Gurnee, Illinois | |
|---|---|
| Motto: "Community of Opportunity" | |
 Location of Gurnee in Lake County, Illinois. | |
| Coordinates:42°22′40″N87°58′20″W / 42.37778°N 87.97222°W /42.37778; -87.97222[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Lake |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Named after | Walter S. Gurnee |
| Area | |
• Total | 13.58 sq mi (35.18 km2) |
| • Land | 13.51 sq mi (34.99 km2) |
| • Water | 0.077 sq mi (0.20 km2) |
| Elevation | 715 ft (218 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 30,706 |
| • Density | 2,273.0/sq mi (877.62/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP code | 60031 |
| Area codes | 224, 847 |
| FIPS code | 17-32018 |
| GNIS feature ID | 2398219[1] |
| Website | www |
Gurnee (/ɡərˈniː/ghər-NEE) is avillage inLake County, in theU.S. state ofIllinois. As of the 2020census, its population was 30,706. Located in theChicago metropolitan area, it borders the city ofWaukegan. It is roughly 40 miles (64 km) north ofChicago and 50 miles (80 km) south ofMilwaukee. The village was founded in 1928 and is named after former Chicago mayorWalter S. Gurnee.
The village is a major regionaltourist attraction, home to theSix Flags Great America andHurricane Harbor Chicago amusement park and water park complex, theGurnee Mills shopping mall, and theGreat Wolf Lodge resort. As a result, the village attracts more than 23 million visitors annually, accessible viaInterstate 94, which runs directly through the village.
Early settlers in the Gurnee area came by foot horseback and by "Prairie Schooners" drawn by oxen or via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. They came from the town ofWarren, New York, which was named in honor of Major GeneralJoseph Warren, killed at theBattle of Bunker Hill.Warren Township, formed in 1850, was also named after him.[3] The first settlement of Warren Township commenced in 1835 in the vicinity of the Aux Plaines River (now theDes Plaines River).
In 1835–36, a land company from New York State erected a Community House (site of the old Gurnee Grade School) to accommodate families while they were locating and getting government land grants to their farms. Near the Community House, there was aford used by thePotowatomi Indians for crossing the river. A floating log bridge was built in 1842. Later, both a wood and iron bridge were built.
With the erection of a permanent bridge, roads were established, and this area became the hub of the township. It was at this junction that the Milwaukee Road crossed the river from west to east, and then continued north to eventually connect Chicago toMilwaukee. This road was "laid out" in 1836 by three early settlers: Thomas McClure, Mark Noble, and Richard Steele. The east–west road, now known as Grand Avenue, was a main route fromMcHenry County to the port ofWaukegan. Stage coaches ran on this route as late as 1870.
The hamlet was originally called "Wentworth", after Congressman "Long John" Wentworth, who also served as the Republican Mayor of Chicago between 1857 and 1863.[4] Thereafter,Walter S. Gurnee, the 14thMayor of Chicago and one of the directors of the railroad, agreed to develop a station in Wentworth, which was called "Gurnee Station" in his honor. Over time, Gurnee Station became known simply as "Gurnee" and was incorporated as such.
Just east of the bridge, at the junction of Milwaukee Road and Grand Avenue, was the Mutaw Tavern, earlier known as "Marm Rudd's Tavern" and more recently as theMother Rudd House. This was a stage coach stop between Chicago and Milwaukee and was a stopover for farmers from the west traveling to Little Fort (now known asWaukegan) to barter their crops for supplies and to ship out from the ports. It also served as a stop during theUnderground Railroad. This building was acquired by the Village of Gurnee in 1984, has been restored, and now houses the Warren Township Historical Society.
In May 2004, Gurnee received major rainfall, causing the worstflooding in 100 years. The flood forced several schools to close[5] and caused building damage to dozens of homes and businesses.
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Gurnee has a total area of 13.59 square miles (35.20 km2), of which 13.51 square miles (34.99 km2) (or 99.44%) is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km2) (or 0.56%) is water.[6] It is located on the banks of theDes Plaines River and is split by Interstate 94, which divides the village into east (old) and west (new) sides.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1930 | 503 | — | |
| 1940 | 661 | 31.4% | |
| 1950 | 1,097 | 66.0% | |
| 1960 | 1,831 | 66.9% | |
| 1970 | 2,738 | 49.5% | |
| 1980 | 7,179 | 162.2% | |
| 1990 | 13,701 | 90.8% | |
| 2000 | 28,834 | 110.5% | |
| 2010 | 31,295 | 8.5% | |
| 2020 | 30,706 | −1.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[7] 2010[8] 2020[9] | |||
As of the2020 census[10] there were 30,706 people, 11,403 households, and 8,080 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,260.29 inhabitants per square mile (872.70/km2). There were 12,386 housing units at an average density of 911.74 per square mile (352.02/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 59.93%White, 9.00%African American, 0.64%Native American, 12.33%Asian, 0.08%Pacific Islander, 7.75% fromother races, and 10.27% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 17.72% of the population.
There were 11,403 households, out of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.70% were married couples living together, 10.23% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.14% were non-families. 24.34% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.28% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.25 and the average family size was 2.67.
