Schaumburg, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Schaumburg (ˈʃɔːmbərɡ) is a city located in Cook County
in northeastern Illinois
. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under 30 miles (48.3 km) northwest of downtown Chicago
and approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) northwest of O'Hare International Airport
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 75,386. As of 2005, the population dropped slightly to 72,690, according to the Census Bureau. A special census conducted by Schaumburg in 2007 determines it had actually increased to 75,936.
The city contains the world headquarters of Motorola
and one of only two IKEA
stores in Illinois. It contains the Woodfield Mall
, the second-largest mall in America, which at most times has over 300 stores (Woodfield has more recently also begun including services such as a Currency Exchange and an optical area, which are counted towards this total). Schaumburg's transition from a rural community to that of a suburban metropolis began with Alfred Campanelli
's first large scale suburban-style development in 1959 and Woodfield Mall
's opening on September 9, 1971. The dinner theater chain, Medieval Times
, has one of its nine locations in America in Schaumburg.
Examples of large suburbs similar to Schaumburg, IL include Lake Forest, CA
, Troy, MI
and Framingham, MA
, in terms of both population and suburban location.
, and Kickapoo Native American tribes. By the mid-nineteenth century, settlers first began to arrive from Germany
and the eastern United States.
Legend has it that one of the earliest settler was Trumball Kent from Oswego, New York
. Kent, a "Yankee," as settlers from New England were called in the west, farmed property in the northeast corner of the township. Another Yankee was Horace Williams, who owned substantial lands but lived in the hamlet of Palatine in Palatine Township. Ernst Schween settled in 1835 not far from what used to be called Olde Schaumburg Centre, in what was then and is now known as Sarah's Grove. Another early settler in Schaumburg Township was German
-born Johann Sunderlage. According to one legend, Sunderlage was a member of a survey team that divided Cook County into townships around 1833, or, according to another legend, he worked on a survey team on the Joliet canal. He liked the area so much that, upon completion of the project, he returned to Europe and brought his family and friends from Germany and settled in the area now known as Hoffman Estates
in Schaumburg Township around 1836. His home still stands in its original location.
Sunderlage and his family occupied their land in the Township until the federal land sale of 1842 allowed them to buy the property and obtain the deed. Sunderlage and Kent represented the predominant groups that settled Schaumburg Township in its early days. In 1840, 56 percent of the Township households originated from the eastern United States, while 28 percent were German-born. By the 1850s, the population mix had changed to 28 percent “Yankee” and 48 percent German.
By 1870, Schaumburg Township had become completely German. Land records show that most of the property in the Township was owned by German immigrants or their descendants. This pattern emerged as many Yankee 'settlers' continued to travel west for the promise of newly opened lands on the Great Plains
. The land they owned in Schaumburg was then purchased by German-born immigrants.
Schaumburg Township remained almost exclusively under German ownership until the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Depression caused the foreclosure on some German-owned farms which were then purchased by non-German individuals and companies. Nonetheless, German heritage remained important in the area. German was the first language of the majority of households until the 1950s.
St. Peter's Lutheran Church, the community's oldest Christian
church, had services in German as late as 1970. The church remains as a museum, as does the second church of this congregation. Services were first held at the then-existing Rohlwing-Fenz store, at the southwest corner of the intersection of Schaumburg Road and Roselle Road, until their first church building was completed in 1847. The pastor was Francis Hoffman, who walked from the Bensenville area to hold the Christian religious meetings in Schaumburg. He later served as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. When he retired from the church's ministry, he moved to Wisconsin
where he operated an experimental farm and edited a German-language agricultural
newspaper. Other people of the area who were notable in the 1840s included Quindel, Winkelhake, Moeller, Fenz, Kastning, Lichthardt, Meyer, Rohlwing, Thies, Scheiderling, Hattendorf, Nerge, and Freise.
The name was taken from Grafschaft Schaumburg (Schaumburg County) in Germany, a part of Hesse-Kassel
. Most of the township's German settlers were from Schaumburg; many were born in the parish of Apelern. Some came from Hannover, but the Schaumburgers had more influence.
Schaumburg Township prospered during its early days. The area's main occupation was farming, with potato growing, dairy products and raising cattle as main sources of income. The land was a very large meadow surrounded by extensive wilderness. Wildlife such as geese, ducks, quail, prairie chickens, rabbits, pheasant and deer were very abundant.
In 1858, a small market area emerged at what is now the intersection of Schaumburg and Roselle Roads. Schaumburg Center was the market center for the surrounding agricultural producers. It included two general stores, four cheese factories, a cobbler, a tailor, a wagon maker, and a blacksmith.
Most of the early growth in the Northeast region of Illinois occurred along the Fox River Valley
and the major rail lines. Since neither of these transportation networks served Schaumburg Township at the time, the Township remained rather isolated. Few roads existed, and several were often impassable. To reach a large market, Schaumburg farmers had to travel 27 miles (43 km) in ox-drawn or horse-drawn wagons to Chicago
, which only had about 35,000 inhabitants at that time.
. Also, the town of Schaumburg is an example of a community for all other towns in Cook County and probably in other counties, too. Schaumburg is prompt in the payment of its taxes; it supports churches and schools; it has also the best roads in the land and - Schaumburg has never had a jail. Finally, it is not just for the settlers only, but also for foreigners."
In 1925, O. D. Jennings
, the founder of what was once one of the largest manufacturers of slot machines in the United States, purchased a house in the village. It would be his and his wife's home until his death in 1953. On the death of his widow, the house and its surrounding park lands were donated to the village, and used as the Village Hall
until 1971.
