Westchester, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Westchester is a village in Cook County
, Illinois
, United States. It is a western suburb of Chicago
. The population was 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D. Pulia.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²).
of 2000, there were 16,824 people, 7,015 households, and 4,924 families residing in the village. The population density
was 5,265.2 people per square mile (2,029.9/km²). There were 7,123 housing units at an average density of 2,229.2 per square mile (859.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 86.15% White, 7.20% African American, 0.07% Native American, 3.44% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.99% from other races
, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.68% of the population.
The top five ancestries reported in Westchester as of the 2000 census were Italian
(20.9%), German
(19.9%), Irish
(17.1%), Polish
(15.0%) and Czech
(8.7%).
There were 7,015 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% were married couples
living together, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $58,928, and the median income for a family was $70,313. Males had a median income of $48,737 versus $36,921 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $29,634. About 1.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
; nearly all of the areas east of Mannheim Road and east of Mayfair Avenue between Canterbury Street and Dorchester Avenue are in the 7th district
; the area in between (primarily Oak Ridge and Glen Oak cemeteries) is in the 4th district
.
purchased the land in 1924 with plans to recreate an English
style town. As a result, the town's name and the majority of its street names are of English origin.
The Great Depression
slowed construction in the ensuing decade, although the population continued to grow, largely aided by the presence of the western terminal of Chicago's rapid transit line
. The extension of the line was removed in 1951. However, the Eisenhower Interstate System's creation in 1956 led to the construction of nearby expressways I-290
and I-294, providing residents with convenient travel.
Expansion has consumed nearly all open land within the village, save for the 85 acres (343,983.1 m²) Wolf Road Prairie. Encyclopedia of Chicago. Accessed 2007-04-23 It is the largest black-soil prairie
remnant east of the Mississippi River
.
Proviso Township High Schools district serves high school residents. Zoned students attend Proviso West High School
in Hillside
. Westchester residents may apply to Proviso Math & Science Academy in Forest Park
.
Cook County, Illinois
Cook County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, with its county seat in Chicago. It is the second most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County. The county has 5,194,675 residents, which is 40.5 percent of all Illinois residents. Cook County's population is larger than...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, United States. It is a western suburb 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 16,824 at the 2000 census. The current Village President is Sam D. Pulia.
Geography
Westchester is located at 41°51′14"N 87°53′1"W (41.853890, -87.883712).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 3.2 square miles (8.3 km²).
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 16,824 people, 7,015 households, and 4,924 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 5,265.2 people per square mile (2,029.9/km²). There were 7,123 housing units at an average density of 2,229.2 per square mile (859.4/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 86.15% White, 7.20% African American, 0.07% Native American, 3.44% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.99% 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 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.68% of the population.
The top five ancestries reported in Westchester as of the 2000 census were Italian
Italian American
An Italian American , is an American of Italian ancestry. The designation may also refer to someone possessing Italian and American dual citizenship...
(20.9%), German
German American
German Americans are citizens of the United States of German ancestry and comprise about 51 million people, or 17% of the U.S. population, the country's largest self-reported ancestral group...
(19.9%), Irish
Irish American
Irish Americans are citizens of the United States who can trace their ancestry to Ireland. A total of 36,278,332 Americans—estimated at 11.9% of the total population—reported Irish ancestry in the 2008 American Community Survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau...
(17.1%), Polish
Polish American
A Polish American , is a citizen of the United States of Polish descent. There are an estimated 10 million Polish Americans, representing about 3.2% of the population of the United States...
(15.0%) and Czech
Czech American
Czech Americans are citizens of the United States who were born in, or who descended from, the territory of the historic Czech lands, , or succession states, now known as the Czech Republic...
(8.7%).
There were 7,015 households out of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.3% 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, 9.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.8% were non-families. 26.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.88.
In the village the population was spread out with 18.6% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 26.8% from 25 to 44, 24.5% from 45 to 64, and 25.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females there were 87.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.8 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $58,928, and the median income for a family was $70,313. Males had a median income of $48,737 versus $36,921 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 $29,634. About 1.0% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.
Government
Westchester is divided into three congressional districts. The areas south of Cermak Road or west of Haase and Burns Avenues are in Illinois' 3rd congressional districtIllinois' 3rd congressional district
The 3rd Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Dan Lipinski since January 2005. The district was previously represented by his father Bill Lipinski beginning in 1993....
