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Buffalo Grove, officially the Village of Buffalo Grove, is a
village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...
in
Lake A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, and distinct from any river or other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake. Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean, although, like the much large ...
and
Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
,
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. A
suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
of
Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...
, it lies about northwest of
Downtown Chicago ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ...
. As of the 2020 Census, Buffalo Grove has a population of 43,212. It totals of land, with the top three-quarters in Lake County and the bottom quarter in Cook County. Roads in the village such as
Lake Cook Road Lake Cook Road (alternatively referred to as County Line Road or Main Street in some areas) is a major east–west highway in Cook, Lake, McHenry, and Kane Counties in Illinois. For much of its length, it marks the border between Cook and La ...
and
Illinois Route 83 Illinois Route 83 (IL 83) is a major north–south state highway in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Route 30 (US 30, Lincoln Highway) by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana, north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Wisconsin Highw ...
converge on
I-294 Interstate 294 (I-294) is a tolled auxiliary Interstate Highway in northeastern Illinois. It forms the southern portion of the Tri-State Tollway in Illinois. I-294 runs from South Holland at I-80/ I-94 and Illinois Route 394 (IL 394) to N ...
, which take drivers to
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
south of Buffalo Grove. Before
westward expansion The United States of America was created on July 4, 1776, with the U.S. Declaration of Independence of thirteen British colonies in North America. In the Lee Resolution two days prior, the colonies resolved that they were free and independe ...
, Native American
Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
tribes inhabited the present area. The name "Buffalo Grove" comes from the English translation of the Potawatomi name for Buffalo Creek, which flows through some of the village. Initial
Homesteaders The Homestead Acts were several laws in the United States by which an applicant could acquire ownership of government land or the public domain, typically called a homestead. In all, more than of public land, or nearly 10 percent of th ...
sold their land to agricultural
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...
immigrants, who established St. Mary's Church and a school. The rural area changed minimally until post-
Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...
developers bought and suburbanized the region for veterans. After being incorporated in 1958, Buffalo Grove experienced a population boom for the next three decades and hosted a 50th Anniversary Celebration in 2008. Nearly all schools in Buffalo Grove have achieved commendable status or received awards from the state in the 21st century. The village features dozens of recreational facilities, parks, and festivals, including a months-long
Farmers' market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...
, two golf courses, and popular Buffalo Grove Days. Although its schools and low crime are attractive to moving families, the village's population has plateaued since 2000. Buffalo Grove has an elected council-manager government with
home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
status. Because of Buffalo Grove's location in two counties, different state and national districts represent each portion. The local government's public works department is nationally accredited. Economically, residents work in health care, education, and
professional services Professional services are occupations in the service sector requiring special training in the arts or sciences. Some professional services, such as architects, accountants, engineers, doctors, and lawyers require the practitioner to hold professi ...
, while businesses in the village employ 20,000 daytime workers in 10 million square feet of commercial and industrial space.


History


Prior to incorporation

The first inhabitants of the region were the
Illinois Confederation The Illinois Confederation, also referred to as the Illiniwek or Illini, were made up of 12 to 13 tribes who lived in the Mississippi River Valley. Eventually member tribes occupied an area reaching from Lake Michicigao (Michigan) to Iowa, Illi ...
; they comprised multiple tribes and mainly lived in central
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
. Throughout the 1700s, the
Iroquois The Iroquois ( or ), officially the Haudenosaunee ( meaning "people of the longhouse"), are an Iroquoian-speaking confederacy of First Nations peoples in northeast North America/ Turtle Island. They were known during the colonial years to ...
,
Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
, and others invaded and eventually destroyed the confederation. The Potawatomi's success led them to inhabit areas near the present Buffalo Grove until 1833. Being the dominant group, the Potawatomi would frequently be involved in the conflicts between Europeans, such as the
Beaver Wars The Beaver Wars ( moh, Tsianì kayonkwere), also known as the Iroquois Wars or the French and Iroquois Wars (french: Guerres franco-iroquoises) were a series of conflicts fought intermittently during the 17th century in North America throughout t ...
. The first Europeans to stay the winter in what would become Chicago were the French
Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
explorers Father
Jacques Marquette Jacques Marquette S.J. (June 1, 1637 – May 18, 1675), sometimes known as Père Marquette or James Marquette, was a French Jesuit missionary who founded Michigan's first European settlement, Sault Sainte Marie, and later founded Saint Igna ...
and
Louis Jolliet Louis Jolliet (September 21, 1645after May 1700) was a French-Canadian explorer known for his discoveries in North America. In 1673, Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, a Jesuit Catholic priest and missionary, were the first non-Natives to explore an ...
in 1673; they established trade relations with the
Ojibwe The Ojibwe, Ojibwa, Chippewa, or Saulteaux are an Anishinaabe people in what is currently southern Canada, the northern Midwestern United States, and Northern Plains. According to the U.S. census, in the United States Ojibwe people are one of ...
. They were traveling west to find the mouth of the
Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...
to map its entirety and to spread Christianity. Consistent with Native American history in the United States, the tribes in Illinois were devastated by decades of war, diseases, and the ever-encroaching American settlers. The settlers caused a dwindling of food and game; in 1829, a group of Illinois River Potawatomi signed a land cession treaty that included what would become Lake County in exchange for annual delivery of $12,000 in cash and 50 barrels of salt, $12,000 in gifts, and an exclusive blacksmith shop for them. The Native Americans' efforts to remain on their land failed because of the pressure of westward migration, aided by the recent opening of the Erie Canal. They signed the
1833 Treaty of Chicago The 1833 Treaty of Chicago struck an agreement between the United States government that required the Chippewa Odawa, and Potawatomi tribes cede to the United States government their of land (including reservations) in Illinois, the Wiscon ...
, which ceded all their lands in Illinois and Wisconsin and opened the area to white settlement. Some Native Americans who left the area would move onto reservations in western Missouri and Kansas, while others went north into Canada or resettled in northern Michigan and Wisconsin. The first white settler in Vernon Township was Daniel Wright, who arrived in 1833 and established a cabin and crops with the help of remaining natives. The first settlers in Buffalo Grove were homesteaders from New England who received land grants from the government. They stayed for five years and sold their land to Catholic German immigrants fleeing poor living conditions. The primarily agricultural immigrants subsequently established the St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church and St. Mary's School in the 1850s; they still stand today. Buffalo Grove expanded throughout the 19th century with the additions of the first school (St. Mary's School), the Firnbach Tavern, and the Weidner General Store. The General Store served many purposes in the town, such as the post office, train ticket office, polling place, and first town telephone. Before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
, Buffalo Grove was entirely rural, consisting of less than 150 people, mostly dairy farmers.