Schaumburg's relative isolation was broken, however, as the automobile became the primary mode of travel in 1st-world countries. The construction of O'Hare International Airport (which is actually located near Rosemont
about 11 miles (17.7 km) away) in 1955 in what was previously O'Hare field, the construction of the Northwest Tollway
through the farmlands in 1956 and the presence of a technical and business workforce at the Pure Oil Company in Schaumburg now put Schaumburg in a location rampant with suburban growth. In response to development pressures, the area encompassing what was known as Schaumburg Centre was incorporated in 1956. At the time of incorporation, the Village consisted of two square miles and a population of 130 residents.
Incorporation enabled the village to control its growth and development. Early village leaders are credited with the foresight and planning that has made later economic growth possible. The original comprehensive plan adopted by the Village Board in 1961, reserved large tracts of land for industrial, commercial, and office development; mostly the Woodfield area surrounding what is now Woodfield Mall
. Growth in these sectors has made the village a major employer in the area and the home of Illinois's second-largest retail center.
Schaumburg's expansion during the 1960s changed the character of the community dramatically. Schaumburg was no longer a quiet rural community. In 1959, Alfred Campanelli
began construction of the first large residential subdivision in the Village, known as Weathersfield, this area contains several thousand single-family homes built in 22 stages over two decades. In total, Campanelli constructed over 6,800 housing units or approximately 20% of the Village's housing stock. Schaumburg's YMCA
is named after him.
In 1967, an apartment complex called International Village (located at the intersection of Meacham and Algonquin Roads) was built as Schaumburg's first residential area not entirely occupied by single-family homes. The following year, Motorola began to construct its corporate headquarters across the street.
During this time, country singer Bob Atcher
("You Are My Sunshine"), who had become known on WLS
' National Barn Dance
radio program, became the Schaumburg village president. He held that position until 1975.
The 1970s saw a continuation of the tremendous growth that took place in the previous decade. By 1970, the village population had grown to 18,730. That same year, a second expressway, Interstate 290, opened on the eastern boundary of the village. This provided another link to Chicago
and further enhanced its stature in the eyes of the region's many developers. The following year, Woodfield Mall shopping center opened in Schaumburg. During the remainder of the decade, Schaumburg experienced phenomenal commercial, industrial and residential development.
In 1978, the Village Board formally established the Olde Schaumburg Centre Overlay District to preserve the character of the area located at the intersection of Schaumburg and Roselle Roads. The Olde Schaumburg Centre Commission, also established in 1978, reviews new development and restoration projects in the District to ensure the continued historic appeal of the area.
By 1980, Schaumburg had expanded to 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²) of land area, and its population had swelled to 53,305 residents. During the early- and mid-1980s, development focused on large corporate office buildings in the emerging "Woodfield Center" along Golf Road. The late 1980s were characterized by the vast expansion of small manufacturing and warehouse uses in the industrial and business parks in the city's northeast and southwest quadrants. Other development such as large manufacturing facilities, commercial retail centers, and large suite hotels boomed in the 1980s. Schaumburg was profiled in Joel Garreau's 1991 book Edge City as "a suburb conforming to a new form of urban development in which large concentrations of jobs exist, though outside the traditional downtown city centers."
By 1990, Schaumburg's population was increasing at a slower rate as the land available for residential development was rapidly disappearing. The population in 1990 had risen to 68,586, an increase of 15,281 since 1980. Although this was still an impressive growth rate, it was apparent that Schaumburg was nearing its residential capacity within the terms of current land management.
Office development in the 1990s had also slowed. The once booming office market slumped due to the large supply of office space in the northwest suburbs and the limited demand by typical users in the financial, insurance, and real estate sectors. However, the Schaumburg commercial market enjoyed substantial expansion during this period. Since 1990, Schaumburg has witnessed the development of 2 million square feet (180,000 m²) of commercial space including a variety of retail uses. Another mall named One Schaumburg Place and a retail area called Village Green
were also built in the early 1990s. One Schaumburg Place quickly lost most of its stores, eventually left only a theater and, a few years later, was completely reconstructed into a walkthrough shopping area with an AMC Theater and GameWorks
as its major businesses. Around the same time, Woodfield Mall underwent a major redesign, adding retail space and removing previous attractions. A Nordstrom
s was added to one branch of the mall as well increasing the number of anchor stores to five. Woodfield Mall is now an international tourist attraction, harboring visitors every day from locations as far away as Japan
. IKEA
, an internationally known home furnishings store, opened its 458000 square feet (42,549.6 m²) Schaumburg location near Woodfield in the late 1990s.
The mid-90s also saw the addition of many restaurants to the village of Schaumburg; Pizzeria Uno (tourism version), Outback Steakhouse
, Chevy's, Champps, Chandlers, P.F. Chang's, Hooters
, Rainforest Café
, Red Lobster
, Joe's Crab Shack
, Benihana
, and Maggiano's all opened in the area during this time.
In 1994, the city bought the Schaumburg Regional Airport
from its formerly-private owners and refurbished it with 90% of the funds for the sale and refurbishment coming through a federal grant, 5% from the State of Illinois, 2.5% Cook County
and the Village putting up the remaining 2.5% with the village gaining 100% control of the property. This has been the subject of much controversy from Schaumburg's Citizens and has been believed to be part of the high tax problem. Schaumburg Airport is mainly a business airport for private use, as the earlier-mentioned O'Hare is used for all commercial purposes and individual travel, and citizens believe that the Schaumburg Airport is losing money for the Village. As of March 2010, the Village has not announced any intention to sell the airport; if sold the grant money would have to be returned under federal law.
The village finalized the purchase of the Town Square shopping center (also previously known as Olde Town Centre) in 1995, and began a slow, but now complete, redevelopment. The 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) site at the southwest corner of Schaumburg and Roselle Roads has been transformed into a diverse development offering several stores including a Dominicks, the Schaumburg Township District Library
, an Applebee's, and a few other varied and diverse retail stores, offices, and services such as temp agencys, and a little-used public amphitheater set in a walkthrough area which was designed to be available as a gathering point for citizens, but is generally disused. The area also still includes the Trickster Gallery, a museum celebrating the heritage of the Native Americans indigenous to the area. The new development was designed to be "the new downtown", but this idea largely did not catch on and is primarily used by Schaumburg's government.
