Joliet, Illinois
Joliet, Illinois | ||
---|---|---|
City | ||
ZIP codes 60431–60436, 60441, 60586 | ||
Area code(s) | 815, 779 | |
FIPS code | 17-38570 | |
Airport | Joliet Regional Airport | |
GNIS feature ID | 2395477[1] | |
Demonym | Jolietan | |
Wikimedia Commons | Joliet, Illinois | |
Website | www | |
[3] |
Joliet (/ˈdʒoʊliɛt, dʒoʊliˈɛt/ JOH-lee-et, joh-lee-ET) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. It had a population of 150,362 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Illinois.[4][5]
History
In 1673, Louis Jolliet, along with Father Jacques Marquette, paddled up the Des Plaines River and camped on a huge earthwork mound, a few miles south of present-day Joliet.[6] Maps from Jolliet's exploration of the area[citation needed] showed a large hill or mound down river from Chicago, labeled Mont Joliet.[7] The mound has since been flattened due to mining.
In 1833, following the Black Hawk War, Charles Reed built a cabin along the west side of the Des Plaines River. Across the river in 1834, James B. Campbell, treasurer of the canal commissioners, laid out the village of "Juliet", a corruption of "Joliet" that was also in use at the time. Just before the economic depression of 1837, Juliet incorporated as a village, but to cut tax expenses, Juliet residents soon petitioned the state to rescind that incorporation.
In 1845, local residents changed the community's name from "Juliet" to "Joliet", reflecting the original name. Joliet was reincorporated as a city in 1852. Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne was active in getting the city its first
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Joliet has a total area of 62.768 square miles (162.57 km2), of which 62.11 square miles (160.86 km2) (or 98.95%) are land and 0.658 square miles (1.70 km2) (or 1.05%) is covered by water.[9] It has a sprawling, irregular shape that extends into nine different townships, more than any other Illinois city. They are: Joliet, Plainfield, Troy, New Lenox, Jackson, Channahon, and Lockport in Will County, and Na-Au-Say and Seward in Kendall County. Joliet developed along the Des Plaines River, and its downtown is located in the river valley.
Joliet has a "west side" and "east side", referring to areas in relation to the river.
With the construction of highways and suburban development to the west, many businesses moved from the downtown area to the expanding areas west of the river. Many stores relocated to the west side in new strip malls and shopping centers with more parking and easier access. These changes resulted in the decline of the downtown shopping district, which is still felt today. Today, Joliet has a "west side" and a "far west side" (which includes all city limits in Kendall County). This has given rise to a newly referenced "Central Joliet" portion of the city, which essentially is all land west of the Des Plaines River and east of Interstate 55. This new reference may soon change the current meaning of "west side" to west of I-55.[citation needed]
Climate
Joliet has a hot summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) with hot, humid summers, and cold winters with moderate to heavy snowfall.
Climate data for Joliet, Illinois (Brandon Dam), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1975–present | |||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
Record high °F (°C) | 65 (18) |
73 (23) |
86 (30) |
92 (33) |
95 (35) |
104 (40) |
103 (39) |
102 (39) |
97 (36) |
88 (31) |
78 (26) |
70 (21) |
104 (40) |
Mean maximum °F (°C) | 53.8 (12.1) |
57.0 (13.9) |
70.5 (21.4) |
79.9 (26.6) |
87.7 (30.9) |
92.6 (33.7) |
93.7 (34.3) |
91.6 (33.1) |
89.6 (32.0) |
82.3 (27.9) |
68.2 (20.1) |
56.7 (13.7) |
95.0 (35.0) |
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.1 (−0.5) |
35.4 (1.9) |
47.0 (8.3) |
59.9 (15.5) |
71.0 (21.7) |
80.3 (26.8) |
83.6 (28.7) |
81.8 (27.7) |
76.2 (24.6) |
63.3 (17.4) |
48.5 (9.2) |
36.4 (2.4) |
59.5 (15.3) |
Daily mean °F (°C) | 23.9 (−4.5) |
27.6 (−2.4) |
38.1 (3.4) |
49.4 (9.7) |
60.2 (15.7) |
70.1 (21.2) |
73.9 (23.3) |
72.3 (22.4) |
65.7 (18.7) |
53.3 (11.8) |
40.4 (4.7) |
29.4 (−1.4) |
50.4 (10.2) |
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.6 (−8.6) |
19.8 (−6.8) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
38.9 (3.8) |
49.4 (9.7) |
59.9 (15.5) |
64.1 (17.8) |
62.9 (17.2) |
55.3 (12.9) |
