Matteson, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Matteson, Illinois
Village
Village Hall
Seal
Motto(s):  A Home for Business, A Heart for Family, The Underpreephs City
Matteson, Illinois Location in Chicago metropolitan area Show map of Chicago metropolitan area Matteson, Illinois Location in Illinois Show map of Illinois Matteson, Illinois Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
Counties	Cook
Township	Rich
Incorporated	1889
Area
• Total	9.32 sq mi (24.14 km2)
• Land	9.29 sq mi (24.05 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.09 km2)
Population  (2020)
• Total	19,073
• Density	2,054.17/sq mi (793.12/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code	60443
Area code(s)	708
FIPS code	17-47540

Matteson is a village located in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It's a suburb of Chicago, meaning it's a smaller town near a big city. In 2020, about 19,073 people lived here.

Matteson is part of an area called "Chicago's Southland." The village has many large buildings for storing goods (warehouses) and a big shopping area. It used to have a large shopping mall called Lincoln Mall, which is now being rebuilt into a new kind of complex with different uses. Matteson also has two train stations, Matteson station and 211th Street station, which are part of the Metra Electric District line.

History of Matteson Village

The area where Matteson is today was first settled in the late 1800s. Many of the early settlers were from Germany. The village was officially planned out in 1855. By 1889, when it became an official village, almost 500 people lived there.

Matteson is named after Joel Aldrich Matteson. He was the tenth governor of Illinois, serving from 1853 to 1857.

During the 1900s, Matteson grew a lot. Homes got better plumbing, and the Illinois Central Railroad became electric. New schools were built, and by the end of the 1960s, more than 3,000 people lived in the village. By the year 2000, Matteson had grown to include Lincoln Mall, which opened in 1973. Today, nearly 20,000 people call Matteson home. It also has many businesses and is close to two major hospitals.

Over time, Matteson became a very diverse community. Many African-American families moved to the village, including many who had lived in Chicago before. This led to an increase in the average household incomes in several parts of the village.

Geography of Matteson

Matteson covers an area of about 9.32 square miles (24.14 km²). Most of this area is land, about 9.29 square miles (24.06 km²), with a small amount of water. The land in Matteson is mostly flat.

Matteson shares its borders with several other towns:

• To the east: Park Forest and Olympia Fields
• To the north: Country Club Hills and Tinley Park
• To the west: Frankfort
• To the south: Richton Park

People Living in Matteson (Demographics)

According to the 2020 census, Matteson had 19,073 people. There were 7,628 households and 4,454 families living in the village. The population density was about 2,046.68 inhabitants per square mile (790.23/km²).

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Matteson in 2020:

• About 82.60% were African American.
• About 10.04% were White.
• About 0.98% were Asian.
• Other groups made up the rest, including Native American, Pacific Islander, and people of two or more races.
• About 4.21% of the population identified as Hispanic or Latino.

In terms of age, about 21.9% of the people were under 18 years old. The average age in Matteson was 44.0 years. The median income for a household in the village was $84,611. This means that half of the households earned more than this amount, and half earned less.

Economy and Businesses

Matteson was once home to Lincoln Mall, a large shopping center. It was located at Cicero Avenue and US Highway 30. The mall closed in 2015, and its demolition began in 2017. There are plans to build a new mixed-use complex on the site.

Other important businesses in Matteson include a regional service center for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Also, Valspar, a company that makes paint, has a manufacturing facility in the village.

Transportation in Matteson

Getting around Matteson and to other places is easy with several transportation options:

• Train Service: The Matteson station, which opened in 1863, and the 211th Street station both serve the village. Metra commuter trains on the Metra Electric District line travel north to Millennium station in Chicago and south to University Park station.
• Bus Service: Pace provides bus service on Route 357. This route connects Matteson to many other places in the Chicago Southland area.

Major roads that pass through or near Matteson include:

• US 30 (Lincoln Highway): This is the main road that runs east and west through the village.
• I-57: This is the main highway that runs north and south through the village.
• IL 50 (Cicero Avenue): This is another important road running north and south.
• IL 43 (Harlem Avenue): This road is located on the western edge of the village.

Education in Matteson

Matteson has several school districts that serve its students:

• Matteson School District 159 and Matteson School District 162 both serve students from pre-kindergarten up to 8th grade. They cover different parts of Matteson.
• All of Matteson is part of the Rich Township High School District 227.

Matteson School District 162 Schools

• Elementary Schools:

* Arcadia * Illinois * Indiana * Matteson * Richton Square * Sauk

• Middle School:

* O.W. Huth

Matteson School District 159 Schools

• Middle School:

* Colin Powell

• Elementary Schools:

* Marya Yates * Sieden Prairie * Woodgate

Rich Township High School is the only public high school in the district that serves Matteson. Students in Matteson used to go to either Rich Central High School or Rich South High School, but these schools have now combined.

Students in Matteson can also choose to attend Southland College Preparatory Charter High School.

The Matteson Area Public Library District serves the community. The current library building opened in 1993. An addition was built in 2015, making the library much larger, with a total space of 30,300 square feet (2,810 m²).

Notable People from Matteson

Many interesting people have connections to Matteson:

• Jon Asamoah: A former NFL (National Football League) player.
• Dreezy: A well-known rapper.
• Kendall Gill: A former professional basketball player who grew up in Matteson.
• Robin Kelly: A Congresswoman who represents Illinois' 2nd congressional district and lives in Matteson.
• Sir Michael Rocks: A rapper.
• Tyler Ulis: A professional basketball player.
• Gerald Walker: A rapper who grew up in Matteson.
• Charles Brewster Wheeler: A U.S. Army brigadier general who was born in Matteson.

See also

In Spanish: Matteson para niños