Zion, Illinois facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zion, Illinois
City
Seal
Motto(s):  "Historic past, dynamic future"
Location of Zion in Lake County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Lake
Founded	July 1901
Founded by	John Alexander Dowie
Named for	Mount Zion, Israel
Area
• Total	9.93 sq mi (25.72 km2)
• Land	9.93 sq mi (25.72 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2)
Elevation	615 ft (187 m)
Highest elevation (9th St and Greenbay Rd.)	740 ft (230 m)
Lowest elevation	582 ft (177 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	24,655
• Density	2,482.63/sq mi (958.58/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	60099
Area codes	847, 224
FIPS code	17-84220
Wikimedia Commons	Zion, Illinois

Zion is a city located in Lake County, Illinois, United States. In 2020, about 24,655 people lived there.

History of Zion

The former seal of Zion

Zion was started in July 1901 by John Alexander Dowie. He was a minister and faith healer from Scotland and Australia who moved to the United States. By 1890, he was living in Chicago and had many followers.

Dowie bought land about 40 miles north of Chicago to create Zion. He owned all the land and most of the businesses in the new city. He named the city after Mount Zion in Jerusalem.

He also started the Zion Tabernacle of the Christian Catholic Apostolic Church. This was the only church allowed in Zion at first. The original church building was built in the early 1900s but burned down in 1937.

Geography of Zion

Zion is located in Lake County, Illinois. It covers an area of about 9.81 square miles (25.4 square kilometers). Most of this area is land, with only a tiny bit of water.

Location of Zion within Lake County

Main Streets in Zion

Here are some of the important roads in Zion:

• Sheridan Road
• 21st Street/Bethlehem Avenue
• Green Bay Road
• Galilee Avenue
• 9th Street
• Shiloh Boulevard
• 23rd Street
• 29th Street
• 33rd Street
• Lewis Avenue
• Wadsworth Road

Illinois Beach State Park

Zion is very close to the South Beach part of Illinois Beach State Park. This park is the only remaining beach ridge shoreline in Illinois.

The beach area was once part of Camp Logan. This was a rifle range used by the Illinois National Guard starting in 1892. During World War I and World War II, it was a rifle range for the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. The range was used until 1973.

In 1950, a group called the Illinois Dunes Preservation Society was formed. They wanted to protect the natural beauty of the beach. With their help, the area south of Beach Road became Illinois' first natural preserve. More parts of the northern beach were added to the state park between 1971 and 1982.

The Illinois Beach Resort and Conference Center is at the south beach. The North Point Marina, which is one of the biggest marinas in the Great Lakes, is at the north beach. It is the largest marina in Illinois.

On May 9, 2000, the park and marina area was named the Cullerton Complex. This was to honor William J. Cullerton, Sr., who was a war hero and loved nature.

Population of Zion

According to the 2020 census, Zion had a population of 24,655 people. The city is home to people from many different backgrounds. In 2020, about 23.56% of the population was White (not Hispanic), 30.35% was Black or African American (not Hispanic), and 38.46% was Hispanic or Latino (of any race).

In 2010, there were 24,508 people living in Zion. About 44.1% of households had children under 18. The average household had about 2.96 people. The median age in Zion was 30 years old.

Getting Around Zion

Zion Metra Station

Zion has public transportation options. The city is served by Metra's Union Pacific North Line. You can catch a train at the Zion railway station. This train line connects Zion to Chicago, Kenosha, and other towns.

Pace bus line 571 helps people travel within Zion. It also connects Zion to Waukegan.

Education in Zion

Children in Zion attend schools in several different districts. Elementary school districts that cover parts of Zion include Zion Elementary School District 6 and Beach Park Community Consolidated School District 3. All of Zion is part of the Zion-Benton Township High School District 126 for high school students.

Sports and Entertainment

Zion was once planned to be the home of the Lake County Fielders baseball team. A stadium with 8,500 seats, called Fielders Stadium, was planned to open in 2010. The team was part of the North American League. Actor Kevin Costner was one of the owners. The team's name was a nod to his movie Field of Dreams. However, the stadium project faced problems and was not completed.

Famous People from Zion

Many notable people have connections to Zion:

• Jarvis Brown – A baseball player who was part of the 1991 World Series champion Minnesota Twins.
• Richard Bull – An actor known for playing Nels Olson on the TV show Little House on the Prairie.
• Gary Coleman – An actor famous for his role as Arnold Jackson on Diff'rent Strokes.
• Joe Daniels – The drummer for the band Local H.
• John Alexander Dowie – The founder of Zion.
• Paul Erickson – A baseball player, mostly with the Chicago Cubs.
• John Hammond – A general manager for NBA teams like the Orlando Magic and former general manager of the Milwaukee Bucks.
• James Gordon Lindsay – A pastor who founded Christ for the Nations Institute.
• Scott Lucas – The lead singer and guitarist for the band Local H.
• Billy McKinney – A former NBA player and general manager, and current head scout for the Milwaukee Bucks.
• Juan Moreno – A two-time Olympic silver medalist in Taekwondo.
• Russell Nype – A Broadway star and Tony Award winner.
• Shoes – A power pop band.
• Lenzelle Smith Jr. – A basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League.

See also

In Spanish: Zion (Illinois) para niños