richard Theodore Freese, Ron Freese, and Jim Carswell, began with the establishment of a 200 acre (0.809372 km²) farm in 1851. Use of the land remained relatively static until the 1950s, when part of it was purchased for a residential community and golf course; the development was the first use of the name "Vernon Hills." On June 16, 1958, the village officially incorporated with 123 residents and 125 houses in a single subdivision built by Quinn Hogan and Barney Loeb. During these times, the village and police department were run from a local motel until 1971 when village trustees bought two portable buildings. It saw steady but slow growth until the annexing of a plot of land near the corner of IL-60 and IL-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....
in 1971, which led to the building of 1200000 square feet (111,483.6 m²) Hawthorn Center
Westfield Hawthorn
Westfield Hawthorn, formerly Hawthorn Center, is a shopping mall in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Its four anchor stores are Carson Pirie Scott, J. C. Penney, Macy's and Sears. The Marshall Field's store was renamed Macy's on September 9, 2006....
(now known as Westfield Hawthorn
The Westfield Group
The Westfield Group is an Australian shopping centre group undertaking ownership, development, design, construction, funds/asset management, property management, leasing and marketing activities...
). By 1980, the village's population had grown to almost 10,000 residents, and by 2000, it had surpassed 20,000.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, the village grew geographically through the annexation of surrounding areas. This included land that would become the Corporate Woods business park and Centennial Crossing residential development (1986), a 1200 acres (4.9 km²) section of Hawthorne-Mellody Farms (1988), and part of the village of Half Day
Half Day, Illinois
Half Day is a neighborhood of the village of Vernon Hills, Illinois, United States, in Lake County in the state's northeastern region. It is about north of downtown Chicago via Milwaukee Avenue....
(1994). In 2000, the village acquired land that had belonged at different times to the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
as a Nike missile base
Project Nike
Project Nike was a U.S. Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the Nike Ajax, in 1953...
, the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
as a naval training center, and the Curtiss Candy Company
Curtiss Candy Company
The Curtiss Candy Company was founded in 1916 by Otto Schnering near Chicago, Illinois. Wanting a more "American sounding" name , Schnering named his company using his mother's maiden name....
; it was converted to what is now the 184 acre (0.74462224 km²) Vernon Hills Athletic Complex.(VHAC )
Schools
There are six grade schools in the village served by the Hawthorn School DistrictHawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73
Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73 is located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, approximately 35 miles northwest of Chicago. It has approximately 3,763 students in grades Pre-Kindergarten through 8th grade in six schools.- Schools :...
. In 2006, Hawthorn Junior High School was formally divided into Hawthorn Middle School North and Hawthorn Middle School South. High school students, who formerly went to Libertyville High School
Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
, now attend either Libertyville High School
Libertyville, Illinois
Libertyville is an affluent northern suburb of Chicago in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan on the Des Plaines River. The 2000 census population was 20,742; the 2005 estimate was 21,760...
or Vernon Hills High School
Vernon Hills High School
Vernon Hills High School, or VHHS, is a public four-year high school located in Vernon Hills, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Community High School District 128, which also includes Libertyville High School.-History:Following the successful...
.
Students living in the southwest corner of Vernon Hills attend Long Grove
Long Grove, Illinois
Long Grove is an affluent village located in Lake County, Illinois, approximately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2005 census, the village had a total population of 6,735...
grade schools (Country Meadows & Woodlawn). Students in a section of the Grosse Pointe subdivision go to Mundelein
Mundelein, Illinois
Mundelein is a village in Lake County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 31,064.-History:The community now known as Mundelein has been inhabited since at least 1650, when the Potowatami Indians were known to have been trading with French fur traders....
schools, including the Diamond Lake School District
Diamond Lake School District 76
Diamond Lake School District 76 is a PK-8 school district centered around the village of Mundelein, Illinois, which is located in central Lake County. The district mainly feeds into Mundelein High School in Mundelein, Illinois with some students feeding into Adlai E. Stevenson High School in...
