Downers Grove, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Downers Grove, Illinois
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Main Street
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Location of Downers Grove in DuPage County, Illinois
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 Downers Grove, Illinois
Location in Greater Chicago
Downers Grove, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Downers Grove, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Illinois | ||
| County | DuPage | ||
| Townships | Downers Grove, Lisle, York, Milton | ||
| Founded | 1832 | ||
| Incorporated | 1873 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Council–manager | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 14.80 sq mi (38.32 km2) | ||
| • Land | 14.65 sq mi (37.94 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.15 sq mi (0.39 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 705 ft (215 m) | ||
| Highest elevation | 741 ft (226 m) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 50,247 | ||
| • Density | 3,430.53/sq mi (1,324.51/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) | ||
| ZIP Codes |
60515–60517
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| Area codes | 630 and 331 | ||
| FIPS code | 17-20591 | ||
| GNIS ID | 2398745 | ||
| Website | www.downers.us | ||
Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer. The village was named after him. According to the 2020 census, about 50,247 people live there. It is a suburb of Chicago, located southwest of the city. It sits between two major highways, I-88 and I-55.
Contents
Discovering Downers Grove's Past
Downers Grove was started in 1832 by Pierce Downer. He was a farmer who came from New York. The village got its name from a beautiful area of old bur oak trees. These trees stood out from the grassy savanna landscape.
Other early families who settled here included the Blodgetts, Curtisses, and Lymans. Most of the first settlers came from the northeastern United States and northern Europe. In 1839, Reverend Orange Lyman and his wife Maria built what is thought to be the first home in Downers Grove. The first schoolhouse was built in 1844.
The Lyman and Blodgett homes are very important. They were built by families who were against slavery. These homes were also secret stops on the Underground Railroad. This was a network that helped enslaved people escape to freedom.
How Downers Grove Grew
In 1864, the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad train line was built through Downers Grove. This helped the village grow a lot. The town officially became a village in March 1873. Its unique spelling, without an apostrophe, is a small historical mystery.
In April 1947, a train accident happened in Downers Grove. A passenger train hit a tractor that had fallen from a freight train. Two passenger cars crashed into the Main Street Station. Three people, including the train engineer, died in this accident.
Later, two big toll roads were built near the village. These were I-355 in 1989 and I-88 in 1958. These roads made it easier to travel to and from the rest of the Chicago metropolitan area. I-55 is also close to the village's southern edge. Downers Grove has grown into a busy Chicago suburb. It has many different businesses. Some companies with headquarters here include Devry University, FTD, and Dover.
Homes in Downers Grove
Homes in Downers Grove come in many styles. Some older homes near the center of town were built in the mid-1800s. You can find homes from every time period since then. Downers Grove has seen many older, smaller homes torn down. They are replaced with much larger new houses. This has caused some debate in the village.
When new, bigger houses are built, they often cover more land. This means rainwater that used to soak into yards now runs into neighboring yards and streets. This can cause flooding. People are also worried that these new homes make housing less affordable. They also fear it changes the character of the town.
Exploring Downers Grove's Location
Downers Grove covers about 14.46 square miles. Most of this area is land, with a small amount of water. Only a few other towns in DuPage County are larger.
The village has two forest preserves: Lyman Woods and Maple Grove Forest Preserve. A small creek flows through Maple Grove. Downers Grove has been named a Tree City USA many times. This award recognizes its efforts to care for its trees.
Weather in Downers Grove
Downers Grove has a climate with four distinct seasons. January is usually the coldest month. July is typically the warmest. August often gets the most rain, and February gets the least. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 105°F (41°C) in July 2005. The coldest was -26°F (-32°C) in January 1985.