43.4 (6.3) |
32.3 (0.2) |
22.4 (−5.3) |
41.2 (5.1) |
Mean minimum °F (°C) | −5.4 (−20.8) |
0.6 (−17.4) |
12.1 (−11.1) |
26.5 (−3.1) |
37.2 (2.9) |
47.1 (8.4) |
55.1 (12.8) |
54.6 (12.6) |
42.1 (5.6) |
30.0 (−1.1) |
18.7 (−7.4) |
3.1 (−16.1) |
−9.1 (−22.8) |
Record low °F (°C) | −26 (−32) |
−20 (−29) |
−7 (−22) |
11 (−12) |
18 (−8) |
35 (2) |
47 (8) |
39 (4) |
32 (0) |
17 (−8) |
−2 (−19) |
−20 (−29) |
−26 (−32) |
Average precipitation inches (mm) | 1.99 (51) |
1.78 (45) |
2.27 (58) |
3.93 (100) |
4.53 (115) |
4.30 (109) |
4.55 (116) |
3.97 (101) |
3.17 (81) |
3.14 (80) |
2.46 (62) |
1.94 (49) |
38.03 (966) |
Average snowfall inches (cm) | 5.0 (13) |
6.2 (16) |
2.1 (5.3) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.76) |
3.2 (8.1) |
16.9 (43) |
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 11.4 | 9.3 | 10.2 | 12.3 | 12.4 | 10.6 | 9.2 | 9.2 | 8.0 | 9.5 | 9.9 | 10.6 | 122.6 |
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 4.2 | 3.4 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 2.7 | 12.0 |
Source: |
Demographics
Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
---|---|---|---|
1840 | 2,558 | — | |
1850 | 2,659 | 3.9% | |
1860 | 7,104 | 167.2% | |
1870 | 7,263 | 2.2% | |
1880 | 11,657 | 60.5% | |
1890 | 23,264 | 99.6% | |
1900 | 29,353 | 26.2% | |
1910 | 34,670 | 18.1% | |
1920 | 38,442 | 10.9% | |
1930 | 42,993 | 11.8% | |
1940 | 42,365 | −1.5% | |
1950 | 51,601 | 21.8% | |
1960 | 66,780 | 29.4% | |
1970 | 78,827 | 18.0% | |
1980 | 77,956 | −1.1% | |
1990 | 76,836 | −1.4% | |
2000 | 106,221 | 38.2% | |
2010 | 147,459 | 38.8% | |
2020 | 150,362 | 2.0% | |
U.S. Decennial Census[12] 2010[13] 2020[14] |
2020 census
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[15] | Pop 2010[13] | Pop 2020[14] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
White alone (NH)
|
64,811 | 78,159 | 67,903 | 61.02% | 53.01% | 45.16% |
Black or African American alone (NH)
|
19,125 | 23,025 | 23,814 | 18.00% | 15.62% | 15.84% |
Alaska Native alone (NH)
|
159 | 192 | 156 | 0.15% | 0.13% | 0.10% |
Asian alone (NH) | 1,190 | 2,747 | 2,927 | 1.12% | 1.86% | 1.95% |
Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 14 | 18 | 21 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.01% |
Other race alone (NH) | 103 | 153 | 464 | 0.10% | 0.10% | 0.31% |
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 1,267 | 2,097 | 4,567 | 1.19% | 1.42% | 3.04% |
Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 19,552 | 41,042 | 50,510 | 18.41% | 27.84% | 33.59% |
Total | 106,221 | 147,433 | 150,362 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the
Of the 48,019 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 14% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were not families. About 22.1% 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 3.01, and the average family size was 3.56.[4]
In the city, the population is 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.[16]
For 2015, the
From April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2011, Joliet was the fastest-growing city in the Midwestern United States and the 18th-fastest growing city in the United States among incorporated places with more than 100,000 people.[18]
Religion
According to the official website for the city of Joliet:
Joliet's diverse faith community represents over 60 denominations and offers residents services at more than 150 churches, synagogues, and houses of worship. Along with their spiritual offerings, these houses of worship enrich the Joliet area by providing some of the area's finest examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine, and Renaissance architecture. The spiritual community in Joliet welcomes newcomers with open arms, offering regular worship services and religious education.[19]
Joliet holds a very large Catholic population, and many Catholic institutions, including Joliet Catholic Academy.[citation needed]
Economy
Like many Midwestern and East Coast cities dependent on manufacturing industries, Joliet has experienced past economic troubles. As of 2013[update], the rate of unemployment in Joliet was around 8.6%.[20] The city is evolving from a steel and manufacturing suburb to a commuter suburb in the Chicago metropolitan area. Some new migrants to the Chicago area are working in bordering Cook County (the nation's second-most populous county) and living in Joliet.
