Algonquin, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Algonquin is a village located in both Kane and McHenry County, Illinois. A 2003 special census revealed the village's population to be 27,885, growing considerably from the 2000 census figure of 23,276.
The village prides itself as "The Gem of the Fox River Valley", as its charming downtown is nestled in the heart of Illinois' scenic Fox River Valley. Algonquin is currently making the transition into a major regional hub, as it has experienced considerable suburban growth over the past 15 years. Now stretching all the way west to the busy Randall Road corridor, Algonquin has become a major regional shopping destination, a significant business & office hub, and still a nice place to call home with its diverse housing options and nice parks and sense of community.
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[edit] Geography
Algonquin is located at (42.162741, -88.302571)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 25.9 km² (10.0 mi²). 25.5 km² (9.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.4 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (1.60%) is water. The majority of Algonquin is located in McHenry County, the remainder is in Kane.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2004, there were 27,900 people, 8,300 households, and 7,100 families residing in the village. The population density was 914.2/km² (2,367.4/mi²). There were 7,952 housing units at an average density of 312.3/km² (808.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 94.26% White, 0.92% African American, 0.10% Native American, 2.35% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.20% from other races, and 1.16% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.07% of the population.
There were 8,000 households out of which 50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% were married couples living together, 5.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.8% were non-families. 14.5% 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 3.02 and the average family size was 3.38.
In the village the population was spread out with 32.8% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 36.8% from 25 to 44, 20.0% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $79,730, and the median income for a family was $84,437. Males had a median income of $60,473 versus $36,624 for females. The per capita income for the village was $29,820. About 1.0% of families and 1.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.5% of those under age 18 and 4.6% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
There are several schools located in Algonquin. School District 300, a large district based out of Carpentersville serves the village's eastern two-thirds, generally along and east of Randall Rd. The District 300 schools in Algonquin include:
- Westfield Community School
- Neubert Elementary School
- Algonquin Lakes Elementary School
- Eastview Elementary School
- Algonquin Middle School
- Harry D. Jacobs High School
Consolidated School District 158 is headquartered in Algonquin, and the schools on the Square Barn Road campus serve the village's far western side, as well as portions of neighboring communities Huntley and Lake in the Hills. School District 158 schools serving far western Algonquin include:
- Mackeben Elementary School (K-2)
- Marion Conley Elementary School (3-5)
- Bernice Heineman Middle School
- Huntley High School
The nearest community colleges are McHenry County College and Elgin Community College.
Algonquin Public Library contains two branches, the main branch on Harnish, just west of Randall Road, and a 2nd branch on Eastgate, south of Algonquin Rd. Both offer exceptional educational and reading programs.
[edit] Shopping Centers
The village of Algonquin is a major center for shopping activities, both regionally and locally. The village is known for its chic lifestyle centers, power centers, grocers, and growing variety of restaurants. Most of the village's retail is confined to Randall Road and, to a lesser extent, Algonquin Road. Major centers include:
- Algonquin Commons
- Galleria Center
- Esplanade (Algonquin)
- Woods Creek Shopping Center
- River Pointe Shopping Center
- Grandview Commons
- Briarwood Center
- Wal-Mart Center
- Meijer Center
- Eagle Center
- Jewel-Osco on East Algonquin Road
- Algonquin Town Center/Butera
[edit] Recreation
The village is unique in that it does not have an actual park district, as park operations are run by the village itself. Nevertheless, the quality of parks, trails, and programs is nearly unmatched. In addition, the village's scenic waterways remain a regional draw. Some noteworthy recreational opportunities in Algonquin include:
- Downtown Algonquin, a compact downtown featuring several shops and restaurants near the Fox River, as well as features like upscale lighting, planters, and well-kept sidewalks.
- The Fox River, a major tributary in Illinois which runs north-south through the heart of the village's downtown.
- Raging Buffalo Snowboard Ski Park, a snowboarding and ski terrain park located on Route 31 just south of village's limits.