Incorporation and post-incorporation

All farmers eventually sold their land to developers like Al Frank, president of Buffalo Grove Home Builders Inc., who started developing his 100-acre purchase in the 1950s for World War II and Korean War veterans. The demand for single-family homes near Chicago led to a wave of "suburban settlers" in Buffalo Grove; they lived in Frank's 1,000 square foot homes. Frank was instrumental in Buffalo Grove's incorporation in 1958 because he successfully recruited many people; incidentally, most of them were related to him or working for him. He had wanted to incorporate Buffalo Grove to remove his development from Cook County city planners. The incorporated population was 164 people. The incorporation led to a population increase in Buffalo Grove, and as more developers came, the village annexed more land. Organization quickly commenced as the government created a plan commission and parks and recreation commission. Meanwhile, the government hired a professional planner to create a land-use plan, which prevented problems associated with rapid growth. Alcott School opened in 1960. In 1962, the village held its first Buffalo Days festival, and the new Buffalo Grove flag—depicting a majestic, fighting buffalo, green leaves, and gold bands—was chosen. In the 1970s, Buffalo Grove experienced an 80 percent population growth, the third-highest rate in the northwest suburbs during the decade. The increasing population caused the village to continue to annex subdivisions such as the Highlands, Green Knolls, and Windfield and establish
home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
status, thereby allowing the government greater ability to solve local problems. In addition to residential subdivisions, the Buffalo Grove Commerce Center was developed in 1981 with 50 acres of industrial park at Lake Cook Road and the Soo Line Railroad tracks. In the mid-1980s, the Corporate Grove industrial park was built to the east, and Buffalo Grove Business Park was constructed to the west. The Arbor Creek Business Center at Aptakisic Road and Barclay Boulevard, and Covington Corporate Center on Busch Road were also developed. Important buildings and organizations were completed in the 1970s, including
Buffalo Grove High School Buffalo Grove High School (BGHS) is a public high school located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. It is one of six four-year comprehensive high schools in Township High School District 214, serving portions of the village ...
, Adlai E. Stevenson High School, the park district, Indian Trails Public Library, and Vernon Area Public Library. In 1992, village representatives successfully pushed for a United States Postal Service in Buffalo Grove, the first main postal facility built in the United States in 20 years. The lack of a postal facility had many problems for residents, such as long lines, congestion, and parking hassles at the Wheeling facility. In 2006, the village became one of the first official smoke-free communities by banning smoking in public places and work environments.


Geography

Buffalo Grove is a suburb of the city of Chicago, located in the extreme northeastern region of Illinois.
Lake Cook Road Lake Cook Road (alternatively referred to as County Line Road or Main Street in some areas) is a major east–west highway in Cook, Lake, McHenry, and Kane Counties in Illinois. For much of its length, it marks the border between Cook and La ...
splits Buffalo Grove into two parts: the Lake County Vernon Township portion and the
Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
Wheeling Township portion. Around three-quarters of the village is in Vernon Township. Both parts differ in their demographics and similarities with neighboring communities. Buffalo Grove shares a border with Wheeling to its southeast, Arlington Heights to its southwest and south, Riverwoods and Deerfield directly east,
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
to its northeast,
Vernon Hills Vernon Hills is a suburb north of Chicago, Illinois in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 26,850 at the 2020 census. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area ( Libertyville, Lake Forest, Long Grove, Lin ...
directly north, and Long Grove to its west and northwest. Unincorporated Prairie View is in two parts of the village. One large portion in the north includes Didier Farms, while the much smaller portion is on the Horatio Gardens subdivision just northeast of the intersection of Weiland Road and Pauline Avenue.
Illinois Route 83 Illinois Route 83 (IL 83) is a major north–south state highway in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Route 30 (US 30, Lincoln Highway) by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana, north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Wisconsin Highw ...
leads north towards central Lake County and south towards
O'Hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
. East–west streets can take residents east to
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
and other North Shore suburbs such as Lake Forest, Highland Park, and Glencoe. According to the 2020 US
gazetteer A gazetteer is a geographical index or directory used in conjunction with a map or atlas.Aurousseau, 61. It typically contains information concerning the geographical makeup, social statistics and physical features of a country, region, or co ...
files, the village has a total area of , of which is land, and (or 0.31%) is water. Willow Stream Park is the largest park in Buffalo Grove at 54 acres. It includes picnic areas, handicap-accessible preschool and elementary play areas, sports fields, and bike paths. Buffalo Creek is a forest preserve located adjacent to Buffalo Grove. Before European settlement, the area featured a
tallgrass prairie The tallgrass prairie is an ecosystem native to central North America. Historically, natural and anthropogenic fire, as well as grazing by large mammals (primarily bison) provided periodic disturbances to these ecosystems, limiting the encroach ...
dotted with small
wetlands A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
and even now is a nesting spot for grassland birds, including
bobolink The bobolink (''Dolichonyx oryzivorus'') is a small New World blackbird and the only member of the genus ''Dolichonyx''. An old name for this species is the "rice bird", from its tendency to feed on cultivated grains during winter and migration. ...
s and
eastern meadowlark The eastern meadowlark (''Sturnella magna'') is a medium-sized blackbird (family: Icteridae), very similar in appearance to sister species western meadowlark. It occurs from eastern North America to northern South America, where it is also most w ...
s. Improvements in the 2010s include 1.7 miles of trails, seven boardwalks, two scenic overlooks, and a reservoir expansion. Buffalo Creek also functions as flood control and is built to look like a naturally occurring wetland. Buffalo Grove is in the
Des Plaines River The Des Plaines River () is a river that flows southward for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois''American Her ...
watershed Watershed is a hydrological term, which has been adopted in other fields in a more or less figurative sense. It may refer to: Hydrology * Drainage divide, the line that separates neighbouring drainage basins * Drainage basin, called a "watershe ...
.