The downtown area of Joliet has slowly attracted new businesses to the area. The main attractions in Joliet's city center are the Harrah's Casino, Joliet Slammers baseball (Duly Health and Care Field), Hollywood Casino, and the Rialto Square Theatre, also known as the 'Jewel of Joliet',[21] and has been called one of the world's 10 most beautiful theaters. The 1999 film Stir of Echoes starring Kevin Bacon had scenes shot on at the Rialto Square Theatre (the hypnotism scenes in which James saw the word "Dig" on the movie screen), at the corner of Scott Street and Washington, and at the old Menards that took over the Wieboldt's building at Jefferson Square Mall.
The Illinois Youth Center Joliet, a juvenile correctional facility of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, opened in April 1959.[22]
Largest employers
According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[23] the largest employers in the city are:
# | Employer | Employees |
---|---|---|
1 | Amazon | 3,500 |
2 | AMITA Health Saint Joseph Medical Center | 3,023 |
3 | Will County | 2,200 |
4 | Joliet Junior College | 1,553 |
5 | Joliet Public Schools District 86 | 1,256 |
6 | Joliet Township High School District 204 | 916 |
7 | City of Joliet | 894 |
8 | Harrah's Joliet | 800 |
9 | ExxonMobil | 680 |
10 | Hollywood Casino Joliet | 600 |
Arts and culture
The Rialto Square Theatre, a favorite haunt of
The Auditorium Building is located at the northeast corner of Chicago and Clinton Streets. Designed by G. Julian Barnes and built of limestone in 1891, it was controversial as one of the first buildings to combine religious, civic, and commercial uses. Nonetheless, people such Theodore Roosevelt visited and spoke at the building.[26] The building was originally built for the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet, but the church sold the building in 1993, and it is no longer home to the congregation.[27]
The Jacob A. Henry Mansion, 20 South Eastern Avenue, is a three-story, red-brick, Second Empire/Italian Renaissance-style structure built on a
The interior of the Jacob A. Henry Mansion has elaborate polished-walnut woodwork, massive, carved pocket doors, original wood mantles, and a solid-walnut staircase. The original owner, Mr. Henry, was a railroad magnate, building railroads in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. He had ownership in a local quarry and was a principal stockholder in Will County National Bank. The mansion won the architecture award at the American Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia in 1876.[citation needed] The structure is a local landmark, part of the East Side National Register District and individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The
The first Dairy Queen store opened in Joliet.[31] The location is now occupied by Universal Church.
Two
The
The former Joliet Arsenal (now the site of both the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie) is in nearby Elwood.
Sports
Joliet is home to three high schools that bear its name: Joliet Central, Joliet West, and Joliet Catholic Academy (JCA), in addition to the closed Joliet East,[34] each of which has sports programs. JCA has been a major football powerhouse for many years and has won more state football titles than any other team in the state, with 15 as of 2023.[35]
Joliet also is home to a minor-league baseball team, the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, they have played their home games at Duly Health and Care Field. The Slammers replace the former Joliet JackHammers of the Northern League. The Joliet Slammers won the 2011 Frontier League Championship in their first season as a team.[36]
Parks and recreation
Golf courses
Three golf courses are located in the city of Joliet: Inwood Golf Course, Woodruff Golf Course, and Wedgewood Golf Course. Disc golf courses are available at Highland Park and West Park.
Family entertainment
The Pilcher Park Nature Center, located in Pilcher Park, hosts many youth and educational programs. Pilcher Park, one of Joliet's oldest parks, is home to over 640 acres (260 ha) of land that provide a habitat for abundant wildlife and outdoor recreation. Pilcher Park also contains Native American Indian remains and was the site of a Potowatami Indian village. A burial mound is just south of the entrance on Gougar Road, on the south side of the bridge, and a marked burial plot is inside the park grounds.
Hammel Woods is also located in Joliet with miles of hiking trails and even a seven-acre dog park.
Louis Joliet Mall located on Route 30 in Joliet hosts a large Cinemark theatre
Bicycle trails
The Rock Run and Joliet Junction Trails are roughly north–south routes that begin at the Theodore Marsh in Crest Hill, Illinois, and have southern termini on the I&M Canal State Trail. These three paths can be used as a 16-mile loop through western Joliet. The I and M Canal State Trail stretches about 60 miles to Peru. The Wauponsee Glacial Trail also begins close to town.
