Plano, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Plano, Illinois
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| City of Plano | |||||
Buildings in downtown Plano, 2007.
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| Etymology: From plano, Spanish for plain | |||||
| Motto(s):
Birthplace of the Harvester, Home of the Reapers
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Location of Plano in Kendall County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States | ||||
| State | Illinois | ||||
| County | Kendall | ||||
| Township | Little Rock | ||||
| Founded | April 10, 1872 | ||||
| Area | |||||
| • Total | 9.02 sq mi (23.37 km2) | ||||
| • Land | 8.98 sq mi (23.26 km2) | ||||
| • Water | 0.04 sq mi (0.11 km2) | ||||
| Elevation | 633 ft (193 m) | ||||
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 11,847 | ||||
| • Density | 1,319.41/sq mi (509.43/km2) | ||||
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | ||||
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | ||||
| ZIP code |
60545
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| Area codes | 630/331 | ||||
| FIPS code | 17-60352 | ||||
| GNIS feature ID | 2396223 | ||||
| Wikimedia Commons | Plano, Illinois | ||||
| Website | www.cityofplanoil.com | ||||
Plano is a city in Kendall County, Illinois, United States. It is located near Aurora. In 2020, about 11,847 people lived there.
Plano is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is about 55 miles (90 km) away from Chicago. The city was once home to the Plano Harvester Company. More recently, the Plano Molding Company has its headquarters here. In 2011, downtown Plano was even used as a set for the movie Man of Steel.
Contents
History of Plano
In the early 1860s, the Marsh brothers started making their Marsh Harvester in Plano. This machine helped farmers harvest crops. The company, later called Plano Manufacturing Company, helped Plano grow a lot. Because of this history, Plano High School uses the reaper as its mascot.
Plano was also once the main office for a church called the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Joseph Smith III, whose father founded the church, moved to Plano in 1866. He managed the church's printing here. Later, he moved the church's main office to Lamoni, Iowa in 1880.
The city grew because of farming. Early settlers built grist mills to grind grain. Plano's location along US Route 34 and the Illinois Zephyr Amtrak train service also helped it develop.
The Plano Molding Company is based in Plano. This company makes fishing tackle and other plastic storage items. Its first two factories in Plano are still working. However, most of their products are now made in nearby cities like Sandwich and Mendota.
Plano and Sandwich are like sister cities. Both are farming towns located along a main trade route and a railroad line. The high schools in both cities have a friendly competition. People call this rivalry the "War on 34" because both towns are on US Route 34.
In the early 2000s, many new homes were built in Plano. After an economic downturn, some of these homes faced foreclosure. However, Waubonsee Community College opened a new campus in Plano in 2011.
Plano as Smallville
In the summer of 2011, the city of Plano was used for filming the Superman movie, Man of Steel. Several farms around the city were used, including the Kent family farm. Downtown Plano was changed to look like downtown Smallville. Other nearby areas were also used for filming. Part of IL 56 was even closed for two days for the movie.
Plano declared itself "Smallville" during the filming. Signs were put up at the entrances to town and on a building on Main Street. A "Smallville Superfest" was started the next summer. This festival is now held every August.
The Farnsworth House
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The famous architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe designed a special house in Plano. It was built for Dr. Edith Farnsworth, a doctor from Chicago. The house is known for its unique modern design.
Later, the County Board decided to buy some of Farnsworth's land. They wanted to make Fox River Drive straighter and build a new bridge. Even though Farnsworth tried to stop them, the road was changed. You can still see parts of the old bridge today. Around the same time, Silver Springs State Park and Wildlife Area was created. This park is near the Farnsworth House and helps protect the land from being built on.
Plano's Geography
According to the 2010 census, Plano covers about 7.503 square miles (19.43 km2). Most of this area, about 7.46 square miles (19.32 km2), is land. A small part, about 0.043 square miles (0.11 km2), is water.
Plano's Population
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 1,782 | — | |
| 1890 | 1,825 | 2.4% | |
| 1900 | 1,684 | −7.7% | |
| 1910 | 1,627 | −3.4% | |
| 1920 | 1,473 | −9.5% | |
| 1930 | 1,785 | 21.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,930 | 8.1% | |
| 1950 | 2,154 | 11.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,343 | 55.2% | |
| 1970 | 4,664 | 39.5% | |
| 1980 | 4,875 | 4.5% | |
| 1990 | 5,104 | 4.7% | |
| 2000 | 5,633 | 10.4% | |
| 2010 | 10,856 | 92.7% | |
| 2020 | 11,847 | 9.1% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census | |||
In 2010, there were 10,856 people living in Plano. There were 3,549 households and 2,656 families. The population density was about 1,447 people per square mile (559 per km2).
About 45.8% of households had children under 18 living with them. The average household had 3.06 people. The average family had 3.54 people.
Culture and Media
Local Media
In 1974, Larry and Pam Nelson started a company called Nelson Multimedia, Inc. in Plano. Their first radio station was 107.1 WSPY-FM. This station plays adult contemporary music. Their other station, 1480 WDYS, plays adult standards music. WSPY-FM also shares local sports and news.
Nelson Multimedia also broadcasts a low-power TV station called WSPY-TV. This station shows local events. These include sports, city council meetings, and music shows.
Plano news is also covered by local newspapers. These include:
- The Plano Record
- The Kendall County Record
- Valley Life
- The Beacon-News
Plano in Film
Plano has been a filming location for at least two movies. The most recent was the Superman film, Man of Steel. In this movie, downtown Plano pretended to be Superman's hometown of Smallville, Kansas.
Another movie filmed here was Witless Protection. This film starred Jennie McCarthy and Larry the Cable Guy. The area around Plano was used for Larry's character's hometown. The Plano Train Station was used as the Town Hall and Jail.
Plano was also where the music video for "Nowadays" by Lil Skies and Landon Cube was filmed.
Education in Plano
Plano is served by the Plano C.U.S.D. 88 school district. The district has three elementary schools:
- P.H. Miller Elementary (Pre-K to 1st grade)
- Centennial Elementary (2nd and 3rd grade)
- Emily G Johns Elementary (4th to 6th grade)
After elementary school, students go to Plano Middle School. Then they attend Plano High School.
Notable People from Plano
Plano has been home to several interesting people:
- Arthur E. Andersen (born 1885) – He founded the famous Arthur Andersen accounting firm.
- Cole Bennett – He grew up in Plano and founded Lyrical Lemonade, a popular music video company.
- William Deering – This businessman and giver moved to Plano in 1850.
- Harry J. Haiselden (born 1870) – He was a surgeon.
- Dennis Hastert – He lives in Plano and was a former U.S. Speaker of the House.
- Trey Kerby – He grew up in Plano and is a basketball blogger and NBA TV host.
- Lewis M. Long – He was a U.S. congressman and went to Plano High School.
- Eduardo Lucero – This fashion designer lived in Plano from age 7 to 17.
- Lewis Steward – He was a founder of Plano, a U.S. congressman, businessman, and co-founder of Marsh, Steward & Company.
See also
In Spanish: Plano (Illinois) para niños