Climate

Due to its proximity to the city, Buffalo Grove's climate shares many of the same traits as Chicago. Buffalo Grove lies in a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
zone (
Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...
: ''Dfa'') and experiences four distinct seasons. Buffalo Grove receives an average of of
precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...
each year. According to MyForecast, Buffalo Grove's record high is 104 °F (40 °C), and the record low is -24 °F (-31.1 °C). Summers are hot and humid, with frequent
heat waves A heat wave, or heatwave, is a period of excessively hot weather, which may be accompanied by high humidity, especially in oceanic climate countries. While definitions vary, a heat wave is usually measured relative to the usual climate in the ...
. July is the hottest month, and the daily average temperature is 84 °F (28.9 °C), while the daily low temperatures are around 65 °F (18.3 °C). On average, summer temperatures reach at least 90 °F (32 °C) on as many as 16 days. Winters are relatively cold and snowy, with
blizzards A blizzard is a severe snowstorm characterized by strong sustained winds and low visibility, lasting for a prolonged period of time—typically at least three or four hours. A ground blizzard is a weather condition where snow is not falling b ...
sometimes occurring, as in
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. There are many sunny but cold days in winter. The average winter high from December through March is about 34 °F (1.1 °C), with January and February being the coldest months; a polar vortex occurred in January 2019.
Spring Spring(s) may refer to: Common uses * Spring (season), a season of the year * Spring (device), a mechanical device that stores energy * Spring (hydrology), a natural source of water * Spring (mathematics), a geometric surface in the shape of a ...
and
autumn Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...
are mild, short seasons.
Dew point The dew point is the temperature to which air must be cooled to become saturated with water vapor, assuming constant air pressure and water content. When cooled below the dew point, moisture capacity is reduced and airborne water vapor will cond ...
temperatures in the summer range from an average of 56 °F (13.3 °C) in June to 62 °F (16.7 °C) in July. Like all Chicago suburbs, Buffalo Grove lies within
USDA The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
plant
hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...
5b.


Demographics

''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.'' As of the 2020 Census, Buffalo Grove has a population of 43,212, a 4.1 percent increase, with 1,716 more people than the
2010 United States Census The United States census of 2010 was the twenty-third United States national census. National Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2010. The census was taken via mail-in citizen self-reporting, with enumerators servin ...
. Originally incorporated with 164 people, Buffalo Grove experienced a population boom during its first few decades because of the suburban craze following World War II and the Korean War. According to 2020 US Census Bureau data, the population of Buffalo Grove was 72.2% White (67.9% non-Hispanic White), 21%
Asians Asian people (or Asians, sometimes referred to as Asiatic people)United States National Library of Medicine. Medical Subject Headings. 2004. November 17, 200Nlm.nih.gov: ''Asian Continental Ancestry Group'' is also used for categorical purpos ...
, 1.6% African American, 0.2% American Indian or Alaska Native, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and 2.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.92% of the population. Hispanics of any race made up 6.8% of the village's population. The educational attainment of Buffalo Grove citizens were 97.7% graduating high school, 6.3% having an
associate degree An associate degree is an undergraduate degree awarded after a course of post-secondary study lasting two to three years. It is a level of qualification above a high school diploma, GED, or matriculation, and below a bachelor's degree. The fi ...
, 38.1% having a
bachelor's degree A bachelor's degree (from Middle Latin ''baccalaureus'') or baccalaureate (from Modern Latin ''baccalaureatus'') is an undergraduate academic degree awarded by colleges and universities upon completion of a course of study lasting three to six ...
, and 28% having a
master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is an academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice.
or professional degree. The median property value for owner-occupied houses was $332,300. Median household earnings were $115,951; men's median earnings were $92,984; women's median earnings were $66,705. The poverty rate was 3.4%. Like many northwest suburbs, a large
Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...
population resides in Buffalo Grove. Jewish immigrants in the 20th century moved from Germany and East Europe to Chicago, and many enjoyed economic mobility throughout the first half of the 20th century. The German immigrants tended towards
Reform Judaism Reform Judaism, also known as Liberal Judaism or Progressive Judaism, is a major Jewish denomination that emphasizes the evolving nature of Judaism, the superiority of its ethical aspects to its ceremonial ones, and belief in a continuous searc ...
in America while the Russian and Hungarian Empire immigrants usually practiced
Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is the collective term for the traditionalist and theologically conservative branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as revealed by God to Moses on M ...
because they stuck with traditions from home. Despite Jewish success in Chicago, the younger generation left for the suburbs. Vacant land, reasonably priced housing, and a desire for single-family housing attracted many. Their high income and improved mobility from the automobile allowed them. In 1995, the population of the northern suburbs was around 10 to 25 percent Jewish, with Buffalo Grove being over 25 percent. Buffalo Grove had six
synagogues A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
in 1995. Since the 1980s, the Jewish population has declined due to less immigration to the US, low birthrate, assimilation, and lack of Jewish identity. In 2011, 16% of Buffalo Grove's residents were Asian, the seventh-highest percent in Chicago suburbs. Buffalo Grove's increasing Asian population continued in 2019, with the number jumping to 21%, compared with 8.4% in 2000. The particular Asians most represented in Buffalo Grove are
Japanese Americans are Americans of Japanese ancestry. Japanese Americans were among the three largest Asian American ethnic communities during the 20th century; but, according to the 2000 census, they have declined in number to constitute the sixth largest Asi ...
,
Indian Americans Indian Americans or Indo-Americans are citizens of the United States with ancestry from India. The United States Census Bureau uses the term Asian Indian to avoid confusion with Native Americans, who have also historically been referred to ...
, and
Korean Americans Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian American ...
. The schools, housing, work opportunities, religious institutions, ethnic businesses, and entertainment attract moving families. Also,
NeighborhoodScout NeighborhoodScout is a website and online database of U.S. neighborhood analytics created in 2002 by geographer and demographics specialist Andrew Schiller, Ph.D. of Location Inc. The site offers neighborhood reports and a search function that allow ...
routinely ranks Buffalo Grove as one of the top 100 safest cities in the US, and some years, the top 10.
Ronald Goldman Ronald Lyle Goldman (July 2, 1968 – June 12, 1994) was an American restaurant waiter and a friend of Nicole Brown Simpson, the ex-wife of the American football player O.J. Simpson. He was murdered, along with Brown, at her home in Los Angeles ...
, a victim in the
O. J. Simpson murder case ''The People of the State of California v. Orenthal James Simpson'' was a criminal trial in Los Angeles County Superior Court starting in 1994, in which O. J. Simpson, a former National Football League (NFL) player, broadcaster and actor, was ...
, grew up in Buffalo Grove. Being a suburb, Buffalo Grove attracts families looking for a good environment to raise children and avoid the downfalls of living in a city. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's
American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is a demographics survey program conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census, such as ancestry, citizenship, educati ...
data estimates for 2015–2019, of the 15,399 households, 35.5% had children under 18 living with them, and 65.9% were
married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...
living together. Female householder families with no spouse or partner present who own children under 18 years made up 2.4% of all households (0.5% for male equivalent), and 3.3% of households were cohabiting couples. Of all households, 23.0% were individuals, and 28.6% had one or more people 65 years and over. The average household size was 2.66, and 41.6% spoke a language other than English at home. The median age was 41.7 years old. The age range was broad, with 23.0% of the population under 18, 32.5% aged 18 to 44 years, 30.0% aged 45 to 64 years, and 14.5% aged 65 years and older.


