Frankfort, Illinois | |
|---|---|
Village | |
 St. Peter's United Church of Christ, Frankfort | |
 Logo | |
 Location of Frankfort in Will and Cook Counties, Illinois | |
| Coordinates:41°29′53″N87°50′58″W / 41.49806°N 87.84944°W /41.49806; -87.84944[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| Counties | Will,Cook |
| Townships | Frankfort,Rich |
| Incorporated | 1879 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor-Council |
| • Mayor | Keith Ogle (R)[2] |
| Area | |
• Total | 15.80 sq mi (40.91 km2) |
| • Land | 15.80 sq mi (40.91 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 735 ft (224 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 20,296 |
| • Density | 1,285.0/sq mi (496.14/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 60423 |
| Area code | 815 |
| FIPS code | 17-27624 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2398915[1] |
| Website | www |
Frankfort is a village inWill County andCook County in theU.S. state ofIllinois. It is a suburb ofChicago, about 28 miles (45 km) southwest of the city. As of the2020 census, the population was 20,296.[4]
Frankfort's historic downtown area contains the Frankfort Grainery, Breidert Green, and part of theOld Plank Road Trail, a 22-mile-long paved recreation trail.[5][6] The village also contains Commissioners Park and multiple schools, includingLincoln-Way East High School, Hickory Creek Middle School, and Dr. Julian Rogus School.
The name "Frankfort" was taken fromFrankfort Township designated by the Will County governing board. It was commonly known as "Frankfort Station" after the opening of the Joliet & Northern Indiana Railroad through the township in 1855, though the official plat of the community dated March 1855 shows the name as "Frankfort".[7] Property deed abstracts and railroad documents also show that the name was always Frankfort. Local residents incorporated Frankfort as a village in 1879. It also has some reference to the German cityFrankfurt.[8]
First inhabited by Native Americans, including thePotawatomi andSac and Fox tribes, Frankfort was used as a conduit between theDes Plaines andSt. Joseph rivers. The area was part of theVirginia Territory until the French signed a treaty with Manitoqua, the Potawatomi chief, for land in the Prestwick area. The first pioneers came to Frankfort in the early 1830s by means of the Des Plaines River from the southwest and by wagon from the east along theSauk Trail, a roadway that still exists.
William Rice, the first non-native settler, made a permanent settlement in Frankfort in 1831. While the first pioneers, coming mainly from theNew England colonies, were mostly ofEnglish andScottish descent, German immigrants made the village of Frankfort a reality in the 1840s. They had fled harsh conditions in their homeland and were industrious and experienced farmers, soon buying most of the fertile farmland from the "Yankees", who were more inclined to provide services for local needs. Establishing both ownership and pride in the area, the German settlers implemented the first system of resident concern for local lands, which has been maintained ever since.[9]
What is now known as Frankfort Township was originally part of the Hickory Creek Precinct. Will County was originally divided into ten precincts. In 1850, the county adopted the township form of government. Frederick Cappel named Frankfort Township after his native city,Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 1855 the Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad built a line through an area linkingJoliet, Illinois, withLake Station, Indiana. The J&NI Railroad was leased to theMichigan Central Railroad, and service was implemented in July 1855. Nelson D. Elwood, an officer of the rail line, and Sherman Bowen, a Joliet attorney and real estate man, jointly platted a village of around 23 acres (9.3 ha) in March 1855 and named it Frankfort after the township. It was commonly called "Frankfort Station" because of the railroad depot there, but when the village was incorporated, "station" was dropped from the name.[10]
John McDonald became the first railroad agent in 1857.
In 1879, the village of Frankfort was incorporated, and elected John McDonald as the first Village President. Along with the establishment of the government, among the new administration's first undertakings was the institution of land use policies. Early recorded plans indicate a traditional grid pattern with residential uses surrounding the business district and railroad line and additional land for schools and public open spaces.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, it has an area of 15.79 square miles (40.90 km2), all land.[11]
Frankfort is in the Chicago metropolitan area, about 28 miles south of downtown.
An unincorporated area north of the village of Frankfort (inFrankfort Township) is a census-designated place known asFrankfort Square.
The village is bordered by Richton Park to the east; Tinley Park, Frankfort Square, and Matteson to the northeast; Mokena and New Lenox to the west; and Monee and University Park to the southeast.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 332 | — | |
| 1890 | 431 | 29.8% | |
| 1900 | 250 | −42.0% | |
| 1910 | 273 | 9.2% | |
| 1920 | 497 | 82.1% | |
| 1930 | 590 | 18.7% | |
| 1940 | 568 | −3.7% | |
| 1950 | 685 | 20.6% | |
| 1960 | 1,135 | 65.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,325 | 104.8% | |
| 1980 | 4,357 | 87.4% | |
| 1990 | 7,180 | 64.8% | |
| 2000 | 10,391 | 44.7% | |
| 2010 | 17,782 | 71.1% | |
| 2020 | 20,296 | 14.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[12] 2010[13] 2020[14] | |||
As of the2020 census[15] there were 20,296 people, 6,072 households, and 5,305 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,285.04 inhabitants per square mile (496.16/km2). There were 6,902 housing units at an average density of 437.00 per square mile (168.73/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 80.96%White, 8.65%African American, 0.13%Native American, 3.25%Asian, 0.01%Pacific Islander, 1.30% fromother races, and 5.70% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 5.38% of the population.
There were 6,072 households, out of which 44.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 79.83% were married couples living together, 5.58% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.63% were non-families. 12.48% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.88% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.42 and the average family size was 3.13.
The village's age distribution consisted of 29.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 16.7% from 25 to 44, 30.7% from 45 to 64, and 16.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $140,731, and the median income for a family was $151,518. Males had a median income of $86,382 versus $52,719 for females. Theper capita income for the village was $51,278. About 2.3% of families and 2.6% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 3.1% of those under age 18 and 1.2% of those age 65 or over.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[16] | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 9,592 | 15,234 | 16,168 | 92.31% | 85.67% | 79.66% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 257 | 1,085 | 1,738 | 2.47% | 6.10% | 8.56% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 11 | 16 | 9 | 0.11% | 0.09% | 0.04% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 221 | 462 | 659 | 2.13% | 2.60% | 3.25% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 17 | 12 | 41 | 0.16% | 0.07% | 0.20% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 53 | 156 | 589 | 0.51% | 0.88% | 2.90% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 240 | 815 | 1,091 | 2.31% | 4.58% | 5.38% |
| Total | 10,391 | 17,782 | 20,296 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Frankfort is divided between two congressional districts. Most of it is inIllinois's 1st congressional district, but the small portion in Cook County is in the2nd district.
US 45 (La Grange Road) major north–south thoroughfare passes through the middle of Frankfort, and shares an intersection withLincoln Highway.
US 30 (Lincoln Highway) major east–west thoroughfare passes through the middle of Frankfort.
CR 74 (Laraway Road) east-west county highway passes through the southern portion of Frankfort.
Frankfort School District 157C and Summit Hill District 161 serve residents of Frankfort. As of 2018 the former district's middle school "Hickory Creek" is ranked 5th in the state.[17]
Frankfort is home toLincoln-Way East High School. Lincoln-Way East has won state championships in football (2005, 2017, 2019), girls' softball (2002), boys' gymnastics (2006, 2011), girls' track & field (2014, 2015, 2016), girls' cheerleading (2014, 2015, 2017), Summer League baseball, and marching band (2007, 2008). Lincoln-Way North has state championships in boys' gymnastics (2011) and Summer League baseball (2011).
Municipalities and communities ofWill County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Cities |  | |
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| Other communities | ||
| Ghost town | ||
| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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