. Some subdivisions in southern Vernon Hills send students to Lincolnshire
Lincolnshire, Illinois
Lincolnshire is a village in the Vernon Township region of Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. The village is a suburb of Chicago, a city in the adjacent Cook County. Its population was 6,108 at the time of the 2000 census. Lincolnshire was incorporated on August 5, 1957, from the...
schools, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School
Adlai E. Stevenson High School (Lincolnshire, Illinois)
Adlai E. Stevenson High School , commonly called Stevenson High School , is a public four-year high school located 3/4 of a mile west of the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Half Day Road in Lincolnshire, Illinois, a northern suburb of Chicago, serving Lincolnshire, Long Grove, larger portions of...
.
Library
Vernon Hills is one of six communities that, in part, comprise the Cook Memorial Public Library DistrictCook Memorial Public Library District
The Cook Memorial Public Library District is the public library system that serves six communities in northern Lake County, Illinois: Green Oaks, Indian Creek, Libertyville, Mettawa, parts of Mundelein, and Vernon Hills. There are two library facilities: Cook Park Library in Libertyville and the...
. The Evergreen Interim library, which was one of the District's two library facilities, closed on July 3, 2010. On July 10, 2010 the new Aspen Drive Library opened to the public. This 20000 square feet (1,858.1 m²) building is located across the street from the Vernon Hills Elementary and Grade School Campus.
The remainder of Vernon Hills is in the Vernon Area Public Library District
Vernon Area Public Library District
Vernon Area Public Library District is a public library in Lake County, Illinois, USA, serving the communities of Lincolnshire, most of Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, and Vernon Hills, smaller portions of Riverwoods and Mundelein, and unincorporated Prairie View and portions of unincorporated Deerfield...
.
Economy
- CDWCDWCDW Corporation, headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois, is a reseller of computer hardware, software and supplies. Along with its warehouse-attached showroom in Illinois, CDW takes orders from its catalog via mail order, telephone and the Internet....
, one of the world's largest privately held companies that specialises in computer hardware, software and supplies, is based out of Vernon Hills. - Zebra TechnologiesZebra TechnologiesZebra Technologies is a manufacturer of thermal bar code label and receipt printers, RFID smart label printer/encoders, card and kiosk printers, based in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Zebra has products in 100 countries around the world...
, a manufacturer of thermal bar code label and receipt printers used by over 90 percent of Fortune 500Fortune 500The Fortune 500 is an annual list compiled and published by Fortune magazine that ranks the top 500 U.S. closely held and public corporations as ranked by their gross revenue after adjustments made by Fortune to exclude the impact of excise taxes companies collect. The list includes publicly and...
companies, is based out of Vernon Hills. - American Hotel Register CompanyAmerican Hotel Register CompanyAmerican Hotel Register is a manufacturer and supplier of hospitality products and services and is headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois.-History and Background:...
, a well-known manufacturer and supplier of hospitality products and services, is based out of Vernon Hills. - Rust-OleumRust-OleumRust-Oleum is a maker of protective paints and coatings for home and industry use. It was founded in 1921 by Robert Fergusson after he noticed that raw fish oil spilled on rusty metal decks stopped corrosion from spreading....
Corporation, a worldwide leader in protective paints and coatings for both home and industry, is based out of Vernon Hills. - EloracEloracElorac, Inc. is a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on advancing treatments in dermatology. It is based in Vernon Hills, Illinois. According to the company’s website, Elorac specializes in prescription based dermatology products, with a focus on medications used in the treatment of...
, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on advancing treatments in dermatology, is based in Vernon Hills.
When Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics
Tiger Electronics is an American toy manufacturer, best known for its handheld LCD games, the Furby, and Giga Pets. When Tiger was an independent company, Tiger Electronics Inc., its headquarters were in Vernon Hills, Illinois....
was an independent company, its headquarters were in Vernon Hills.
