Kankakee station facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Kankakee, IL
Location	199 South East Avenue Kankakee, IL 60901 United States
Owned by	City of Kankakee
Line(s)	CN Chicago Subdivison
Platforms	1 side platform
Tracks	1
Connections	River Valley Metro
Other information
Status	Regular stop (Illini/Saluki) Flag stop (City of New Orleans)
Station code	KKI
History
Opened	1898
Traffic
Passengers (2014)	22,898  4.9%
Services
Preceding station Amtrak Following station Champaign–Urbana toward New Orleans City of New Orleans Homewood toward Chicago Gilman toward Carbondale Illini and Saluki Former services Preceding station Illinois Central Railroad Following station Otto toward New Orleans Main Line Bradley toward Chicago
Illinois Central Railroad Depot
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Illinois Show map of Illinois Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	Kankakee, Illinois, USA
Built	1898
NRHP reference No.	00000409
Added to NRHP	April 28, 2000

The Kankakee train station is an Amtrak station in Kankakee, Illinois, United States. It is a stop for two main train routes: the Illini and Saluki and the City of New Orleans. For the City of New Orleans train, it is a special "flag stop." This means the train only stops if passengers have tickets to get on or off at Kankakee.

History of the Kankakee Train Station

Building the Railroad Connection

The Illinois Central Railroad Company started in 1851. By 1853, the new city of Kankakee was connected to Chicago, which was about 56 miles away. The very first train arrived in Kankakee on July 11, 1853. This new train connection made travel much faster. A trip that used to take six days by wagon now took only three hours by train! The railroad also helped Kankakee get important supplies from the north and south. This meant the city no longer depended only on the Kankakee River for transportation. Kankakee became an official city two years later.

The Original Station and Its Replacement

The first train station in Kankakee was a small building made of wood. But by the 1890s, it was old and falling apart. It also didn't meet the city's rules anymore. So, in 1897, the Illinois Central Railroad decided to build a brand new station. This new station was finished the next year. The first train arrived at the new building at 7:30 a.m. on January 10, 1898.

A famous architect named Frank Lloyd Wright traveled through this station sometimes. He was designing two houses in Kankakee. He said the new station was "good enough for the community," even if it wasn't his favorite style. Kankakee also had another train station used by the New York Central Railroad. Trains like the James Whitcomb Riley would stop there on their way to Cincinnati.

Changes Over Time

In 1902, telephones were put in the station, replacing the old telegraph wires. These phone lines were later moved underground in 1911. Train travel became less popular in the 1930s. This was partly because of the Great Depression and more people using cars. Also, the Kankakee Electric Railway Company, which offered local train service to the station, closed down in 1933.

However, the station became very busy again in the 1940s during World War II. Soldiers training at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul would often visit Kankakee for fun. The Kankakee station has been used continuously since it opened in 1898.

Past Train Services

In the past, the Kankakee station served many trains on the Illinois Central's routes. These trains went southwest, south, and southeast. Besides the City of New Orleans, Illini, and Saluki trains that still run today, other famous trains used to stop here.

Here are some of the trains that used to serve Kankakee:

• To St. Louis:
  • Green Diamond
• To New Orleans:
  • City of New Orleans
  • Panama Limited
• To Florida:
  • Seminole
  • South Wind

The Station Today

The Kankakee train station is a very important historical building. It has been on the National Register of Historic Places since the year 2000. This means it's recognized as a special place worth protecting.

By the late 1980s, the station building was in bad shape. The city of Kankakee bought the building from the Illinois Central Railroad in 1990. They then spent eight years fixing it up completely. This big project cost $1 million, with most of the money coming from the city and some from private donations. Today, the northern part of the station building is home to the Kankakee Railroad Museum.

Bus Connections

The Kankakee station is also a place where you can connect to local buses. River Valley Metro: You can catch Routes 1, 7, and 8 here.

• Amtrak – Stations – Kankakee, IL