Thornton Township
Encyclopedia
Thornton Township is one of thirty townships
in Cook County
, Illinois
, USA
. As of the 2000 census
, its population was 180,802.
Incorporated in 1850, it is the most populous township in Illinois as of the 2000 census. It is located immediately south of the city of Chicago
. The population was 180,802 at the 2000 census.
The village of South Holland, Illinois
serves as the governmental seat of Thornton Township. The township is named after the village of Thornton, Illinois
, located in the south central portion of the township. Many parts of the township carry names inspired by the village's name, including the three high schools of Thornton Township District 205: Thornton Township High School
in Harvey, Illinois
; Thornwood High School
in South Holland, Illinois
; Thornridge High School
in Dolton, Illinois
; Thornton Fractional South High School
in Lansing, Illinois
; Thornton Fractional North High School
in Calumet City, Illinois
and Thornton Fractional Center for Academics and Technology also in Calumet City, Illinois
. Supervisor Frank M. Zuccarelli was voted Supervisor of the year in 2007 by the Township Officials of Illinois for his outstanding service to the residents of Thornton Township.
, Thornton Township covers an area of 47.49 square miles (123 km²); of this, 46.98 square miles (121.7 km²) (98.94 percent) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (1.06 percent) is water.
on the west, 138th Street on the north, the Indiana
state line on the east, and 183rd/186th Street on the South.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
in 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...
, 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,...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, its population was 180,802.
Incorporated in 1850, it is the most populous township in Illinois as of the 2000 census. It is located immediately south of the city 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 population was 180,802 at the 2000 census.
The village of South Holland, Illinois
South Holland, Illinois
South Holland is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States and serves as the seat of Thornton Township. The population was 22,147 at the 2000 census.-History:...
serves as the governmental seat of Thornton Township. The township is named after the village of Thornton, Illinois
Thornton, Illinois
Thornton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,582 at the 2000 census. Thornton is home to the Thornton Quarry, one of the largest quarries in the world.-Geography:Thornton is located at ....
, located in the south central portion of the township. Many parts of the township carry names inspired by the village's name, including the three high schools of Thornton Township District 205: Thornton Township High School
Thornton Township High School
Thornton Township High School, often simply referred to as Thornton is a public high school founded in 1899. The school is located in Harvey, Illinois one of the south suburbs of the city of Chicago, Illinois. The school is one of three schools administered by Thornton Township High Schools...
in Harvey, Illinois
Harvey, Illinois
Harvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
; Thornwood High School
Thornwood High School
Thornwood High School is a public high school located in South Holland, Illinois. It was built as part of Thornton Township High Schools District 205.-History:...
in South Holland, Illinois
South Holland, Illinois
South Holland is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States and serves as the seat of Thornton Township. The population was 22,147 at the 2000 census.-History:...
; Thornridge High School
Thornridge High School
Thornridge High School is a public high school located in Dolton, Illinois. It was built as part of Thornton Township High Schools District 205. It is sometimes confused with the similar sounding schools in the same district: Thornton Township High School and Thornwood High...
in Dolton, Illinois
Dolton, Illinois
Dolton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,614 at the 2000 census. Dolton is located just west of the expressway Interstate 94 and immediately south of the city limits of Chicago. Its most common ZIP code is 60419....
; Thornton Fractional South High School
Thornton Fractional South High School
Thornton Fractional Township South High School is a high school located in Suburban Cook County, Illinois, located about from the city limits of Chicago, south of Downtown Chicago. Thornton Fractional Township South High School is one of three high schools in the Village of Lansing, the others...
in Lansing, Illinois
Lansing, Illinois
Lansing is a village in Cook County, Illinois, USA. Lansing is a southern suburb of Chicago. The population was 28,332 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
; Thornton Fractional North High School
Thornton Fractional North High School
Thornton Fractional North High School in Calumet City, Illinois first opened its doors in March 1926 as Thornton Fractional Township High School....
in Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...
and Thornton Fractional Center for Academics and Technology also in Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City, Illinois
Calumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...
. Supervisor Frank M. Zuccarelli was voted Supervisor of the year in 2007 by the Township Officials of Illinois for his outstanding service to the residents of Thornton Township.
Geography
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...
, Thornton Township covers an area of 47.49 square miles (123 km²); of this, 46.98 square miles (121.7 km²) (98.94 percent) is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km²) (1.06 percent) is water.
