Cary, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cary, Illinois Cary-Grove
Village
Cary sign near the train station
Location of Cary in McHenry County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	McHenry, Lake
Township	Algonquin, Cuba
Founded	1833
Founded by	William Dennison Cary
Government
• Type	Non-Home-Rule under Mayor/Trustee
Area
• Total	6.60 sq mi (17.10 km2)
• Land	6.53 sq mi (16.91 km2)
• Water	0.07 sq mi (0.19 km2)
Elevation	823 ft (251 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	17,826
• Density	2,730.70/sq mi (1,054.37/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	60013
Area code(s)	847, 224
FIPS code	17-11592
Wikimedia Commons	Cary, Illinois
Website	www.caryillinois.com

Cary is a village in Illinois, United States. It is located in McHenry and Lake counties. In 2020, about 17,826 people lived there.

How Cary Started

In 1841, a person named William Dennison Cary bought land here. He paid $1.25 for each acre. He built a farm on this land.

Later, in 1856, a train station was built. It was part of the Illinois & Wisconsin Railway. This railway connected Cary to big cities like Chicago and Janesville. Because of the train station, the area became known as "Cary Station." In 1893, the community officially became a village called Cary, Illinois.

Early farmers used the new railway to sell their crops. They mostly sold pickles. The railway helped them trade with bigger cities. This made Cary grow and become the suburban town it is today.

By the 1950s, cars and trucks became more popular. They started to move more people and goods than trains. Today, Northwest Highway (U.S. 14) runs next to the old railway line. This line is now used by the Metra train.

Where is Cary Located?

Cary is located at 42°12′47″N 88°14′54″W / 42.21306°N 88.24833°W / 42.21306; -88.24833. It covers about 6.60 square miles (17.10 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. A small part is water, including the Fox River.

People in Cary

In 2020, Cary had a population of 17,826 people. There were 6,424 households in the village. About 2,838 of these households had children under 18 living there.

The average income for a household in Cary was about $100,339 per year. For families, the average income was about $111,065 per year.

Schools in Cary

Most high school students in Cary go to schools in Community High School District 155. These include Cary-Grove High School and Prairie Ridge High School. Younger students attend schools in School District 26. Some parts of Cary are also served by other school districts.

There are also private schools in Cary. These include Trinity Oaks Christian Academy and Saints Peter and Paul, which is a Roman Catholic school.

Getting Around Cary

You can get around Cary using different ways.

Roads

U.S. Route 14, also known as Northwest Highway, goes through Cary. Illinois Route 31 forms part of Cary's western edge.

Trains

The Metra train system has a station in Cary. You can take the Union Pacific Northwest Line train from here. It goes to Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago every day.

Air Travel

Lake in the Hills Airport is a small airport. It is located about two miles west of Cary.

Famous People from Cary

Many interesting people have connections to Cary:

• Brandon Barnes, a soccer player.
• Drew Conner, another soccer player.
• A. J. Raebel, a Canadian football player.
• Michael Glasder, a ski jumper who competed in the Olympics. He grew up in Cary.
• Quinn Priester, a baseball player for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He went to Cary-Grove High School.
• Jimmy John Liautaud, who started the sandwich chain Jimmy John's.
• Paul Wertico, a jazz drummer who won 7 Grammy Awards. He grew up in Cary.

See also

In Spanish: Cary (Illinois) para niños