Waukegan, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population. It is the fifth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, after Chicago
, Milwaukee, Green Bay
, and Kenosha
.
, about 8 miles (12.9 km) south of the border with Wisconsin
and 40 miles (64.4 km) north of downtown Chicago
, at an elevation of about 669 feet (203.9 m) above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 23.1 square miles (59.8 km²). 23.0 square miles (59.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.35%) is water.
, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.82% of the population. 6.9% were of German
ancestry according to Census 2000.
Unlike the rest of the Chicago area's Hispanic population, which is predominantly Mexican, Waukegan is home to a diverse array of Hispanics hailing from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Peru and Argentina.
There were 27,787 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.68.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,335, and the median income for a family was $47,341. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $25,632 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $17,368. About 10.7% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
sites of hazardous substances that are on the National Priorities List
.
In 1975, PCBs
were discovered in Waukegan Harbor sediments. Investigation revealed that during manufacturing activities at Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), hydraulic fluids containing PCBs had been discharged through floor drains at the OMC plant, directly to Waukegan Harbor and into ditches discharging into Lake Michigan. The OMC plants were subsequently added to the National Priorities List
, and was designated as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern
. Cleanup of the site began in 1990, with OMC providing $20–25 million in funding. During the OMC cleanup, additional soil contaminants were found at the location of the former Waukegan Manufactured Gas and Coke company. Soil removal was completed at the Coke site in 2005, and cleanup of that soil will continue for several years.
The Johns-Manville
site is located one mile (1.6 km) north of the OMC site. In 1988, asbestos contamination found in groundwater and air prompted listing on the National Priorities List and subsequent cleanup. In 1991, the soil cover of the asbestos was completed. However, additional asbestos contamination was found outside the Johns-Manville property which will require further cleanup.
The Yeoman Creek Landfill is a Superfund site located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the Johns-Manville site. The site operated as a landfill from 1959 to 1969. In 1970, it was discovered that the lack of a bottom liner in the landfill had allowed leachate
to enter groundwater, contaminating the water with volatile organic compound
s and PCBs, and releasing gases that presented an explosion hazard. All major cleanup construction activities were completed in 2005, and monitoring of local water and air continues.
The book Lake Effect by Nancy Nichols gives an account of the effects of PCBs on Waukegan residents.
zones which have been successful in attracting new developers. The first step in the revitalization effort, the opening of the Genesee Theatre
, has been completed, many new restaurants have opened, buildings have been renovated, and the City of Waukegan has made substantial investments in the pedestrian areas and other infrastructure.
The city has had an annual "Scoop the Loop" summer festival of cruising
since 1998.
Jack Benny
(1894–1974), one of the 20th century's most notable and enduring entertainers, but although he claimed for decades on his radio and television shows to have been born there, he was actually born at Mercy Hospital
in Chicago. Benny's affection for the town in which he grew up can clearly be felt by this exchange with his co-star (and wife) Mary Livingstone
during a conversation they had on The Jack Benny Program
on Mother's Day
of 1950 while they were discussing the itinerary for his summer tour that year:
Benny put Waukegan on the map for millions of his listeners (and later viewers) over the years, and the community was proud of his success. A Waukegan middle school
is named in his honor, and a statue of him, dedicated in 2002, stands in the downtown facing the Genesee Theater, which hosted the world premiere of his film Man about Town in 1939, with Jack, Mary, Dorothy Lamour
, Phil Harris
, Andy Devine
, Don Wilson and Rochester (Eddie Anderson
) appearing onstage.
Jack Benny's family lived in several buildings in Waukegan during the time he was growing up there, but the house at 518 Clayton Street is the only one of them that still stands. It was designated a landmark by the city on April 17, 2006.
Waukegan is also the birthplace of author Ray Bradbury
and serves as the pattern (circa 1929) for the mythical Green Town IL which appears in many of his works.
-Washington Campus at 1011 Washington Street, Waukegan High School
-Brookside Campus at 2325 Brookside Avenue, and Alternative/Optional Education Center at 1020 Glen Rock Avenue.
