Elwood, Illinois

Elwood, Illinois
815
FIPS code	17-23945
FIPS code	17-23945
GNIS ID	2398822
Website	villageofelwood.com

Elwood is a village in rural

, down from 2,279 in 2010.

History

Elwood was founded in 1854 and incorporated as a village in 1869. The completion of the

was built and commenced operation in 1940. Arsenal construction played an important role in the development of Elwood and brought about 175 people into the area. In 1942, a massive explosion at the arsenal killed 42 workers and caused widespread damage. In 1954, the village celebrated its centennial, and 20,000 people gathered to watch the parade. By 1970, Elwood had a population of about 750.

On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles (5 km) north of the village, uprooting large trees and heavily damaging a few homes and

buildings.

In 1990, the village began to experience more rapid growth. By 1996, Elwood's population rose to nearly 1,423, and is now estimated at 2,300, with development accelerating due to the construction of the CenterPoint Intermodal Center facility. The Northern Illinois Planning Commission estimates that Elwood will have a population of nearly 20,000 by 2030.

The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a prairie reserve operated by the United States Forest Service is located on the site of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant near Elwood, Illinois, and was established by federal law in 1996. In 1999, the 982 acre (397 ha) Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery was dedicated in Elwood. When fully completed, it will provide 400,000 burial spaces.

Fires

Two major fires have taken place in Elwood, the first on August 26, 1995, in which the fire station was destroyed.

.

Geography

Elwood is located at 41°24′49″N 88°6′38″W / 41.41361°N 88.11056°W / 41.41361; -88.11056 (41.413615, -88.110438).

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	312		—
1890	243		−22.1%
1900	244		0.4%
1910	211		−13.5%
1920	212		0.5%
1930	257		21.2%
1940	248		−3.5%
1950	420		69.4%
1960	746		77.6%
1970	794		6.4%
1980	814		2.5%
1990	951		16.8%
2000	1,620		70.3%
2010	2,279		40.7%
2020	2,229		−2.2%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

As of the

Latinos

of any race were 6.3 percent of the population.

There were 880 households, out of which 35.2 percent had children under the age of 18 living within, 58.3 percent were husband-wife family living together, 9.2 percent had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.4 percent were non-families. 24.1 percent of all households were made up of individuals, and 28.4 percent had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the village, the age distribution of the population shows 25.5 percent under the age of 18 and 15.4 percent who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.8 years. 50.8 percent of the populations was female while 49.8 percent was male.

The median income for a household in the village was $78,515

poverty line

, including 12.2 percent of those under age 18 and 8.2 percent of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Pace provides bus service on Route 511 connecting Elwood to downtown Joliet and other destinations.^[9]

References

External links

• Official website