Wheaton is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It is the main city, also called the county seat, of DuPage County. Wheaton is located about 25 miles (40 km) west of Chicago. In 2020, about 53,970 people lived there. This makes it the 27th largest city in Illinois.

History of Wheaton

How Wheaton Began

Wheaton started between 1831 and 1837. Erastus Gary claimed a large area of land. Later, the Wheaton brothers, Warren and Jesse, arrived from Connecticut. In 1837, Warren L. Wheaton claimed 640 acres of land in the town's center. Jesse Wheaton claimed 300 acres nearby. Many other settlers from New England soon joined them.

In 1848, the Wheaton brothers gave land to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad. The railroad then named its station "Wheaton." In 1850, land was divided into blocks. People who built homes quickly received free land. Wheaton officially became a village on February 24, 1859. Warren Wheaton was its first leader. It became a city on April 24, 1890. Elbert Henry Gary, Erastus Gary's son, became the first mayor.

Wheaton Becomes the County Seat

The Old DuPage County Courthouse (2022)

In 1857, people in Illinois voted to decide where the DuPage County seat should be. The county seat is where the main government offices are. The choice was between Naperville and Wheaton. Naperville won the first vote.

However, the two towns kept arguing. Another vote happened in 1867, and Wheaton won by a small number of votes. Wheaton quickly built a new courthouse for $20,000. It had a courtroom, county offices, and a county jail. The building opened on July 4, 1868.

When county records were moved from Naperville to Wheaton, some records were held back. This led to a group of Civil War veterans from Wheaton taking records in what was called the "Midnight Raid." Later, many records were lost in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. After this, Wheaton was officially named the county seat.

The present-day DuPage county court complex (2022)

The courthouse was rebuilt in 1887 for $69,390. It was used for 94 years. As the county grew, a new, much larger complex was needed. The old courthouse is now a historic building. It is being turned into homes.

On November 2, 1990, the courthouse moved to a new complex about 2 miles (3.2 km) west. This new building cost $52.5 million. It includes a large judicial building.

How Wheaton Grew

Wheaton Center, from a pedestrian bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad tracks

Wheaton has grown a lot since the 1950s. However, its growth has slowed down since the early 1990s. This is because the city has less open land to build on. The downtown area lost some businesses when the courthouse moved in 1990. But since then, downtown Wheaton has become lively again. New apartment and business buildings have been built. Wheaton Center is a well-known landmark. It is a large apartment complex with two tall buildings built in 1975.

For many years, from 1887 to 1985, Wheaton did not allow the sale of alcoholic beverages. This rule applied to all stores and restaurants.

Wheaton's Location and Size

Wheaton covers about 11.49 square miles (29.75 km2). Most of this area, about 11.32 square miles (29.31 km2), is land. The rest, about 0.17 square miles (0.43 km2), is water.

People in Wheaton

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1860	645	—
1870	998	54.7%
1880	1,160	16.2%
1890	1,622	39.8%
1900	2,345	44.6%
1910	3,423	46.0%
1920	4,137	20.9%
1930	7,258	75.4%
1940	7,389	1.8%
1950	11,638	57.5%
1960	24,312	108.9%
1970	31,138	28.1%
1980	43,043	38.2%
1990	51,464	19.6%
2000	55,416	7.7%
2010	52,894	−4.6%
2020	53,970	2.0%
U.S. Decennial Census

In 2020, Wheaton had 53,970 people living in 19,218 homes. About 31.2% of homes had children under 18. Most people in Wheaton are White (79.01%). There are also people who are African American (4.27%) and Asian (7.50%). About 6.49% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.

The average age in Wheaton is 36.7 years old. The city has a good income level. In 2010, CNN Money called Wheaton one of the "Top 25 Highest Earning Towns."

**Wheaton city, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition**
*Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.*
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	48,494	44,232	41,819	87.51%	83.62%	77.49%
Black or African American alone (NH)	1,525	2,324	2,251	2.75%	4.39%	4.17%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	50	55	41	0.09%	0.10%	0.08%
Asian alone (NH)	2,680	2,708	4,021	4.84%	5.12%	7.45%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	11	12	4	0.02%	0.02%	0.01%
Other race alone (NH)	45	58	201	0.08%	0.11%	0.37%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	588	888	2,129	1.06%	1.68%	3.94%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2,023	2,617	3,504	3.65%	4.95%	6.49%
Total	55,416	52,894	53,970	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Wheaton's Economy

Wheaton has many job opportunities. Here are some of the biggest employers in the city:

#	Employer	# of Employees
1	DuPage County Government Center	2124
2	Community Unit School District 200	1785
3	Wheaton Park District	983
4	Wheaton College	794
5	DuPage County Health Department	752
6	Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital	666
7	First Trust Partners	595
8	Wyndemere Senior Living Campus	370
9	Jewel-Osco (2 stores)	368
10	City of Wheaton	302

Shopping and Business Areas

Downtown Wheaton is a lively place with many restaurants, shops, and services. The Downtown Wheaton Association holds events all year. These events help local businesses. Some popular events include The French Market and Boo-palooza (Trick-or-Treat).