The Lake County (IL) McClory recreational trail passes through Waukegan.
Metra
provides service between Waukegan
and downtown Chicago via the Union Pacific North Line. Service runs daily from early morning to late evening. Pace
provides public bus service throughout Waukegan and surrounding areas. Most buses run Monday thru Saturday with limited Sunday/Holiday service on two routes.
Waukegan has three licensed taxi companies. 303 Taxi, Metro Yellow&Checker Cabs and Speedy Taxi which operate under city ordinances.
Lake County, Illinois
Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area...
. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population. It is the fifth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, after 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...
, Milwaukee, Green Bay
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
, and Kenosha
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Kenosha is a city and the county seat of Kenosha County in the State of Wisconsin in United States. With a population of 99,218 as of May 2011, Kenosha is the fourth-largest city in Wisconsin. Kenosha is also the fourth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, following Chicago,...
.
Geography
Waukegan is located at 42°22′21"N 87°51′41"W (42.372471, -87.861521). Waukegan is on the shore of Lake MichiganLake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
, about 8 miles (12.9 km) south of the border with 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...
and 40 miles (64.4 km) north 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...
, at an elevation of about 669 feet (203.9 m) above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 23.1 square miles (59.8 km²). 23.0 square miles (59.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.35%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 87,901 people, 27,787 households, and 19,450 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,819.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,475.0/km²). There were 29,243 housing units at an average density of 1,270.8 per square mile (490.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 30.92% White, 19.21% African American, 0.54% Native American, 3.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 22.96% 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 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.82% of the population. 6.9% were of German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
ancestry according to Census 2000.
Unlike the rest of the Chicago area's Hispanic population, which is predominantly Mexican, Waukegan is home to a diverse array of Hispanics hailing from Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Honduras, Peru and Argentina.
There were 27,787 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.68.
In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $42,335, and the median income for a family was $47,341. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $25,632 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $17,368. About 10.7% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.
Top employers
According to Waukegan's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lake County Lake County, Illinois Lake County is a county in the northeastern corner of the state of Illinois, on the shore of Lake Michigan. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 703,462, which is an increase of 9.2% from 644,356 in 2000. Its county seat is Waukegan. The county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area... |
2,000 |
| 2 | Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is in Waukegan, Illinois, and serves Waukegan, Park City, and Beach Park. Total enrollment is approximately 16,000 in kindergarten through grade twelve... |
1,900 |
| 3 | Cardinal Health Cardinal Health Cardinal Health, Inc., is a Fortune 500 health care services company based in Dublin, Ohio. Cardinal Health specializes in health care supply chain services, providing pharmaceuticals and medical products to more than 40,000 locations each day. The company is also a manufacturer of medical and... |
1,500 |
| 4 | Vista Health System Community Health Systems Community Health Systems Inc. is a Fortune 500 company based in Franklin, Tennessee. It is the largest non-urban provider of general hospital healthcare services in the United States in terms of number of acute care facilities. As of May 2009, it operates 120 hospitals in 28 states. After... |
1,350 |
| 5 | Uline Uline Uline is a distributor of shipping, industrial, and packing materials to businesses throughout North America. Uline distributes more than 20,000 products, featuring more than 1,000 corrugated box sizes... |
1,200 |
| 6 | Coleman Cable | 1,000 |
| 7 | Medline Industries | 850 |
| 8 | Illinois Department of Human Services Illinois Department of Human Services The Illinois Department of Human Services is an administrative agency of the U.S. state of Illinois. It is responsible for providing a wide variety of safety net services to Illinois residents in poverty, who are facing other economic challenges, or who have any of a variety of disabilities or... |
725 |
| 9 | City of Waukegan | 508 |
| 10 | WMS Industries | 500 |
Superfund sites
Waukegan contains three SuperfundSuperfund
Superfund is the common name for the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 , a United States federal law designed to clean up sites contaminated with hazardous substances...
sites of hazardous substances that are on the National Priorities List
National Priorities List
The National Priorities List is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on...