Boundaries
Thornton Township is bordered by Western AvenueWestern Avenue (Chicago)
Western Avenue is the longest continuous street within the city of Chicago at in length. Western Avenue extends south as a continuous road to the Dixie Highway at Sibley Boulevard in Dixmoor, giving the road a total length of . However, Western Avenue extends intermittently through the...
on the west, 138th Street on the north, the Indiana
Indiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
state line on the east, and 183rd/186th Street on the South.
Cities, towns, villages
- Blue IslandBlue Island, IllinoisBlue Island is a city in Cook County, Illinois. The population was 22,556 at the 2010 census. Blue Island was established in the 1830s as a way station for settlers traveling on the Vincennes Trace, and the settlement prospered because it was conveniently situated a day's journey outside of Chicago...
(south edge) - BurnhamBurnham, IllinoisBurnham is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,170 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60633.Burnham has a Chicago ZIP code, and is often mistakenly considered part of Chicago...
- Calumet CityCalumet City, IllinoisCalumet City is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 39,072 at the 2000 census. The ZIP code is 60409.Calumet City was founded in 1892 when the villages of Schrumville and Sobieski Park merged under the name of West Hammond, since it lies on the west side of the...
- DixmoorDixmoor, IllinoisDixmoor is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 3,934 at the 2000 census.Dixmoor is adjacent to Harvey, Illinois, and keeps Harvey's east-west numbering system, even though most of the village lies west of Ashland Avenue/Wood Street.-Geography:Dixmoor is located at...
- DoltonDolton, IllinoisDolton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 25,614 at the 2000 census. Dolton is located just west of the expressway Interstate 94 and immediately south of the city limits of Chicago. Its most common ZIP code is 60419....
- East Hazel CrestEast Hazel Crest, IllinoisEast Hazel Crest is a village in Cook County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,607.-Geography:East Hazel Crest is located at ....
- GlenwoodGlenwood, IllinoisGlenwood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 9,000 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Glenwood is located at ....
(northern quarter) - HarveyHarvey, IllinoisHarvey is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States, near Chicago. The population was 30,000 at the 2000 census.Harvey is bordered by Dixmoor, Riverdale and Blue Island to the north, Posen and Markham to the west, South Holland, Phoenix, and Dolton to the east, and East Hazel Crest to the...
- Hazel CrestHazel Crest, IllinoisHazel Crest is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 14,816 at the 2000 census. Despite being primarily located in Bremen Township, the village is also located in Rich Township south of 183rd Street and Thornton Township east of I-80/94 The Village is located in...
- HomewoodHomewood, IllinoisHomewood is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,543 at the 2000 census. Homewood is a sister city to Homewood, Alabama.- Geography :...
(northeast half) - LansingLansing, IllinoisLansing is a village in Cook County, Illinois, USA. Lansing is a southern suburb of Chicago. The population was 28,332 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
(northern half) - MarkhamMarkham, IllinoisMarkham is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 12,620 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Markham is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , all of it land....
(east quarter) - PhoenixPhoenix, IllinoisPhoenix is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,157 at the 2000 census. It is located approximately 19 miles south of the Chicago Loop and is part of the Chicago–Naperville–Joliet, IL-IN-WI Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Phoenix is located at...
- PosenPosen, IllinoisPosen is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Posen is the German-language name for the western Polish city of Poznań. The population was 4,730 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Posen is located at ....
- RiverdaleRiverdale, IllinoisRiverdale is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 15,055 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Riverdale is located at ....
- South HollandSouth Holland, IllinoisSouth Holland is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States and serves as the seat of Thornton Township. The population was 22,147 at the 2000 census.-History:...
- ThorntonThornton, IllinoisThornton is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,582 at the 2000 census. Thornton is home to the Thornton Quarry, one of the largest quarries in the world.-Geography:Thornton is located at ....
Adjacent townships
- North Township, Lake County, IndianaNorth Township, Lake County, IndianaNorth Township is one of eleven townships in Lake County, Indiana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 162,855.-External links:* *...
(east) - Bloom TownshipBloom Township, Cook County, IllinoisBloom Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 93,901.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Bloom Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Chicago Heights*...
(south) - Rich TownshipRich Township, Cook County, IllinoisRich Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 67,623.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Rich Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Country Club Hills*...
(southwest) - Bremen TownshipBremen Township, Cook County, IllinoisBremen Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 109,575. It was organized in 1850 and is located southwest of Chicago, Illinois in southern Cook County...