Education
As of 2009, almost all public-school students in Joliet attend schools in Joliet Public Schools District 86, Joliet Township High School District 204, Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C,[38] and Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202.[39]
Colleges and universities
- Joliet Junior College, the nation's first public community college
- University of St. Francis
High schools
School districts serving Joliet include
Joliet area High Schools include Joliet Catholic Academy, Joliet Central High School, Joliet West High School and Joliet East High School (defunct)
Elementary and middle schools
Elementary and middle school districts serving Joliet include:
- Joliet Public Schools District 86
- Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C (Also serves neighboring communities of Plainfield, Illinois and Shorewood, Illinois)[38]
Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202[40]
Career training
Since the early 1980s, the Job Corps of the U.S. Department of Labor has operated the Joliet Job Corps Center on the campus of the former Joliet East High School.[41]
Infrastructure
Transportation
Situated about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of central Chicago, Joliet has long been a significant transportation hub. It lies on both sides of the Des Plaines River, a major waterway in
U.S. Highways 6 (the Grand Army of the Republic Highway), 30 (the Lincoln Highway), 45, 52, and 66 (Route 66) all ran through the city. In the 1960s, Interstate 55 and Interstate 80 made their way through Joliet, linking up near Channahon just west of the city limits. The phrase "Crossroads of Mid-America", found on the Joliet seal, is an allusion to the intersection of I-80 and I-55 (and, historically, the intersection between the Lincoln Highway and Route 66).
Joliet Transportation Center is the final stop on the Metra rail lines from Chicago for the Heritage Corridor route from Chicago Union Station and the Rock Island District route from LaSalle Street Station. A third line, the STAR Line, would have also terminated at the station, but the project was shelved as of 2012.[42]
Pace provides local bus service six days a week (no service on Sundays) with buses leaving from a terminal in downtown Joliet once an hour.
Amtrak serves Joliet Union Station daily via its Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle routes. Service consists of four Lincoln Service round-trips between Chicago and St. Louis, and one Texas Eagle round-trip between San Antonio and Chicago. Three days a week, the Eagle continues on to Los Angeles.[43][44]
Airports
The Joliet Regional Airport is located off Jefferson Street near Interstate 55. Lewis University Airport is located to the north in the nearby village of Romeoville and is owned by the Joliet Regional Port District.
Major highways
Major highways in Joliet include:
Interstate Highways |
Hospitals
Joliet currently has one hospital within its city limits: Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center (also known as St. Joe's), located on the west side.
Notable people
In popular culture
The 2019 American drama Working Man, was shot in Joliet. In the 1973 Academy Award-winning film, The Sting, the protagonist Johnny Hooker is from Joliet and the film begins with a title card reading "Joliet, Illinois / September 1936."[46]
In
See also
- List of cities in Illinois
- List of Midwestern cities by size
- List of United States cities by population
- List of U.S. states' largest cities by population
References
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- ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
- ^ "Draft Consolidated Plan 2010" (PDF). City of Joliet. November 5, 2009. pp. 9, 35. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 6, 2010. Retrieved March 2, 2010.
- ^ a b "U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Joliet city, Illinois". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved August 13, 2021.
- ^ "Joliet city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
- OCLC 60342627.
- ^ "Jolliet's Map of New France, 1674". The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
- ^ "Robert-C-Boyett - User Trees - Genealogy.com". www.genealogy.com. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
- ^ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- ^ "Station: Joliet Brandon RD DAM, IL". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 11, 2021.
- ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". United States Census Bureau.
- ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Joliet city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ a b "P2: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Joliet city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Joliet city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 26, 2024.
- ^ "Age Groups and Sex: 2010". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved October 8, 2017.
- ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2013 Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013". U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division. May 2014. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved September 15, 2014.
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- ^ "Site Unavailable". www.uucj.com. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
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- ^ "The Jacob Henry Mansion". City of Joliet, IL. Archived from the original on October 27, 2018. Retrieved October 27, 2018.
- ^ Joliet is one of the characters on 'Prison Break' - today > entertainment - today > entertainment > tv - TODAY.com. Today.msnbc.msn.com (November 9, 2005). Retrieved on August 17, 2013.
- ^ 'Blues Brothers' movie showing Friday at Joliet's old Stateville Prison | abc7chicago.com. Abclocal.go.com (August 13, 2010). Retrieved on August 17, 2013.
- ^ Dairy Queen. dairyqueen.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2013.
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- ^ Louis Joliet Mall Archived April 23, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Westfield.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2013.
- ^ [1] Archived from Archive.today on 19 March 2021
- ^ Records & History. Ihsa.org. Retrieved on August 17, 2013.
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- ^ –
- ^ "Career Training". Joliet Job Corps. Archived from the original on March 6, 2014. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
- ^ Pyke, Marni (January 18, 2012). "Do fast buses on I-90 mean falling STAR line?". Daily Herald. Retrieved December 22, 2012.
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