Peotone, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Peotone is a village in Will County
, Illinois
, United States
. The population was 3,385 at the 2000 census. The city is about 43 miles (69.2 km) south of Chicago
. The city is home to the Peotone High School
Blue Devils.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) all of it is land.
Main roads are Illinois Route 50, Interstate 57
, Wilmington-Peotone Road, Rathje Road, and Joliet Road.
Peotone is about 9 miles west of Beecher
, 6 miles north of Manteno
, 6 miles south of Monee
. It is around 20 miles east of Wilmington
.
of 2000, there were 3,385 people, 1,268 households, and 930 families residing in the village. The population density
was 2,232.4 people per square mile (859.8/km²). There were 1,299 housing units at an average density of 856.7 per square mile (330.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.93% White, 0.27% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.30% from other races
, and 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 1,268 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples
living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the village, the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $56,404, and the median income for a family was $61,768. Males had a median income of $47,500 versus $26,636 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $23,415. About 0.7% of families and 0.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
, and Manhattan
, and all fifth grade students attend the Connor Shaw Center in Peotone.
Peotone Junior High School serves grades six through eight, and has been located in the former Peotone High School building since the 2001-2002 school year; the high school continues to utilize some of the outdoor sports facilities at the junior high. Several referendums have been orchestrated to build a new sports complex at the new high school, but have failed; these have also included plans to build on to the existing high school and junior high in order to resolve overcrowding.
In 2000, a new high school was built on the northwest side of Peotone. While the school was designed for a capacity of 600 students, its student enrollment for the 2010-2011 fiscal year was approximately 687. The school mascot of the high school, junior high, and Connor Shaw is the Blue Devil. Wilton Center's mascot is the Roadrunner, Green Garden's mascot is the Griffin, and Peotone Elementary's mascot is the Eagle.
As of 2008, Peotone schools had a total enrollment of 2,107 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Enrollment since then has gradually increased.
to serve the Chicago
area. As is often the case with the construction of airports, the proposal is controversial. In 1967, the Chicago Tribune
ran several editorials regarding the need for a third airport in Peotone.
Proponents point out that the existing facilities at O'Hare
and Midway airports cannot meet the transportation needs of the Chicago
area, and that the development will bring economic prosperity to Chicago Southland
, an area deprived of economic development, as well as the rest of the state. Politicians backing plans include former Governor Rod Blagojevich
; Representatives Jesse Jackson Jr. and Henry Hyde
; Congressman Jerry Weller
, the former representative of the district in which the airport would be located; and Will County Executive Larry Walsh. The efforts were also supported by then-state senator Barack Obama
.
Opponents to the plan are concerned about the environmental disruption that would be caused by new airport construction and the roads that would be needed to support it. They also point out that Gary/Chicago International Airport
in Gary, Indiana
already exists, is closer to Chicago than Peotone, and is already undergoing expansion to support heavier use with minimal environmental impact. Politicians opposing the Peotone airport plan include Chicago
Mayor Richard M. Daley
, former Gary
Mayor Scott King, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels
, and Representative Pete Visclosky
from Indiana.
Jesse Jackson Jr. is the head of a private group looking to take ownership of the proposed airport. A state-backed IDOT plan is more friendly to the citizens of the actual footprint of the proposed airport by giving local control of the airport to county officials.
In science fiction novel "The Boy Who Would Live Forever" (2004), which was the fifth in the Gateway
series, Frederik Pohl
has a character fly out of "Peotone International Airport". Pohl lives in Palatine, Illinois.
Will County, Illinois
As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile . There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile...
, 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 3,385 at the 2000 census. The city is about 43 miles (69.2 km) south of Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. The city is home to the Peotone High School
Peotone High School
Peotone High School or PHS, is a four-year high school located approximately 1 mile east of Interstate 57 near the intersection of Corning Ave and Rathje Rd in Peotone, Illinois, a village located 43 miles south of Chicago, Illinois and 16 miles north of Kankakee, Illinois, in the United States...
Blue Devils.
Geography
Peotone is located at 41°19′46"N 87°47′42"W (41.329445, -87.795138).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 village has a total area of 1.5 square miles (3.9 km²) all of it is land.
Main roads are Illinois Route 50, Interstate 57
Interstate 57
Interstate 57 is an Interstate Highway in Missouri and Illinois that parallels the old Illinois Central rail line for much of its route. It goes from Miner, Missouri, at Interstate 55 to Chicago, Illinois, at Interstate 94. I-57 essentially serves as a shortcut route for travelers headed between...
, Wilmington-Peotone Road, Rathje Road, and Joliet Road.
Peotone is about 9 miles west of Beecher
Beecher, Illinois
Beecher is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. It is located on the old Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad and the Dixie Highway. Situated in the center of Washington Township, it was originally named Washington Center. The population was 4,359 at the 2010 census. Named for Henry...
, 6 miles north of Manteno
Manteno, Illinois
Manteno is a village in Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,575 in 2009. It is part of the Kankakee–Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Chicago–Naperville–Michigan City, IL-IN-WI Combined Statistical Area.-General information:Manteno, Illinois...