; nearly all of the areas east of Mannheim Road and east of Mayfair Avenue between Canterbury Street and Dorchester Avenue are in the 7th district
Illinois' 7th congressional district
The 7th Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County. It covers the Near North Side and downtown Chicago as well as some of the west and south sides of city and some west suburban areas in Cook County. It has been represented by Democrat Danny K...
; the area in between (primarily Oak Ridge and Glen Oak cemeteries) is in the 4th district
Illinois' 4th congressional district
The 4th Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Luis Gutierrez since January 1993....
.
Economy
Westchester is home to Westbrook Corporate Center, located at Wolf Road and Cermak Road. Constructed in 1986 and renovated in 1996, the complex consists of five 10-story towers encompassing more than 1 million square feet (90,000 m²) of office space. Westbrook Corporate Center has won the 2000/2001 BOMA- International Office Building of the Year Award, 2000/2001 BOMA- North Central Region Office Building of the Year Award, and 1998/1999, 1999/2000, 2000/2001 BOMA- Suburban Chicago Office Building of the Year Award.Top employers
According to the Village's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer |
|---|---|
| 1 | G4S Secure Solutions Wackenhut G4S Secure Solutions is a private security company. It was founded as The Wackenhut Corporation in 1954, in Coral Gables, Florida, by George Wackenhut and three partners .... |
| 2 | Corn Products International Corn Products International Corn Products International, Inc. is an Illinois-based refiner and processor of corn-based food additives and sweeteners. It operates factories in 15 countries.- Company :... |
| 3 | Sogeti Sogeti Sogeti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cap Gemini Group. It is an international information technology consultancy specializing in local professional services. Sogeti employs 20,000 people in 15 countries. Sogeti developed Test Management Approach.... |
| 4 | Chicago Laborers Pension & Welfare Funds Laborers' International Union of North America The Laborers' International Union of North America is an American and Canadian labor union formed in 1903. As of March 31, 2010, they have about 632,000 members, members, about 80,000 of which are in Canada.The current general president is Terence M... |
| 5 | CommScope CommScope CommScope Inc. is a multinational telecommunications company based in Hickory, North Carolina since its founding in 1976. CommScope is a 1997 spin-off of General Instruments, and now has over 15,000 employees worldwide, with customers in over 130 countries.... |
| 6 | Insurance Auto Auctions |
| 7 | Revenue Cycle Solutions |
| 7 | Per Mar Security Services |
| 9 | Healthcare Financial Management Association Healthcare Financial Management Association The Healthcare Financial Management Association is a non-profit membership organization for healthcare financial management executives. The organization is based in Westchester, Cook County, Illinois... |
| 10 | Pal Graphics |
History
The area now known as Westchester was occupied by German farmers dating back to the mid 19th century. Samuel InsullSamuel Insull
Samuel Insull was an Anglo-American innovator and investor based in Chicago who greatly contributed to creating an integrated electrical infrastructure in the United States. Insull was notable for purchasing utilities and railroads using holding companies, as well as the abuse of them...
purchased the land in 1924 with plans to recreate an English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
style town. As a result, the town's name and the majority of its street names are of English origin.
The Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
slowed construction in the ensuing decade, although the population continued to grow, largely aided by the presence of the western terminal of Chicago's rapid transit line
Blue Line (Chicago Transit Authority)
The Blue Line consists of a long trunk line in the Chicago Transit Authority's rapid transit system which extends through Chicago's Loop from O'Hare International Airport at the far northwest end of the city, through downtown via the Milwaukee-Dearborn subway, and across the West Side to its...
. The extension of the line was removed in 1951. However, the Eisenhower Interstate System's creation in 1956 led to the construction of nearby expressways I-290
Interstate 290 (Illinois)
Interstate 290 is a main Interstate freeway that runs westwards from the Chicago Loop. A portion of I-290 is officially called the Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway. In short form, it is known as "the Ike" or the Eisenhower...
and I-294, providing residents with convenient travel.
Expansion has consumed nearly all open land within the village, save for the 85 acres (343,983.1 m²) Wolf Road Prairie. Encyclopedia of Chicago. Accessed 2007-04-23 It is the largest black-soil prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
remnant east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
.
