Skokie, Illinois | |
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.jpg) Downtown Skokie in 2013 | |
 Flag  Logo | |
 Location of Skokie in Cook County, Illinois | |
  Skokie  Skokie  Skokie | |
| Coordinates:42°02′01″N87°43′58″W / 42.03361°N 87.73278°W /42.03361; -87.73278 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| Township | Niles |
| Incorporated | 1888; 137 years ago (1888) |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Ann Tennes |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.07 sq mi (26.07 km2) |
| • Land | 10.07 sq mi (26.07 km2) |
| • Water | 0 sq mi (0.00 km2) 0% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 67,824 |
• Estimate (2024)[2] | 65,850 |
| • Density | 6,739.2/sq mi (2,602.03/km2) |
| Up 2.27% from 2000 | |
| Standard of living (2011) | |
| • Per capita income | $32,169 |
| • Median home value | $297,900 |
| ZIP code(s) | 60076, 60077, 60203 |
| Area code(s) | 847 & 224 |
| Geocode | 70122 |
| FIPS code | 17-70122 |
| Website | skokie |
Skokie (/ˈskoʊki/; formerlyNiles Center) is avillage inCook County, Illinois, United States. According to the2020 census, its population was 67,824.[3] Skokie lies approximately 15 miles (24 km) north ofChicago's downtown Loop. The name Skokie comes from aPotawatomi word for 'marsh'.[4] For many years, Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village".[5] Skokie's streets, like that of many suburbs, are largely a continuation of theChicago street grid, and the village is served by theChicago Transit Authority, further cementing its connection to the city.
Skokie was originally aGerman-Luxembourger farming community, but was later settled by a sizeableJewish population, especially afterWorld War II. At its peak in the mid-1960s, nearly 60% of the population wasJewish, the largest proportion of any Chicago suburb.[6] Skokie still has many Jewish residents (now about 30% of the population) and over a dozen synagogues.[7] It is home to theIllinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, which opened in northwest Skokie in 2009.[8][9]
Skokie has twice received national attention for court cases decided by theUnited States Supreme Court. In the mid-1970s, it was at the center ofNational Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie, in which a Nazi group, backed by theAmerican Civil Liberties Union, invoked theFirst Amendment in an attempt to schedule a Nazi rally in Skokie.[10] At the time, Skokie had a significant population ofHolocaust survivors. Skokie ultimately lost that case, though the rally was never held.[11]
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In 1888, the community was incorporated as Niles Centre.[12] About 1910, the spelling wasAmericanized to "Niles Center". However, the name caused postal confusion with the neighboring village ofNiles. A village-renaming campaign began in the 1930s. In a referendum on November 15, 1940, residents chose the Native American name "Skokie" over the name "Devonshire".
During the real estate boom of the 1920s, large parcels were subdivided; many two- and three-flat apartment buildings were built, with the "Chicago"-stylebungalow a dominant architectural specimen. Large-scale development ended as a result of theGreat Crash of 1929 and consequentGreat Depression. It was not until the 1940s and the 1950s, when parents of thebaby boom generation moved their families out of Chicago, that Skokie's housing development began again. Consequently, the village developed commercially, an example being the Old Orchard Shopping Center, currently namedWestfield Old Orchard.
