New Lenox, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
New Lenox
Village of New Lenox
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| Motto(s):
Home of Proud Americans
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Location of New Lenox in Will County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States | ||
| State | Illinois | ||
| County | Will | ||
| Incorporated | 1946 | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 15.76 sq mi (40.81 km2) | ||
| • Land | 15.73 sq mi (40.73 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2) | ||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 27,214 | ||
| • Density | 1,730.29/sq mi (668.08/km2) | ||
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | ||
| ZIP code |
60451
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| Area codes | 815 and 779 | ||
| FIPS code | 17-52584 | ||
New Lenox is a village in central Will County, Illinois, United States. It is a suburb located southwest of Chicago. In 2020, the village had a population of 27,214 people. New Lenox is home to several schools, including Lincoln-Way West High School, Providence Catholic High School, and Lincoln-Way Central High School. The village is known as "The Home of Proud Americans."
Contents
History of New Lenox
The area that is now New Lenox was first settled in the late 1820s. It was originally called VanHorne Point. In 1852, New Lenox Township was created when Will County was formed. This happened around the time the Rock Island Railroad was being built.
The settlement was first named Tracey, after the general superintendent of the Rock Island Railroad. However, Mr. Tracy later asked for the name to be changed. John Van Duser, the first supervisor for New Lenox Township, chose the name New Lenox. He named it after his hometown, Lenox, New York. In 1863, the settlement officially became New Lenox Township.
The Village of New Lenox was officially formed on October 4, 1946. In 1945, local leaders decided the community should become an official village. A community vote in the spring of 1946 approved this idea. The State of Illinois officially recognized New Lenox as a village on October 4, 1946.
In the early 1800s, fur traders set up an outpost near Hickory Creek. This was one of the first settlements in Will County. Later, in 1832, "Uncle Billy" Gougar started a post office at his farm. This farm became a busy center for the area.
The arrival of the Rock Island Railroad in 1852 greatly changed the area. Before the railroad, farmers had to transport their goods long distances. The railroad made it easier to send products to distant markets. Over time, three more railroads also came through New Lenox Township. This led to the area along the railroad tracks becoming the new center of town.
An important person in New Lenox around 1900 was H. N. Higinbotham. He was famous in Chicago as a partner at Marshall Field's and a banker. He also helped organize the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893. Mr. Higinbotham owned large farms and a greenhouse business in New Lenox.
In 1898, New Lenox got the first rural Bell telephone company in Illinois. By 1905, 132 homes had phones. Operators worked from their homes to provide 24-hour service for emergencies.
Geography and Climate
New Lenox is about 36 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Its exact location is 41°30′30″N 87°58′14″W / 41.50833°N 87.97056°W.
According to the 2010 census, New Lenox covers about 15.68 square miles (40.62 square kilometers). Most of this area is land. New Lenox is next to several other towns. These include Joliet to the northwest and Mokena to the east.
New Lenox Climate
New Lenox has a climate with warm summers and cold winters. The average temperature in January is 21°F (-6°C). In July, the average temperature is 73°F (23°C).
On average, there are 137 days a year when the temperature drops to freezing or below. There are also about 86 days when the temperature goes above 80°F (27°C).
| Climate data for New Lenox | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
73 (23) |
88 (31) |
92 (33) |
96 (36) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
102 (39) |
99 (37) |
91 (33) |
78 (26) |
71 (22) |
104 (40) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 30 (−1) |
35 (2) |
47 (8) |
60 (16) |
72 (22) |
81 (27) |
85 (29) |
82 (28) |
76 (24) |
64 (18) |
48 (9) |
35 (2) |
60 (15) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 21 (−6) |
27 (−3) |
46 (8) |
48 (9) |
60 (16) |
69 (21) |
74 (23) |
66 (19) |
64 (18) |
47 (8) |
39 (4) |
27 (−3) |
49 (10) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 13 (−11) |
19 (−7) |
28 (−2) |
37 (3) |
48 (9) |
58 (14) |
63 (17) |
61 (16) |
53 (12) |
41 (5) |
31 (−1) |
20 (−7) |
39 (4) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −27 (−33) |
−20 (−29) |
−8 (−22) |
7 (−14) |
24 (−4) |
35 (2) |
40 (4) |
39 (4) |
28 (−2) |
17 (−8) |
−2 (−19) |
−25 (−32) |
−27 (−33) |
| Source 1: www.intellicast.com | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: myforecast.co/bin/climate.m?city= 15361&zip_code=60451 | |||||||||||||
Population of New Lenox
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1950 | 1,235 | — | |
| 1960 | 1,750 | 41.7% | |
| 1970 | 2,855 | 63.1% | |
| 1980 | 5,792 | 102.9% | |
| 1990 | 9,627 | 66.2% | |
| 2000 | 17,771 | 84.6% | |
| 2010 | 24,394 | 37.3% | |
| 2020 | 27,214 | 11.6% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, New Lenox had 24,394 people living in 8,000 households. About 45.2% of these households had children under 18. Most households (69.8%) were married couples living together.
