DuPage County ( ) is a

county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...

in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...

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 ...

, and one of the

collar counties Collar counties is a colloquialism for DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties, the five counties of Illinois that border Cook County, which is home to Chicago. The collar counties are part of the Chicago metropolitan area and com ...

of the

Chicago metropolitan 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 ...

. As of the 2020 census, the population was 932,877, making it Illinois' second-most populous county. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

is Wheaton. Known for its vast

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 ...

s, DuPage County has become mostly developed and suburbanized, although some pockets of farmland remain in the county's western and northern parts. Located in the

Rust Belt The Rust Belt is a region of the United States that experienced industrial decline starting in the 1950s. The U.S. manufacturing sector as a percentage of the U.S. GDP peaked in 1953 and has been in decline since, impacting certain regions and ...

, the area is one of few in the region whose economy quickly became dependent on the headquarters of several large corporations due to its close proximity to Chicago. As steel mills closed in the 1970s and 1980s, several acres that were formerly industrialized areas were converted into business parks to meet the growing tax base. The county has a mixed socioeconomic profile and residents of Hinsdale,

Naperville Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was ...

and Oak Brook include some of the wealthiest people in the

Midwest The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...

. However, other cities in the county such as

Aurora An aurora (plural: auroras or aurorae), also commonly known as the polar lights, is a natural light display in Earth's sky, predominantly seen in high-latitude regions (around the Arctic and Antarctic). Auroras display dynamic patterns of bri ...

and

Downers Grove Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the eponym for the village. It is a south-west suburb of Chicago. The village is located between I-88 and I-55. ...

have faced issues regarding local small business growth and affordable housing. On the whole, the county enjoys above average median household income levels and low overall poverty levels when compared to the national average. In 2018,

Niche Niche may refer to: Science *Developmental niche, a concept for understanding the cultural context of child development *Ecological niche, a term describing the relational position of an organism's species *Niche differentiation, in ecology, the ...

ranked two DuPage municipalities ( Clarendon Hills at #3 and Naperville at #16) amongst the top 20 best places to live in America.

History

DuPage County was formed on February 9, 1839, out of

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 ...

. The county took its name from the

DuPage River The DuPage River is a U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 tributary of the Des Plaines River in the U.S. state of Illinois. Course The river begins as two indi ...

, which was, in turn, named after a French fur trapper, DuPage. The first written history to address the name, the ''1882 History of DuPage County, Illinois'', by Rufus Blanchard, relates:

The DuPage River had, from time immemorial, been a stream well known. It took its name from a French trader who settled on this stream below the fork previous to 1800. Hon. H. W. Blodgett, of Waukegan, informs the writer that J. B. Beaubien had often spoken to him of the old Frenchman, Du Page, whose station was on the bank of the river, down toward its mouth, and stated that the river took its name from him. The county name must have the same origin. Col Gurden S. Hubbard, who came into the country in 1818, informs the writer that the name DuPage, as applied to the river then, was universally known, but the trader for whom it was named lived there before his time. Mr. Beaubien says it is pronounced Du Pazhe (a having the sound of ah, and that the P should be a capital). This was in reply to Mr. Blodgett’s inquiry of him concerning the matter.

The first white settler in DuPage County was Bailey Hobson, who, with Lewis Stewart, built a house in 1831 for the Hobson family at a site about 2 miles south of present-day downtown Naperville. Hobson later built a mill to serve surrounding farmers. Today, the Hobson house still stands on Hobson Road in Naperville, and the location of the mill is commemorated with a millstone and monument in today's Pioneer Park.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.6%) is water. The

and the Salt Creek flow through DuPage County. According to the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County, the highest point in the county is located at the Mallard Lake Landfill, which at its highest point is above mean sea level.

Climate

In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Wheaton have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of was recorded in July 1995. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in February to in August.

Adjacent counties

Counties that are adjacent to DuPage include: *

(east and north) *

Will County Will may refer to: Common meanings * Will and testament, instructions for the disposition of one's property after death * Will (philosophy), or willpower * Will (sociology) * Will, volition (psychology) * Will, a modal verb - see Shall and will ...

(south) * Kendall County (southwest; counties meet at a corner) * Kane County (west)

Demographics

DuPage County's population's distribution by

race and ethnicity An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...

in the 2020 census was as follows: DuPage County has become more diverse. The population of foreign-born residents increased from about 71,300 in 1990 to 171,000 by 2009 estimates. There were 325,601 households, out of which 37.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.90% 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, 7.90% had a female householder with no husband present and 28.00% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.27. In the county, the population was spread out, with 26.70% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 32.40% from 25 to 44, 22.80% from 45 to 64 and 9.80% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.20 males. For every 100 females, age 18 and over, there were 94.20 males. The median income for a household in the county was $98,441 and the median income for a family was $113,086. Males had a median income of $60,909 versus $41,346 for females. The mean or average income for a family in DuPage County is $121,009, according to the 2005 census. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the county was $38,458. About 2.40% of families and 3.60% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 3.90% of those under age 18 and 4.30% of those age 65 or over.

Religion

First Church of Lombard (Lombard, Illinois) 05

DuPage County has several hundred Christian churches, and especially around Wheaton is a

Bible Belt The Bible Belt is a region of the Southern United States in which socially conservative Protestant Christianity plays a strong role in society and politics, and church attendance across the denominations is generally higher than the nation's aver ...