During the night of November 27–28, 1934, after a gunfight in nearbyBarrington that left twoFBI agents dead, two accomplices of notorious 25-year-old bank-robberBaby Face Nelson (Lester Gillis) dumped his bullet-riddled body in a ditch along Niles Center Road adjoining the St. Peter Catholic Cemetery,[13] a block north of Oakton Street in the town.[14]
The first African-American family to move to Skokie arrived in 1961, andopen-housing activists helped to integrate the suburb subsequently.[15]
Historic maps named the Skokie marsh asChewab Skokie, a probable derivation fromKitchi-wap choku, aPotawatomi term meaning 'great marsh'.[16] Other Indigenous names includeskoutay orscoti, an Algonquian words for 'fire'.[17] "Skokie Marsh" was used by local botanists, notablyHenry Chandler Cowles, as early as 1901.[18] The village name was changed from "Niles Center" to "Skokie" by referendum in 1940.[19] The name change may also have been influenced by James Foster Porter, a Chicago resident, who had explored the "Skoki Valley" inBanff National Park in Canada in 1911 and admired the name; Porter supported the name "Skokie" in the referendum.[20]
Skokie attracted Jewish residents as newcomers did not face the same level of hostility as they did in some other Chicago suburbs, where it wasn't supported to sell property to Jewish institutions.[21] In the post-World War II real-estate developers and builders that were often Jewish themselves, advertised Skokie in the older, urban Jewish neighborhoods in the South, West and North Sides of Chicago.[21] New arrivals were also drawn to the urban planning vision of the Skokie Villager Master Plan of 1946, with its focus on fostering single-family homes rather than apartment living.[21] By 1975, Jewish residents made up 57% of the suburb's population.[21]
An estimated 8,000 JewishHolocaust survivors settled in Skokie in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, making up 10% of the Jewish community in 1978.[21][22][23]Yiddish was widely spoken and the area developed a Jewish character with synagogues, Hebrew Schools, Jewish delis,kosher butchers, Israeli bakeries andJudaica stores.[21] Survivors mostly socialized among each other.[21]
In 1964, Joseph Neumann, a Skokie resident and survivor ofAuschwitz, provided testimony at the trial of one of the concentration camp's guards.[24]
In early 1960,Skokie Valley Traditional synagogue was one of four synagogues in the Chicago area that was attacked.[25] The synagogue, now known as Skokie Valley Agudath Jacob Synagogue, has become the largest Orthodox Jewish congregation in Chicago.[26]
In 1962, theJewish Reconstructionist Federation held its annual conference in the suburb.[27]
In 1970, Dr. Korczak Terrace was dedicated in Skokie, honoring aPolish Jewish martyr,Janusz Korczak.[28] In June 1987, the suburb's Holocaust memorial was vandalised.[29]
Twice in its history, Skokie has been the focal point of cases before the United States Supreme Court.National Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie,432 U.S. 43 (1977), involved aFirst Amendment issue.Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County (SWANCC) v. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 531 U.S. 159 (2001) touched upon theCommerce Clause.
In 1977 and 1978, Illinois neo-Nazis of theNational Socialist Party of America (NSPA) attempted to hold a march in Skokie, far from their headquarters on Chicago's south side. Originally, the neo-Nazis had planned a political rally inMarquette Park inChicago. The park is located in what was then a predominantly all-white neighborhood, similar to thesituation in 1966, when a crowd of 4,000 Marquette Park residents gathered to watchMartin Luther King Jr. lead a march, some waving Confederate flags or throwing bottles, bricks and rocks at the protesters; King was knocked to his knees when struck by a rock.[30] However, the Chicago authorities thwarted the NSPA's plans.[11]
Seeking another free-speech political venue, the NSPA group chose to march on Skokie. Given the manyHolocaust survivors living in Skokie, the village's government thought the Nazi march would be disruptive, and refused the NSPA permission to hold the event. The NSPA appealed that decision, and theAmerican Civil Liberties Union interceded on their behalf, inNational Socialist Party of America v. Village of Skokie. An Illinois appeals court raised the injunction issued by a Cook County Circuit Court judge, ruling that the presence of theswastika, the Nazi emblem, would constitute deliberate provocation of the people of Skokie. However, the Court also ruled that Skokie's attorneys had failed to prove that either the Nazi uniform or their printed materials, which it was alleged that the Nazis intended to distribute, would incite violence.[31]
Moreover, because Chicago subsequently lifted its Marquette Park political demonstration ban, the NSPA ultimately held its rally in Chicago. The attempted Illinois Nazi march on Skokie was dramatized in the television filmSkokie in 1981. It was satirized in the filmThe Blues Brothers in 1980.