The average household size was 3.04 people. The average family size was 3.41 people. The median income for a household was $88,778. For families, the median income was $97,752.
The median home value in New Lenox was $401,997 as of August 2023. Experts once thought New Lenox's population would grow to over 90,000 by 2030. However, newer estimates suggest it will reach about 68,000 residents by 2040.
Economy and Development
New Lenox is planning for future growth. The area where I-355, Route 6, and Cedar Road meet was planned for two big projects. These were Cedar Crossings and Spring Creek Outlets. Cedar Crossings was meant to be a large shopping center. Spring Creek Outlets was planned as a big outlet mall with hotels and restaurants. Both projects were delayed due to economic reasons.
However, in 2023, New Lenox announced exciting news. A 100-acre sports complex is coming in 2025. It will be built where Cedar Crossings was originally planned. This complex will have eight baseball fields, five soccer fields, and two multi-sport fields. It will also include swimming pools and a large fieldhouse. This project will cost between $50 million and $60 million. There will also be land for hotels and restaurants near the hospital and sports complex.
Culture and Events
In 2005, New Lenox opened the Commons, which has a Performing Arts Pavilion. The village hosts a Summer Performing Arts Program. This program includes free concerts and family movie nights. Each summer, the village also holds the Triple Play Concert Series. This series features national music artists. In 2024, it was renamed the Summer Concert Series to include more artists and concerts.
The New Lenox French Market started in 2011. It ran from late spring through October. However, it stopped permanently after the 2015 season due to low attendance.
New Lenox also hosts many other fun events. These include Cruise the Commons, Christmas in the Commons, Fridays After Five, and the Loyalty Day Parade. The Lincoln-Way Patriots, a local football team, used to play in the Mid States Football League.
Parks and Trails
The New Lenox Community Park District takes care of 40 parks and athletic fields. These cover almost 600 acres. The district also uses 14 facilities throughout New Lenox.
New Lenox has many paved and gravel trails for outdoor activities. The Old Plank Road Trail is a 22-mile path for hiking and biking. It goes through the heart of New Lenox. You can access it from many points, including the Village Hall.
The Hickory Creek State Nature Preserve has a 2.8-mile asphalt trail for hiking and biking. It also provides access to the historic Schmuhl School Museum. This one-room schoolhouse is owned by the New Lenox Historical Society. The Hadley Valley Preserve offers a 4.85-mile crushed trail called the Spring Creek Greenway Trail. This trail is open to both walkers and people riding horses.
Transportation and Infrastructure
Train Services
New Lenox has two Metra commuter rail lines. The New Lenox Metra Station is on U.S. Route 30 and Cedar Road. It serves towns on Metra's Rock Island District Line. This line connects to Chicago's LaSalle Street Station.
New Lenox also has the Laraway Road Metra Station on Cedar Road. This line is part of Metra's SouthWest Service Line. It connects to Chicago's Union Station.
Major Highways
New Lenox is located near several important roads. U.S. Route 30 is the main east-west road through the town. Major north-south roads include Cedar Road, Gougar Road, and Nelson Road.
I-80 and I-355 (also called the Veterans Memorial Tollway) pass through New Lenox. These highways help people travel to Chicago and other nearby cities like Joliet and Naperville.
Airport
New Lenox-Howell Airport is an old airfield located on Laraway Road. It is no longer in use.
Education in New Lenox
Elementary and middle schools in New Lenox are managed by New Lenox School District 122. High school students attend schools in the Lincoln-Way Community High School District. This district serves New Lenox and nearby communities like Frankfort and Mokena.
There are three main high schools in the district: Lincoln-Way Central, Lincoln-Way East, and Lincoln-Way West. Lincoln-Way Central and Lincoln-Way West are located in New Lenox. Lincoln-Way East is in Frankfort.
Providence Catholic High School is a private Roman Catholic high school also located in New Lenox.
Local Media
New Lenox used to have a weekly community newspaper called The New Lenox Patriot. However, the company that ran the paper closed in April 2020. Now, most residents get their local news from the New Lenox Patch website.
Notable People from New Lenox
- B.J. Bello, NFL linebacker
- Alex Broadhurst, former NHL center
- Adam Calhoun, American rapper/songwriter
- Karla DeVito, singer/songwriter
- Tony Cingrani, Former MLB pitcher
- Ned Grabavoy, former MLS player and scouting director
- Sonya Huber, writer
- Renée Kosel, state Congresswoman
- Rob Ninkovich, retired NFL defensive end and two-time Super Bowl champion
- Johan Reinhard, Andean archeologist and explorer
- Wellington J. Reynolds, painter and instructor
- Eric Steinbach, retired NFL football player
Images for kids
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Flag of New Lenox
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Logo of New Lenox
See also
In Spanish: New Lenox (Illinois) para niños