.
In 1975, PCBs
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
were discovered in Waukegan Harbor sediments. Investigation revealed that during manufacturing activities at Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), hydraulic fluids containing PCBs had been discharged through floor drains at the OMC plant, directly to Waukegan Harbor and into ditches discharging into Lake Michigan. The OMC plants were subsequently added to the National Priorities List
National Priorities List
The National Priorities List is the list of hazardous waste sites in the United States eligible for long-term remedial action financed under the federal Superfund program. Environmental Protection Agency regulations outline a formal process for assessing hazardous waste sites and placing them on...
, and was designated as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Great Lakes Areas of Concern
Great Lakes Areas of Concern are designated geographic areas within the Great Lakes Basin that show severe environmental degradation. There are a total of 43 areas of concern within the Great Lakes, 26 being in the U.S., 17 in Canada, with five shared by the two countries.The Great Lakes, the...
. Cleanup of the site began in 1990, with OMC providing $20–25 million in funding. During the OMC cleanup, additional soil contaminants were found at the location of the former Waukegan Manufactured Gas and Coke company. Soil removal was completed at the Coke site in 2005, and cleanup of that soil will continue for several years.
The Johns-Manville
Johns-Manville
Johns Manville is an American corporation based in Denver, Colorado that manufactures insulation, roofing materials, and engineered products. The stock was included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average from January 29, 1930 to August 27, 1982 when it was replaced by American Express. Berkshire...
site is located one mile (1.6 km) north of the OMC site. In 1988, asbestos contamination found in groundwater and air prompted listing on the National Priorities List and subsequent cleanup. In 1991, the soil cover of the asbestos was completed. However, additional asbestos contamination was found outside the Johns-Manville property which will require further cleanup.
The Yeoman Creek Landfill is a Superfund site located 1.5 miles (2.4 km) west of the Johns-Manville site. The site operated as a landfill from 1959 to 1969. In 1970, it was discovered that the lack of a bottom liner in the landfill had allowed leachate
Leachate
Leachate is any liquid that, in passing through matter, extracts solutes, suspended solids or any other component of the material through which it has passed....
to enter groundwater, contaminating the water with volatile organic compound
Volatile organic compound
Volatile organic compounds are organic chemicals that have a high vapor pressure at ordinary, room-temperature conditions. Their high vapor pressure results from a low boiling point, which causes large numbers of molecules to evaporate or sublimate from the liquid or solid form of the compound and...
s and PCBs, and releasing gases that presented an explosion hazard. All major cleanup construction activities were completed in 2005, and monitoring of local water and air continues.
The book Lake Effect by Nancy Nichols gives an account of the effects of PCBs on Waukegan residents.
Revitalization
The city has plans for redevelopment of the lakefront. The lakefront and harbor plan calls for most industrial activity to be removed, except for the Midwest Generation power plant and North Shore wastewater treatment facilities. The existing industry would be replaced by residential and recreational space. The city also set up several tax increment financingTax increment financing
Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, is a public financing method which has been used as a subsidy for redevelopment and community improvement projects in many countries including the United States for more than 50 years...
zones which have been successful in attracting new developers. The first step in the revitalization effort, the opening of the Genesee Theatre
Genesee Theatre
Genesee Theatre is a concert hall and movie palace in Waukegan, Illinois. The venue has seats for 2,427 people and opened in 1927. It's both used as a vaudeville theatre and cinema and hosts many different musical artists and shows....
, has been completed, many new restaurants have opened, buildings have been renovated, and the City of Waukegan has made substantial investments in the pedestrian areas and other infrastructure.
The city has had an annual "Scoop the Loop" summer festival of cruising
Cruising (driving)
Cruising is a social activity that primarily consists of driving a car. Cruising can be an expression of the perceived freedom of possessing a driver's license. Cruising is distinguished from regular driving by the social and recreational nature of the activity, which characterized by an...
since 1998.
Notable people
Waukegan is the hometown of comedianComedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
Jack Benny
Jack Benny
Jack Benny was an American comedian, vaudevillian, and actor for radio, television, and film...