In 2001, the decision by Skokie and 22 other communities belonging to the Solid Waste Agency of Northern Cook County to use an isolatedwetland as a solid waste disposal site resulted in a lawsuit. Ultimately, the case went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, and resulted in an overturn of the federalmigratory bird rule.
According to the 2010 census, Skokie has a total area of 10.06 square miles (26.06 km2), all land.[32] The village is bordered byEvanston to the east,Chicago to the southeast and southwest,Lincolnwood to the south,Niles to the southwest,Morton Grove to the west,Glenview to the northwest, andWilmette to the north.
The village's street circulation is a street-grid pattern, with a major east–west thoroughfare every half mile: Old Orchard Road, Golf Road, Church Street, Dempster Street, Main Street, Oakton Street, Howard Street, and Touhy Avenue. The major north–south thoroughfares are Skokie Boulevard,Crawford Avenue, and McCormick Boulevard; the major diagonal streets areLincoln Avenue, Niles Center Road, East Prairie Road and Gross Point Road.
Skokie's north–south streets continue the street names and (house number) grid values of Chicago's north–south streets – with the notable exceptions ofCicero Avenue, which is renamedSkokie Boulevard within Skokie, and Chicago's Pulaski Road retains its original Chicago City name, Crawford Avenue. The east–west streets continue Evanston's street names, but with Chicago grid values, such that Evanston's Dempster Street is 8800 north in Skokie addresses.
Skokie is in the Hot-summer humid continental climate, orKöppen Dfa zone.[33] The zone includes four distinct seasons. Winter is cold with snow. Spring warms up with precipitation and storms, some of which can be severe and include tornadoes. Summer has high precipitation and storms. Fall cools down.[34]
| Climate data for Skokie, IL, based on Evanston (3 miles away)(rain)/O'Hare(temps) (1990-2020) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.6 (−0.2) | 35.7 (2.1) | 47.0 (8.3) | 59.0 (15.0) | 70.5 (21.4) | 80.4 (26.9) | 84.5 (29.2) | 82.5 (28.1) | 75.5 (24.2) | 62.8 (17.1) | 48.4 (9.1) | 36.6 (2.6) | 59.5 (15.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 25.2 (−3.8) | 28.8 (−1.8) | 39.0 (3.9) | 49.7 (9.8) | 60.6 (15.9) | 70.6 (21.4) | 75.4 (24.1) | 73.8 (23.2) | 66.3 (19.1) | 54.0 (12.2) | 41.3 (5.2) | 30.5 (−0.8) | 51.3 (10.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 18.8 (−7.3) | 21.8 (−5.7) | 31.0 (−0.6) | 40.3 (4.6) | 50.6 (10.3) | 60.8 (16.0) | 66.4 (19.1) | 65.1 (18.4) | 57.1 (13.9) | 45.4 (7.4) | 34.1 (1.2) | 24.4 (−4.2) | 43.0 (6.1) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 2.31 (59) | 2.15 (55) | 2.30 (58) | 3.92 (100) | 4.71 (120) | 4.51 (115) | 3.54 (90) | 4.47 (114) | 3.55 (90) | 3.77 (96) | 2.67 (68) | 2.42 (61) | 40.32 (1,026) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 11.3 (29) | 10.7 (27) | 5.5 (14) | 1.3 (3.3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0 (0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 1.8 (4.6) | 7.6 (19) | 38.4 (97.41) |
| Source: NWS/NOAA[35][36] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 529 | — | |
| 1910 | 568 | 7.4% | |
| 1920 | 763 | 34.3% | |
| 1930 | 5,007 | 556.2% | |
| 1940 | 7,172 | 43.2% | |
| 1950 | 14,832 | 106.8% | |
| 1960 | 59,364 | 300.2% | |
| 1970 | 68,322 | 15.1% | |
| 1980 | 60,278 | −11.8% | |
| 1990 | 59,432 | −1.4% | |
| 2000 | 63,348 | 6.6% | |
| 2010 | 64,784 | 2.3% | |
| 2020 | 67,824 | 4.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[37] 2010[38] 2020[39] | |||
As of the2020 census[40] there were 67,824 people, 22,503 households, and 16,206 families residing in the village. The population density was 6,739.27 inhabitants per square mile (2,602.05/km2). There were 25,256 housing units at an average density of 2,509.54 per square mile (968.94/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 51.36%White, 7.94%African American, 0.48%Native American, 27.78%Asian, 0.05%Pacific Islander, 4.61% fromother races, and 7.78% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 10.59% of the population.