Economy

The Buffalo Grove economy includes several corporate business parks, a diverse retail market, and
professional services Professional services are occupations in the service sector requiring special training in the arts or sciences. Some professional services, such as architects, accountants, engineers, doctors, and lawyers require the practitioner to hold professi ...
. The 20,000-day workers operate in 10 million square feet of commercial and industrial space. Retail areas are Town Center, Chase Plaza, and individual businesses in smaller commercial centers. Town Center has declined since being built in the 1980s. According to consultants of the village, it lacks a theme, has little street access and
walkability Walkability is a term for planning concepts best understood by the mixed-use of amenities in high-density neighborhoods where people can access said amenities by foot. It is based on the idea that urban spaces should be more than just transport ...
, and has physically deteriorated. Industrially, Buffalo Grove is stronger. In 2017, industrial property vacancy was lower than that of the
Chicago metro area The Chicago metropolitan area, also colloquially referred to as Chicagoland, is a metropolitan area in the Midwestern United States. Encompassing 10,286 sq mi (28,120 km2), the metropolitan area includes the city of Chicago, its suburbs and hi ...
and the US; also, the average gross rent was double that of the area average, suggesting that demand for property was high in the village. The village government incentivizes multiple companies to operate in the village. Because Hines Supply has been the largest sales tax generator in Buffalo Grove, the village created a tax agreement in 2000 that—after being amended a few times—will last until 2040. The agreement requires the village to rebate 60 percent of the total sales tax collected. The village also created a $7 million tax agreement to incentivize the long-awaited and popular
Woodman's Markets Woodman's Markets is an employee-owned American regional supermarket chain based in Janesville, Wisconsin. Founded in 1919 as a produce stand, Woodman's has grown to operate nineteen stores in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. Woodman's appeared o ...
to open in Buffalo Grove. It attracts shoppers from up to an hour away. The arrival spurred build out on Milwaukee Avenue and is part of Deerfield Parkway's 25 acres of commercial development. Other companies in tax agreements are Business IT Source Inc. and ThermFlo. In 2015, 72.5 percent of residents were in the labor force; the
unemployment rate Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the referen ...
was 3.5 percent, a little lower than Lake County's rate of 5.1 percent. Of those employed in 2015, 15.9 percent worked in Chicago, 5.7 percent worked in Buffalo Grove, and less than 4 percent in Arlington Heights, Schaumburg, and Wheeling. Around 10 percent of those employed in Buffalo Grove lived in Chicago, while 7.4 percent lived and worked in Buffalo Grove. In 2019, the top five employers in Buffalo Grove were
Siemens Building Technologies Siemens Building Technologies is an Operating Division of Siemens. It provides automation technologies and services for commercial, industrial and public buildings and infrastructures. The division is headquartered in Zug, Switzerland, and empl ...
with 1,800 employees, I.S.I (business consulting) at 1,200, ESS (business consulting) at 550, Plexus Corp (an electronic parts supplier) at 370, and Veritas Document Solutions (commercial printer) at 300. Other large employers include US LBM Holdings, LLC (Hines Supply is a
subsidiary A subsidiary, subsidiary company or daughter company is a company owned or controlled by another company, which is called the parent company or holding company. Two or more subsidiaries that either belong to the same parent company or having a s ...
), the Village of Buffalo Grove, ARxIUM, Vapor Bus International, and Leica Microsystems Inc.


Arts and culture

The Raupp Museum, operated by the Buffalo Grove Park District, chronicles the town's history, starting with the
Potawatomi The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
and ending at the "bustling suburb of today". In 1964, the Raupp brothers donated their land to the Park District with the wish that they make it a library or museum. Dedicated in 1979, the museum regularly receives grants from the state, allowing it to contain and preserve two permanent gallery spaces and changing exhibits while serving around 9,000 visitors a year. In 2014, the Buffalo Grove Park District opened the Community Arts Center, which houses a theater space and classrooms. The Park District's local theater company, Big Deal Productions, uses the theater. The Buffalo Grove Town Center, a major shopping and retail destination within the village, is located at the Buffalo Grove Road and McHenry Road intersections with Lake Cook Road. It accommodates the Buffalo Grove Theater and Bowlero: a bowling, arcade,
laser tag Laser tag is a recreational shooting sport where participants use infrared-emitting light guns to tag designated targets. Infrared-sensitive signaling devices are commonly worn by each player to register hits and are sometimes integrated wit ...
, and birthday party venue. The Town Center has struggled throughout its existence, with the original development taking 17 years and redevelopment stagnating. The Buffalo Grove Invitational Fine Arts Festival was year-round at the Buffalo Grove Town Center in mid-July, with over 30,000 visitors attending on average. The last festival occurred in 2011. The village is home to St. Mary's church, built in the 1850s by the
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
population and originally made up of 10 members. It was reconstructed around the turn of the century after it burned down in a fire. The
Gothic architecture Gothic architecture (or pointed architecture) is an architectural style that was prevalent in Europe from the late 12th to the 16th century, during the High and Late Middle Ages, surviving into the 17th and 18th centuries in some areas. It e ...
contains miniature spires, wood tending, and stained windows which tower above the surrounding country. Buffalo Grove had six
synagogues A synagogue, ', 'house of assembly', or ', "house of prayer"; Yiddish: ''shul'', Ladino: or ' (from synagogue); or ', "community". sometimes referred to as shul, and interchangeably used with the word temple, is a Jewish house of worshi ...
in 1995.