(1894–1974), one of the 20th century's most notable and enduring entertainers, but although he claimed for decades on his radio and television shows to have been born there, he was actually born at Mercy Hospital
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center
Mercy Hospital and Medical Center is a Catholic teaching hospital in Chicago. Established in 1852, The hospital was the first chartered hospital in Chicago. In 1859, Mercy Hospital became the first Catholic hospital to affiliate with a medical school — Lind Medical School — and the...
in Chicago. Benny's affection for the town in which he grew up can clearly be felt by this exchange with his co-star (and wife) Mary Livingstone
Mary Livingstone
Mary Livingstone , was an American radio comedienne and the wife and radio partner of comedy great Jack Benny . Enlisted almost entirely by accident to perform on her husband's popular program, she proved a talented comedienne...
during a conversation they had on The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program
The Jack Benny Program, starring Jack Benny, is a radio-TV comedy series that ran for more than three decades and is generally regarded as a high-water mark in 20th-century American comedy.-Cast:*Jack Benny - Himself...
on Mother's Day
Mother's Day
Mother's Day is a celebration honoring mothers and celebrating motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on various days in many parts of the world, yet most commonly in March, April, or May...
of 1950 while they were discussing the itinerary for his summer tour that year:
- Mary Livingstone: Aren't you going to bring your show to Waukegan?
- Jack Benny: Mary, I was born in Waukegan — how can you follow that?!.
Benny put Waukegan on the map for millions of his listeners (and later viewers) over the years, and the community was proud of his success. A Waukegan middle school
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60
Waukegan Community Unit School District 60 is in Waukegan, Illinois, and serves Waukegan, Park City, and Beach Park. Total enrollment is approximately 16,000 in kindergarten through grade twelve...
is named in his honor, and a statue of him, dedicated in 2002, stands in the downtown facing the Genesee Theater, which hosted the world premiere of his film Man about Town in 1939, with Jack, Mary, Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour
Dorothy Lamour was an American film actress. She is best remembered for appearing in the Road to... movies, a series of successful comedies starring Bing Crosby and Bob Hope .-Early life:Lamour was born Mary Leta Dorothy Slaton in New Orleans, Louisiana, the daughter of Carmen Louise Dorothy...
, Phil Harris
Phil Harris
Harris and Faye married in 1941; it was a second marriage for both and lasted 54 years, until Harris's death. Harris engaged in a fistfight at the Trocadero nightclub in 1938 with RKO studio mogul Bob Stevens; the cause was reported to be over Faye after Stevens and Faye had ended a romantic...
, Andy Devine
Andy Devine
Andrew Vabre "Andy" Devine was an American character actor and comic cowboy sidekick known for his distinctive raspy voice.-Early life:...
, Don Wilson and Rochester (Eddie Anderson
Eddie Anderson (comedian)
Edmund Lincoln Anderson , also known as Eddie "Rochester" Anderson, was an American comedian and actor. His most famous role was that of Rochester van Jones, valet of Jack Benny, on his radio and television shows.-Early life:Anderson was born in Oakland, California...
) appearing onstage.
Jack Benny's family lived in several buildings in Waukegan during the time he was growing up there, but the house at 518 Clayton Street is the only one of them that still stands. It was designated a landmark by the city on April 17, 2006.
Waukegan is also the birthplace of author Ray Bradbury
Ray Bradbury
Ray Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
and serves as the pattern (circa 1929) for the mythical Green Town IL which appears in many of his works.