| Climate data for Downers Grove, Illinois | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
70 (21) |
85 (29) |
90 (32) |
95 (35) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
100 (38) |
100 (38) |
90 (32) |
78 (26) |
70 (21) |
105 (41) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 32 (0) |
38 (3) |
50 (10) |
63 (17) |
75 (24) |
84 (29) |
87 (31) |
85 (29) |
78 (26) |
67 (19) |
50 (10) |
37 (3) |
62 (17) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 14 (−10) |
19 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
38 (3) |
48 (9) |
57 (14) |
63 (17) |
61 (16) |
53 (12) |
42 (6) |
32 (0) |
20 (−7) |
40 (4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−21 (−29) |
−10 (−23) |
4 (−16) |
25 (−4) |
32 (0) |
41 (5) |
38 (3) |
27 (−3) |
14 (−10) |
−4 (−20) |
−21 (−29) |
−26 (−32) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.85 (47) |
1.56 (40) |
2.62 (67) |
3.80 (97) |
3.94 (100) |
3.91 (99) |
3.97 (101) |
4.60 (117) |
3.38 (86) |
2.66 (68) |
3.20 (81) |
2.45 (62) |
37.94 (965) |
People of Downers Grove
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 586 | — | |
| 1890 | 960 | 63.8% | |
| 1900 | 2,103 | 119.1% | |
| 1910 | 2,601 | 23.7% | |
| 1920 | 2,076 | −20.2% | |
| 1930 | 2,923 | 40.8% | |
| 1940 | 9,526 | 225.9% | |
| 1950 | 10,886 | 14.3% | |
| 1960 | 18,154 | 66.8% | |
| 1970 | 28,544 | 57.2% | |
| 1980 | 36,572 | 28.1% | |
| 1990 | 46,858 | 28.1% | |
| 2000 | 48,724 | 4.0% | |
| 2010 | 47,833 | −1.8% | |
| 2020 | 50,247 | 5.0% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2018 Estimate |
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In 2020, there were 50,327 people living in Downers Grove. The village has a mix of different backgrounds. Most residents are White, with smaller groups of Black, Asian, and other races. About 5% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.
There are over 20,000 households in the village. The average household has about 2.4 people. Many families include married couples. The median age in Downers Grove is about 43 years old. This means half the people are older than 43, and half are younger.
Downers Grove has a high percentage of educated people. Over half of adults aged 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher. This is much higher than the national average.
Economy and Businesses
Downers Grove is about 20 miles west of downtown Chicago. Many residents travel to Chicago for work. They can use the village's three Metra BNSF line train stations or drive on the highways.
The village is also home to many businesses. Some large companies, like Advocate Aurora Health and Fortune 500 members Dover Corporation and Univar Solutions, have their main offices here. Other big companies, like Microsoft and State Farm, have regional offices in Downers Grove.
Shopping and Industry
The main shopping area in Downers Grove is along Ogden Avenue. This street is well-known for its car dealerships and service centers. You can also find many grocery and convenience stores there. Industrial and business parks are located near major highways like I-355 and I-88.
Major Employers
Many people in Downers Grove work for large companies and organizations. Here are some of the top employers in the village:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
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| 1 | Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital | 2,500 |
| 2 | GCA Services | 1,500 |
| 3 | University Subscription Services | 1,050 |
| 4 | Midwestern University | 1,000 |
| 4 | State Farm | 1,000 |
| 5 | Acxiom | 800 |
| 5 | Coventry Health Care | 800 |
| 6 | Adtalem Global Education | 700 |
| 6 | Ambitech Engineering Corp. | 700 |
| 7 | Invesco | 600 |
| 8 | FTD Inc. | 500 |
| 9 | Advocate Health Care | 450 |
| 10 | SAP America, Inc | 425 |
| 11 | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois | 420 |
| 12 | HAVI Global Solutions, LLC | 400 |
| 13 | Pepperidge Farm | 375 |
| 14 | JPMorgan Chase | 300 |
Arts and Fun in Downers Grove
Tivoli Theatre
The Tivoli Theatre is a famous landmark in Downers Grove. It was built in 1928 and was the first theater in DuPage County to show "talkies" (movies with sound). The Tivoli has a special Wurlitzer theater organ. This organ is often played before movies on weekend evenings.
Parks and Outdoor Activities
Downers Grove has many parks and forest preserves. These include Doerhoefer Park. The Hidden Lake Forest Preserve is 360 acres and has a pond. You can boat there and reach the nearby DuPage River.
Lyman Woods is a nature preserve that used to be ranch land. This 150-acre preserve has oak savannas, prairies, and marshes. It is home to over 300 types of native plants and animals. Some of these are rare in northern Illinois. In 1996, people in Downers Grove voted to protect Lyman Woods from being developed.
