Founded by Methodist business leaders in 1857, the city was incorporated in 1863. Evanston is home toNorthwestern University, founded in 1851 before the city's incorporation, one of the world's leadingresearch universities. Today known for its ethnically diverse population, Evanston is heavily shaped by the influence of Chicago, externally, and Northwestern, internally. The city and the university share a historically complex long-standing relationship.
Evanston as seen in 1919Downtown Evanston as seen in October 2005
Prior to the 1830s, the area now occupied by Evanston was mainly uninhabited, consisting largely of wetlands and swampy forest. However,Potawatomi Native Americans used trails along higher lying ridges that ran in a general north–south direction through the area, and had at least some semi-permanent settlements along the trails.
French explorers referred to the general area as "Grosse Pointe" after a point of land jutting into Lake Michigan about 13 miles (21 km) north of the mouth of theChicago River. After the first non-Native Americans settled in the area in 1836, the names "Grosse Point Territory" and "Gross Point voting district" were used through the 1830s and 1840s, although the territory had no defined boundaries.[8][9] The area remained only sparsely settled, supporting some farming and lumber activity on some of the higher ground, as well as a number of taverns or "hotels" along the ridge roads. Grosse Pointe itself steadily eroded into the lake during this period.
In 1850, atownship calledRidgeville was organized, extending fromGraceland Cemetery in Chicago to the southern edge of theOuilmette Reservation, along what is nowCentral Street, and from Lake Michigan toWestern Avenue in Chicago. The 1850 census shows a few hundred settlers in this township,[9] and a post office with the name of Ridgeville was established at one of the taverns. However, no municipality yet existed.
In 1851, a group ofMethodist business leaders foundedNorthwestern University andGarrett Biblical Institute. Unable to find available land on the north shore up to Lake Forest, the committee was ready to purchase farmland to the west of the city whenOrrington Lunt insisted on one final visit to the present location.[10] They chose a bluffed and wooded site along the lake as Northwestern's home, purchasing several hundred acres of land from John Foster, a Chicago farm owner. In 1854, the founders of Northwestern submitted to the county judge their plans for a city to be named Evanston afterJohn Evans,[11] one of their leaders. In 1857, the request was granted.[12] The township of Evanston was split off from Ridgeville Township; at approximately the same time, that portion of Ridgeville south of Devon Avenue was organized asLake View Township.[13]
Evanston was formally incorporated as atown on December 29, 1863, but declined in 1869 to become a city despite the Illinois legislature passing a bill for that purpose. Evanston expanded after theCivil War with the annexation of the village of North Evanston. Finally, in early 1892, following the annexation of the village of South Evanston, voters elected to organize as a city.[14] The 1892 boundaries are largely those that exist today.
In the late summer of 1912, the beaches in Evanston were infested with thousands ofrats. The rats had burrowed into the sides of the lake banks, dug holes in the sand, and hid under piers. Most of the rats were extremely large and savage, attacking people who disturbed them. Local bathers struggled to navigate the shores, constantly stepping into the hidden rat holes. John Morgan, the manager of an extermination company tasked with removing the vermin, stated that it was not uncommon for rats to live around the lake's shore because of the quantity of dead fish that was cast to shore by the waves. The weather also played a role since the close proximity to the beaches allowed the rats to swim out in the water during the hot summer.[15]
During the 1960s, Northwestern University changed the city's shoreline by adding a 74-acre (30 ha)lakefill.[16]
In August 1954, Evanston hosted the second assembly of theWorld Council of Churches, still the only WCC assembly to have been held in the United States. PresidentDwight Eisenhower welcomed the delegates, andDag Hammarskjöld, secretary-general of theUnited Nations, delivered an important address entitled "An instrument of faith".[18]
Evanston is the birthplace ofTinkertoys, and is one of the locations claiming to have originated the ice creamsundae.[19] Evanston was the home of the Clayton Mark and Company, which for many years supplied the most jobs.[20]
Evanston was adry community from 1858 until 1972, when the City Council voted to allow restaurants and hotels to serve liquor on their premises. In 1984, the Council voted to allow retail liquor outlets within the city limits.[21]
In March 2021, Evanstonbecame the first city in the United States to pay reparations to African American residents (or their descendants) who were victims of unfair housing practices. The city council of the city voted 8 to 1 to approve the reparations which consisted of a $25,000 payment to African American households that can be used as down payments on their homes, house payments or for home repairs. This was the initial payment, with plans to distribute $10 million in reparations payments to Black residents over the next decade.[22][23][24]