Annual cultural events

Buffalo Grove holds approximately ten events throughout the year, the largest being Buffalo Grove Days in September. The multi-day festival occurs at Mike Rylko Community Park, 951 McHenry Road., located on the east side of McHenry/Route 83, between Buffalo Grove Road and Deerfield Parkway, next to the Spray ’n’ Play waterpark. It features carnival games, roller coaster rides, arts and craft booths, food vendors, live music, and a parade held at the beginning of the festival. The festival usually attracts residents from Buffalo Grove and neighboring communities. Another prominent event is the
Farmers' Market A farmers' market (or farmers market according to the AP stylebook, also farmer's market in the Cambridge Dictionary) is a physical retail marketplace intended to sell foods directly by farmers to consumers. Farmers' markets may be indoors or o ...
, also held at Mike Rylko Community Park. It lasts every Sunday morning from June to October, presenting "locally grown fruits, vegetables, condiments, gourmet coffee and pastries, and more". In addition, businesses sponsor booths while non-profits showcase local organizations and businesses. The village government says it was once ranked Illinois’ best Farmers' Market. On June 2, 2019, Buffalo Grove held its inaugural
pride parade A pride parade (also known as pride march, pride event, or pride festival) is an outdoor event celebrating lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer culture, queer (LGBTQ) social and self-acceptance, achievements, LGBT rights by country o ...
, organized by the Pinta family, and has continued hosting annually. Other events and programs in Buffalo Grove include Rotary Village Green concerts, Lawn Chair Lyrics, Movies Under the Stars, Green Fair, Buffalo Grove Symphonic Band, Buffalo Grove Singers, National Night Out,
Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
Fireworks, and Golf at Buffalo Grove and Arboretum Golf Courses.


Libraries

The
Indian Trails Public Library District The Indian Trails Public Library District is a public library district located in Wheeling, Illinois, United States, serving 67,000 residents in Wheeling, Buffalo Grove Buffalo Grove, officially the Village of Buffalo Grove, is a village ...
serves Wheeling Township Buffalo Grove and a small portion of Lake County Buffalo Grove. It is located in Wheeling, south of the intersection of Dundee Road and Schoenbeck Road. The library has renovated, moved, and changed multiple times since beginning in a 20-foot by 30-foot frame building and holding fewer than 13,000 items in its collection. In 2009, the one-millionth item was checked out from the library. Vernon Area Public Library District serves Vernon Township Buffalo Grove, located in Lincolnshire. The Vernon Area Public library began in 1974 in a classroom in the Adlai Stevenson High School and later moved to a temporary building in the high school parking lot. The first permanent library building was at 4 Indian Creek Road in Lincolnshire. On March 20, 1990, voters approved a referendum to sell $6.9 million in bonds to construct a new library adjacent to the existing library building. On September 15, 1993, the Vernon Area Public Library opened at 300 Olde Half Day Road in Lincolnshire. In 2019, the total collection use was 1,092,622.


Sports and recreation

Buffalo Grove has an extensive collection of parks and natural open spaces. Nicole Park is north of Old Checker Road along Arlington Heights Road and contains a playground and open space. It is named after a 10-year-old girl who died in a nearby reservoir. Willow Stream Park along Old Checker Road serves the village with sports fields and courts, a pool, playground, and large open grass areas. Mike Rylko Community Park is home to the fairs and events mentioned above, and Buffalo Grove Fitness Center is north of Willow Stream; both feature similar amenities to Willow Stream. South of Lake Cook Road is Emmerich Park (named after a soldier), home to the Buffalo Grove Park District and where BGRA (mentioned below) plays many games. In total, Buffalo Grove has dozens of parks. In addition to parks, Buffalo Grove has 43 miles of paths and sidewalks in Buffalo Creek Trail, Des Plaines River Trail, and Cook County Forest Preserve District. The non-profit corporation Buffalo Grove Recreation Association (BGRA), not affiliated with the park district, provides a youth baseball league for the community. Founded in 1961, BGRA's 1,500 players and 600 volunteers participate in House Baseball (for anyone), Travel Baseball (try out), and Buddy Baseball. Buddy Baseball pairs special needs children and non-disabled buddies, who help them play baseball. Buffalo Grove has two golf courses and one indoor golf facility. The Buffalo Grove Golf Course is one of the largest open spaces within the village. Utilized as a floodplain, the course both functions as enjoyment and civil infrastructure. The Arboretum Club, which opened in 1990, is an 18-hole course with a 71.1 rating. Lastly, the park district's 100 by 60-yard Golf Dome has a 75-yard driving range, putting green, and hitting stations. Multiple notable athletes have originated from Buffalo Grove.
Felice Herrig Felice Nicole Herrig (born September 18, 1984) is an American retired kickboxing, kickboxer, Muay Thai, Muay Thai fighter, and Mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the strawweight div ...
, a native of Buffalo Grove, is a
kickboxer Kickboxing is a combat sport focused on kicking and punching. The combat takes place in a boxing ring, normally with boxing gloves, mouthguards, shorts, and bare feet to favour the use of kicks. Kickboxing is practiced for self-defense, general ...
, Muay Thai fighter, and
mixed martial artist Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorp ...
. In 2021, she was No. 15 on the UFC women's strawweight rankings.
Zach Borenstein Zachary Borenstein (born July 23, 1990) is an American professional left-handed-hitting baseball outfielder who is currently a free agent. Borenstein attended Buffalo Grove High School in Illinois, where he was a ''Chicago Tribune'' and ''Chicago ...
had a .524 batting average as a senior at
Buffalo Grove High School Buffalo Grove High School (BGHS) is a public high school located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. It is one of six four-year comprehensive high schools in Township High School District 214, serving portions of the village ...
and subsequently played at
Eastern Illinois University Eastern Illinois University is a public university in Charleston, Illinois. Established in 1895 as the Eastern Illinois State Normal School, a teacher's college offering a two-year degree, Eastern Illinois University gradually expanded into a co ...
and multiple minor league teams.
Andy Wozniewski Andrew Pera Wozniewski (born May 25, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the Toronto Maple Leafs, St. Louis Blues and the Boston Bruins. Playing career Undrafted, Wozn ...
, a former
ice hockey Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice hock ...
player for the
Toronto Maple Leafs The Toronto Maple Leafs (officially the Toronto Maple Leaf Hockey Club and often referred to as the Leafs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Div ...
and other teams, including Team USA at the
Deutschland Cup The Deutschland Cup is an in-season international ice hockey tournament hosted by the German Ice Hockey Federation which has been contested in most years since 1987. Early years (1987–1997) In 1987, the German Ice Hockey Federation created the ...
, was born in Buffalo Grove. Brett Lebda, ice hockey
defenseman Defence or defense (in American English) in ice hockey is a player position that is primarily responsible for preventing the opposing team from Goal (ice hockey), scoring. They are often referred to as defencemen, D, D-men or blueliners (the la ...
for multiple teams, including the Toronto Maple Leafs, attended Buffalo Grove High School. Buffalo Grove native
Megan Bozek Megan Bozek (born March 27, 1991) is an American ice hockey player and member of the United States national team. She most recently played with the KRS Vanke Rays of the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL) during the 2020–21 season. Bozek played ...
is an ice hockey player who plays for the
KRS Vanke Rays The Shenzhen Kunlun Red Star () or the Shenzhen KRS () are a professional ice hockey team in the Zhenskaya Hockey League (ZhHL). They are based in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China and their home is Shenzhen Dayun Arena. In response to heightened en ...
and the United States national team. Finally, Olympic figure skater
Bradie Tennell Bradie Tennell (born January 31, 1998) is an American figure skater. She is a 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist, the 2020 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2018 CS Autumn Classic champion, the 2018 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb champion, ...
trained most of her life at Twin Rinks in Buffalo Grove. She is a 2018 Olympic team event bronze medalist, the 2020 Four Continents bronze medalist, the 2018 CS Autumn Classic champion, the 2018 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb champion, and a two-time US national champion (2018, 2021).


