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Markham, Illinois
City
Official seal of Markham, Illinois
Seal
Nickname(s): 
Prairie Capital of the Prairie State
Motto(s): 
Unity for the Community
Location of Markham in Cook County, Illinois.
Location of Markham in Cook County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country  United States
State  Illinois
County Cook
Townships Bremen, Thornton
Incorporated 1925
Area
 • Total 5.41 sq mi (14.00 km2)
 • Land 5.41 sq mi (14.00 km2)
 • Water 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)  0%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 11,661
 • Density 2,157.45/sq mi (833.01/km2)
Standard of living (2007-2011)
 • Per capita income ,318
 • Median home value 0,300
ZIP code(s)
60428
Area code(s) 708
Geocode 47007
FIPS code 17-47007

Markham is a city and a south suburb of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 11,661 at the 2020 census.

History

It is claimed this area was beach 10,000 years ago. After countless ages of geologic swamps, marshes and sloughs, the prairies dominated the landscape with groves of trees, flowers, and wildlife in abundance.

Markham, southwest of the southern tip of Lake Michigan, had been a crossroad for early pioneers. In 1816 a treaty was made with the Ottawa, Chippewa and Potawatomi tribes which ceded a corridor of land located between a point north of the Chicago River and the mouth of the Calumet River to the settlers. The southern boundary, one of two Indian Treaty Boundary Lines, was surveyed along a line from the Kankakee River to Lake Michigan. The line still appears on government maps and now includes a short portion of Interstate 57 near the US 6 interchange northwest of Markham.

The village of Markham was incorporated in 1925 with a population under 300. The village was named for Charles H. Markham, president of the Illinois Central Railroad 1911-1918, 1919-1926. In the mid-1930s, the Croissant Park subdivision was built and increased the population from 349 to 1,388. After World War II, Markham's population doubled to 2,753 residents by 1950. The village developed into a bedroom community as residents sought homes, not industry. An airport developed at 165th Street and Kedzie Avenue was the nearest field outside of Chicago. The airport site was located near what is now the Cook County Sixth Circuit Courthouse. On August 24, 1967, Markham was incorporated as a city.

The Lone Pine Tree

In 1860, a German immigrant named Lawrence Roesner made his way to the southern boundary and settled on land located in the northwest corner of Markham. He brought with him six seedlings from the Black Forest of Germany and planted them along the Indian Boundary Line. This "Lone Pine Tree" was adopted as the official city symbol in 1985. The lone survivor of six pine trees brought from the Black Forest in 1860 died in 1986. The Markham City Council appropriated money to get a replacement tree from the Black Forest, which the Markham Garden Club planted that year.

Geography

Markham is located at 41°35′51″N 87°41′30″W / 41.59750°N 87.69167°W / 41.59750; -87.69167 (41.597467, -87.691570).

According to the 2010 census, Markham has a total area of 5.31 square miles (13.75 km2), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census Pop.
1930 349
1940 1,288 269.1%
1950 2,783 116.1%
1960 11,704 320.6%
1970 15,987 36.6%
1980 15,534 −2.8%
1990 13,136 −15.4%
2000 12,620 −3.9%
2010 12,508 −0.9%
2020 11,661 −6.8%
U.S. Decennial Census
2010 2020

As of the 2020 census there were 11,661 people, 3,832 households, and 2,821 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,157.45 inhabitants per square mile (833.00/km2). There were 4,283 housing units at an average density of 792.41 per square mile (305.95/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 72.93% African American, 8.88% White, 0.91% Asian, 0.39% Native American, 10.26% from other races, and 6.64% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 17.27% of the population.

There were 3,832 households, out of which 39.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 28.42% were married couples living together, 37.42% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.38% were non-families. 23.12% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.15% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.84 and the average family size was 3.23.

The city's age distribution consisted of 31.2% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 21.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 87.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,050, and the median income for a family was $45,880. Males had a median income of $28,214 versus $29,815 for females. The per capita income for the city was $19,580. About 17.4% of families and 20.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.6% of those under age 18 and 14.8% of those age 65 or over.

Markham, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2010 Pop 2020 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 1,275 823 10.19% 7.06%
Black or African American alone (NH) 10,076 8,420 80.56% 72.21%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 15 11 0.12% 0.09%
Asian alone (NH) 84 103 0.67% 0.88%
Pacific Islander alone (NH) 8 0 0.06% 0.00%
Some Other Race alone (NH) 22 32 0.18% 0.27%
Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) 191 258 1.53% 2.21%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 837 2,014 6.69% 17.57%
Total 12,508 11,661 100.00% 100.00%

Education

Most of Markham is within Prairie-Hills School District 144, which includes 6 elementary schools, and Prairie-Hills Junior High School. A portion of Markham is within the Posen-Robbins School District 143½, which includes 4 elementary schools, and Thomas J. Kellar Middle School. Another Portion is within Hazel Crest School District 152.5, which includes 2 elementary schools, and Robert Frost Middle School. The remaining portion is within Harvey School District 152, which includes 5 elementary schools, and Brooks Middle School.

Most of Markham is served by Bremen High School, with another portion attending Hillcrest High School, and the remaining section goes to Tinley Park High School in Bremen Community High School District 228 The rest of the city is served by Thornwood High School within Thornton Township High School District 205.

Infrastructure

Police department

The Markam Police Department is responsible for public safety and law enforcement.

Anthony "Tony" DeBois, the deputy police chief from 2008 to 2012 and described as an "ally of Markham Mayor David Webb Jr." by the Chicago Tribune, had been the subject to numerous lawsuits alleging brutality and misconduct from 2004 to 2011. .....

Transportation

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Markham to destinations across the Southland.

Notable people

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Markham (Illinois) para niños

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