Minor league baseball came to the village in the spring of 1999. Alexian Field (named for Alexian Brothers Hospital in the adjacent town of Elk Grove Village), a 7,000 seat baseball stadium, was built in partnership with the Schaumburg Park District. Alexian Field was home to the Schaumburg Flyers, a member of the independent Northern League. The Northern League split after the 2010 season with several teams joined 3 other independent professional leagues. Alexian Field was without a professional team for the 2011 season but will have a team in the Frontier League
called the Schaumburg Boomers
for the 2012 season.
Schaumburg's population as of the year 2000 was 75,386 according to U.S. Census. The most notable change around the time of the 2000s was the addition and subsequent build-up of Streets of Woodfield, GameWorks, and the Convention Center, all already mentioned.
, the village has a total area of 19.12 square miles (49.5 km²), of which, 19 square miles (49.2 km²) of it is land and 0.12 square mile (0.3107985732 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
, and 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.8% of the population.
As of the census
of 2000, there were 75,386 people, 31,799 households, and 19,301 families residing in the village. The population density
was 3,967.1 people per square mile (1,531.9/km²). There were 33,093 housing units at an average density of 1,741.5 per square mile (672.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 78.78% White, 3.35% African American, 0.10% Native American, 14.19% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.73% from other races
, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.29% of the population.
There were 31,799 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% were married couples
living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the village the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
According to a 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $70,454, and the median income for a family was $85,068. Males had a median income of $60,704 versus $46,518 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $36,871. About 4.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. However, it should be kept in mind that an "average" income is not a good representation of the city of Schaumburg. Most of its citizens are probably on par with these amounts, however, the section of Schaumburg in Palatine Township contains mostly apartment complexes. Consequently, the median income of the non-Palatine-Township Schaumburg Citizens will be slightly higher than those reflected here. The Palatine Township area of Schaumburg, however, looks the same in terms of businesses, cleanliness, and personality, class and diversity of its citizens, and one who is traveling through Schaumburg would not be able to tell of any differences in "average citizen" between the areas.
on Metra
's Milwaukee District/West Line
, which goes between Elgin, Illinois
and Chicago's Union Station
. The STAR Line may in the future have two stations at the IKEA department store and on Roselle Road near the North of the Village. The only current station is near Alexian Field.
The main public school district Schaumburg Township District 54
. Some of the elementary schools in District 54, some of which are located in Schaumburg, have received some awards such as the Blue Ribbon Awards and Teachers Who Excel award. The schools in this area also have Special Education, Bilingual classes and education programs for the gifted as expected. District 54 also teaches children about technology and fine arts.
Schaumburg is part of Township High School District 211
. There are five high schools within District 211: Schaumburg High School
, Hoffman Estates High School
, Conant High School
, Fremd High School
and Palatine High School
. Citizens of Schaumburg attend any of these except Fremd and Palatine. Schaumburg High School recently finished a major construction project for the purpose of remodeling the outside of the building and adding extra classrooms, science labs and faculty offices. A similar yet more extensive construction project was completed at Conant High School by District 211.
There are several small colleges in the Woodfield area in Schaumburg, including a branch of Roosevelt University
, the Illinois Institute of Art's Schaumburg
campus, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management's Schaumburg campus, an arm of Argosy University (formerly the Illinois Institute of Psychology), and a Comcast University.
has one main branch and two smaller branches in Hanover Park
and Hoffman Estates
. The complete collection of books totals more than 630,000 as of FY2009. Although not everyone is eligible for a Schaumburg Township District Library card, visitors to the library can register their card and utilize many of the services the Schaumburg library has to offer.
The library is a member of the "North Suburban Library System", which allows people with a card from any library to be allowed to use the same card at any other library in the area who is a member. STDL has received many awards for being spacious, modern, large, and the availability of modern technology. The library also has a drive-up window at the Central Library located in Town Square.
The library has an extensive audio and video area containing a 25-seat theater in which free movies are shown twice a week, a large children's area with an activity room, a family bathroom, a "storytime forest," and extensive meeting and conference room space. The meeting and conference rooms hold approximately 10 events daily, most of which are independently scheduled and open to the public. There is a separate computer room which is rarely open to the public, but which schedules basic computer classes on most days. There are teen events involving video games, pizza and sleepovers. The library does not have a points-based book club but replaces it with more fun events for teens. It is also host to a weekly Scrabble
club, an art gallery which changes the organization its artworks come from every few weeks (always local). The preceding are also additional reasons why the library has won so many awards. Other programs (hosted in the meeting rooms as part of the "10 per day") include events such as cooking classes with samplings or demonstrations of environmentally-friendly cars coupled with documentaries about the subject.
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...
in northeastern 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,...
. A common misspelling of the city name is Schaumberg, a spelling which persists on some modern maps. Schaumburg is located just under 30 miles (48.3 km) northwest of downtown 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...
and approximately 8 miles (12.9 km) northwest of O'Hare International Airport
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...
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 75,386. As of 2005, the population dropped slightly to 72,690, according to the Census Bureau. A special census conducted by Schaumburg in 2007 determines it had actually increased to 75,936.
The city contains the world headquarters of Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
and one of only two IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
stores in Illinois. It contains the Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Illinois Route 53....
, the second-largest mall in America, which at most times has over 300 stores (Woodfield has more recently also begun including services such as a Currency Exchange and an optical area, which are counted towards this total). Schaumburg's transition from a rural community to that of a suburban metropolis began with Alfred Campanelli
Alfred Campanelli
Alfred Campanelli was a suburban housing mogul who was responsible for much of the early suburban-style housing in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, USA. In 1959, Alfred Campanelli began construction of the first large residential subdivision in Schaumburg, known as Weathersfield, which...