There were 22,503 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.68% were married couples living together, 11.23% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.98% were non-families. 25.48% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.28% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.37 and the average family size was 2.78.
The village's age distribution consisted of 23.3% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 22.2% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 20.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.5 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $74,725, and the median income for a family was $93,491. Males had a median income of $46,915 versus $37,025 for females. Theper capita income for the village was $37,827. About 7.5% of families and 9.7% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 12.9% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.
| Race / Ethnicity(NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[41] | Pop 2010[38] | Pop 2020[39] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 41,549 | 35,955 | 33,697 | 65.59% | 55.50% | 49.68% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 2,798 | 4,566 | 5,256 | 4.42% | 7.05% | 7.75% |
| Native American orAlaska Native alone (NH) | 65 | 70 | 56 | 0.10% | 0.11% | 0.08% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 13,425 | 16,437 | 18,726 | 21.19% | 25.37% | 27.61% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 15 | 13 | 23 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 119 | 185 | 424 | 0.19% | 0.29% | 0.63% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,757 | 1,830 | 2,457 | 2.77% | 2.82% | 3.62% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3,620 | 5,728 | 7,185 | 5.71% | 8.84% | 10.59% |
| Total | 63,348 | 64,784 | 67,824 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Skokie is approximately 28% Jewish[42] and has over a dozen synagogues.[7]
Skokie also contains a sizeableAssyrian population. SomeAssyrian American organizations, such as theAssyrian Universal Alliance Foundation, report that Assyrians make up the largest ethnic group in Skokie, with the population estimate being upwards of 20,000. The population of the local high school district,Niles Township High School District 219, is reported to be about 30% Assyrian, making them the largest ethnic group at the school district as well.[43][44][45]
The village's AAAbond rating attests to strong economic health via prudent fiscal management. In 2003, Skokie became the first municipality in the United States to achieve nationally accredited police, fire, and public works departments, and a Class-1 fire department, per theInsurance Services Office (ISO) ratings. Likewise, in 2003Money magazine named Skokie one of the 80 fastest-growing suburbs in the U.S.
Besides strong manufacturing and retail commerce bases, Skokie's economy will addhealth sciences jobs; in 2003,Forest City Enterprises announced their re-development of the vacantPfizer research laboratories, in downtown Skokie, as the Illinois Science + Technology Park, a 23-acre (93,000 m2) campus of research installations—2 million square feet (190,000 m2) of chemistry, genomics, toxicology laboratories, clean rooms, NMR suites, conference rooms, etc.). In 2006, NorthShore University HealthSystem announced installing their consolidated data center operations at the park, adding 500 jobs to the economy. Map makerRand McNally is also headquartered in Skokie. More recently, the village has focused heavily on the revitalization of both the downtown andcentral business districts, incorporatingTransit Oriented Development principles in the process.