In August 2021, Evanston became one of the first cities to approve a pilot project providing aguaranteed income to select residents, drawing upon a combination of public funds and a partnership with Northwestern University.[25]
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Evanston has a total area of 7.80 square miles (20.20 km2), of which 7.78 square miles (20.15 km2) (or 99.72%) is land and 0.02 square miles (0.05 km2) (or 0.28%) is water.[26]
In October 2006, the city voted to sign theUnited States Conference of Mayors Climate Protection Agreement,[27] and a number of citizen task forces convened to develop a plan to reduce the city'scarbon footprint.[28] The Evanston Climate Action Plan ("ECAP"), accepted by the City Council in November 2008, suggested over 200 strategies to make Evanston more sustainable, principally by reducing carbon emissions associated with transportation, buildings, energy sources, waste, and food production.[29][30] In June 2011, the United States Conference of Mayors awarded Evanston first place in the small city category of the Mayors' Climate Protection Awards, based largely on the city's use of the ECAP, which the city asserts has reduced emissions by 24,000 metric tons per year.[31][32] On September 15, 2011, Wal-Mart presented Mayor Tisdahl with a $15,000 award in recognition of the honor, which the mayor donated to Citizens' Greener Evanston.[33]
Evanston is in the Hot-summer humid continental climate, orKöppen Dfa zone. The zone includes four distinct seasons. Winter is cold with snow. Spring warms up with precipitation and storms. Summer has high precipitation and storms. Fall cools down.
Climate data for Evanston, IL: Precipitation normals
Evanston city, Illinois – racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of the2020 census[39] there were 78,110 people, 27,918 households, and 15,184 families residing in the city. The population density was 10,012.82 inhabitants per square mile (3,865.97/km2). There were 34,462 housing units at an average density of 4,417.64 per square mile (1,705.66/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 59.06%White, 16.06%African American, 9.92%Asian, 0.67%Native American, 0.06%Pacific Islander, 4.46% fromother races, and 9.78% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino residents of any race were 11.24% of the population.
There were 27,918 households, out of which 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.44% were married couples living together, 8.71% had a female householder with no husband present, and 45.61% were non-families. 34.79% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.46% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.22 and the average family size was 2.40.
The city's age distribution consisted of 19.9% under the age of 18, 16.0% from 18 to 24, 25% from 25 to 44, 23.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $82,335, and the median income for a family was $130,494. Males had a median income of $56,582 versus $42,589 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $53,685. About 4.6% of families and 11.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 6.6% of those age 65 or over.
Once the home of one of the firstMarshall Field's[45][46] andSears stores in suburbia, Evanston has several shopping areas:
Downtown - centered on the Davis StreetMetra and "L" stops,[47] Evanston's downtown adjoins Northwestern University. There are over 300 businesses,[48] several high-rise office and residential buildings, three traditional low-rise shopping areas and over 85 restaurants. It is roughly bordered by Emerson Street to the north, Dempster Street to the south, Ridge Avenue to the west, and the Lake to the east.
Central Street - actually several shopping districts linked along the northernmost of the city's principal east–west arteries,[49][50] with the most active clustered around the Central Street Metra station and characterized by specialty shops and restaurants.[51][52][53]
Main Street - approximately three blocks of mostly independent boutiques and restaurants[56] abutting both a CTA andMetra stop. The neighborhood is also home to the Evanston Arts Depot.[57]
Howard Street - Howard Street forms the southern border between Evanston and the City of Chicago. TheHoward Street CTA station is a transfer point between the Red, Purple, and Yellow line trains as well as several CTA and PACE bus routes.
Chicago Avenue - not a separate shopping district per se, this extension of what is calledClark Street in Chicago runs parallel to the rail lines and is the principal north–south artery in Evanston from Howard Street north to its terminus at Northwestern University. Chicago Avenue connects the Main Street, Dempster Street, and Downtown shopping districts.
Noyes - Bordering the Noyes "L" stop with around a dozen restaurants, dry-cleaners and convenience stores.
TheEvanston Public Library was established in 1873,[58] and has a satellite branch at the Robert Crown Community Center. The North and South Branches of the Evanston Library were closed in 2021.
Evanston has acouncil-manager system of government and is divided into nine wards, each of which is represented by an Alderman, or member of the Evanston City Council.[citation needed]
Evanston was heavilyRepublican in voter identification from the time of theCivil War up to the 1960s.Richard Nixon carried it in the 1968 presidential election.[59] The city began trendingDemocratic in the 1960s, though it never elected a Democratic mayor until 1993.