Government

The government of Buffalo Grove is a council-manager form of government with elements of
home rule Home rule is government of a colony, dependent country, or region by its own citizens. It is thus the power of a part (administrative division) of a state or an external dependent country to exercise such of the state's powers of governance wit ...
, gained in 1980. The village president and six trustees with four-year terms lead the government. The daily functions of the village are carried out by an appointed village manager whose job includes attracting new businesses, presenting an annual budget, and much more. According to the village, the village manager's function "is similar to that of a general manager in a multi-division service organization". Accordingly, the village manager, Dane Bragg, received a $267,310 salary in 2019 plus a $15,000 bonus. In 2021, the village expected $107 million in revenues to support $113 million in expenditures. Fire Department and Police pensions and
Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund The Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (or IMRF) is the second largest and best-funded public pension system in Illinois. Since 1941, has partnered with local units of government to provide retirement, disability and death benefits for public empl ...
were the steepest expenditures, totaling around $7 million. In 2017, the biggest revenue sources were taxes at 58 percent (property taxes were largest at 34 percent) and intergovernmental revenues at 27 percent. The sales tax rate for Cook and Lake County is 10 percent and 8 percent. Also, the tax rate on food and beverages sold at restaurants in the Cook County portion of Buffalo Grove is 11 percent (10 percent for sales tax and 1 percent for food and beverage tax), while in Lake County, the same tax on food sold at restaurants is 9 percent. Budgeted employment in 2018 for Police, Fire, Public Works, Golf, and Administration was 260 people.
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
Democratic
Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
Adriane Johnson is a resident of Buffalo Grove. Appointed in 2020 following Terry Link's resignation, she represents part of Buffalo Grove and serves on Buffalo Grove Park Board. She does not plan to seek re-election in 2022. The other Illinois Senator who represents Buffalo Grove is
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
Julie Morrison Julie A. Morrison (born September 20, 1956) is a member of the Illinois Senate from the 29th district. The 29th district includes all or parts of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Bannockburn, Deerfield, Glencoe, Glenview, Highland Park, ...
in the 29th state senate district. In the
Illinois House of Representatives The Illinois House of Representatives is the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. The body was created by the first Illinois Constitution adopted in 1818. The House under the current constitution as amended in 1980 consists of 118 re ...
, Democrats
Daniel Didech Daniel Didech is a Democratic member of the Illinois House of Representatives for the 59th district. The district, located in the Chicago metropolitan area, includes all or part of Vernon Hills, Prairie View, Buffalo Grove, Indian Creek, Li ...
and
Jonathan Carroll Jonathan Samuel Carroll (born January 26, 1949) is an American fiction writer primarily known for novels that may be labelled magic realism, slipstream or contemporary fantasy. He has lived in Austria since 1974. Life and work Carroll was b ...
represent the 59th and 57th districts. Nationally,
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
Brad Schneider Bradley Scott Schneider (born August 20, 1961) is an American businessman and politician who became the U.S. representative for Illinois's 10th congressional district in 2017, previously holding the position from 2013 to 2015. Before he was elec ...
represents Lake County Buffalo Grove in the 10th Congressional District, and
Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...
Raja Krishnamoorthi Subramanian Raja Krishnamoorthi ( born July 19, 1973) is an Indian-born American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2017. The district includes many of Chicago's western and northwestern suburbs, such as Hoff ...
represents Cook County Buffalo Grove in the 8th Congressional District. Former Buffalo Grove Village Presidents Verna L. Clayton and Sidney Mathias served in the Illinois House of Representatives.