's first large scale suburban-style development in 1959 and Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Illinois Route 53....
's opening on September 9, 1971. The dinner theater chain, Medieval Times
Medieval Times
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is a family dinner theater featuring staged medieval-style games, sword-fighting, and jousting performed by a cast of 75 actors and 20 horses. Each location is housed in a replica 11th-century castle, with the exception of the Toronto location, which is housed...
, has one of its nine locations in America in Schaumburg.
Examples of large suburbs similar to Schaumburg, IL include Lake Forest, CA
Lake Forest, California
Lake Forest is a city in Orange County, California. The population was 77,264 at the 2010 census.Lake Forest incorporated as a city on December 20, 1991. Prior to a vote of the residents in that year, the community had formerly been known as El Toro since the 1880s...
, Troy, MI
Troy, Michigan
Troy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
and Framingham, MA
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
, in terms of both population and suburban location.
19th century
The City of Schaumburg was incorporated on March 7, 1956, but the heritage of Schaumburg dates back to much earlier times when the first inhabitants of the area were members of the Sauk, Fox, PotawatomiPotawatomi
The Potawatomi are a Native American people of the upper Mississippi River region. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a member of the Algonquian family. In the Potawatomi language, they generally call themselves Bodéwadmi, a name that means "keepers of the fire" and that was applied...
, and Kickapoo Native American tribes. By the mid-nineteenth century, settlers first began to arrive from Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and the eastern United States.
Legend has it that one of the earliest settler was Trumball Kent from Oswego, New York
Oswego, New York
Oswego is a city in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18,142 at the 2010 census. Oswego is located on Lake Ontario in north-central New York and promotes itself as "The Port City of Central New York"...
. Kent, a "Yankee," as settlers from New England were called in the west, farmed property in the northeast corner of the township. Another Yankee was Horace Williams, who owned substantial lands but lived in the hamlet of Palatine in Palatine Township. Ernst Schween settled in 1835 not far from what used to be called Olde Schaumburg Centre, in what was then and is now known as Sarah's Grove. Another early settler in Schaumburg Township was German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
-born Johann Sunderlage. According to one legend, Sunderlage was a member of a survey team that divided Cook County into townships around 1833, or, according to another legend, he worked on a survey team on the Joliet canal. He liked the area so much that, upon completion of the project, he returned to Europe and brought his family and friends from Germany and settled in the area now known as Hoffman Estates
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003...
in Schaumburg Township around 1836. His home still stands in its original location.
Sunderlage and his family occupied their land in the Township until the federal land sale of 1842 allowed them to buy the property and obtain the deed. Sunderlage and Kent represented the predominant groups that settled Schaumburg Township in its early days. In 1840, 56 percent of the Township households originated from the eastern United States, while 28 percent were German-born. By the 1850s, the population mix had changed to 28 percent “Yankee” and 48 percent German.
By 1870, Schaumburg Township had become completely German. Land records show that most of the property in the Township was owned by German immigrants or their descendants. This pattern emerged as many Yankee 'settlers' continued to travel west for the promise of newly opened lands on the Great Plains
Great Plains
The Great Plains are a broad expanse of flat land, much of it covered in prairie, steppe and grassland, which lies west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains in the United States and Canada. This area covers parts of the U.S...
. The land they owned in Schaumburg was then purchased by German-born immigrants.
Schaumburg Township remained almost exclusively under German ownership until the Great Depression of the 1930s. The Depression caused the foreclosure on some German-owned farms which were then purchased by non-German individuals and companies. Nonetheless, German heritage remained important in the area. German was the first language of the majority of households until the 1950s.
St. Peter's Lutheran Church, the community's oldest Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
church, had services in German as late as 1970. The church remains as a museum, as does the second church of this congregation. Services were first held at the then-existing Rohlwing-Fenz store, at the southwest corner of the intersection of Schaumburg Road and Roselle Road, until their first church building was completed in 1847. The pastor was Francis Hoffman, who walked from the Bensenville area to hold the Christian religious meetings in Schaumburg. He later served as Lieutenant Governor of Illinois. When he retired from the church's ministry, he moved to Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
where he operated an experimental farm and edited a German-language agricultural
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
newspaper. Other people of the area who were notable in the 1840s included Quindel, Winkelhake, Moeller, Fenz, Kastning, Lichthardt, Meyer, Rohlwing, Thies, Scheiderling, Hattendorf, Nerge, and Freise.
Sarah's Grove
Schaumburg Township was originally known as Sarah's Grove. This name was derived from a grove of woods that ran through the northwest portion of the Township, which was named for three young women whose families lived adjacent to the grove: Sarah McChesney, Sarah Frisbe, and Sarah Smith. Until 1851, the area's official name was Township 41. At the 1850 Township meeting, Citizens discussed two names for the Township; Lutherville and Lutherburg. In the middle of the discussion Friedrich Heinrich Nerge, a prominent German landowner, put his fist down on the table and called out "Schaumburg schall et heiten!" (It will be called Schaumburg!) With this statement, a consensus was reached on the Township's official name.The name was taken from Grafschaft Schaumburg (Schaumburg County) in Germany, a part of Hesse-Kassel
Hesse-Kassel
The Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel or Hesse-Cassel was a state in the Holy Roman Empire under Imperial immediacy that came into existence when the Landgraviate of Hesse was divided in 1567 upon the death of Philip I, Landgrave of Hesse. His eldest son William IV inherited the northern half and the...
. Most of the township's German settlers were from Schaumburg; many were born in the parish of Apelern. Some came from Hannover, but the Schaumburgers had more influence.