Learning in Downers Grove
Downers Grove has many schools for students of all ages. There are twelve public elementary schools and two public middle schools. These are part of Downers Grove Grade School District 58. Two other elementary schools and one middle school are part of Center Cass School District 66.
The village also has two Catholic schools, St. Joseph's and St. Mary's of Gostyn. They teach students from pre-school through 8th grade. Good Shepherd Lutheran School is another Christian school for Pre-K through 8th grade.
Downers Grove has two public high schools: North and South. They are part of Community High School District 99. These schools serve students from Downers Grove and parts of nearby villages like Woodridge and Westmont.
The Avery Coonley School is a private school in Downers Grove. It was founded in 1906. It is known for its strong focus on math, science, arts, and foreign languages.
Midwestern University is also located here. It is a university that trains future doctors, pharmacists, physical therapists, and dentists.
Getting Around Downers Grove
Transportation
The main train line, BNSF Railway, runs through Downers Grove. The Metra commuter train uses this line and has three stops in the village. These are at Belmont Road, Main Street, and Fairview Avenue. Major highways like I-355 and I-88 also pass through the community. Ogden Avenue is a main street.
The Pace Bus Service provides public transportation in the suburbs. Downers Grove also has a special shuttle service called the Grove Commuter Shuttle. It runs four routes to two of the train stations.
Utilities and Services
Downers Grove gets its drinking water from Lake Michigan. This water comes through a pipeline from the City of Chicago. Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd) manages the electricity. Northern Illinois Gas built the natural gas system.
For trash and yard waste, the village uses Republic Services. Residents can pay for stickers or rent carts for pickup. Recycling is free. The Downers Grove Sanitary District treats wastewater.
Famous People from Downers Grove
- Muriel Anderson (b. 1960), a talented composer and guitarist.
- Bob Bryar (b. 1979), drummer for the band My Chemical Romance.
- Nick Burdi (b. 1993), a professional baseball player.
- Greg Corner (b. 1974), bassist for Kill Hannah.
- David Edwards (b. 1997), a professional football player for the Los Angeles Rams.
- Lauren Frost (b. 1985), an actress known for Even Stevens.
- Cammi Granato (b. 1971), an Olympic ice hockey champion and Hall of Famer.
- Tony Granato (b. 1964), a former NHL player and coach.
- Kendall Gretsch, a paralympian athlete.
- Miles Harvey (b. 1960), a journalist and author.
- Nancy Johnson (b. 1974), a 2000 Summer Olympics gold medalist in shooting.
- Matt Jones (b. 1983), a professional hockey player.
- Dan LeFevour (b. 1987), a professional quarterback.
- Fred Faulkner Lester (1926–1945), a brave Navy Hospital Corpsman who received the Medal of Honor.
- Eric Lichaj (b. 1988), a professional soccer player for the US national team.
- Sherrill Milnes (b. 1935), a famous opera singer.
- Sandi Morris (b. 1992), an Olympic silver medalist in pole vaulting.
- Bryan Mullins (b. 1987), a former basketball player and coach.
- Emo Philips (b. 1956), a well-known comedian.
- Lanny Poffo (1954–2023), a professional wrestler.
- "Shorty" Powers (1922–1979), the NASA spokesman for early space missions.
- Joe Principe (b. 1974), bass guitarist for the band Rise Against.
- Denise Richards (b. 1971), an actress and former model.
- John Ridgely (1909–1968), an actor from classic films.
- Randy Savage (1952–2011), also known as "Macho Man," a famous professional wrestler.
- Luther Ely Smith (1873–1951), who helped create the Gateway Arch National Park.
- Barbara Stock (b. 1956), an actress.
- Matthew West (b. 1977), a contemporary Christian musician.
- Megan Callahan-Shah (b. 1985), an Emmy-nominated writer for Saturday Night Live.
- Savannah Harmon (b. 1995), a former Olympian and current professional hockey player.
Images for kids
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The official flag of Downers Grove.
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The logo of Downers Grove.
See also
In Spanish: Downers Grove para niños