Education

Buffalo Grove has four private schools, over ten public schools, and one public high school. Lake County Buffalo Grove districts are
Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District 102 The Aptakisic-Tripp School District is a school district in Lake County, Illinois. It operates four schools and covers grades Early Childhood through 8. Most students live in Buffalo Grove, a northern suburb of Chicago, and some live in unincorp ...
and Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96, while Cook County Buffalo Grove has Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21. High school students in the Lake County portion of Buffalo Grove attend Stevenson High School in nearby
Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (abbreviated Lincs.) is a county in the East Midlands of England, with a long coastline on the North Sea to the east. It borders Norfolk to the south-east, Cambridgeshire to the south, Rutland to the south-west, Leicestershire ...
. Cook County students attend
Buffalo Grove High School Buffalo Grove High School (BGHS) is a public high school located in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, a northwest suburb of Chicago. It is one of six four-year comprehensive high schools in Township High School District 214, serving portions of the village ...
, located in the
Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...
part of the village. The three districts that take students from Buffalo Grove have different histories. Since the 1840s, schools serving Buffalo Grove changed in response to the growing community. They were consolidated in 1955 under the name
Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District 102 The Aptakisic-Tripp School District is a school district in Lake County, Illinois. It operates four schools and covers grades Early Childhood through 8. Most students live in Buffalo Grove, a northern suburb of Chicago, and some live in unincorp ...
. The first school to open in Buffalo Grove was the Alcott School in 1961—now the Alcott Center—in response to growth on the Cook County side (a different district Aptakisic-Tripp). The first year had 52 first-graders and six sixth graders. To support the rapidly growing village, the district held referendums and successfully built Pritchett Elementary School, Tripp School, and Meridian School in the 1980s. To accommodate the continued increase in population, the district changed the configuration of the grades in the schools in 2018. Buffalo Grove High School's district (
Township High School District 214 Township High School District 214 is located in Cook County, Illinois. It is the state's second largest high school district by enrollment.
) almost did not pass the referendum because women's votes were not counted immediately; the referendum was eventually successful. Buffalo Grove's successful schools have attracted moving families. Three out of four schools in
Aptakisic-Tripp Community Consolidated School District 102 The Aptakisic-Tripp School District is a school district in Lake County, Illinois. It operates four schools and covers grades Early Childhood through 8. Most students live in Buffalo Grove, a northern suburb of Chicago, and some live in unincorp ...
received
Blue Ribbon The blue ribbon is a symbol of high quality. The association comes from The Blue Riband, a prize awarded for the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by passenger liners and, prior to that from Cordon Bleu, which referred to the blue ribbon ...
awards and many fine arts commendations in the 2010s. All Buffalo Grove schools in Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21 received commendable or exemplary designations by Illinois in 2019. Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 has received over 10 Blue Ribbon awards. Three of its schools were named among the top 15 public schools in 2006, amd all schools earned 2009 ISBE Academic Excellence recognition. Stevenson High School has received the United States Department of Education's "Excellence in Education" Blue Ribbon Award five times. In 2021, ''U.S. News & World Report'' ranked Stevenson 171st nationally and 6th in Illinois, making it 1st in Illinois open-enrollment schools. Buffalo Grove High School won a Blue Ribbon Award in 2000, and
Chicago magazine ''Chicago'' is a monthly magazine published by Tribune Publishing. It concentrates on lifestyle and human interest stories, and on reviewing restaurants, travel, fashion, and theatre from or nearby Chicago. Its circulation in 2004 was 165,000, ...
named it a top 20 high school in Cook County in 2012. A French teacher won the Dorothy S. Ludwig Excellence in Teaching Award in 2021.


Infrastructure

Buffalo Grove relies on multiple arterial roads. Going north-south, drivers use Milwaukee Avenue (
Illinois Route 21 Illinois Route 21 (IL 21) is an arterial north–south state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from Illinois Route 43 (Harlem Avenue) in Niles to U.S. Route 41 (Skokie Highway) north of Gurnee. Illinois 21 is 28.13 miles (45.27  ...
) on the east side of the village, Buffalo Grove Road and Weiland Road down the center, and Arlington Heights Road on the west side of Buffalo Grove. Going east-west, drivers use Dundee Road (
Illinois Route 68 Illinois Route 68 (IL 68) is a east–west state highway in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Illinois. It travels east from IL 72 (Higgins Road) in the Dundee area to the concurrency of Interstate 94 (I-94)/U.S. Route ...
) in south Buffalo Grove, Lake Cook Road and Deerfield Parkway in the center, and Aptakisic and Half Day Road (
Illinois Route 22 Illinois Route 22, also known as Half Day Road for part of its length, is an east–west state highway in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 14 (Northwest Highway) in Fox River Grove to U.S. Route 41 (Skokie Highway) in Highland Park ...
) in the north. McHenry Road (
Illinois Route 83 Illinois Route 83 (IL 83) is a major north–south state highway in northeast Illinois. It stretches from U.S. Route 30 (US 30, Lincoln Highway) by Lynwood and Dyer, Indiana, north to the Wisconsin border by Antioch at Wisconsin Highw ...
) acts as a diagonal road in the village by going north–south and east–west.
O'hare International Airport Chicago O'Hare International Airport , sometimes referred to as, Chicago O'Hare, or simply O'Hare, is the main international airport serving Chicago, Illinois, located on the city's Northwest Side, approximately northwest of the Chicago Loop, ...
is approximately south of Buffalo Grove. Because of
Lake Cook Road Lake Cook Road (alternatively referred to as County Line Road or Main Street in some areas) is a major east–west highway in Cook, Lake, McHenry, and Kane Counties in Illinois. For much of its length, it marks the border between Cook and La ...
, the village has access to the Interstate Highway system (I-90, I-94, and I-294).


Metra

Since its creation in 1996, the Buffalo Grove station has operated on Metra's
North Central Service The North Central Service (NCS) is a Metra commuter rail line running from Union Station in downtown Chicago through northwestern and far northern suburbs to Antioch, Illinois. In June 2018, the public timetable shows 10 weekday departures from C ...
, which provides daily
commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
service between
Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; grc-gre, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου, ''Antiókheia hē epì Oróntou'', Learned ; also Syrian Antioch) grc-koi, Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπὶ Ὀρόντου; or Ἀντιόχεια ἡ ἐπ ...
and Chicago's
Union Station A union station (also known as a union terminal, a joint station in Europe, and a joint-use station in Japan) is a railway station at which the tracks and facilities are shared by two or more separate railway companies, allowing passengers to ...
. The station is away from the southern terminus of the line Union Station. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Buffalo Grove is in zone F. As of 2018, Buffalo Grove is the 76th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 695 weekday boardings, making it the most trafficked station on the North Central Service. The train station is just east of the intersection of Weiland Road and Deerfield Parkway. The
Prairie View station Prairie View station is on Metra's North Central Service in the unincorporated area of Prairie View, Illinois, near Buffalo Grove. The station is away from Chicago Union Station Chicago Union Station is an intercity and commuter rail term ...
is north of Half Day Road (IL Route 22) and Prairie Road's intersection, and it is also used by Buffalo Grove residents. Located along the eastern boundary of the village, the station is away from Union Station. Prairie View is in zone G. As of 2018, Prairie View is the 113th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 415 weekday boardings. The North Central Service runs primarily during rush hour, but not on the weekends and few holidays; instead, Buffalo Grove residents must use the Arlington Heights Metra Station, the Deerfield Metra Station, or the Lake Cook Road Metra Station.