(west) - Calumet TownshipCalumet Township, Cook County, IllinoisCalumet Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 22,374.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, Calumet Township covers an area of ; of this, is land and is water.-Cities, towns, villages:* Blue Island *...
(northwest) - Worth TownshipWorth Township, Cook County, IllinoisWorth Township is one of thirty townships in Cook County, Illinois, USA. As of the 2000 census, its population was 152,239. It was founded in 1849, when the county voted to subdivide itself into townships.-Geography:...
(northwest)
Cemeteries
The township contains these eleven cemeteries: Berger, First Reformed of Lansing, Glen Oak, Hazelwood, Holy Cross Catholic, Homewood Memorial Gardens, Mount Forest, Oak Ridge, Oakland, Oak Lawn, and Washington Memory Gardens.Major highways
-
Interstate 57Interstate 57Interstate 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... -
Interstate 80Interstate 80Interstate 80 is the second-longest Interstate Highway in the United States, following Interstate 90. It is a transcontinental artery running from downtown San Francisco, California to Teaneck, New Jersey in the New York City Metropolitan Area... -
Interstate 94Interstate 94Interstate 94 is the northernmost east–west Interstate Highway, connecting the Great Lakes and Intermountain regions of the United States. I-94's western terminus is in Billings, Montana at a junction with Interstate 90; its eastern terminus is the U.S... -
Interstate 294Interstate 294Interstate 294 is a tolled Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois, U.S.A.. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at Interstates 80 and 94, and Illinois Route 394 to Northbrook at I-94. Interstate 294 is long; are shared with I-80.... -
U.S. Route 6U.S. Route 6U.S. Route 6 , also called the Grand Army of the Republic Highway, a name that honors an American Civil War veterans association, is a main route of the U.S. Highway system, running east-northeast from Bishop, California to Provincetown, Massachusetts. Until 1964, it continued south from Bishop to... -
Illinois Route 1Illinois Route 1Illinois Route 1 is a state highway in the U.S. state of Illinois. Running parallel to the Indiana border, it is also the longest state road, starting on the south side of Chicago as Halsted Street at the intersection with 95th Street, south to a free ferry crossing to Kentucky at Cave-In-Rock on... -
Illinois Route 83Illinois Route 83Illinois Route 83 is a major north–south state road in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Highway 30 by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Highway 83. Incidentally, this alignment is concentric with Interstate 294... -
Illinois Route 394Illinois Route 394Illinois Route 394 is a four-lane state freeway that travels south from Thornton at the Interstate 294/Interstate 94/Interstate 80 interchange to Illinois Route 1 south of Steger and Crete. Before taking the Illinois 394 route, it was known as Illinois 1...
Lakes
- Green Lake
- Homewood Lake
- Izaak Walton Lake
- Powder Horn Lake
- Swets Lake
- Wampum Lake
Landmarks
- Brownwell Woods (Cook County Forest PreservesCook County Forest PreservesThe Cook County Forest Preserves are a network of open spaces, containing forest, prairie, wetland, streams, and lakes, that are set aside as natural areas. Cook County contains Chicago, Illinois, and is the center of a densely-populated urban metropolitan area in northeastern Illinois...
) (northeast three-quarters) - Burnham Woods (Cook County Forest Preserves)
- Calumet Woods (Cook County Forest Preserves) (southwest half)
- Cook County Forest Preserve
- Kiclapoo Meadows (Cook County Forest Preserves)
- South Suburban CollegeSouth Suburban CollegeSouth Suburban College is a community college located in the south suburbs of Chicago serving the Chicago Southland. The main campus is situated in South Holland, Illinois with a second campus called the University and College Center in Oak Forest, Illinois...
- Wampum Lake Woods (Cook County Forest Preserves)
- Wentworth Woods (Cook County Forest Preserves)
Political districts
- Illinois' 1st congressional districtIllinois' 1st congressional districtIllinois's 1st congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of Illinois. Based in Cook County, the district includes much of the South Side of Chicago, extending into the city's southwest suburbs until reaching the border of Will County, and covers , making it one of the 40...
- State House District 28
- State House District 29
- State House District 30
- State House District 34
- State House District 38
- State House District 80
- State Senate District 14
- State Senate District 15
- State Senate District 17
- State Senate District 19
- State Senate District 40