Archer Heights, Chicago facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Archer Heights
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| Community Area 57 - Archer Heights | |
Curie Metropolitan High School at Archer Avenue and Pulaski Road.
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Location within the city of Chicago
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| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| County | Cook |
| City | Chicago |
| Neighborhoods |
list
Archer Heights
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| Area | |
| • Total | 2.01 sq mi (5.21 km2) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 14,196 |
| • Density | 7,057/sq mi (2,724.8/km2) |
| Demographics 2019 | |
| • White | 15.4% |
| • Black | 1.0% |
| • Hispanic | 77.4% |
| • Asian | 6.0% |
| • Other | 0.3% |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Codes |
parts of 60632
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| Median income | $50,458 |
| Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services | |
Archer Heights is a neighborhood in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of Chicago's 77 official community areas.
Archer Avenue runs through the southwest side of Chicago. It follows an old Native American trail. The neighborhood has clear boundaries. The Stevenson Expressway is to the north. The CTA Orange Line is to the south. The Corwith railyard is to the east. Railroad tracks and Knox Avenue are to the west.
Contents
Discovering Archer Heights' Past
Archer Heights was first home to Native American tribes. In the 1800s, people started to look at the land. Land buyers and farmers became interested in the swampy areas.
This area became important for real estate and factories. William B. Archer was a canal commissioner. He was very interested in the land. Archer Heights was named after him.
Early Growth and New Residents
In 1900, land buyers developed the southern parts of Archer Heights. This area was for homes. Railroads kept control of the northern land.
Around 1900, more people moved to Archer Heights. Horse cars and electric streetcars made travel easier. Many immigrant workers came to live here.
A Growing Community
The 1920s and 1930s saw a big jump in population. Many people from Poland, Italy, Czech Republic, and Russia moved in. Two Catholic churches were built then. St. Bruno's opened in 1925. St. Richard's opened in 1938. These churches helped the community grow.
After World War II, the population continued to rise. From 1930 to 1950, it grew from 8,120 to 8,675 people. By 1970, it reached its highest at 11,143 residents. However, the population then started to decrease. It fell to 9,708 in 1980 and 9,227 in 1990.
Changing Faces of the Neighborhood
For over 90 years, Archer Heights was mostly white. In 1990, 96 percent of residents were white. Many people were born in other countries (27 percent in 1990). There was a strong Polish community.
In the 1990s, more Hispanic people moved in. Most were from Mexico. By 2000, Hispanic residents became the majority. This was a big change for the area.
At the end of the 1900s, most of the area was for factories and transportation. About 60 percent was for these uses. Homes took up 30 percent of the land. Stores and businesses used about 10 percent.
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1930 | 8,120 | — | |
| 1940 | 8,216 | 1.2% | |
| 1950 | 8,675 | 5.6% | |
| 1960 | 10,584 | 22.0% | |
| 1970 | 11,158 | 5.4% | |
| 1980 | 9,708 | −13.0% | |
| 1990 | 9,227 | −5.0% | |
| 2000 | 12,656 | 37.2% | |
| 2010 | 13,393 | 5.8% | |
| 2020 | 14,196 | 6.0% | |
Community Services and Resources
Archer Heights offers many services for its residents. These include schools, a library, and places of worship.
Learning and Education
Archer Heights has several schools for students.
Chicago Public Schools (CPS)
These are schools run by the CPS district:
- Curie Metropolitan High School
S Archer Ave, Chicago, IL 60632
Learn more about Curie High School
- Edwards Elementary School
4815 South Karlov Avenue, Chicago, IL 60632
Visit Edwards Elementary School
CPS Charter Schools
The United Neighborhood Organization runs these charter schools:
- UCSN Major Hector P. Garcia MD High School
4248 W 47th St, Chicago, IL 60632 Find out more about UCSN schools
- UCSN PFC Omar E. Torres School
4248 W 47th St, Chicago, IL 60632 Find out more about UCSN schools
- Academy for Global Citizenship (Elementary)
4647 W. 47th St. Chicago, IL 60632 Learn about Academy for Global Citizenship
- SPC Daniel Zizumbo School
4248 W 47th St Chicago, IL 60632 Visit SPC Daniel Zizumbo School
Catholic Schools
These are private Catholic schools in the area:
- St. Richard School (Elementary)
5025 S. Kenneth Ave. Chicago, IL 60632 Learn about St. Richard School
- St. Bruno School (Elementary)
4839 S. Harding Ave. Chicago, IL 60632 Learn about St. Bruno School
Archer Heights Public Library
The Archer Heights Public Library is a modern building. It cost 6 million dollars to build. It is 14,000 square feet in size. You can find it at 5055 S. Archer Ave. Chicago, Illinois.
The library has over 49,000 items. These include books, magazines, and newspapers. It's a great place to read and learn.
- Visit the library's website
Places of Worship
Archer Heights has several churches for its community.
| Church Name | Address |
|---|---|
| New Life Community Church Midway | 5101 S Keeler Ave, Chicago, IL 60632 |
| St. Bruno Catholic Church | 4751 S. Harding Ave. Chicago, IL 60632 |
| St. Richard Parish | 5032 S. Kostner Ave. Chicago, IL 60632 |
Getting Around: Transportation
For a long time, getting to downtown Chicago was hard. People used express buses on the Stevenson Expressway. In 1993, the Orange Line train was built. This made travel much easier.
The Pulaski station is an Orange Line stop. It is located near Pulaski Road and 51st Street. This station helps residents travel quickly.
Local Parks and Green Spaces
Archer Heights has several parks for outdoor fun.
| Park Name | Address |
|---|---|
| Curie Park | 4949 S. Archer Ave. Chicago, IL 60632 |
| Archer Park | 4901 S. Kilbourn Ave. Chicago, IL 60632 |
| Irma C. Ruiz Park (formerly Walnut Park) | 3801 W.45th St. Chicago, IL 60632 |
| Kujawa Park (formerly Catalpa Park) | 4324 S. Kedvale Ave. Chicago, IL 60632 |
Honoring Local Heroes
Archer Heights remembers special people from its community.
- Henry J. "Hank" Rutkowski Sr. has an honorary street sign. It is at 48th Street and Harding Avenue. Mr. Rutkowski was a brave soldier in World War II. He was a prisoner of war. He received many medals for his service. After the war, he worked for 40 years.
- Omar Torres has a street sign at 47th Street and Keeler Avenue. Private First Class Omar E. Torres died in Iraq in 2007. He was a hero who served his country.
Fun Events in Archer Heights
The community hosts several events throughout the year.
- St. Bruno Catholic Church Carnival
- St. Richard Family Fest and Carnival and Rocket Run 5k
- Rocket Run 5k website
- St. Richard Carnival website
Community News
You can read about Archer Heights in these local newspapers:
South Chicago Post
Read the South Chicago Post
Southwest News Herald
Read the Southwest News Herald
See Also
