Chicago Heights, Illinois | |
|---|---|
 Looking east across Chicago Road | |
 Flag  Seal | |
| Nickname(s): "The Crossroads of the Nation" and "Da Heights" | |
| Motto: Crossroads of the Nation | |
 Interactive map of Chicago Heights, Illinois | |
| Coordinates:41°30′38″N87°38′03″W / 41.510684°N 87.634069°W /41.510684; -87.634069 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| Township | Bloom |
| Established | Early-1890's |
| Incorporated as a village | 1892 |
| Incorporated as a city | 1900 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | David A. Gonzalez |
| • City Council | Renee Smith Sonia Perez Wanda Rodgers Christopher Baikauskas George Brassea Vincent J. Zaranti Kelli Merrick |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.380 sq mi (26.884 km2) |
| • Land | 10.367 sq mi (26.851 km2) |
| • Water | 0.013 sq mi (0.034 km2) 0.13% |
| Elevation | 653 ft (199 m) |
| Population | |
• Total | 27,480 |
• Estimate (2024)[3] | 26,533 |
| • Density | 2,651/sq mi (1,023/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (Central (CST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 60411, 60412 |
| Area codes | 708 and 464 |
| FIPS code | 17-14026 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2393512[5] |
| Website | cityofchicagoheights.org |
Chicago Heights is a city inCook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,480 at the2020 census,[4] and was estimated at 26,533 in 2024.[3] A southern suburb in theChicago metropolitan area, its nicknames include "The Crossroads of the Nation" and "Da Heights”.[6]
The first recorded settlement by non-native Americans of the area that would become Chicago Heights occurred in 1833 when Absalom Wells built a cabin on the ridge aboveThorn Creek. By the 1840s, a small rural community known as Thorn Grove had been formed, centered around aPresbyterian church.[7][8]
In the 1890s, a group of Chicago developers led byCharles Wacker formed the Chicago Heights Land Association to create an outer-ring industrial suburb of Chicago. They convinced many businesses to construct factories in the new development, includingInland Steel, theOwens-Illinois Glass Company, and theLudowici Roofing Tile Company, among many others.[8]
The newly-created factories and plants drew large numbers of Italian, Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian, Irish, and Black workers to the East Side and Hill neighborhoods. A downtown area formed and became a center of activity for the surrounding region. In 1916, theLincoln Highway Association was persuaded to route the country's first transcontinental highway through the city, leading the community to be dubbed "the crossroads of the nation."[7]
During theProhibition era, the city was home to manybootleggers.Al Capone was a frequent presence, and criminal bootlegging operations employed many area runners, sugar buyers, and plumbers. Period newspaper accounts placed the value of locally-produced alcohol during the 1925-1929 period at $35 million.[8]
During theGreat Depression the area was hard-hit due to its large industrial presence.World War II drove production in local factories essential for the war effort, which led to a resurgence in area prosperity during the 1950s. AFord stamping factory created during that decade helped further the area. The area declined economically during the 1970s as heavy manufacturing scaled down or left the region.[7]
Chicago Heights lies on the high land of theTinley Moraine, with the higher and olderValparaiso Moraine lying just to the south of the city.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.380 square miles (26.88 km2), of which 10.367 square miles (26.85 km2) is land and 0.013 square miles (0.034 km2) (0.13%) is water.[2]
The city's major crossroads are atDixie Highway (Illinois Route 1) andLincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30).
Chicago Heights is about 30 miles (48 km) south of theChicago Loop.[9]
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 5,100 | — | |
| 1910 | 14,525 | 184.8% | |
| 1920 | 19,653 | 35.3% | |
| 1930 | 22,321 | 13.6% | |
| 1940 | 22,461 | 0.6% | |
| 1950 | 24,551 | 9.3% | |
| 1960 | 34,331 | 39.8% | |
| 1970 | 40,900 | 19.1% | |
| 1980 | 37,026 | −9.5% | |
| 1990 | 33,072 | −10.7% | |
| 2000 | 32,776 | −0.9% | |
| 2010 | 30,276 | −7.6% | |
| 2020 | 27,480 | −9.2% | |
| 2024 (est.) | 26,533 | [3] | −3.4% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[10] 2020 Census[4] | |||
According to realtor websiteZillow, the average price of a home as of October 31, 2025, in Chicago Heights is $167,101.[11]
As of the 2023American Community Survey, there are 9,209 estimated households in Chicago Heights with an average of 2.84 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $57,479. Approximately 24.7% of the city's population lives at or below thepoverty line. Chicago Heights has an estimated 52.0% employment rate, with 20.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 84.9% holding a high school diploma.[12] There were 10,799 housing units at an average density of 1,041.67 per square mile (402.2/km2).
The top five reported languages (people were allowed to report up to two languages, thus the figures will generally add to more than 100%) were English (67.2%), Spanish (29.5%), Indo-European (2.3%), Asian and Pacific Islander (0.3%), and Other (0.6%).