One unique store downtown is The Little Popcorn Store. It used to be an alley between two buildings. It has been around since the 1920s and sells candy and fresh popcorn.

Other shopping areas include Danada Square West and Danada Square East. These are named after Dan and Ada Rice. Town Square Wheaton is another shopping center. It has clothing stores and restaurants.

Arts and Fun in Wheaton

DuPage County Fairgrounds

Wheaton is home to the DuPage County Fairgrounds. Every July, the DuPage County Fair is held here. The fair brings in popular entertainers and is a fun event for everyone.

Grand Theatre

Wheaton has the historic Grand Theater, built in 1925. Volunteers have worked to restore it to its original look. It reopened in 2002. In 2005, the theater was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Efforts are still ongoing to fully restore and reopen the theater.

Wheaton Public Library

A view of Cafe on the Park, located at the back of the Wheaton Public library

The Wheaton Public Library is often ranked as one of the best libraries in the country. In 2006 and 2007, it was made much larger and renovated. It now has 124,000 square feet of space. The library is a popular place for visitors. In 2016, a small restaurant called Café on the Park opened inside the library.

Parks and Recreation

Cosley Zoo in Wheaton

The Illinois Prairie Path in Wheaton

Parks and Golf Courses

The Wheaton Park District manages 52 parks. These parks cover more than 800 acres.
- The Lincoln Marsh Natural Area is 135 acres. It has many prairie and wetland plants and animals.
- Cosley Zoo opened in 1974. It is home to over 200 animals from more than 70 species.
- There are two public swimming pools: the Northside Family Aquatic Center and the Rice Pool and Water Park.
- The Arrowhead Golf Club was built in 1924. A new clubhouse was built in 2004–2005.
- The Chicago Golf Club is a private golf club located near Wheaton.
Cantigny is a large estate that used to belong to Robert R. McCormick. It has beautiful gardens and two museums. One museum is about the Chicago Tribune newspaper. The other is about the First Division of the U.S. Army. Cantigny also has a public golf course.
The Illinois Prairie Path is a trail that runs through Wheaton.

Education in Wheaton

Colleges and Universities

Blanchard Hall at Wheaton College

Wheaton College is located just east of downtown Wheaton. It is known as a top school for Christian students. The college has the Billy Graham Center, which includes a museum about American evangelism. It also has the Todd M. Beamer Student Center. This center is named after Todd Beamer, a hero from United Airlines Flight 93, and two other Wheaton alumni who died on September 11, 2001.

The Daniel F. and Ada L. Rice Campus of the Illinois Institute of Technology is also in Wheaton. It offers technology education for working adults.

Private Schools

Wheaton has several private schools. St. Francis High School is on the west side of town.

Schools for Younger Students

Clapham School started in 2005. It is a classical school for students from pre-kindergarten through high school.
Prairie School of DuPage is located at the Theosophical Society in America.
St John Lutheran School serves preschool students.
St Michael Catholic Elementary School serves students from preschool to eighth grade.
Wheaton Montessori School serves children ages 3–12.

High Schools

St. Francis High School serves students in ninth through twelfth grade.

Public Schools

Most of Wheaton is part of Community Unit School District 200. Wheaton's public schools are known as some of the best in Illinois.

High Schools

Wheaton North
Wheaton Warrenville South

Middle Schools

Edison
Hubble (in Warrenville)
Franklin
Monroe

Elementary Schools

Briar Glen (part of CCSD 89)
Emerson
Hawthorne
Lincoln
Longfellow
Lowell
Madison
Sandburg
Washington
Whittier
Wiesbrook

Transportation in Wheaton

Train Travel

Downtown Wheaton train station, rebuilt in 2000

The Union Pacific West Line train tracks run through downtown Wheaton. This train line has been important to the city since the mid-1800s. Metra has two train stops in Wheaton. One is at College Avenue near Wheaton College. The other is at West Street in the main business area.

Wheaton also used to have the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad. This train line operated from 1902 to 1959. The old train path is now the Illinois Prairie Path, a popular trail.

Bus Service

Pace provides bus service in Wheaton. These buses connect Wheaton to other towns like Forest Park and Naperville.

Major Roads

Illinois Route 38, also called Roosevelt Road.
Illinois Route 56, also called Butterfield Road.
Illinois Route 64, also called North Avenue.

Religious Buildings

Wheaton has many churches, with forty-five inside the city limits. There are also about thirty more places of worship in nearby areas. These buildings represent nearly forty different religious groups. The game Trivial Pursuit once said that Wheaton has the "second most churches per capita in America."

The national headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America is in Wheaton. It is on a 42-acre estate. Wheaton is also the North American headquarters for the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 2002, St. Michael Catholic Church in downtown Wheaton was damaged by fire. The church was rebuilt and reopened in 2006. The new church cost $13 million to build.

Famous People from Wheaton

Sister Cities

Wheaton has two sister cities. A sister city is a town that has a special friendship with another town in a different country.

Since 1973, Wheaton has been a sister city with Karlskoga, Sweden. Karlskoga Street in Wheaton is named after this Swedish city.
In 1990, Wheaton also became a sister city with Wheaton Aston, a village in England.