Schaumburg Township prospered during its early days. The area's main occupation was farming, with potato growing, dairy products and raising cattle as main sources of income. The land was a very large meadow surrounded by extensive wilderness. Wildlife such as geese, ducks, quail, prairie chickens, rabbits, pheasant and deer were very abundant.
In 1858, a small market area emerged at what is now the intersection of Schaumburg and Roselle Roads. Schaumburg Center was the market center for the surrounding agricultural producers. It included two general stores, four cheese factories, a cobbler, a tailor, a wagon maker, and a blacksmith.
Most of the early growth in the Northeast region of Illinois occurred along the Fox River Valley
Fox Valley (Illinois)
The Fox Valley—also commonly known as the Fox River Valley—is a rural, suburban, and exurban region within Illinois and Wisconsin along the western edges of the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. This region centers on the Fox River of Illinois and Wisconsin...
and the major rail lines. Since neither of these transportation networks served Schaumburg Township at the time, the Township remained rather isolated. Few roads existed, and several were often impassable. To reach a large market, Schaumburg farmers had to travel 27 miles (43 km) in ox-drawn or horse-drawn wagons to 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...
, which only had about 35,000 inhabitants at that time.
20th century
In 1900, a 50 year anniversary brochure reported the following account: "Schaumburg has the reputation of being the model community of Cook CountyCook 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...
. Also, the town of Schaumburg is an example of a community for all other towns in Cook County and probably in other counties, too. Schaumburg is prompt in the payment of its taxes; it supports churches and schools; it has also the best roads in the land and - Schaumburg has never had a jail. Finally, it is not just for the settlers only, but also for foreigners."
In 1925, O. D. Jennings
O. D. Jennings
Jennings & Company was a leading manufacturer of slot machines in the United States and also manufactured other coin-operated machines, including pinball machines, from 1906 to the 1980s. It was founded by Ode D. Jennings as Industry Novelty Company, Incorporated of Chicago. On the death of its...
, the founder of what was once one of the largest manufacturers of slot machines in the United States, purchased a house in the village. It would be his and his wife's home until his death in 1953. On the death of his widow, the house and its surrounding park lands were donated to the village, and used as the Village Hall
Village hall
In the United States, a village hall is the seat of government for villages. It functions much as a city hall does within cities.In the United Kingdom, a village hall is usually a building within a village which contains at least one large room, usually owned by and run for the benefit of the local...
until 1971.
Schaumburg's relative isolation was broken, however, as the automobile became the primary mode of travel in 1st-world countries. The construction of O'Hare International Airport (which is actually located near Rosemont
Rosemont, Illinois
Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States located immediately northwest of Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before that...
about 11 miles (17.7 km) away) in 1955 in what was previously O'Hare field, the construction of the Northwest Tollway
Northwest Tollway
The Jane Addams Memorial Tollway in Illinois is a 79-mile segment of Interstate 90 from Interstate 190 in far northwest Chicago to Illinois Route 75, one mile south of the Wisconsin state line. For 16 miles , Interstate 90 is concurrent with Interstate 39 and U.S. Route 51...
through the farmlands in 1956 and the presence of a technical and business workforce at the Pure Oil Company in Schaumburg now put Schaumburg in a location rampant with suburban growth. In response to development pressures, the area encompassing what was known as Schaumburg Centre was incorporated in 1956. At the time of incorporation, the Village consisted of two square miles and a population of 130 residents.
Incorporation enabled the village to control its growth and development. Early village leaders are credited with the foresight and planning that has made later economic growth possible. The original comprehensive plan adopted by the Village Board in 1961, reserved large tracts of land for industrial, commercial, and office development; mostly the Woodfield area surrounding what is now Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall
Woodfield Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Illinois Route 53....
. Growth in these sectors has made the village a major employer in the area and the home of Illinois's second-largest retail center.
Schaumburg's expansion during the 1960s changed the character of the community dramatically. Schaumburg was no longer a quiet rural community. In 1959, Alfred Campanelli
Alfred Campanelli
Alfred Campanelli was a suburban housing mogul who was responsible for much of the early suburban-style housing in Schaumburg, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, USA. In 1959, Alfred Campanelli began construction of the first large residential subdivision in Schaumburg, known as Weathersfield, which...
began construction of the first large residential subdivision in the Village, known as Weathersfield, this area contains several thousand single-family homes built in 22 stages over two decades. In total, Campanelli constructed over 6,800 housing units or approximately 20% of the Village's housing stock. Schaumburg's YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
is named after him.
In 1967, an apartment complex called International Village (located at the intersection of Meacham and Algonquin Roads) was built as Schaumburg's first residential area not entirely occupied by single-family homes. The following year, Motorola began to construct its corporate headquarters across the street.
During this time, country singer Bob Atcher
Bob Atcher
James Robert Owen "Bob" Atcher was an American country musician.-Biography:Atcher was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, and learned violin and guitar from his father, who was adept at fiddle. He started out on radio in Louisville on WHAS, and was offered spots on a number of other stations in the...
("You Are My Sunshine"), who had become known on WLS
WLS (AM)
WLS is a Chicago clear-channel AM station on 890 kHz. It uses C-QUAM AM stereo and transmits with 50,000 watts from transmitter and towers on the south edge of Tinley Park, Illinois....
' National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance
National Barn Dance, broadcast by WLS-AM in Chicago, Illinois starting in 1924, was one of the first American country music radio programs and a direct precursor of the Grand Ole Opry...
radio program, became the Schaumburg village president. He held that position until 1975.
The 1970s saw a continuation of the tremendous growth that took place in the previous decade. By 1970, the village population had grown to 18,730. That same year, a second expressway, Interstate 290, opened on the eastern boundary of the village. This provided another link to 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...
and further enhanced its stature in the eyes of the region's many developers. The following year, Woodfield Mall shopping center opened in Schaumburg. During the remainder of the decade, Schaumburg experienced phenomenal commercial, industrial and residential development.