In the 2012 presidential election, Democratic incumbentBarack Obama won 85% of Evanston's vote, compared to 13% for Republican challengerMitt Romney.[60] In the 2016 Democratic primary,Hillary Clinton received 54% of the votes of Evanston Democrats toBernie Sanders' 45%.[61] During that year's general election, Clinton won 87% of the vote in Evanston, while RepublicanDonald Trump received just 7%.[62] Evanston's turnout for presidential elections has grown steadily since 2004, with 80% of registered voters voting in the 2016 general election.[63]
In the 2020 presidential election, DemocratJoe Biden received 90% of the vote, while Republican Donald Trump received only 7%.[64]
Most of Evanston (and a small part of the village of Skokie) is within the boundaries of Evanston Township High School District 202.[65] The school district has a single high school,Evanston Township High School, with an enrollment of just over 4,000, covering grades 9 through 12.
Private schools located in Evanston, Illinois include:
Beacon Academy, a Montessori high school
Chiaravalle Montessori School, a Montessori school for children ages 2–14
Midwest Montessori School
Pope John XXIII School, a Catholic school serving children pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school dates back to 1886 with the establishment of separate schools serving St. Nicholas and St. Mary's parishes in Evanston. The original St. Nicholas School was in the building now called the Annex. The main school building was built in 1954. In 1986 the two parish schools consolidated and the new school was renamed Pope John XXIII School. In 2023, the St. Nicholas parish was renamed to St. John XXIII parish and the St. Mary's parish was closed due to funding issues.[66]
St. Athanasius School, a Catholic school for children from junior kindergarten through eighth grade. "St. A's" is a popular shortened nickname for the school and it is part of the St. Athanasius parish in Northwest Evanston. The teams are known as the RedHawks. The school focuses on three key themes; Love, Learn, Lead.
In 2006,National-Louis University closed its former main site, which had 6.5 acres (2.6 ha) of land, with about 33% in Evanston; the majority of the land was in Wilmette.[67]
Evanston's variety of housing and commercial districts, combined with easy access to Chicago, make it a popular filming location. Evanston as of December 2008 is listed as a filming location for 65 different films, notably those ofJohn Hughes.[68] Much of the 1984 filmSixteen Candles was filmed in and around Evanston,[69] the 1988 filmShe's Having a Baby, as was the 1989 filmUncle Buck,[70] the 1993 filmDennis the Menace,[71] and the 1997 filmHome Alone 3.[72] A number of scenes from the 1986Garry Marshall filmNothing in Common were filmed on the Northwestern University campus and Evanston's lakeshore.[73] Although not filmed there, the 2004 filmMean Girls is set in the Chicago suburbs, and makes several references to the area. The movie's screenwriter and co-star,Tina Fey, had worked at the Evanston YMCA when starting her comedy career. In the 2003 filmCheaper by the Dozen, the family moves to Evanston.[74] Additionally, 1993 filmRookie of the Year, starringGary Busey andThomas Ian Nicholas, was partially shot atHaven Middle School.[75] The 2015ABC Family reality seriesBecoming Us was filmed in Evanston.
Shops along Davis Street, looking west, August 2006. The Davis StreetMetra stop is visible in the lower half of the photograph.
Evanston's growth occurred largely because of its accessibility from Chicago by rail. The Northwestern founders did not finalize their commitment to siting the university there until they were assured theChicago & Milwaukee Railway line would run there. C&M trains began stopping in Evanston in 1855.[76] Evanston later experienced rapid growth as one of the firststreetcar suburbs. TheNorth Shore Line, the interurban railroad that gave the area itsnickname, ran through Evanston and continued toWaukegan andMilwaukee.
The city is still connected to Chicago by rail transit. TheCTA'sPurple Line, part of theChicago 'L' system, runs through Evanston. From its terminal atHoward in Chicago, the line heads north to theSouth Boulevard,Main,Dempster,Davis,Foster,Noyes, andCentral stations, before terminating at theLinden station inWilmette. During weekday rush hours, the Purple Line extends another 10.3 miles (16.6 km) south on theNorth Side Main Line from Howard todowntown Chicago runningexpress from Howard toBelmont, with a single stop atWilson, and then making all local stops fromBelmont to theLoop. The express service is known as thePurple Line Express (or theEvanston Express).Metra'sUnion Pacific North Line also serves Evanston, with stations atMain Street,Davis Street andCentral Street, the first two being adjacent to Purple Line stations. The CTA'sYellow Line also runs through the city, though it does not stop there. Evanston is served by six CTA bus routes as well as fourPace bus routes.
