Countryside, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Countryside is a city in Cook County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 5,991 at the 2000 census.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
of 2000, there were 5,991 people, 2,661 households, and 1,604 families residing in the city. The population density
was 2,226.7 people per square mile (859.9/km²). There were 2,818 housing units at an average density of 1,047.4 per square mile (404.5/km²). The racial makeup
of the city was 92.29% White, 2.15% African American
, 0.10% Native American
, 1.55% Asian
, 2.19% from other races
, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic
or Latino
of any race were 6.84% of the population.
The top four ancestries reported in Countryside as of the 2000 census were Polish
(19.4%), German
(17.9%), Irish
(15.7%) and Italian
(10.2%).
There were 2,661 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,469, and the median income for a family was $64,535. Males had a median income of $46,604 versus $30,148 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $25,449. About 2.4% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
The area remained large expanses of rural farmland until the Great Chicago Fire
of 1871, when the fire sent thousands of City dwellers into what is now the West Suburban Chicago Region. Land sold for only $2 an acre which made areas such as Countryside a welcome respite from the congestion and industry in Chicago.
Despite the settlement of these early Countryside inhabitants, the area largely remained a quiet farming community until the post World War II
era when suburban areas such as Countryside began to experience explosive growth. The area’s first residential subdivision was LaGrange Terrace, built in 1947; it was later followed by the Don L. Dise and Edgewood Park subdivisions in the 1950s.
The City of Countryside was officially incorporated in 1960.
Around 1917 the Marx Brothers
family (later a famous comedy team) bought a chicken farm near Joliet Road (Route 66) and LaGrange Road. Groucho Marx
later claimed that the brothers spent too much time at Wrigley Field
watching the Chicago Cubs
to make the farm economically viable.
District 204 which has campuses in LaGrange, and Western Springs
.
Countryside Shopping Center
is a large draw for regional shopping.
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 5,991 at the 2000 census.
Geography
Countryside is located at 41°46′44"N 87°52′26"W (41.778885, -87.874006).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 2.7 square miles (7 km²), all of it land.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 5,991 people, 2,661 households, and 1,604 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 2,226.7 people per square mile (859.9/km²). There were 2,818 housing units at an average density of 1,047.4 per square mile (404.5/km²). The racial makeup
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
of the city was 92.29% White, 2.15% African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
, 0.10% Native American
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
, 1.55% Asian
Asian American
Asian Americans are Americans of Asian descent. The U.S. Census Bureau definition of Asians as "Asian” refers to a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan,...
, 2.19% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 1.72% from two or more races. Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
or Latino
Latino
The demonyms Latino and Latina , are defined in English language dictionaries as:* "a person of Latin-American descent."* "A Latin American."* "A person of Hispanic, especially Latin-American, descent, often one living in the United States."...
of any race were 6.84% of the population.
The top four ancestries reported in Countryside as of the 2000 census were Polish
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
(19.4%), German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(17.9%), Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
(15.7%) and Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
(10.2%).
There were 2,661 households out of which 23.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.0% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.7% were non-families. 34.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.93.
In the city the population was spread out with 19.9% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.9 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $45,469, and the median income for a family was $64,535. Males had a median income of $46,604 versus $30,148 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $25,449. About 2.4% of families and 3.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.7% of those age 65 or over.
History
The land where Countryside, Illinois sits was originally inhabited by the Potawatamie Indians and later by early American pioneers in the beginning of the 19th century. Settler Joseph Vial and his family were among the first people to settle in the Countryside area in 1833.The area remained large expanses of rural farmland until the Great Chicago Fire
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned from Sunday, October 8, to early Tuesday, October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about in Chicago, Illinois. Though the fire was one of the largest U.S...
of 1871, when the fire sent thousands of City dwellers into what is now the West Suburban Chicago Region. Land sold for only $2 an acre which made areas such as Countryside a welcome respite from the congestion and industry in Chicago.
Despite the settlement of these early Countryside inhabitants, the area largely remained a quiet farming community until the post World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
era when suburban areas such as Countryside began to experience explosive growth. The area’s first residential subdivision was LaGrange Terrace, built in 1947; it was later followed by the Don L. Dise and Edgewood Park subdivisions in the 1950s.
The City of Countryside was officially incorporated in 1960.
Around 1917 the Marx Brothers
Marx Brothers
The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
family (later a famous comedy team) bought a chicken farm near Joliet Road (Route 66) and LaGrange Road. Groucho Marx
Groucho Marx
Julius Henry "Groucho" Marx was an American comedian and film star famed as a master of wit. His rapid-fire delivery of innuendo-laden patter earned him many admirers. He made 13 feature films with his siblings the Marx Brothers, of whom he was the third-born...
later claimed that the brothers spent too much time at Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field
Wrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
watching the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
to make the farm economically viable.
Public schools
Countryside is served by La Grange School District 105. Elementary students attend Ideal Elementary School in Countryside. Middle school students attend William F.Gurrie Middle School in LaGrange. High school students move onto Lyons Township High SchoolLyons Township High School
Lyons Township High School is a public high school located in La Grange, Illinois. Freshmen and sophomores attend class at South campus, located at 4900 S. Willow Springs Rd. in Western Springs, while juniors and seniors attend class at North campus, located at 100 S. Brainard Ave. in La Grange,...
District 204 which has campuses in LaGrange, and Western Springs
Western Springs, Illinois
Western Springs is a suburb of Chicago located in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village had a total population of 12,493. It is twinned with Rugeley, United Kingdom....
.
Fire department
The Village of Countryside is served by the Pleasantview Fire Protection District. The fire district currently maintains three (3) stations throughout its coverage area. The district’s headquarters are in LaGrange Highlands at 1970 Plainfield Road.Economy
The International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 150 Head up by William "Bill" E. Dugan is based in Countryside at 6200 Joliet Road.Countryside Shopping Center
Countryside Shopping Center
Countryside Shopping Center is located in Countryside, Illinois. A recent rehab project is underway, with hopes of drawing more retailers to the sagging shopping area. The plaza is home to many big box retailers....
is a large draw for regional shopping.