In 1978, the Village Board formally established the Olde Schaumburg Centre Overlay District to preserve the character of the area located at the intersection of Schaumburg and Roselle Roads. The Olde Schaumburg Centre Commission, also established in 1978, reviews new development and restoration projects in the District to ensure the continued historic appeal of the area.
By 1980, Schaumburg had expanded to 18.3 square miles (47.4 km²) of land area, and its population had swelled to 53,305 residents. During the early- and mid-1980s, development focused on large corporate office buildings in the emerging "Woodfield Center" along Golf Road. The late 1980s were characterized by the vast expansion of small manufacturing and warehouse uses in the industrial and business parks in the city's northeast and southwest quadrants. Other development such as large manufacturing facilities, commercial retail centers, and large suite hotels boomed in the 1980s. Schaumburg was profiled in Joel Garreau's 1991 book Edge City as "a suburb conforming to a new form of urban development in which large concentrations of jobs exist, though outside the traditional downtown city centers."
By 1990, Schaumburg's population was increasing at a slower rate as the land available for residential development was rapidly disappearing. The population in 1990 had risen to 68,586, an increase of 15,281 since 1980. Although this was still an impressive growth rate, it was apparent that Schaumburg was nearing its residential capacity within the terms of current land management.
Office development in the 1990s had also slowed. The once booming office market slumped due to the large supply of office space in the northwest suburbs and the limited demand by typical users in the financial, insurance, and real estate sectors. However, the Schaumburg commercial market enjoyed substantial expansion during this period. Since 1990, Schaumburg has witnessed the development of 2 million square feet (180,000 m²) of commercial space including a variety of retail uses. Another mall named One Schaumburg Place and a retail area called Village Green
Woodfield Village Green
Located across from Woodfield Mall in Schaumburg, Illinois, Woodfield Village Green is one of three malls located in the town . The mall is home to many big-box retailers and restaurants, and is very popular with the surrounding population...
were also built in the early 1990s. One Schaumburg Place quickly lost most of its stores, eventually left only a theater and, a few years later, was completely reconstructed into a walkthrough shopping area with an AMC Theater and GameWorks
GameWorks
GameWorks is a chain of entertainment venues featuring video games, simulators, prizes, and a full service bar and restaurant. There are 7 GameWorks venues throughout the U.S. The first GameWorks opened in Downtown Seattle in March 1997....
as its major businesses. Around the same time, Woodfield Mall underwent a major redesign, adding retail space and removing previous attractions. A Nordstrom
Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. is an upscale department store chain in the United States, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. Initially a shoe retailer, the company today also sells clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations, home furnishings...
s was added to one branch of the mall as well increasing the number of anchor stores to five. Woodfield Mall is now an international tourist attraction, harboring visitors every day from locations as far away as Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. IKEA
IKEA
IKEA is a privately held, international home products company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture such as beds and desks, appliances and home accessories. The company is the world's largest furniture retailer...
, an internationally known home furnishings store, opened its 458000 square feet (42,549.6 m²) Schaumburg location near Woodfield in the late 1990s.
The mid-90s also saw the addition of many restaurants to the village of Schaumburg; Pizzeria Uno (tourism version), Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse is an American casual dining restaurant chain based in Tampa, Florida with over 1200 locations in 22 countries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. It was founded in February 1988 in Tampa by Bob Basham, Chris T...
, Chevy's, Champps, Chandlers, P.F. Chang's, Hooters
Hooters
Hooters is the trade name of two privately held American restaurant chains: Hooters of America, Incorporated, based in Atlanta, Georgia, and Hooters, Incorporated, based in Clearwater, Florida...
, Rainforest Café
Rainforest Cafe
Rainforest Cafe is a themed restaurant chain owned by Landry's Restaurants, Inc. of Houston, Texas. It was founded by entrepreneur Steven Schussler. The first location opened in the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota on February 3, 1994. In 1997, the chain consisted of only six restaurants,...
, Red Lobster
Red Lobster
Red Lobster is a U.S. chain of seafood restaurants. It also operates in Canada, the UAE and Japan . It is aimed at the mid-level "casual dining" segment of the market...
, Joe's Crab Shack
Joe's Crab Shack
Joe's Crab Shack is an American chain of beach-themed seafood casual dining restaurants owned by Ignite Restaurant Group. Founded in Houston, Texas, the restaurant now operates locations all across the country. It serves seafood and American cuisine. The restaurants also have a gift shop that sells...
, Benihana
Benihana
Benihana can refer to:*Benihana, Benihana's Hibachi Restaurant*Benihana * Benihana, the Japanese word for safflower...
, and Maggiano's all opened in the area during this time.
In 1994, the city bought the Schaumburg Regional Airport
Schaumburg Regional Airport
Schaumburg Regional Airport is a public use airport located 22 nautical miles northwest of Chicago, in the village of Schaumburg, in Cook County, Illinois, United States. This airport is owned by Village of Schaumburg.- Facilities and aircraft :...
from its formerly-private owners and refurbished it with 90% of the funds for the sale and refurbishment coming through a federal grant, 5% from the State of Illinois, 2.5% Cook County
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...
and the Village putting up the remaining 2.5% with the village gaining 100% control of the property. This has been the subject of much controversy from Schaumburg's Citizens and has been believed to be part of the high tax problem. Schaumburg Airport is mainly a business airport for private use, as the earlier-mentioned O'Hare is used for all commercial purposes and individual travel, and citizens believe that the Schaumburg Airport is losing money for the Village. As of March 2010, the Village has not announced any intention to sell the airport; if sold the grant money would have to be returned under federal law.