The median age in the city was 35.6 years.
| Race / ethnicity(NH = non-Hispanic) | Pop. 1980[13] | Pop. 1990[14] | Pop. 2000[15] | Pop. 2010[16] | Pop. 2020[17] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 22,163 (59.86%) | 16,516 (49.94%) | 12,062 (36.80%) | 7,062 (23.33%) | 4,438 (16.15%) |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 10,558 (28.52%) | 11,406 (34.49%) | 12,305 (37.54%) | 12,370 (40.86%) | 11,487 (41.80%) |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 17 (0.05%) | 35 (0.11%) | 48 (0.15%) | 44 (0.15%) | 30 (0.11%) |
| Asian alone (NH) | 126 (0.34%) | 92 (0.28%) | 138 (0.42%) | 87 (0.29%) | 74 (0.27%) |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | — | — | 4 (0.01%) | 8 (0.03%) | 23 (0.08%) |
| Other race alone (NH) | 27 (0.07%) | 47 (0.14%) | 39 (0.12%) | 51 (0.17%) | 103 (0.37%) |
| Mixed race or multiracial (NH) | — | — | 390 (1.19%) | 400 (1.32%) | 611 (2.22%) |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4,135 (11.17%) | 4,976 (15.05%) | 7,790 (23.77%) | 10,254 (33.87%) | 10,714 (38.99%) |
| Total | 37,026 (100.00%) | 33,072 (100.00%) | 32,776 (100.00%) | 30,276 (100.00%) | 27,480 (100.00%) |
As of the2020 census, there were 27,480 people, 9,261 households, and 6,454 families residing in the city.[18] Thepopulation density was 2,672.37 inhabitants per square mile (1,031.8/km2). There were 10,663 housing units at an average density of 1,036.95 per square mile (400.4/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 21.05%White, 42.50%African American, 1.27%Native American, 0.30%Asian, 0.13%Pacific Islander, 23.35% from some other races and 11.41% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 38.99% of the population.[19]
As of the2000 census, there are 32,776 people, 10,703 households, and 7,823 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,322.3 inhabitants per square mile (510.5/km2). There were 11,444 housing units at an average density of 461.7 per square mile (178.3/km2). The racial makeup of the city is 45.02%White, 37.90%African American, 0.45%Native American, 0.44%Asian, 0.04%Pacific Islander, 13.46% from other races, and 2.70% from two or more races.Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 23.77% of the population.
There were 10,703 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% weremarried couples living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 22.9% of all households are made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.53.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,958, and the median income for a family was $42,681. Males had a median income of $34,207 versus $26,276 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $14,963. 17.5% of the population and 13.7% of families were below thepoverty line, including 24.5% were under the age of 18 and 9.9% are 65 or older.
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Chicago Heights School District 170 operates twelve schools, with a student population of 3,600. Highland is the district's preschool for children aged three and four; Garfield, Grant, Greenbriar, Jefferson, Kennedy, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Washington-McKinley, and Wilson are neighborhood schools that serve students from kindergarten through fifth grade. After elementary school/5th grade, students attend Chicago Heights Middle School for grades 6–8.
Chicago Heights is home toBloom High School, which all students of District 170 attend after 8th grade, andBloom Trail High School, which shares its athletic programs with Bloom. Many students from neighboring communities includingSteger,South Chicago Heights,Ford Heights,Sauk Village andGlenwood attend high school at Bloom.
Parts of Chicago Heights are included inFlossmoor School District 161 which includes Serena Hills Elementary School in Chicago Heights. After Serena, students attend Parker Jr. High School—also a part of Flossmoor School District 161. Only some students who complete middle school at Parker Jr. High School move on toHomewood-Flossmoor High School; the remainder attend Bloom High School.
Parts of Chicago Heights are also served byPark Forest – Chicago Heights School District 163,[20] and Beacon Hill Primary Center is located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. After Beaker, students attend Michelle Obama School of Arts and Technology for middle school (6–8). Students from this neighborhood attendRich Township High School, part of Rich Township High School District 227.[21]
Marian Catholic High School, affiliated with theRoman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, is a private high school located in the city.
Prairie State College is acommunity college located in Chicago Heights.
St. Agnes School is a private Catholic school located in Chicago heights.
On May 20, 1901, many Chicago Heights residents signed a petition asking for the mayor and aldermen to select a board of directors that would be responsible for founding and running a free public library in Chicago Heights. On June 28, 1901, the first library board members were sworn in, including Sam W. Lea, F.W. Schact, W.E. Canady, James Bowie, David Wallace, Joseph Caldwell, C.W. Salisbury, A.J. Sorensen, and A.W. McEldowney. The library was opened in a small room in the new city building on February 20, 1902. That month, the library board wrote to industrialistAndrew Carnegie seeking funds to build a library building in Chicago Heights. In July, the board was notified that Carnegie had proposed $15,000 toward the cost of a library building as long as the city could provide a free site for the building and if the council could promise $1,500 a year to keep the library running. The Carnegie Library in Chicago Heights was designed by Richard E. Schmidt. The library was located at 1627 Halsted Street and opened on September 11, 1903, with a staff of two and 1,643 volumes. A bigger library was eventually needed, and on August 5, 1972, the present building at 15th Street and Chicago Road was opened. The Chicago Heights Free Public Library was a million-dollar building that opened with 60,000 books, records, and other materials.
Chicago Heights was once home to several major industrial concerns, including theThrall Car Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of freight cars, run for many years by chief executive officerRichard L. Duchossois. The city was also the original home of theInland Steel Company.
Ford Motor Company operates a metal stamping plant located along Lincoln Highway in Chicago Heights. This facility produces automobile body panels that are shipped to Ford'sChicago Assembly plant approximately 15 miles (24 km) to the north in theHegewisch community area of Chicago.
Chicago Heights is served by sixPace bus routes and the Pace Chicago Heights Terminal.[22] Chicago Heights will be served by Metra's SouthEast Service on a Corridor which has not seen Commuter rail since 1935.
There was a Well Group Clinic (part of St. James) located on Dixie Highway. Well Group was previously known as Suburban Heights Medical Center. There are also two Aunt Martha's health centers in Chicago Heights.[23]
In September 2018, St. James Hospital closed after more than 100 years.[24]
Chicago Heights has four sister cities. They are:[29]
Asuogyaman District, Ghana
Cedral,San Luis Potosí, Mexico
Wadowice,Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
San Benedetto del Tronto,Ascoli Piceno,Marche, Italy
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
Places adjacent to Chicago Heights, Illinois | |
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