Wauconda, Illinois facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wauconda, Illinois
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Wauconda Area Library
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| Motto(s):
"Water, Spirit, Wonder."
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Location of Wauconda in Lake County, Illinois.
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Location of Illinois in the United States
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| Country | United States | |
| State | Illinois | |
| County | Lake | |
| Township | Wauconda | |
| Incorporated | 1872 | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 5.76 sq mi (14.93 km2) | |
| • Land | 5.07 sq mi (13.14 km2) | |
| • Water | 0.69 sq mi (1.79 km2) | |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 14,084 | |
| • Density | 2,776.81/sq mi (1,072.05/km2) | |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) | |
| ZIP Code(s) |
60084
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| Area code(s) | 847 and 224 | |
| FIPS code | 17-79267 | |
| Wikimedia Commons | Wauconda, Illinois | |
Wauconda (/ˌwɔːˈkɒndə/ or /wəˈkɒndə/) is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States, a northwest suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 14,084. It is the site of the Wauconda Bog Nature Preserve, a National Natural Landmark. Wauconda Community Unit School District 118 serves students from Pre-K through 12th grade who live in Wauconda and surrounding communities (Island Lake, Lakemoor, Volo, and unincorporated sections of McHenry County). Fremont School District 79 also serves students from communities from northern part of Wauconda.
Contents
History
1800s
According to local legend, Wauconda was named after an indigenous chief whose name translated as "spirit water".
Many early settlers of Wauconda came from New England and New York by covered wagon or through the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes.
Elihu Hubbard built the first log cabin on the bank of Bangs Lake in 1836. Justus Bangs, the first settler in Wauconda, built a house next to the lake in 1848 and the lake was later named after him. In 1840, members of the Winnebago tribe who did not leave the shores of the Fox River often went to the area to trade. In 1849, Wauconda was organized into a town by a vote of the people of Lake County to divide Lake County into towns. There were 1,695 votes cast and all except three were in favor of the division. The first town meeting was held on the 1st Tuesday in April 1850 where the first officers were elected and appointed. I.
Wauconda's first school was built in 1839 and the area's post office was moved to Wauconda on June 27, 1849, with Hazard Green becoming its first postmaster.
Elder Joel Wheeler of McHenry built the first Baptist church in Wauconda in the autumn of 1838. A Methodist church was organized on September 3, 1852, by Reverend C. French, and built in 1856 on the Commons. Both Methodists and Baptists attended prayer at the church until February 1870, when the Baptists reorganized and built a new church on October 30, 1870. A Roman Catholic church was built in 1877 and its first trustees were James S. Murray, Charles Davlin, Felix Givens, John Givens, Hugh Davlin, and Owen McMahon. Its first priest was Father O'Neil.
In 1850, Wauconda had a population of around 200 residents, and the town had three goods stores, two public houses and various mechanics.
The Village of Wauconda was incorporated on August 18, 1877.
1900s
By the early 1900s, Wauconda was a popular resort village for Chicago residents and Bangs Lake was made suitable for beaches. The Palatine, Lake Zurich and Wauconda Railroad was completed and hauled agricultural products, delivered mail, transported local passengers, and brought vacationers and day-trippers out from Chicago. Although the railroad did not help develop Wauconda, which remained a small town, it flourished as a resort, and residents depended on it for supplies and for mail.
The railroad closed in 1920 due to lack of business. Later in the decade, Phil's Beach was opened by Phil Froehlke and the right-of way was purchased for Route 176 (Liberty Street) through the center of town.
By the end of the 1930s, Wauconda's population exceeded 500 residents. At the end of the 1960s, Wauconda had three elementary schools, a junior high, and a high school. By the end of the 1970s there were about 5,600 residents living in Wauconda.
Throughout the 1980s, most of the beaches on Bangs Lake gradually closed down. They were replaced by houses, townhomes, and other development. Development continued into the 1990s and 2000s as individuals from the outlying Chicago suburbs sought cheaper land. Large new subdivisions were developed north of the town center and small suburbs were established in the surrounding areas.
2000s
In 2000, Wauconda's population was 9,386. By 2020, it had grown to 14,084 residents.
The village completed a switch to Lake Michigan water in October 2019. This was the largest infrastructure project in village history, costing $48 million.
On April 4, 2023, a referendum was held in the village to determine Home rule status. The result of the referendum was to reject home rule status.
Geography
Wauconda is located at 42°16′1″N 88°8′34″W / 42.26694°N 88.14278°W (42.266910, -88.142657).
According to the 2010 census, Wauconda has a total area of 5.732 square miles (14.85 km2), of which 5.05 square miles (13.08 km2) (or 88.1%) is land and 0.682 square miles (1.77 km2) (or 11.9%) is water.
Transportation
Route 12 (north to south), IL 176 (west to east), and IL 59 serve as important roads for the village connecting its surrounding area.
The closest international airport is O'Hare International Airport and is located approximately 30 miles or around 40 minutes away. Midway International Airport is located approximately 49 miles away or around 70 minutes away.
Demographics
| Historical population | |||
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| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 298 | — | |
| 1890 | 368 | 23.5% | |
| 1900 | 397 | 7.9% | |
| 1910 | 368 | −7.3% | |
| 1920 | 399 | 8.4% | |
| 1930 | 554 | 38.8% | |
| 1940 | 639 | 15.3% | |
| 1950 | 1,173 | 83.6% | |
| 1960 | 3,227 | 175.1% | |
| 1970 | 5,460 | 69.2% | |
| 1980 | 5,688 | 4.2% | |
| 1990 | 6,294 | 10.7% | |
| 2000 | 9,448 | 50.1% | |
| 2010 | 13,603 | 44.0% | |
| 2020 | 14,084 | 3.5% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020 |
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2020 census
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | Pop 2020 | % 20200 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
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| White alone (NH) | 8,047 | 10,317 | 9,981 | 85.17% | 78.84% | 70.87% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 38 | 107 | 155 | 0.40% | 0.79% | 1.10% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 8 | 9 | 6 | 0.08% | 0.07% | 0.04% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 169 | 564 | 480 | 1.79% | 4.15% | 3.41% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0.00% | 0.01% | 0.00% |
| Some Other Race alone (NH) | 11 | 20 | 36 | 0.12% | 0.15% | 0.26% |
| Mixed Race or Multi-Racial (NH) | 50 | 160 | 459 | 0.53% | 1.18% | 3.26% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 1,125 | 2,424 | 2,967 | 11.91% | 17.82% | 21.07% |
| Total | 9,448 | 13,603 | 14,084 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Events
On January 28, 2005, over 2,900 people participated in a snowball fight for ten minutes, setting a new world record for the most participants in such an event.
A weekly farmers market is held on Main Street on Thursdays from July to September.
A three day long carnival takes place yearly in June named Wauconda Fest, which takes place by the skate park, near the Park District building and Wauconda High School.
Many other events are held throughout the year, such as an annual expo in February, inside of the Wauconda High School, 4th of July fireworks held yearly on July 3, a Memorial Day parade, and outdoor movies.
In popular culture
- The Blues Brothers was partially filmed in the village. A segment of the chase scene during the final third of the film featured the US-12 highway overpass over IL-176 (Liberty St.), as was a scene with the Blues Brothers driving onto Phil's Beach on North Main Street.
- In 2018, the village began to receive prank phone calls with the release of the superhero film Black Panther. This was because, in the film, the homophonous fictional country Wakanda serves as the primary setting.
See also
In Spanish: Wauconda (Illinois) para niños