Top employers
According to the Village's 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Westfield Hawthorn Westfield Hawthorn Westfield Hawthorn, formerly Hawthorn Center, is a shopping mall in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Its four anchor stores are Carson Pirie Scott, J. C. Penney, Macy's and Sears. The Marshall Field's store was renamed Macy's on September 9, 2006.... |
2,500 |
| 2 | Zebra Technologies Zebra Technologies Zebra Technologies is a manufacturer of thermal bar code label and receipt printers, RFID smart label printer/encoders, card and kiosk printers, based in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Zebra has products in 100 countries around the world... (HQ) |
900 |
| 3 | American Hotel Register American Hotel Register Company American Hotel Register is a manufacturer and supplier of hospitality products and services and is headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois.-History and Background:... (HQ) |
400 |
| 4 | CDW CDW CDW Corporation, headquartered in Vernon Hills, Illinois, is a reseller of computer hardware, software and supplies. Along with its warehouse-attached showroom in Illinois, CDW takes orders from its catalog via mail order, telephone and the Internet.... (HQ) |
350 |
| 5 | Mitsubishi Electric Mitsubishi Electric is a multinational electronics and information technology company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the core companies of the Mitsubishi Group.... Automation |
350 |
| 6 | Cole-Parmer Cole-Parmer Cole-Parmer is a scientific and industrial instrument distributor located at 625 E. Bunker CT, Vernon Hills IL.They are a business unit of Thermo Fisher Scientific.-History:... (HQ) |
300 |
| 7 | Richard Wolf | 200 |
| 7 | Rust-Oleum Rust-Oleum Rust-Oleum is a maker of protective paints and coatings for home and industry use. It was founded in 1921 by Robert Fergusson after he noticed that raw fish oil spilled on rusty metal decks stopped corrosion from spreading.... (HQ) |
180 |
| 9 | ZF ZF Friedrichshafen ZF Friedrichshafen AG, also known as ZF Group, and commonly abbreviated to ZF, is a German public company headquartered in Friedrichshafen, in the south-west German region of Baden-Württemberg.... |
180 |
| 10 | Experient | 160 |
Transportation
Vernon Hills has a stationVernon Hills (Metra)
Vernon Hills is a station on Metra's North Central Service in Vernon Hills, Illinois. The station is away from Union Station, the southern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Vernon Hills is in zone G. Vernon Hills Station is an A-Framed structure with an analog clock tower...
on Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
's North Central Service
North Central Service
The North Central Service is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs. While Metra does not specifically refer to any of its lines by a particular color, the timetable accents for the North Central Service line are printed in light "Soo...
, which provides daily rail service between Antioch, Illinois
Antioch, Illinois
Antioch is a village in the Antioch Township of Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,430 at the 2010 census. Antioch is part of the Chicago metropolitan area.- Prior to incorporation :...
and Chicago, Illinois (at Union Station
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
). It is also serviced by Pace
Pace (transit)
Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2010, Pace had 35.077 million riders. Pace's headquarters are in...
buslines.
Notable locations
- Cuneo MuseumCuneo MuseumCuneo Mansion and Gardens is a historic home, art collection and gardens in Vernon Hills, Illinois built in 1914 and designed by architect Benjamin Marshall of Marshall & Fox. The mansion's first owner was Samuel Insull, founder of the Commonwealth Edison company. John Cuneo, Sr. purchased the...
- The Sullivan Center
- Vernon Hills Golf Course
- White Deer Run Golf Course
- Zanies Comedy Club (Zanies of Vernon Hills has closed)
Shopping centers
- Westfield Hawthorn (formerly Hawthorn Center)Westfield HawthornWestfield Hawthorn, formerly Hawthorn Center, is a shopping mall in Vernon Hills, Illinois. Its four anchor stores are Carson Pirie Scott, J. C. Penney, Macy's and Sears. The Marshall Field's store was renamed Macy's on September 9, 2006....
- Rivertree Shopping Center
- Hawthorn Fashion Square
- Townline Commons
- Hawthorn Commons
- Aspen Pointe
- Vernon Plaza
- Marketplace
Parks and lakes
- Aspen Park
- Augusta Park
- Big Bear Lake
- Little Bear Lake
- Century Park
- Deerpath Park
- Hartman Park
- Harvey Lake
- Hawthorn Melody Park
- Marimac Park
- Oakwood Park
- Lake Charles Park