Niles, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Niles, Illinois
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| Motto(s):
"It's Possible Here"
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Location of Niles in Cook County, Illinois
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 Niles, Illinois
Location in Greater Chicago
Niles, Illinois
Location in Illinois
Niles, Illinois
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Illinois | |
| County | Cook | |
| Townships | Maine, Niles | |
| Settled | 1832 | |
| Incorporated | 1899 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.85 sq mi (15.15 km2) | |
| • Land | 5.85 sq mi (15.15 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) | |
| Elevation | 646 ft (197 m) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 30,912 | |
| • Density | 5,285.91/sq mi (2,040.87/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | |
| ZIP Code(s) |
60714
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| Area codes | 847, 224 | |
| FIPS code | 17-53000 | |
| Wikimedia Commons | Niles, Illinois | |
Niles is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located in the townships of Maine and Niles, directly neighboring Chicago's far northwest border. Per the 2020 census, the population was 30,912. The current mayor of Niles is George Alpogianis.
Contents
History
Niles was first settled in 1827. The village of Niles was incorporated on August 24, 1899. The village had a population of 500 people at that time.
Article 4 of the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien, signed between the United States government and several chiefs of the Chippewa, Ottawa, and Potawatamie left particular tracts of land to individuals of mixed-Native American ancestry. Among these individuals were Billy Caldwell, Victoria Pothier, and Jane Miranda. The land given to these individuals helped for what would eventually established part of the border of Niles. During the 1832 Black Hawk War, there is evidence that one band of Native Americans may have reached Billy Caldwell's property as part of an attempt to reclaim land lost to the United States.
Along with neighboring Skokie and several other suburbs, Niles is partly in Niles Township, from whence it draws its name. It should not be confused with "Niles Center", the original name of Skokie.
There is no clear indication of the origin of the name "Niles." In 1929, the Chicago Tribune ran an article opining that the name was taken from the Niles Register, a newspaper published in the 1820s out of Washington, D.C., and distributed nationally; however, no proof of that has yet been discovered; accounts state only that the name was chosen at public meeting prior to township organization in 1850.
Niles was the first community in Illinois and one of the first in the United States to establish free ambulance service, in 1946.
Geography
Niles is located at 42°1′40″N 87°48′36″W / 42.02778°N 87.81000°W (42.0277127, -87.8100990).
According to the 2010 census, Niles has a total area of 5.85 square miles (15.15 km2), all land.
Niles is adjacent to Chicago to the south, Skokie to the east, Morton Grove to the northeast, Glenview to the north, and Park Ridge and unincorporated Cook County (and portions of Chicago) to the west.
The town is centered along Milwaukee Avenue which forms a main artery diagonally through the town on a northwest-southeast bearing.
The North Branch of the Chicago River flows through the eastern part of the town roughly in a north-to-south direction.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 289 | — | |
| 1900 | 514 | — | |
| 1910 | 569 | 10.7% | |
| 1920 | 1,258 | 121.1% | |
| 1930 | 2,135 | 69.7% | |
| 1940 | 2,168 | 1.5% | |
| 1950 | 3,587 | 65.5% | |
| 1960 | 20,393 | 468.5% | |
| 1970 | 31,432 | 54.1% | |
| 1980 | 30,363 | −3.4% | |
| 1990 | 28,284 | −6.8% | |
| 2000 | 30,068 | 6.3% | |
| 2010 | 29,803 | −0.9% | |
| 2020 | 30,912 | 3.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020 |
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| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 24,133 | 21,332 | 20,200 | 80.26% | 71.58% | 65.35% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 123 | 388 | 500 | 0.41% | 1.30% | 1.62% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 8 | 20 | 12 | 0.03% | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 3,792 | 4,950 | 6,040 | 12.61% | 16.61% | 19.54% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0.01% | 0.00% | 0.01% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 15 | 43 | 74 | 0.15% | 0.14% | 0.24% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 482 | 487 | 637 | 1.60% | 1.63% | 2.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,512 | 2,582 | 3,447 | 5.03% | 8.66% | 11.15% |
| Total | 30,038 | 29,803 | 30,912 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
As of the 2020 census there were 30,912 people, 11,065 households, and 7,180 families residing in the village. The population density was 5,285.91 inhabitants per square mile (2,040.90/km2). There were 12,590 housing units at an average density of 2,152.87 per square mile (831.23/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 67.23% White, 1.70% African American, 0.38% Native American, 19.65% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 5.00% from other races, and 6.03% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.15% of the population.
