Mettawa, Illinois Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Mettawa, Illinois
Village
Location of Mettawa in Lake County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Lake
Area
• Total	5.53 sq mi (14.32 km²)
• Land	5.45 sq mi (14.12 km²)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.20 km²)
Population (2020)
• Total	533
• Density	97.78/sq mi (37.76/km²)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	60045, 60048, 60052
Area code(s)	847
FIPS code	17-48671

Mettawa is a small village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, about 533 people lived there. The village has many trails for walking, biking, and horse riding. It is also home to five forest preserves, which are like big parks with protected nature.

Mettawa's History

How Mettawa Got Its Name

The name Mettawa comes from a Potawatomi chief named Mettaywah. He lived in this area a long time ago. In 1833, he signed a treaty and moved to Kansas. A traveler once visited Chief Mettaywah's village near the Des Plaines River. He wrote about eating pork, fried cakes, and a corn and bean dish. Even after moving, many Potawatomi people returned to Illinois every year. They visited their old burial grounds until the late 1800s.

Founding the Village

Mettawa was officially started in 1960. Local residents worked together to protect their rural land. They wanted to stop too much commercial development from taking over. James Getz was Mettawa's first mayor. Other mayors included Edward FitzSimons, Julius Abler, Barry McLean, and Jess Ray. The current mayor is Casey Urlacher.

Famous People from Mettawa

Many well-known people have lived or owned land in Mettawa.

Adlai Stevenson II, who ran for president twice, had an estate here. His home is now an Illinois Historic Site.
City planner Edward H. Bennett also lived here.
More recently, news anchor Bill Kurtis and famous football players Brian Urlacher (Casey Urlacher's brother) and Matt Forte have called Mettawa home.

Nature and Fun in Mettawa

Protecting the Land

Mettawa was founded by people who cared about nature. They wanted to protect the land. The village still focuses on keeping its natural beauty. It's also a great place for people who love horses. There are eight horse stables in the village. Some residents even have small farms.

Mettawa Open Lands Association (MOLA)

The Mettawa Open Lands Association (MOLA) is a group that works to protect open spaces. They help keep public and private lands natural. MOLA organizes workdays and educational programs. They also manage open spaces owned by the village. In 2010, for Mettawa's 50th birthday, MOLA gave out wildflower seeds. They hoped people would plant them to make the area even prettier.

Whippoorwill Farm Preserve

MOLA also takes care of the Whippoorwill Farm Preserve. This is an open area owned by the village. It is being restored to its natural state. This means it will become a native prairie and wetland habitat again.

Stevenson's home in Mettawa, Illinois.

Forest Preserves and Nature Areas

The Lake County Forest Preserve District has five forest preserves in Mettawa. These include:

Old School
Grainger Woods
McArthur Woods
Captain Daniel Wright Woods
Adlai Stevenson Historic Home

Mettawa also has nine areas called Illinois Nature Preserves. These are special places protected for their unique plants and animals.

Trails for Everyone

The Des Plaines River Trail runs along the western side of Mettawa. It connects to Mettawa's own trail system. These trails are perfect for walking, biking, and horse riding.

Businesses in Mettawa

Green Buildings and Local Benefits

Even though residents wanted to keep Mettawa rural, some businesses have moved in. Many of these buildings are "green buildings." This means they are built in ways that are good for the environment. They often have high Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings. The taxes from these businesses help the village. Mettawa then gives some of this money back to residents as a tax rebate.

Major Companies in the Area

HSBC: This company finished building its North American headquarters in Mettawa in 2008. The building is still partly used by HSBC. It earned a LEED Gold Certification for being environmentally friendly.
W. W. Grainger: The headquarters for W. W. Grainger is located near Mettawa. This building also has a Gold LEED certification. Grainger donated a large amount of land to the Lake County Forest Preserve District. This land is now the Grainger Forest Preserve. It has an equestrian center and beautiful natural areas.

Many other businesses are located near the busy intersection of Interstate 94 and Illinois Route 60 in Mettawa.

Homes in Mettawa

Keeping it Rural

Mettawa wants to keep its rural feel. So, the village requires that each home be built on at least five acres of land. This helps keep the population low and the open spaces large.

Conservation Communities

Many new housing areas in Mettawa are called "conservation communities." This means they include protected natural areas.

Deerpath Farm: This is Mettawa's largest conservation community. It has 140 acres of restored open land. The Lake Forest Open Lands Association manages this land. They also host community workdays and nature education events.
Other conservation communities include Sanctuary Estates and Mettawa Woods.

Notable People

Matt Forte: A former American football player for the NFL's Chicago Bears and New York Jets.
Bill Kurtis: A famous news anchor and narrator of crime documentaries.
Brian Urlacher: A former American football player for the NFL's Chicago Bears.
Casey Urlacher: The current Mayor of Mettawa and Brian Urlacher's brother.
Adlai Stevenson II: The 31st Governor of Illinois.

Mettawa's Location

Mettawa is located at 42.243972 degrees North latitude and -87.917909 degrees West longitude. In 2010, Mettawa covered about 5.39 square miles (13.96 square kilometers). Most of this area, about 5.31 square miles (13.75 square kilometers), is land. The rest, about 0.08 square miles (0.21 square kilometers), is water.

Population Changes

Mettawa's population has grown over the years:

1960: 126 people
1970: 285 people
1980: 330 people
1990: 348 people
2000: 367 people
2010: 547 people
2020: 533 people

Mettawa, Illinois facts for kids

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