Education
Waukegan is served by the Waukegan Public School District 60. It serves about 17,000 students in preschool through grade twelve. Waukegan has three Early Childhood Schools, fifteen Elementary Schools, five Middle Schools, and three High Schools. The Early Childhood Schools are EPIC Early Learning Center at 540 S. McAlister Street, EPIC North Shore at 326 Julian Street, and EPIC AOEC at 1020 Glen Rock Avenue. The Elementary Schools are Carman-Buckner Elementary School at 520 Helmholz Street, John S. Clark Elementary School at 601 Blanchard Road, Clearview Elementary School at 1700 Delaware Road, Andrew Cooke Magnet School at 522 Belvidere Road, Glen Flora Elementary School at 1110 Chestnut Street, Glenwood Elementary School at 2500 Northmoor Avenue, Greenwood Elementary School at 1919 North Avenue, Hyde Park Elementary School at 1525 Hyde Park Avenue, Little Fort Elementary School at 1775 Blanchard Road, Lyon Magnet School at 800 S. Elmwood Avenue, H. R. McCall Elementary School at 3215 McAree Road, North Elementary School at 410 Franklin Street, Oakdale Elementary School at 2230 McAree Road, Washington Elementary School at 110 S. Orchard Avenue, Whittier Elementary School at 901 N. Lewis Avenue. The Middle Schools are Robert Abbott Middle School at 1319 Washington Street, Jack Benny Middle School at 1401 Montesano Avenue, Thomas Jefferson Middle School at 600 S. Lewis Avenue, Miguel Juarez Middle School at 201 N. Butrick Street, and Daniel Webster Middle School at 930 New York Street. The High Schools are Waukegan High SchoolWaukegan High School
Waukegan High School, or WHS, is a public, four-year high school located in Waukegan, Illinois, USA, a city to the North of Chicago, Illinois. WHS first opened its doors in 1870. Today, the Brookside Campus extends from Berwick Avenue to McAree Road, and from Brookside Avenue to the center line of...
-Washington Campus at 1011 Washington Street, Waukegan High School
Waukegan High School
Waukegan High School, or WHS, is a public, four-year high school located in Waukegan, Illinois, USA, a city to the North of Chicago, Illinois. WHS first opened its doors in 1870. Today, the Brookside Campus extends from Berwick Avenue to McAree Road, and from Brookside Avenue to the center line of...
-Brookside Campus at 2325 Brookside Avenue, and Alternative/Optional Education Center at 1020 Glen Rock Avenue.
Transportation
Waukegan has a port district which operates the city harbor and regional airport.- Waukegan Harbor:
- Marina provides services and facilities for recreational boaters.
- Industrial port provides access for 90-100 large shipping vessels yearly. Companies with cargo facilities at the port currently include Gold Bond Building Products (capacity for 100,000 tons of gypsumGypsumGypsum is a very soft sulfate mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate, with the chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O. It is found in alabaster, a decorative stone used in Ancient Egypt. It is the second softest mineral on the Mohs Hardness Scale...
), LaFarge Corp (12 cementCementIn the most general sense of the word, a cement is a binder, a substance that sets and hardens independently, and can bind other materials together. The word "cement" traces to the Romans, who used the term opus caementicium to describe masonry resembling modern concrete that was made from crushed...
silos), and St Mary's Cement Co (2 cement silos).
- Waukegan Regional AirportWaukegan Regional AirportWaukegan Regional Airport is a public use airport located in Waukegan, a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The airport is 35 nautical miles north of the central business district of Chicago. It was originally named Waukegan Memorial Airport...
:- FAA certified for general aviationGeneral aviationGeneral aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
traffic - Has a U.S. Customs facility, allowing for direct international flights.
- A wide range of VIPs arrive and depart from the airport in private airplanes. This includes the Dalai LamaDalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"...
and Dick CheneyDick CheneyRichard Bruce "Dick" Cheney served as the 46th Vice President of the United States , under George W. Bush....
.
- FAA certified for general aviation
The Lake County (IL) McClory recreational trail passes through Waukegan.
- Provides a non-motor route spanning from Kenosha, Wisconsin to the North Shore, along the right of way of the former Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee RailroadChicago North Shore and Milwaukee RailroadThe Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad, often called the North Shore Line, was an interurban railroad line that operated between Chicago, Illinois, and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, until its abandonment in 1963.- Early history :...
.