- Fox River Trail/McHenry County Prairie Path, a sub-section of the Grand Illinois Trail
- Golf Club of Illinois, a public golf course on the village's southern end.
- Terrace Hill Golf Course, a private golf course on the village's western side.
- Lifetime Fitness, a chain fitness center with a sizable location in Algonquin.
- Kelliher Park, a park on the village's far western side featuring several ballfields.
- Ted Spella Park, a large park under development on the village's west side.
- Snapper Field and Lions Pool, a recreational complex near Algonquin Middle School featuring ballfields and the municipal pool.
- Towne Park, Cornish Park, and Riverfront Park, three parks located in the village's downtown, significant for the role they play in the popular Founders Days festival and several other downtown events throughout the year
- Presidential Park, an important recreational area for the village's eastside residents, it features several ballfields and open areas, as well as a few picnic shelters.
- Algonquin Lakes, a grouping of natural and man-made lakes and adjacent recreational area in a residential neighborhood by the same name on the village's eastern side.
- Manchester Lakes, a grouping of man-made lakes, recreational areas, and complex bike path system within a neighborhood by the same-name on the village's far western side.
- Woods Creek, a scenic creek which runs south-north through the village's far western side
[edit] Festivals and Traditions
- Hill Climb Race: a very historic tradition in the village in which classic cars are driven up a hill in the southwestern part of downtown. According to tradition, in the infancy of automobile production, a car's worth was judged based upon its ability to climb this particular hill in the town. Held in late spring.
- Conservation Community Day: family-oriented program educating the public and emphasizing the importance of conservation of natural resources. Held along Woods Creek on the village's west side in June.
- Summer Concert Series: held in the village's downtown parks, it features several outdoor musical performances by local and regional acts on several weekends during the summer.
- Founders Days: the village's cornerstone festival and tradition, it includes a carnival, parade, fireworks display, and Taste of Algonquin held over several days in July.
- Old Time Country Harvest Festival: features a farmer's market, cemetery walk, and other activities. Held in October.
- Holiday Carriage Rides: horse-drawn carriage rides offered during the holiday season to visitors and shoppers of Algonquin Commons.
- Holly Days on the Fox: winter festival in downtown Algonquin. Held in December.
- Public Art Displays: pieces of local artwork displayed at prominent public locations in the village throughout the year. The program emphasizes the various styles of artwork and the importance of art in the community. Artwork is rotated fairly frequently.
[edit] Transportation
Algonquin is a center of transportation for McHenry and Kane Counties. As a result, it can encounter signifcant traffic backups, particularly on these high-traffic roadways:
- Randall Road is a major multi-lane highway serving the village's western side. The road is entirely lined with major outdoor shopping malls, big-box retailers, restaurants, and a major corporate center which serve the region. Near the village's malls, the road is six lanes wide.
- Illinois Route 31, is a major north-south road going through the heart of the village's downtown. Most of the downtown shops are located along Route 31. Because of this, widening is not an option to ease traffic congestion, so a western 31 bypass of the village's downtown is planned.
- Illinois Route 25, a north-south road on the village's eastern side which ends at Illinois Route 62. It connects the village to Carpentersville, Elgin, and the rest of the Fox River Valley suburbs to its south.
- Illinois Route 62/Algonquin Road is pretty much the village's only major east-west artery. As a result it is locally infamous for its westbound backups, particularly at rush hour. A 4-lane road, it connects the village to Huntley on the west and other major northwest suburbs like Hoffman Estates, Schaumburg, and Des Plaines on the east.
[edit] Industry
A growing number of businesses can be found in Algonquin, IL. From a manufacturing corridor along Algonquin Rd. between Pyott Rd. and Route 31 to a planned corporate campus on the west side of Randall Rd., industry is a significant part of the Algonquin area economy. Industries include:
- Duro-Life
- Wauconda Tool
- Kenmode
- Advantage Moving & Storage
- Burnex Corporation
- Material Service
- Omega Industries
- J&D Mechanical Industries
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
- Village of Algonquin
- Algonquin/Lake in the Hills Chamber of Commerce
