Information AboutWaukegan |
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The name "Waukegan" is Potawatomi Indian for "Little Fort". Shimer College is located in Waukegan. Waukegan is commonly referred to as the midpoint between Chicago and Milwaukee , although it is still a part of Chicagoland . HISTORY Waukegan was established as a French trading post in the late 17th Century . The town became the county seat in 1841, replacing Libertyville . The Chicago North Western Railway reached the town in 1855. The town was incorporated as a city on February 23 , 1859 . Waukegan is considered the hometown of writer of a later generation, Kim Stanley Robinson , was born in Waukegan in 1952. GEOGRAPHY Waukegan is located at 42°22'21" North, 87°51'41" West (42.372471, -87.861521). Waukegan is on the shore of Lake Michigan , about 10 miles south of the border with Wisconsin and 40 miles north of Chicago , at an elevation of about 669 feet above sea level. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 59.8 Km&2 (23.1 Mi&2 ). 59.6 km&2 (23.0 mi&2) of it is land and 0.2 km&2 (0.1 mi&2) of it is water. The total area is 0.35% water. DEMOGRAPHICS As of the Census of 2000, there were 87,901 people, 27,787 households, and 19,450 families residing in the city. The Population Density was 1,475.0/km&2 (3,819.8/mi&2). There were 29,243 housing units at an average density of 490.7/km&2 (1,270.8/mi&2). The racial makeup of the city was 50.14% White , 19.21% African American , 0.54% Native American , 3.58% Asian , 0.06% Pacific Islander , 22.96% from Other Races , and 3.50% from two or more races. 44.82% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 27,787 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were Married Couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.68. In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $42,335, and the median income for a family was $47,341. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $25,632 for females. The Per Capita Income for the city was $17,368. 13.9% of the population and 10.7% of families were below the Poverty Line . 18.1% of those under the age of 18 and 8.0% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line. TRANSPORTATION Waukegan has a port district which operates the city harbor and regional airport.
Waukegan features the Amstutz Expressway, locally known as the "highway to nowhere". This otherwise unremarkable roadway has been the setting for scenes in movies such as '' Blues Brothers '', '' Groundhog Day '', '' The Ice Harvest '', and '' Batman Begins ''. The Lake County (IL) McClory recreational trail passes through Waukegan.
Metra Rail provides service to Waukegan via the Union Pacific North Line . Pace provides busing throughout the city as part of the Regional Transportation Authority. EXTERNAL LINKS
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