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...
provides service between Waukegan
Waukegan (Metra)
Waukegan is a railroad station in Waukegan, Illinois, United States served by Metra's Union Pacific/North Line. It is officially located on 95 North Spring Street, is away from Ogilvie Transportation Center, the inbound terminus of the Union Pacific/North Line, and also serves commuters who travel...
and downtown Chicago via the Union Pacific North Line. Service runs daily from early morning to late evening. Pace
Pace (transit)
Pace is the suburban bus division of the Regional Transportation Authority in the Chicago metropolitan area. It was created in 1983 by the RTA Act, which established the formula that provides funding to CTA, Metra and Pace. In 2010, Pace had 35.077 million riders. Pace's headquarters are in...
provides public bus service throughout Waukegan and surrounding areas. Most buses run Monday thru Saturday with limited Sunday/Holiday service on two routes.
Waukegan has three licensed taxi companies. 303 Taxi, Metro Yellow&Checker Cabs and Speedy Taxi which operate under city ordinances.
Artistic references
- Waukegan's Amstutz Expressway, locally known as the "Expressway to Nowhere", has been used as a shooting location for such films as Groundhog DayGroundhog Day (film)Groundhog Day is a 1993 American comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, based on a story by Rubin....
, The Ice HarvestThe Ice HarvestThe Ice Harvest is a 2005 dark comedy/drama film directed by Harold Ramis and written by Richard Russo and Robert Benton, based on the novel of the same name by Scott Phillips. It stars John Cusack, Billy Bob Thornton, Connie Nielsen, Randy Quaid, and Oliver Platt...
, The Blues BrothersThe Blues Brothers (film)The Blues Brothers is a 1980 musical comedy film directed by John Landis and starring John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd as "Joliet" Jake and Elwood Blues, characters developed from a musical sketch on the NBC variety series Saturday Night Live. It features musical numbers by R&B and soul singers James...
, and Batman BeginsBatman BeginsBatman Begins is a 2005 American superhero action film based on the fictional DC Comics character Batman, directed by Christopher Nolan. It stars Christian Bale as Batman, along with Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes, Cillian Murphy, Morgan Freeman, Ken Watanabe, Tom Wilkinson,...
. The music video "In Love with a Thug" sung by SharissaSharissaSharissa is an American singer. She released a debut album "No Half Steppin" on Motown Records in 2002 which yielded two charting singles, and recorded a second album "Every Beat of My Heart" for Virgin Records for a 2005 release...
featuring R. KellyR. KellyRobert Sylvester Kelly , better known by his stage name R. Kelly, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. A native of Chicago, Kelly began performing during the late 1980s and debuted in 1992 with the group Public Announcement. In 1993, Kelly went solo with the album 12 Play...
was filmed in Waukegan predominantly on the corner of Water Street and Genesee Street. - Waukegan is mentioned in the Tom WaitsTom WaitsThomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
song "Gun Street Girl." - Waukegan is mentioned by Groucho Marx during a sequence of the film The Cocoanuts during a comic speech.
- The book The Man From Waukegan by J.P. Zabolski is an autobiographical account comparing Waukegan in the '60s with the city in 2003.
- The poet Frank O'HaraFrank O'HaraFrancis Russell "Frank" O'Hara was an American writer, poet and art critic. He was a member of the New York School of poetry.-Life:...
mentioned Waukegan in his poem "Mary Desti's Ass." - The poem, "Wonders of the Visible World", by J.Tarwood seems to be about Waukegan.
- Eleanor Taylor BlandEleanor Taylor BlandEleanor Taylor Bland was an African American writer of crime fiction. She was the creator of Lincoln Prairie, Illinois police detective Marti McAllister.-Biography:...
is an author of crime fictionCrime fictionCrime fiction is the literary genre that fictionalizes crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. It is usually distinguished from mainstream fiction and other genres such as science fiction or historical fiction, but boundaries can be, and indeed are, blurred...
taking place in "Lincoln Prairie" an amalgamAmalgamation (fiction)Amalgamation or amalgam, when used to refer to a fictional character or place, refers to one that was created by combining, or is perceived to be a combination, of several other previously existing characters or locations...
of Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion. - The character Johnny BlazeGhost Rider (Johnny Blaze)Ghost Rider is a fictional character, an antihero in the Marvel Comics Universe. He is the second Marvel character to use the name Ghost Rider, following the Western hero later known as the Phantom Rider, and preceding Daniel Ketch.Johnny Blaze was portrayed both in the 2007 film Ghost Rider and...
from the MarvelMarvel ComicsMarvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
comic book Ghost RiderGhost Rider (comics)Ghost Rider is the name of several fictional supernatural antiheroes appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Marvel had previously used the name for a Western character whose name was later changed to Night Rider and subsequently to Phantom Rider.The first supernatural Ghost Rider is...
is described as having been born in Waukegan.http://www.marveldirectory.com/individuals/g/ghostrider.htm - In an episode of Married... with ChildrenMarried... with ChildrenMarried... with Children is an American surrealistic sitcom that aired for 11 seasons that featured a dysfunctional family living in Chicago, Illinois. The show, notable for being the first prime time television series to air on Fox, ran from April 5, 1987, to June 9, 1997. The series was created...
, Al flips off a random point on an Illinois map during his Army reserve training. Jefferson replies, "I think you owe the nice people of Waukegan an apology." - In an episode of That '70s ShowThat '70s ShowThat '70s Show is an American television period sitcom that centers on the lives of a group of teenage friends living in the fictional suburban town of Point Place, Wisconsin, from May 17, 1976, to December 31, 1979...
, Kelso mentions that the new police academy he is going to attend (after he burned down the old building with a misfired flare) is located in Waukegan. - In 2005 Ringo StarrRingo StarrRichard Starkey, MBE better known by his stage name Ringo Starr, is an English musician and actor who gained worldwide fame as the drummer for The Beatles. When the band formed in 1960, Starr was a member of another Liverpool band, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. He became The Beatles' drummer in...
and the Roundheads recorded a concert for an episode of SoundstageSoundstage (TV program)Soundstage is an American live concert television series produced by WTTW Chicago and HD Ready. The original series aired for 13 seasons between 1974 and 1985; a new series of seasons began in 2003, with the latest running through summer 2009, each presented in high definition with surround...
at Genesee TheatreGenesee TheatreGenesee Theatre is a concert hall and movie palace in Waukegan, Illinois. The venue has seats for 2,427 people and opened in 1927. It's both used as a vaudeville theatre and cinema and hosts many different musical artists and shows....
in Waukegan. - The hip-hop group AtmosphereAtmosphere (music group)Atmosphere is an American hip hop group from Minneapolis, Minnesota. The group is composed of rapper Slug and DJ/Producer Ant...
namechecks the city in live performances of the song "You." - In their novel "Stardance", Spider & Jeanne Robinson refer to Waukegan as if it were a prototypical Earth location, as identified by gravity vs. free fall.
- Waukegan is mentioned in the Ray BradburyRay BradburyRay Douglas Bradbury is an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles and The Illustrated Man , Bradbury is one of the most celebrated among 20th...
poem 'Byzantium, I come not from' - Waukegan is mentioned in the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
- Waukegan is mentioned in The Front PageThe Front PageThe Front Page is a hit Broadway comedy about tabloid newspaper reporters on the police beat, written by one-time Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur which was first produced in 1928.-Synopsis:...
when Walter Burns (Walter MatthauWalter MatthauWalter Matthau was an American actor best known for his role as Oscar Madison in The Odd Couple and his frequent collaborations with Odd Couple star Jack Lemmon, as well as his role as Coach Buttermaker in the 1976 comedy The Bad News Bears...
) mentions a woman killing her husband in Waukegan.
Twin Towns And Sister Cities
Waukegan has one sister city in Japan.:| Kiyotake, Miyazaki Kiyotake, Miyazaki was a town located in Miyazaki District, Miyazaki, Japan.As of 2003, the town had an estimated population of 28,937 and the density of 605.25 persons per km². The total area was 47.81 km².... in Japan |