Elmwood Park, Illinois

For other places with the same name, see Elmwood Park (disambiguation).

Elmwood Park, Illinois
Village
Location in Cook County and the state of Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
Township	Leyden
Incorporated	1914
Government
• Type	Council-manager
• President	Angelo Saviano
Area
• Total	1.91 sq mi (4.9 km2)
• Land	1.91 sq mi (4.9 km2)
• Water	0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2)  0%
Population (2010)
• Total	24,883
• Density	13,027.7/sq mi (5,030.0/km2)
Standard of living (2009-11)
• Per capita income	$26,133
• Median home value	$241,400
Area code(s)	708
Geocode	17-23724
GNIS ID	2398817
Website	www.elmwoodpark.org

Saint Celestine Catholic Parish in Elmwood Park

Elmwood Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,883 at the 2010 census. The community has long maintained a large Italian-American population, with a more recent influx of Polish-American and Hispanic residents.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Elmwood Park has a total area of 1.91 square miles (4.95 km²), all land.

History

Elmwood Park was incorporated as a village in early April 1914 in order to prevent being annexed by the greater city of Chicago. Today one can still see evidence of a minority of land owners, or Share farmers who voted for annexation to the City by the odd chunk taken out of Elmwood park's North East corner which kept the community from achieving a full square rectangle border.

At the turn of the Century urban dwellers would take the train Westward out of the cement city for family picnics at the "Elm-Wood-Park" which was an ancient "Grove of majestic 180 year old Elms" found near 72nd Av/Harlem & Irving Park road. Taking advantage of the parks provenance, a new Cemetery was named Elmwood, while the closest train stop to both Cemetery & Park in unincorporated Marwood/Ellsworth became identified with the official name of "Elmwood Park". During the pressure era of incorporation a decade later, our Village's founding representatives thought it most ideal to legally title the community after the Stop, and after the namesake Elm which is a native locally evolved riparian Prairie "Bottomland" tree species.

Elmwood Park's swampy terrain which had been more woody brush than open Prairie earned itself the nickname of "Mud town" where residents utilized two pairs of shoes. One for inside, and a pair for outdoors which was checked by the large muddy collection of shoes at the door.

Archaeological evidence of Paleo-Indian settlements throughout the past 14,000 years allows Elmwood Park to be titled "The oldest continually inhabited Village" within the Chicago region. Besides its ideal "Canoe portaging" location found only 10 miles from where mouth of Chicago River empties into the greater Lake Michigan, entrepreneurial Indians traded unique "Chert" rock uncovered by the Southern flow of the Aux Plaines River through the prehistoric Des Plaines meteor strike zone. Also giving "Indian Village no.#4" the status of most important was the fact that archaeologists also discovered the most vast collection of individual stones gathered from distant points throughout the America's here.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1920	1,380		—
1930	11,270		716.7%
1940	13,689		21.5%
1950	18,801		37.3%
1960	23,866		26.9%
1970	26,160		9.6%
1980	24,016		−8.2%
1990	23,206		−3.4%
2000	25,405		9.5%
2010	24,883		−2.1%
Est. 2014	24,954		0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the 2000 United States Census, there were 25,405 people, 9,858 households, and 6,525 families residing in the village. The population density was 13,328.4 people per square mile (5,135.6/km²). There were 10,150 housing units at an average density of 5,325.1 per square mile (2,051.8/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.54% White, 0.52% African American, 0.18% Native American, 2.09% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.31% from other races, and 2.34% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 11.01% of the population.

There were 9,858 households out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.6% were married couples living together, 12.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the village the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.2% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 22.8% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $47,315, and the median income for a family was $58,358. Males had a median income of $40,634 versus $28,667 for females. The per capita income for the village was $22,526. About 3.6% of families and 5.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Elmwood Park's public schools are operated under Illinois Community Unit School District #401. The schools include:

High school

• Elmwood Park High School

Middle school

• Elm Middle School

Elementary schools

• John Mills Elementary School
• Elmwood Elementary School
• Early Childhood Center

Transportation

Elmwood Park is accessible via the Elmwood Park station on Metra's Milwaukee District/West Line, which provides daily rail service between Elgin, Illinois, and Chicago Union Station.

Sister city

• Frosinone, Lazio, Italy (from 1996)

Notable people

• Val Belmonte, college hockey coach, CCHA Coach of the Year, current Vice President of Athletics at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut
• Lee Loughnane, founding member of the rock band Chicago
• Jeff Mauro, television personality, Food Network
• Ray Nitschke, linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame

External links

• Village of Elmwood Park official website
• Elmwood Park Public Library
• Elmwood Park Public Library Local History Blog
• Fifty Years of Life in Elmwood Park, at Illinois Digital Archives
• Eppllocalhistory Photostream at Flickr.com
• Elmwood Park Community Unit School District #401
• Elmwood Park Neighborhood Civic Organization
• St. Celestine Parish
• Elmwood Park Pony Baseball and Softball
• City Data