, 6 miles south of Monee
Monee, Illinois
Monee is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,924 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Monee is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of , all of it land....
. It is around 20 miles east of Wilmington
Wilmington, Will County, Illinois
One of Wilmington's most notable geographical features is a large island in the Kankakee River, much of which is occupied by a city park. This island divides the river into a large channel and a smaller one which was used as a natural mill race during the early years of the city...
.
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 3,385 people, 1,268 households, and 930 families residing in the village. 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 2,232.4 people per square mile (859.8/km²). There were 1,299 housing units at an average density of 856.7 per square mile (330.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 97.93% White, 0.27% African American, 0.06% Native American, 0.47% Asian, 0.30% 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 0.97% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.36% of the population.
There were 1,268 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% 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, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.67 and the average family size was 3.17.
In the village, the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $56,404, and the median income for a family was $61,768. Males had a median income of $47,500 versus $26,636 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 village was $23,415. About 0.7% of families and 0.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.9% of those under age 18 and 3.5% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Peotone Community Unit School District 207-U is one of the geographically largest districts in the State of Illinois. Elementary schools for students in kindergarten through fourth grade are located in Peotone, FrankfortFrankfort, Illinois
Frankfort is a village in Will and Cook Counties, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,782 at the 2010 census. According to Forbes.com, in 2007 the village ranked as the 36th fastest growing suburb in the United States. - Previous spelling :...
, and Manhattan
Manhattan, Illinois
Manhattan is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 6,071 at the 2006 special census. The city is located in northeastern Illinois approximately 50 miles southwest of Chicago.- History :...
, and all fifth grade students attend the Connor Shaw Center in Peotone.
Peotone Junior High School serves grades six through eight, and has been located in the former Peotone High School building since the 2001-2002 school year; the high school continues to utilize some of the outdoor sports facilities at the junior high. Several referendums have been orchestrated to build a new sports complex at the new high school, but have failed; these have also included plans to build on to the existing high school and junior high in order to resolve overcrowding.
In 2000, a new high school was built on the northwest side of Peotone. While the school was designed for a capacity of 600 students, its student enrollment for the 2010-2011 fiscal year was approximately 687. The school mascot of the high school, junior high, and Connor Shaw is the Blue Devil. Wilton Center's mascot is the Roadrunner, Green Garden's mascot is the Griffin, and Peotone Elementary's mascot is the Eagle.
As of 2008, Peotone schools had a total enrollment of 2,107 students in kindergarten through 12th grade. Enrollment since then has gradually increased.
Sports
Peotone has a little league baseball, a small soccer league, and a football program. Every fall, a soccer tournament called OMSA is held with towns from the area participating. The city also sports one semi-professional team, the Peotone Pirates.| Club | Sport | Year Founded | League | Venue | Championships | |
| Peotone Pirates | Baseball Baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond... |
2008 | South Side Wooden Bat League | Peotone Park | None | |
| Club | Sport | Year Founded | League | Venue | Championships | |
| Peotone | Soccer | 1993 | OMSA | Peotone Park District | 39 |
Other places
- Circle KCircle KCircle K is an international chain of convenience stores, founded in 1951, in El Paso, Texas, United States. It is owned and operated by the Canadian-based Alimentation Couche-Tard.-Overview:...
- Gary's Arcade
- JJC-S
- McDonald'sMcDonald'sMcDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
- SubwaySubway (restaurant)Subway is an American restaurant franchise that primarily sells submarine sandwiches and salads. It is owned and operated by Doctor's Associates, Inc. . Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with 35,519 restaurants in 98 countries and territories as of October 25th, 2011...
- Tyler's Playground
- SpeedwaySpeedway SuperAmericaSpeedway LLC is the operator of a chain of combination gas stations and convenience stores in the Midwest and South of the United States operating under the Speedway brand name. Speedway LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Marathon Petroleum Company...
- Dollar GeneralDollar GeneralDollar General Corp. is a U.S. chain of variety stores headquartered in Goodlettsville, Tennessee. As of January 2011, Dollar General operated over 9,300 stores in 35 U.S. states....
- ShellShell Oil CompanyShell Oil Company is the United States-based subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell, a multinational oil company of Anglo Dutch origins, which is amongst the largest oil companies in the world. Approximately 22,000 Shell employees are based in the U.S. The head office in the U.S. is in Houston, Texas...
- Casey's General Store
- Phillips 66Phillips 66Phillips 66 is a brand of gasoline and service station in the U.S. It is owned by the ConocoPhillips Company.Phillips 66 will also be the name of the future downstream company created when ConocoPhillips repositions its integrated assets and businesses into two independent, publicly-traded...
- Charter One
- Heritage FS
- Doc's Drugs
- VIP Pizza
- Margaritavi
- Pizza StonePizza stoneA pizza stone is a flat stone or piece of ceramic or earthenware used to evenly distribute oven heat to pizzas or other baked goods, more or less mimicking the effects of cooking a pizza in a masonry oven. Such bakeware has more thermal mass than metal or glass pans...