The village finalized the purchase of the Town Square shopping center (also previously known as Olde Town Centre) in 1995, and began a slow, but now complete, redevelopment. The 27 acres (109,265.2 m²) site at the southwest corner of Schaumburg and Roselle Roads has been transformed into a diverse development offering several stores including a Dominicks, the Schaumburg Township District Library
Schaumburg Township District Library
The Schaumburg Township District Library, located in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA, is the second largest public library in Illinois. It serves the Schaumburg Township area, covering sections of Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Roselle, and Elk Grove Village. Both Hoffman Estates and Hanover...
, an Applebee's, and a few other varied and diverse retail stores, offices, and services such as temp agencys, and a little-used public amphitheater set in a walkthrough area which was designed to be available as a gathering point for citizens, but is generally disused. The area also still includes the Trickster Gallery, a museum celebrating the heritage of the Native Americans indigenous to the area. The new development was designed to be "the new downtown", but this idea largely did not catch on and is primarily used by Schaumburg's government.
Minor league baseball came to the village in the spring of 1999. Alexian Field (named for Alexian Brothers Hospital in the adjacent town of Elk Grove Village), a 7,000 seat baseball stadium, was built in partnership with the Schaumburg Park District. Alexian Field was home to the Schaumburg Flyers, a member of the independent Northern League. The Northern League split after the 2010 season with several teams joined 3 other independent professional leagues. Alexian Field was without a professional team for the 2011 season but will have a team in the Frontier League
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
called the Schaumburg Boomers
Schaumburg Boomers
The Schaumburg Boomers are a professional baseball team based in Schaumburg, Illinois, that will begin play in the independent Frontier League for the upcoming 2012 season. Home games are played at Alexian Field...
for the 2012 season.
21st century
In 2000, the village purchased 45 acres (182,108.7 m²) next to a short independent stretch of Meacham Road. This was developed into the Schaumburg Convention Center, which is actually a Renaissance Hotel.Schaumburg's population as of the year 2000 was 75,386 according to U.S. Census. The most notable change around the time of the 2000s was the addition and subsequent build-up of Streets of Woodfield, GameWorks, and the Convention Center, all already mentioned.
Geography
Schaumburg is located at 42°01′49"N 88°05′02"W (42.0302057, -88.0838750). According to the United States Census BureauUnited 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 19.12 square miles (49.5 km²), of which, 19 square miles (49.2 km²) of it is land and 0.12 square mile (0.3107985732 km²) of it (0.63%) is water.
Demographics
In the 2010 US Census, there were 74.227 people. The racial makeup of the village was 70.4% White, 4.2% African American, 0.20% Native American, 19.8% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 2.8% from other racesRace (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 2.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.8% of the population.
As of the census
Census
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 75,386 people, 31,799 households, and 19,301 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 3,967.1 people per square mile (1,531.9/km²). There were 33,093 housing units at an average density of 1,741.5 per square mile (672.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 78.78% White, 3.35% African American, 0.10% Native American, 14.19% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.73% 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 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.29% of the population.
There were 31,799 households out of which 28.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.9% 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, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.3% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.07.
In the village the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.9 males.
According to a 2008 estimate, the median income for a household in the village was $70,454, and the median income for a family was $85,068. Males had a median income of $60,704 versus $46,518 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 $36,871. About 4.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.0% of those under age 18 and 5.4% of those age 65 or over. However, it should be kept in mind that an "average" income is not a good representation of the city of Schaumburg. Most of its citizens are probably on par with these amounts, however, the section of Schaumburg in Palatine Township contains mostly apartment complexes. Consequently, the median income of the non-Palatine-Township Schaumburg Citizens will be slightly higher than those reflected here. The Palatine Township area of Schaumburg, however, looks the same in terms of businesses, cleanliness, and personality, class and diversity of its citizens, and one who is traveling through Schaumburg would not be able to tell of any differences in "average citizen" between the areas.
Top employers
According to the Village's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the village are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Motorola Motorola Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009... |
7,000 |
| 2 | Woodfield Mall Woodfield Mall Woodfield Mall is an enclosed super-regional shopping mall located in the northwest Chicago suburb of Schaumburg, Illinois, United States, at the intersection of Golf Road and Illinois Route 53.... |
4,000 |
| 3 | Zurich Zurich Financial Services Zurich Financial Services AG is a major financial services group based in Zurich, Switzerland.-History:The Company was founded in 1872 as subsidiary of the Schweiz Marine Insurance Company under the name Versicherung Verein... |
2,300 |
| 4 | Community Consolidated School District 54 Community Consolidated School District 54 Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54 operates 21 elementary schools, five junior high schools and one combined K-8 school based in Schaumburg, Cook County, Illinois, USA, a suburb of Chicago. It serves Schaumburg and portions of Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Elk Grove Village and... |
1,933 |
| 5 | IBM IBM International Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas... |
950 |
| 6 | Genworth Financial Genworth Financial Genworth Financial is a Fortune 500 global financial security company that specializes in life and long term care insurance, wealth management, mortgage insurance, lifestyle protection insurance and annuities... |
850 |
| 7 | Comcast Comcast Comcast Corporation is the largest cable operator, home Internet service provider, and fourth largest home telephone service provider in the United States, providing cable television, broadband Internet, and telephone service to both residential and commercial customers in 39 states and the... |
725 |
| 8 | Verizon Wireless Verizon Wireless Cellco Partnership, doing business as Verizon Wireless, is one of the largest mobile network operators in the United States. The network has 107.7 million subscribers as of 2011, making it the largest wireless service provider in America.... |
625 |
| 9 | Nation Pizza Products | 510 |
| 10 | Village of Schaumburg | 510 |
Transportation
Schaumburg has a stationSchaumburg (Metra)
Schaumburg is a station on Metra's Milwaukee District/West in Schaumburg, Illinois. The station is away from Union Station, the eastern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Schaumburg is in zone F. The station is adjacent to Alexian Field, former home of the Schaumburg Flyers...
on Metra
Metra
Metra is the commuter rail division of the Illinois Regional Transportation Authority. The system serves Chicago and its metropolitan area through 240 stations on 11 different rail lines. Throughout the 21st century, Metra has been the second busiest commuter rail system in the United States by...