Utilities

Water in Buffalo Grove is from
Lake Michigan Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
, and
Commonwealth Edison Commonwealth Edison, commonly known by syllabic abbreviation as ComEd, is the largest electric utility in Illinois, and the in Chicago and much of Northern Illinois. Its service territory stretches roughly from Iroquois County on the south to ...
provides electric power. The village purchases water from the Northwest Water Commission and controls the distribution of water. It travels through four pumping stations and 181 miles of underground water main. Also, Buffalo Grove flushes hydrants, plows streets, and repairs faulty
water meters Water metering is the practice of measuring water use. Water meters measure the volume of water used by residential and commercial building units that are supplied with water by a public water supply system. They are also used to determine flo ...
of private residents. There is a Stormwater Utility Fee for Buffalo Grove owning and maintaining the Stormwater Management System, composed of storm sewers, creeks, waterways, and detention areas. Buffalo Grove operates on an exclusive contract with
Waste Management, Inc. Waste Management, Inc., doing business as WM, is a waste management, comprehensive waste, and environmental services company operating in North America. Founded in 1968, the company is headquartered in the Bank of America Tower in Houston, Tex ...
for solid waste disposal. This contract includes "At Your Door (AYD) Service," which allows a pick-up of hazardous and difficult-to-recycle materials, such as electronics, televisions, paint, and chemicals. In 2004, the Village of Buffalo Grove Public Works Department received national accreditation from the
American Public Works Association The American Public Works Association (APWA) is a nonprofit, professional association of public works agencies, private companies, and individuals dedicated to promoting professional excellence and public awareness through education, advocacy and ...
, the second agency to earn recognition in Illinois.


Notable people

Several actors, actresses, and musicians are from Buffalo Grove.
Aaron Himelstein Aaron Himelstein (born October 10, 1985) is an American actor who is best known for playing a younger version of Austin Powers in ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' and Friedman, Luke Girardi's best friend, in ''Joan of Arcadia''. He also wrote, dir ...
, the actor who played younger
Austin Powers ''Austin Powers'' is a series of American spy action comedy films: '' Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery'' (1997), '' Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me'' (1999) and ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' (2002). The films were produced an ...
in
Austin Powers in Goldmember ''Austin Powers in Goldmember'' is a 2002 American spy comedy film directed by Jay Roach. It is the third in the ''Austin Powers'' film series and stars Mike Myers in four roles: Austin Powers, Dr. Evil, Goldmember, and Fat Bastard. Myers and M ...
, moved to Buffalo Grove when he was 3.
Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. Vaughn began acting in the late 1980s, appearing in minor television roles before attaining wider recognition with the 1996 comedy-drama film '' Swingers''. He has appeared in ...
was raised in Buffalo Grove.
Jessy Schram Jessica Schram (born January 15, 1986) is an American actress, model and singer. Her most notable roles include Hannah Griffith in ''Veronica Mars'', Rachel Seybolt in ''Life'', Karen Nadler in '' Falling Skies'' and Cinderella/Ashley Boyd in ' ...
, an actress who was born and raised in Buffalo Grove, played
Cinderella "Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
in the TV series
Once Upon a Time "Once upon a time" is a stock phrase used to introduce a narrative of past events, typically in fairy tales and folk tales. It has been used in some form since at least 1380 (according to the ''Oxford English Dictionary'') in storytelling in the ...
.
Mike Kinsella Mike Kinsella (born March 4, 1977) is an American musician and singer-songwriter. Having been involved in many Illinois-based bands, he is best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the emo band American Football. Kinsella's first musical ...
, a musician in
American Football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
and
Cap'n Jazz Cap'n Jazz (sometimes stylised as caP'n Jazz) was an American emo band formed in Chicago in 1989 by brothers Tim and Mike Kinsella, who were joined by Sam Zurick and Victor Villarreal. After a number of name changes and the addition of guitaris ...
, grew up in Buffalo Grove. His brother,
Tim Kinsella Tim Kinsella is an American musician, author, and film director from Chicago, Illinois. Known for his eccentric singing voice, he first rose to prominence as lead singer and lyricist of the emo band Cap'n Jazz which he co-founded with his brothe ...
, was a musician in
Joan of Arc Joan of Arc (french: link=yes, Jeanne d'Arc, translit= an daʁk} ; 1412 – 30 May 1431) is a patron saint of France, honored as a defender of the French nation for her role in the siege of Orléans and her insistence on the coronati ...
and a member of Cap'n Jazz.
Raymond Benson Raymond Benson (born September 6, 1955) is an American author best known for being the author of the James Bond novels from 1997 to 2003. Benson was born in Midland, Texas and graduated from Permian High School in Odessa in 1973. In primary scho ...
, an author of some
James Bond The ''James Bond'' series focuses on a fictional British Secret Service agent created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short-story collections. Since Fleming's death in 1964, eight other authors have ...
novels, lives in the village.
Rob Sherman Robert I. Sherman (April 2, 1953 – December 9, 2016) was an American political activist, perennial candidate, and businessman. He was known for his role as an Illinois Green Party candidate and for his atheist advocacy. He died in a plane crash ...
, an atheist activist, perennial candidate, and businessman, lived in Buffalo Grove for 32 years. Olympic judoka
Irwin Cohen Irwin Lee Cohen (January 21, 1952 – August 27, 2012) was an American judoka who represented the United States at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He won a gold medal at the 1973 Maccabiah Games in Israel, and a silver medal at the ...
was from Buffalo Grove, as is his son judoka Aaron Cohen.


See also

*
U.S. Music Corporation U.S. Music Corp. is an American musical instrument company based in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, United States, a suburb of Chicago, that manufactures and distributes products worldwide. The company is currently an independent subsidiary of multina ...
* Convia *
Eagle Test Systems Eagle Test Systems is a supplier of automatic test equipment (ATE) and operates as a business unit within the Teradyne Semiconductor Test Division. Eagle's test equipment was designed to address volume production. Customers, including semiconduct ...


References


Bibliography

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Further reading

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External links

* {{Authority control Jewish communities in the United States Villages in Lake County, Illinois Villages in Cook County, Illinois Populated places established in 1958 1958 establishments in Illinois