The village's age distribution consisted of 22.9% under the age of 18, 11.7% from 18 to 24, 24% from 25 to 44, 29.3% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $100,892, and the median income for a family was $129,858. Males had a median income of $70,322 versus $44,004 for females. Theper capita income for the village was $47,800. About 3.1% of families and 4.8% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[11] | Pop 2010[8] | Pop 2020[9] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 22,705 | 20,872 | 17,463 | 78.74% | 66.69% | 56.87% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 1,442 | 2,362 | 2,643 | 5.00% | 7.55% | 8.61% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 39 | 57 | 40 | 0.14% | 0.18% | 0.13% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 2,345 | 3,601 | 3,743 | 8.13% | 11.51% | 12.19% |
| Native Hawaiian orPacific Islander alone (NH) | 9 | 14 | 22 | 0.03% | 0.04% | 0.07% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 54 | 52 | 189 | 0.19% | 0.17% | 0.62% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 502 | 672 | 1,166 | 1.74% | 2.15% | 3.80% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,738 | 3,665 | 5,440 | 6.03% | 11.71% | 17.72% |
| Total | 28,834 | 31,295 | 30,706 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Gurnee is home to multiple amusement parks, shopping centers and hotels. In total, the town brings around 23 million visitors annually.[12]
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The amusement parkSix Flags Great America and its water parkSix Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago are both major tourist attractions in Gurnee. The amusement park originally opened in 1976 as Marriott's Great America, while the water park opened in 2005.[13][14] 3 million visitors attended Great America in 2023, ranking it among the top 20 most visited amusement parks in North America.[15] The parks have helped transform Gurnee from a rural town into a regional tourist attraction and are one of the largest revenue sources for the village.[16][17]
Gurnee Mills has attracted between 15 million to 20 million visitors per year since its opening in 1991.[18][19] The mall was advertised as the "world's largest outlet mall" upon its opening,[20] and is the fourth largest mall in Illinois.[21] The 30-acre (12 ha)Great Wolf Lodge is a major hotel resort and has an indoor waterpark, originally opening in 2007 as Key Lime Cove.[22] It was sold toGreat Wolf Resorts in 2017.[23]
Gurnee no longer reports employer numbers as of 2025[update] for privacy reasons.[24] According to Gurnee's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[25] the top employers in the village were:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Six Flags Great America/Hurricane Harbor Chicago | 3,315 |
| 2 | Woodland School District 50 | 832 |
| 3 | District 121 (Warren Township HS) | 484 |
| 4 | Nosco Inc. | 400 |
| 5 | Gurnee School District No. 56 | 390 |
| 6 | Great Wolf Lodge (formerly Key Lime Cove) | 356 |
| 7 | Bass Pro Shops | 350 |
| 8 | Gurnee Park District | 330 |
| 9 | Village of Gurnee (Full-time Equivalent) | 233 |
The majority of the eastern half of the village is served by Gurnee School District #56. Four schools make up District #56. They are:
The western section of Gurnee, along with portions of the village's eastside is served by Woodland Grade School District #50. Woodland comprises:
The village is served byWarren Township High School, which is made up of the O'Plaine Road Campus (freshmen and sophomores) and the Almond Road Campus (juniors and seniors).According to the 2007 state report card, both Woodland District #50 and Gurnee School District #56 has full recognition.[27]
The Gurnee Public Library is located at 224 N. O'Plaine Road.The Warren-Newport Public Library offers a collection of over 270,000 books, hundreds of magazines, and over 37,000 CDs and DVDs, as well as programming for all ages designed to provide personal enrichment, education and entertainment. The library serves a population of 60,000 residents.
The Warren-Newport Public Library District began in 1971, when the Gurnee Women's Club began to look for a meaningful service which their club could offer the area. Opening day for the library came on January 10, 1973. The library opened its doors for 45 hours per week with 3,000 volumes. The library moved into its current location in 1978. In 1997, the library opened a $5.6 million (~$10.1 million in 2024), 31,000-square-foot (2,900 m2) addition.[28] In the fall of 2010, an $8.5 million (~$11.9 million in 2024) construction project began, adding 4,500 square feet and renovating 28,000 square feet of the oldest parts of the building.
Lake County, Illinois communities that fall completely within the boundaries of the district are Gurnee, Illinois;Grandwood Park, Illinois;Park City, Illinois; andWildwood, Illinois. Partially included in the district are the communities ofBeach Park, Illinois;Grayslake, Illinois;Lake Villa, Illinois;Old Mill Creek, Illinois;Third Lake, Illinois;Wadsworth, Illinois;Waukegan, Illinois; andMillburn, Illinois.[29]
In 2004, the library was one of the early adopters of passive RFID (radio frequency identification) technology for the automation of item check-in (News Sun, September 28, 2004).
According to statistics gathered by the Library Research Center at the University of Illinois, the Warren-Newport Public Library is the second busiest library in Lake County, after the Cook Memorial Library in Libertyville. (News Sun, October 3, 2006).
According to its mission statement, the Warren Newport Public Library "provides the community with access to information, kindles the imagination of children and adults, and supports lifelong learning."
Interstate 94 (TheTri-State Tollway) is the main expressway servicing Gurnee, allowing easy access toMilwaukee and Chicago.
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Gurnee to downtown Waukegan, Grayslake and other destinations.[30]
The Village of Gurnee water supply comes from the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) located in Lake Bluff, IL. CLCJAWA purifies water from Lake Michigan.
The village of Gurnee is ahome rulemunicipality which functions under thecouncil-manager form ofgovernment with a Village President and a six-memberBoard of Trustees, all of whom are elected to four-year terms. The Village President and three of the Trustees are elected every four years. The other group of three Trustees are also elected for four-year terms, but this election is staggered and takes place two years after the first group. As of 2025, the mayor is Thomas B. Hood.[citation needed]
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Municipalities and communities ofLake County, Illinois,United States | ||
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| Other unincorporated communities | ||
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| Footnotes | ‡This populated place also has portions in an adjacent county or counties | |
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Places adjacent to Gurnee, Illinois | |
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