's Milwaukee District/West Line
Milwaukee District/West Line
The Milwaukee District/West is a commuter rail line provided and operated by Metra in Chicago, Illinois, and its surrounding suburbs...
, which goes between Elgin, Illinois
Elgin, Illinois
Elgin is a city in northern Illinois located roughly northwest of Chicago on the Fox River. Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County, Illinois...
and Chicago's Union Station
Union Station (Chicago)
Union Station is a major train station that opened in 1925 in Chicago, replacing an earlier 1881 station. It is now the only intercity rail terminal in Chicago, as well as being the city's primary terminal for commuter trains. The station stands on the west side of the Chicago River between Adams...
. The STAR Line may in the future have two stations at the IKEA department store and on Roselle Road near the North of the Village. The only current station is near Alexian Field.
Education
Public schools in Schaumburg are funded by property taxes, not sales tax. Schaumburg itself does collect property tax, however a tax is still collected by Cook County.The main public school district Schaumburg Township District 54
Community Consolidated School District 54
Schaumburg Community Consolidated School District 54 operates 21 elementary schools, five junior high schools and one combined K-8 school based in Schaumburg, Cook County, Illinois, USA, a suburb of Chicago. It serves Schaumburg and portions of Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Elk Grove Village and...
. Some of the elementary schools in District 54, some of which are located in Schaumburg, have received some awards such as the Blue Ribbon Awards and Teachers Who Excel award. The schools in this area also have Special Education, Bilingual classes and education programs for the gifted as expected. District 54 also teaches children about technology and fine arts.
Schaumburg is part of Township High School District 211
Township High School District 211
Township High School District 211 is a school district located in Cook County, Illinois, the largest high school district in Illinois. District 211 serves most of the Palatine and Schaumburg townships, including significant portions of the city of Rolling Meadows and the villages of Hoffman...
. There are five high schools within District 211: Schaumburg High School
Schaumburg High School
Schaumburg High School, or SHS is a public four-year high school located in Schaumburg, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States.-History:Schaumburg High School opened on September 17th 1970...
, Hoffman Estates High School
Hoffman Estates High School
Hoffman Estates High School, or HEHS, is a public four-year high school located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes James B...
, Conant High School
James B. Conant High School
James B. Conant High School is a public four-year high school located in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
, Fremd High School
William Fremd High School
William Fremd High School, or Fremd, is a public four-year high school located in Palatine, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. It is part of Township High School District 211, which also includes James B...
and Palatine High School
Palatine High School
Palatine High School, or PHS, is a public four-year high school in Township High School District 211. Located at 1111 N. Rohlwing Rd in Palatine, Illinois, United States, a northwest suburb of Chicago...
. Citizens of Schaumburg attend any of these except Fremd and Palatine. Schaumburg High School recently finished a major construction project for the purpose of remodeling the outside of the building and adding extra classrooms, science labs and faculty offices. A similar yet more extensive construction project was completed at Conant High School by District 211.
There are several small colleges in the Woodfield area in Schaumburg, including a branch of Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University
Roosevelt University is a coeducational, private university with campuses in Chicago, Illinois and Schaumburg, Illinois. Founded in 1945, the university is named in honor of both former President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The university's curriculum is based on...
, the Illinois Institute of Art's Schaumburg
Illinois Institute of Art — Schaumburg
The Illinois Institute of Art – Schaumburg – is one of The Art Institutes, a system of more than 40 for-profit educational institutions located throughout North America, providing education in design, media arts, fashion and culinary arts....
campus, Lake Forest Graduate School of Management's Schaumburg campus, an arm of Argosy University (formerly the Illinois Institute of Psychology), and a Comcast University.
Public library
The Schaumburg Township District LibrarySchaumburg Township District Library
The Schaumburg Township District Library, located in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA, is the second largest public library in Illinois. It serves the Schaumburg Township area, covering sections of Schaumburg, Hoffman Estates, Hanover Park, Roselle, and Elk Grove Village. Both Hoffman Estates and Hanover...
has one main branch and two smaller branches in Hanover Park
Hanover Park, Illinois
Hanover Park is a village in Cook and DuPage counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. The population was 38,278 at the 2000 census...
and Hoffman Estates
Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Hoffman Estates is a northwestern suburb of Chicago in Illinois. The village is located primarily in Cook County with a small section in Kane County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 49,495 and estimated to be 52,520 in 2003...
. The complete collection of books totals more than 630,000 as of FY2009. Although not everyone is eligible for a Schaumburg Township District Library card, visitors to the library can register their card and utilize many of the services the Schaumburg library has to offer.
The library is a member of the "North Suburban Library System", which allows people with a card from any library to be allowed to use the same card at any other library in the area who is a member. STDL has received many awards for being spacious, modern, large, and the availability of modern technology. The library also has a drive-up window at the Central Library located in Town Square.
The library has an extensive audio and video area containing a 25-seat theater in which free movies are shown twice a week, a large children's area with an activity room, a family bathroom, a "storytime forest," and extensive meeting and conference room space. The meeting and conference rooms hold approximately 10 events daily, most of which are independently scheduled and open to the public. There is a separate computer room which is rarely open to the public, but which schedules basic computer classes on most days. There are teen events involving video games, pizza and sleepovers. The library does not have a points-based book club but replaces it with more fun events for teens. It is also host to a weekly Scrabble
Scrabble
Scrabble is a word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Official reference works provide a list...
club, an art gallery which changes the organization its artworks come from every few weeks (always local). The preceding are also additional reasons why the library has won so many awards. Other programs (hosted in the meeting rooms as part of the "10 per day") include events such as cooking classes with samplings or demonstrations of environmentally-friendly cars coupled with documentaries about the subject.