Automobile routes from Chicago to Evanston includeLake Shore Drive, theEdens Expressway (I-94), and McCormick Boulevard, although the first two of those do not extend to Evanston itself and require driving throughRogers Park (via Sheridan Road or Ridge Avenue) and Skokie, respectively. The main routes from the north are the Edens, Green Bay Road, and Sheridan Road. Active modes of transportation include miles of sidewalks and bicycle lanes.
A perennial debate in Evanston is the issue of Northwestern University's status as a tax-exempt institution.[78] In the founding charter of Northwestern University, signed in 1851, the state granted the school an exemption from paying property taxes, and unlike other well-off private universities with statutory exemptions,[79] it provides its own police services, but not firefighter/paramedic services. It pays water, sewer, communications, real property transfer taxes, and building permit fees, but not property taxes. Northwestern does not make Payments in Lieu of Taxes for the real estate it removes from property tax rolls.
Its backers, like former Evanston mayor and Northwestern alumna Lorraine H. Morton, contend that the benefits of having an elite research institution justify Northwestern's tax status.[80] These supporters highlight the fact that Northwestern University is the largest employer in Evanston,[81] and that its students and faculty constitute a large consumer base for Evanston businesses. This controversy was revived in 2003 when the university purchased an eight-story office building downtown, removing it from the tax rolls. An advisory referendum put on the April elections ballot, dubbed by supporters as a "Fair Share Initiative", received a majority, but was not passed into ordinance by the City Council.[citation needed]
During the tenure of Elizabeth Tisdahl as mayor, relationships between the university and Evanston improved. Upon arriving at Northwestern in 2009 presidentMorton O. Schapiro forged a strong working relationship with Tisdahl;[82] in 2015, the two announced that Northwestern would begin to donate $1 million annually to benefit city services and programs.[83]
Early after its founding, because of its strong Methodist influence, and its attempt to impose moral rigor, Evanston was called "Heavenston".[84]
In the early 20th century Evanston was called "The City of Churches".[85]
The varied works of numerous prominent architects, and many prominent mansions, especially near the lakefront, gave the town by the 1920s the sobriquet "The City of Homes",[84][86] a fact often touted by local real estate agents.[87] Use of the phrase has been attributed to a 1924 speech at the localKiwanis club.[88]
Since the late 20th century, because of Evanston's activism and often left-of-center politics, it is sometimes humorously (or sarcastically) referred to as "The People's Republic of Evanston".[89][90]
^Illinois State Historical Society; Currey, Seymour (1909)."Chicago's North Shore".Transactions of the Illinois State Historical Society for the year 1908. Springfield, Illinois: Illinois State Historical Library. pp. 101–109.Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. RetrievedAugust 26, 2010.
^Newton Bateman; Paul Selby, eds. (1917)."Evanston".Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois. Vol. 1. Chicago: Munsell Publishing Co. p. 160.Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. RetrievedDecember 14, 2008.
^The St. Mary Banner (September 14, 1912)."Fair Bathers and Big Rats Use Beach".Chronicling America. The St. Mary Banner.Archived from the original on March 15, 2022. RetrievedMarch 15, 2022.
^Hjelm, Norman A. (September 14, 2004)."Evanston After Fifty Years". World Council of Churches. Archived fromthe original on July 4, 2008. RetrievedDecember 18, 2008.
^Taub, Stephen."The Hedge Fund Report Card"(PDF). Institutional Investor's Alpha.Archived(PDF) from the original on August 3, 2016. RetrievedJuly 20, 2016.
^Hartong, Jason (June 11, 2008)."Evanston's Central Street". Chicago North Shore Home & Beyond. Archived fromthe original on July 8, 2011. RetrievedDecember 13, 2008.
^"Library Anniversaries",Illinois Libraries,5 (4), Illinois Library Extension Division: 61, October 1923,archived from the original on September 30, 2023, retrievedNovember 10, 2020
^"Evanston, Ill.".The Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. X. 1918. p. 593.Archived from the original on September 30, 2023. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2009.It is really a residential suburb of Chicago, and called "City of Churches."
^Green, Caryn (January 2009)."Welcome to Heavenston".North Shore Magazine.Archived from the original on April 20, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2009.
^"Evanston CM"(PDF). City of Evanston (advertisement for City Manager). January 2009. Archived fromthe original(PDF) on July 18, 2014. RetrievedJanuary 8, 2009.
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