According to the Village's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[46] the top employers in the village are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | NorthShore University HealthSystem | 2,410 |
| 2 | Federal-Mogul | 1,279 |
| 3 | Niles Township High School District 219 | 950 |
| 4 | Macy's | 910 |
| 5 | Georgia Nut Company | 815 |
| 6 | Nordstrom | 618 |
| 7 | Village of Skokie | 498 |
| 8 | Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County | 465 |
| 9 | Skokie Park District | 432 |
| 10 | Generation Brands | 417 |
Westfield Old Orchard, anupscale shopping center, is one of the country's first and is the third largest mall by total square footage in Illinois.[47]
The Skokie Northshore Sculpture Park is situated along theNorth Shore Channel between Dempster Street and Touhy Avenue on the east side of McCormick Boulevard. The first sculptures were built in the park in 1988 and it now has over 70 sculptures. Three areas are toured May through October of each year, on the last Sunday of the month with a presentation by adocent.[48] Just north of the sculpture garden is a statue toMahatma Gandhi with five of his famous quotations engraved around the base. This was dedicated on October 2, 2004.[49]
In addition to municipally-managed public spaces, the village is also home to the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, encompassing Centre East, Northlight Theatre and theSkokie Valley Symphony Orchestra. The facility celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2016.[50]
TheIllinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center opened in Skokie on April 19, 2009.[51]
Skokie's founding and early days were the subject of the 2023 documentary,Holy Ground.
On October 7, 2008, theSkokie Public Library received the 2008National Medal for Museum and Library Service,[52] notably for its cultural programming and multilingual services.[53]
The Skokie Park District maintains public spaces and historical sites within its more than 240 acres (0.97 km2) of parkland and in its ten facilities.[54]
TheSkokie Valley Trail is a multi-use trail connecting the northwest side of Chicago to the communities ofLincolnwood and Skokie.[55][56] In 2023, the Village announced plans to extend the Valley Line Trail from its current terminus atDempster-Skokie Station to its northernmost boundary at Old Orchard Road. The result will be a continuous trail from theCity of Chicago to the northern suburbs beyond Skokie. The project is estimated to be completed by 2025.[57][58]
TheNorth Shore Channel Trail also passes through town.
Primary school districts include:
Niles Township High School District 219 operates public high schools.
A portion of the city is served by theEvanston/Skokie School District 65 andEvanston Township High School.[59]
.jpg)
See the same map as middle schools.
Jewish:
Muslim:
Roman Catholic:
TheChicago "L"sYellow Line terminates at theDempster Street station in Skokie. Construction has been completed on a new Yellow Line train station atOakton Street, to serve downtown Skokie. It opened on April 30, 2012.[63] Additionally, the CTA is commissioning an alternatives analysis study on the extension of the Yellow Line terminal to Old Orchard Road forFederal Transit Administration New Start grants.[64]The New Starts program allows federal funds to be used forcapital projects provided that all extensions for a given problem (i.e., enabling easy transportation for reverse commuters toWestfield Old Orchard) are considered. The extension recommended by the CTA, is the elevation of the Yellow Line to a new terminal south of Old Orchard Road. This extension was canceled.[65]
Although the Yellow Line is the fastest transportation to and from the city, the village also is served byCTA andPace bus routes. ThePace Pulse Dempster Line opened through the village in 2023, which provides a high-frequency limited stop bus service betweenO'Hare Airport and the city of Evanston with sheltered stops adjacent to the Yellow Line. However,Greyhound Bus service to the Dempster Street train station has been discontinued. For automobile transport,Interstate 94, theEdens Expressway, traverses western Skokie, with interchanges at Touhy Avenue, Dempster Street, and Old Orchard Road.
Major highways in Skokie include:
Interstate Highways | US Highways | Illinois Highways
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An image of Oakton Street in Skokie portrayed the fictional town of Mayfield in television showLeave it to Beaver.[70]
The Assyrian Universal Alliance Foundation (AUAF) estimates roughly 100,000 Assyrians in the Chicagoland area and upwards of 20,000 in Skokie. That number, Mayor Van Dusen said, has continued to rise over the last decade.
The walk was held in Skokie, a suburb of Chicago which is home to 20,000 Assyrians.
Places adjacent to Skokie, Illinois | |
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