Proposed South Suburban Airport
Peotone is the proposed site of a new airportProposed Chicago south suburban airport
Proposed Chicago south suburban airport, Abraham Lincoln National Airport or Lincoln National Airport is a proposed airport in Peotone, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. There is no official name and two separate plans exist, one known as the South Suburban Airport and another known as Abraham Lincoln...
to serve the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area. As is often the case with the construction of airports, the proposal is controversial. In 1967, the Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
ran several editorials regarding the need for a third airport in Peotone.
Proponents point out that the existing facilities at O'Hare
O'Hare International Airport
Chicago O'Hare International Airport , also known as O'Hare Airport, O'Hare Field, Chicago Airport, Chicago International Airport, or simply O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop...
and Midway airports cannot meet the transportation needs of the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
area, and that the development will bring economic prosperity to Chicago Southland
Chicago Southland
The Chicago Southland is the suburban region south and southwest of the City of Chicago, made up of approximately 70 municipalities. This region has been known as the Chicago Southland by the local populace and regional media for about 20 years....
, an area deprived of economic development, as well as the rest of the state. Politicians backing plans include former Governor Rod Blagojevich
Rod Blagojevich
Rod R. Blagojevich is an American politician who served as the 40th Governor of Illinois from 2003 to 2009. A Democrat, Blagojevich was a State Representative before being elected to the United States House of Representatives representing parts of Chicago...
; Representatives Jesse Jackson Jr. and Henry Hyde
Henry Hyde
Henry John Hyde , an American politician, was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1975 to 2007, representing the 6th District of Illinois, an area of Chicago's northwestern suburbs which included O'Hare International Airport...
; Congressman Jerry Weller
Jerry Weller
Gerald C. "Jerry" Weller is an American politician who was a Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing .- Early life:...
, the former representative of the district in which the airport would be located; and Will County Executive Larry Walsh. The efforts were also supported by then-state senator Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
.
Opponents to the plan are concerned about the environmental disruption that would be caused by new airport construction and the roads that would be needed to support it. They also point out that Gary/Chicago International Airport
Gary/Chicago International Airport
Gary/Chicago International Airport is a public airport located three miles northwest of the central business district of Gary, a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The airport, which serves the Chicago metropolitan area, is 25 miles southeast of the Chicago Loop...
in Gary, Indiana
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
already exists, is closer to Chicago than Peotone, and is already undergoing expansion to support heavier use with minimal environmental impact. Politicians opposing the Peotone airport plan include Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Mayor Richard M. Daley
Richard M. Daley
Richard Michael Daley is a United States politician, member of the national and local Democratic Party, and former Mayor of Chicago, Illinois. He was elected mayor in 1989 and reelected in 1991, 1995, 1999, 2003, and 2007. He was the longest serving Chicago mayor, surpassing the tenure of his...
, former Gary
Gary, Indiana
Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city is in the southeastern portion of the Chicago metropolitan area and is 25 miles from downtown Chicago. The population is 80,294 at the 2010 census, making it the seventh-largest city in the state. It borders Lake Michigan and is known...
Mayor Scott King, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels
Mitch Daniels
Mitchell Elias "Mitch" Daniels, Jr. is the 49th and current Governor of the U.S. state of Indiana. A Republican, he began his first four-year term as governor on January 10, 2005, and was elected to his second term by an 18-point margin on November 4, 2008. Previously, he was the Director of the...
, and Representative Pete Visclosky
Pete Visclosky
Peter John "Pete" Visclosky is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1985. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district lies in Northwest Indiana and includes all of Lake, Newton, Jasper and Benton counties as well as a major portion of Porter County...
from Indiana.
Jesse Jackson Jr. is the head of a private group looking to take ownership of the proposed airport. A state-backed IDOT plan is more friendly to the citizens of the actual footprint of the proposed airport by giving local control of the airport to county officials.
In science fiction novel "The Boy Who Would Live Forever" (2004), which was the fifth in the Gateway
Gateway (novel)
Gateway is a 1977 science fiction novel by American writer Frederik Pohl. Gateway won the 1978 Hugo Award for Best Novel, the 1978 Locus Award for Best Novel, the 1977 Nebula Award for Best Novel, and the 1978 John W. Campbell Award. It is the opening novel in the Heechee saga...
series, Frederik Pohl
Frederik Pohl
Frederik George Pohl, Jr. is an American science fiction writer, editor and fan, with a career spanning over seventy years — from his first published work, "Elegy to a Dead Planet: Luna" , to his most recent novel, All the Lives He Led .He won the National Book Award in 1980 for his novel Jem...
has a character fly out of "Peotone International Airport". Pohl lives in Palatine, Illinois.
News
- A new building was erected at the Fairgrounds this spring.
- Local Oak Forest band, Ferrari Cake, has released a single titled "Peotone". It was written about memories from their childhood while spending time in Peotone.