Public schools
Westchester School District 92.5 serves the city.http://www.sd925.w-cook.k12.il.us/ There are four schools in this district:- Westchester Primary School (K-2)
- Westchester Intermediate School (3-5)
- Westchester Middle School (6-8)
- Brittain School (Special Needs)
Proviso Township High Schools district serves high school residents. Zoned students attend Proviso West High School
Proviso West High School
Proviso West High School is a public high school located in Hillside, Illinois, United States. Proviso West is a part of Proviso Township High Schools District 209, and was opened in 1958. Its sister school is Proviso East High School....
in Hillside
Hillside, Illinois
Hillside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 8,155 at the 2000 census.One notable landmark in Hillside is the Mount Carmel Cemetery. On the grounds of the cemetery are the graves of a number of organized crime figures, such as Al Capone and Dion O'Bannion...
. Westchester residents may apply to Proviso Math & Science Academy in Forest Park
Forest Park, Illinois
Forest Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago in the United States. The population was 15,688 at the 2000 census...
.
Private schools
The following private schools are available.- Divine Infant Jesus (K-8, Roman Catholic)
- Divine Providence (K-8, Roman Catholic)
- St. Joseph's (9-12, Roman Catholic)
- Immanuel Lutheran School (PK-8, Lutheran) - Hillside, IL
- Nazareth Academy (9-12, Roman Catholic) - La Grange Park, IL
- Timothy Christian (PK-8 & 9-12, Calvinist) - Elmhurst, IL
- Fenwick (9-12, Roman Catholic) - Oak Park, IL
- Montini (9-12, Roman Catholic) - Lombard, IL
- Walther Lutheran High SchoolWalther Lutheran High SchoolWalther Lutheran High School is a private high school in Melrose Park, Illinois, United States.- The Start of Walther Lutheran :Walther was founded and built in its present location thanks to the foresight of a number of leaders of Lutheran congregations in the western suburbs. St. Paul Melrose...
(9-12, Lutheran) - Melrose ParkMelrose Park, IllinoisMelrose Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is a "near-in" suburb of Chicago. The population was 23,171 at the 2000 census. Melrose Park has long been home to a large Italian-American population, though now it is majority Mexican-American. It was the home of Kiddieland... - St. Ignatius College Prep (9-12, Roman Catholic) - Chicago, IL
- Immaculate Conception (Private)
Media
- Philip CaputoPhilip CaputoPhilip Caputo is an American author and journalist. He is best-known for A Rumor of War, a best-selling memoir of his experiences during the Vietnam War....
, American author and journalist now living in Norwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk, ConnecticutNorwalk is a city in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of the city is 85,603, making Norwalk sixth in population in Connecticut, and third in Fairfield County...
and Patagonia, ArizonaPatagonia, ArizonaPatagonia is a town in Santa Cruz County, Arizona, United States. As of 2010 Patagonia had a population of 913. Patagonia was formerly a supply center for nearby mines and ranches. Currently, it is a tourist destination, retirement community and arts & crafts center. The Nature Conservancy's...
Politics
- Jim DurkinJim DurkinJim Durkin is a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 82nd District since 2006 when he was sworn in to replace Eileen Lyons after she retired mid-term. He was elected on November 8, 2006, defeating Democrat Kim Savage. Durkin previously represented the 44th...
, Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives, representing the 82nd District
Other
- Marco D'AmicoMarco D'AmicoMarco D'Amico is a Chicago mobster and a high-ranking member of the Chicago Outfit crime organization. He admitted his role in the Chicago Outfit in federal court in 1995.- Chicago Outfit career :...
, Chicago OutfitChicago OutfitThe Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
leader - Michael SarnoMichael SarnoMichael Sarno is a Chicago mobster who has been identified as the alleged, current leader of the Grand Avenue street crew, in the Chicago Outfit criminal organization.- Indictments and imprisonment :...
, Chicago OutfitChicago OutfitThe Chicago Outfit, also known as the Chicago Syndicate or Chicago Mob and sometimes shortened to simply the Outfit, is a crime syndicate based in Chicago, Illinois, USA...
leader - Mario Anthony DeStefanoMario Anthony DeStefanoMario Anthony DeStefano was a "made" member of the Chicago Outfit and a leading loan shark.Born Mario Antonio DeStefano, he later anglicized his middle name. DeStefano grew up in Little Italy, Chicago, with his brothers, including future "mob associate" Sam "Mad Sam" DeStefano...
, Chicago Outfit member, deceased (died 1975) - John O'Sullivan, second oldest living man in Cook County (Born in 1907)
- James P. Crane, first oldest living man in Cook County (Born December 21, 1905. He currently is the oldest living Union Member and oldest living Union President in American History of the Unions either nationally or Internationally.