There were 11,065 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.56% were married couples living together, 9.59% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.11% were non-families. 29.81% of all households were made up of individuals, and 20.14% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 2.52.
The village's age distribution consisted of 16.4% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 23.7% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 25.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.6 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $63,490, and the median income for a family was $85,270. Males had a median income of $43,231 versus $35,299 for females. The per capita income for the village was $33,692. About 6.9% of families and 9.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over.
Assyrian community
Niles has a large ethnic Assyrian / Chaldean population. Per the 2023 American Community Survey five-year estimates, the Assyrian American population was 1,113.
Economy
Companies based in Niles include Shure, Bradford Exchange, Hammacher Schlemmer, and MFRI.
According to the Village's 2019 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Woodward, Inc. | 1,000 |
| 2 | Shure (HQ) | 680 |
| 3 | Bradford Exchange (HQ) | 600 |
| 4 | Coca-Cola Bottling Company | 500 |
| 5 | Village of Niles | 425 |
| 6 | Specialty Print Communications | 250 |
| 7 | Talk-A-Phone, LLC | 250 |
| 8 | Fort Dearborn Company | 210 |
| 9 | GlobalTranz Enterprises, Inc. | 200 |
| 10 | Golf Mill Motor Sales | 181 |
Culture
A notable landmark and point of pride among Niles' residents is the Leaning Tower of Niles, a smaller-scale replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. This landmark is seen in the opening Chicago-area montage of the film Wayne's World. The Niles Leaning Tower has also been featured in many national magazines, including Oprah's "O" Magazine in 2014. It is located next to the local YMCA (which is appropriately called the "Leaning Tower YMCA"). Several concerts covering a variety of musical forms are held here throughout the summer.
Another notable landmark is the Tam O'Shanter Golf Course, which is currently under the ownership of the Niles Park District. From 1941 to 1957, the course was host to the All American Open on the PGA Tour. In 1964 and 1965, the course hosted the Western Open.
St. Adalbert Cemetery, the largest in the Archdiocese of Chicago in terms of burials, is the resting place of German immigrant Fredrak Fraske (1872–1973), who was the last surviving veteran of the "Indian Wars". St. Adalbert's is also the location of the Halas Family mausoleum, and is the final resting place of George Halas, former head coach of the Chicago Bears. St. John Brebeuf Catholic Church was the first Catholic parish in Niles.
Golf Mill Shopping Center opened in 1960. The world headquarters of the Bradford Group, a major collectibles company, is located on Milwaukee Avenue.
Education
Elementary school districts:
- East Maine School District 63
- Park Ridge-Niles School District 64
- Golf School District 67
- Niles Elementary School District 71
- Fairview School District 72
- The Niles Township District for Special Education 807 serves some residents in these districts.
High school districts:
- Maine Township High School District 207
- • Maine East High School
- • Maine South High School
- Niles Township Community High School District 219
- • Niles North High School
- • Niles West High School
Community College district:
- Oakton Community College
Catholic schools: (Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago)
- St. John Brebeuf School is a Catholic parish school serving students from pre-school through 8th grade.
- Northridge Preparatory School is a Catholic independent private high school.
- Notre Dame College Prep is a Catholic high school sponsored by the Brothers of Holy Cross.
Baptist schools:
- Logos Christian Academy is a Romania-Baptist school.
Until 1998 the Chicago Futabakai Japanese School was located in Niles. In 1998 it moved to Arlington Heights.
Transportation
Niles Free Bus
The Niles Free Bus is a courtesy bus system, which operates within the Village of Niles at no charge to riders. The Free Bus runs continually from 6:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays, and from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekends. The buses stop at all major shopping centers, public facilities, and within a short distance of every residence.
Pace
Pace provides bus service on multiple routes in the village connecting Niles to destinations across the region. Both the Pace Pulse Milwaukee Line and Pulse Dempster Line serve the village.
Major highways
Major highways in Niles include:
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US Highways |
Illinois Highways |
Notable people
- Paul Cienniwa, harpsichordist, organist, and choral conductor
- Rev. Juan Čobrda, bishop of the Lutheran church
- Jill Erickson, bank robber
- Art Frantz, umpire in Major League Baseball
- Jim Les, National Basketball Association player and college basketball head coach
- Pete Sykaras, Olympic baseball player
- Agnes Zawadzki, figure skater and two-time World Junior medalist
Sister cities
Niles has four sister cities as of 2008:
Pisa, Italy (since 1991)
Nafplion, Greece (since 1994)
Leixlip, Ireland (since 2000)
Limanowa, Poland (since 2005)
See also
In Spanish: Niles (Illinois) para niños