, with Wheaton College and various other evangelical Christian colleges, and publishing houses including

InterVarsity Press Founded in 1947, InterVarsity Press (IVP) is an American publisher of Christian books located in Westmont, Illinois. IVP focuses on publishing Christian books that speak to important cultural moments, provide tools for spiritual growth, and e ...

, Crossway,

Tyndale House Tyndale House is a Christian publisher in Carol Stream, Illinois. History Tyndale was founded in 1962 by Kenneth N. Taylor in order to publish his paraphrase of the Epistles, which he had composed while commuting to work at Moody Press in C ...

Christianity Today ''Christianity Today'' is an evangelical Christian media magazine founded in 1956 by Billy Graham. It is published by Christianity Today International based in Carol Stream, Illinois. ''The Washington Post'' calls ''Christianity Today'' "evange ...

and other smaller ones in the area. Well-known churches include the Community Christian Church of Naperville,

College Church College Church is an evangelical non-denominational church in Wheaton, Illinois founded in 1861 by the abolitionist and first president of Wheaton College Jonathan Blanchard. College Church is located across two city blocks facing the Wheaton Co ...

of Wheaton, Wheaton Bible Church, and

First Baptist Church of Wheaton First Baptist Wheaton is an evangelical Christian church located in Wheaton, Illinois, situated in southern DuPage County, and is not formally related to any denomination or baptist association. The church was founded in 1864 by 20 pioneers aroun ...

. There is also a large

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, the county being part of the

Diocese of Joliet The Diocese of Joliet in Illinois ( la, Diœcesis Joliettensis in Illinois) is a Latin Church ecclesiastical territory, or diocese, of the Catholic Church in the state of Illinois in the United States. The Diocese of Joliet in Illinois is a suff ...

and the National Shrine of St Therese in Darien. There is also the

Ukrainian Orthodox Church The history of Christianity in Ukraine dates back to the earliest centuries of the history of Christianity, to the Apostolic Age, with mission trips along the Black Sea and a legend of Saint Andrew even ascending the hills of Kyiv. The first Ch ...

in Glendale Heights. The

Theosophical Society in America The Theosophical Society in America (TSA) is a member-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the teaching of Theosophy and affiliated with the international Theosophical Society based in Adyar, Chennai, India. The name "Theosophical Society in ...

in Wheaton, the North American headquarters of the

Theosophical Society Adyar The Theosophy Society was founded by Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and others in 1875. The designation 'Adyar' is sometimes added to the name to make it clear that this is the Theosophical Society headquartered there, after the American section ...

, provides lectures and classes on

theosophy Theosophy is a religion established in the United States during the late 19th century. It was founded primarily by the Russian Helena Blavatsky and draws its teachings predominantly from Blavatsky's writings. Categorized by scholars of religion a ...

meditation Meditation is a practice in which an individual uses a technique – such as mindfulness, or focusing the mind on a particular object, thought, or activity – to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally cal ...

yoga Yoga (; sa, योग, lit=yoke' or 'union ) is a group of physical, mental, and spiritual practices or disciplines which originated in ancient India and aim to control (yoke) and still the mind, recognizing a detached witness-consciou ...

Eastern Eastern may refer to: Transportation *China Eastern Airlines, a current Chinese airline based in Shanghai *Eastern Air, former name of Zambia Skyways *Eastern Air Lines, a defunct American airline that operated from 1926 to 1991 *Eastern Air Li ...

and

New Age New Age is a range of spiritual or religious practices and beliefs which rapidly grew in Western society during the early 1970s. Its highly eclectic and unsystematic structure makes a precise definition difficult. Although many scholars conside ...

spirituality The meaning of ''spirituality'' has developed and expanded over time, and various meanings can be found alongside each other. Traditionally, spirituality referred to a religious process of re-formation which "aims to recover the original shape o ...

Islam Islam (; ar, ۘالِإسلَام, , ) is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic Monotheism#Islam, monotheistic religion centred primarily around the Quran, a religious text considered by Muslims to be the direct word of God in Islam, God (or ...

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s are located in

Villa Park Villa Park is a football stadium in Aston, Birmingham, England, with a seating capacity of 42,682. It has been the home of Premier League side Aston Villa since 1897. The ground is less than a mile from both Witton and Aston railway stations ...

, Naperville (two mosques), Glendale Heights, Willowbrook, Westmont, Lombard, Bolingbrook, Addison, Woodale, West Chicago, and unincorporated Glen Ellyn. There are

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

temples in Bartlett, Bensenville, Bloomingdale, Carol Stream, Itasca and Medinah, and an

Arya Samaj Arya Samaj ( hi, आर्य समाज, lit=Noble Society, ) is a monotheistic Indian Hindu reform movement that promotes values and practices based on the belief in the infallible authority of the Vedas. The samaj was founded by the sanny ...

center in West Chicago. There is a

Nichiren Shōshū is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the traditionalist teachings of the 13th century Japanese Buddhist priest Nichiren (1222–1282), claiming him as its founder through his senior disciple Nikko Shonin (1246–1333), the founder of He ...

Zen Buddhist Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...

temple in

West Chicago West Chicago is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,086 at the 2010 census. It was formerly named Junction and later Turner, after its founder, John B. Turner, president of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroa ...

and a

Theravada ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...

Buddhist Temple, called the Buddha-Dharma Meditation Center, in Willowbrook. There is also a

Reform synagogue 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 sear ...

, Congregation Etz Chaim, in Lombard and an unaffiliated one in Naperville, called Congregation Beth Shalom.

Economy

DuPage County is the primary location of the

Illinois Technology and Research Corridor Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rockfor ...

. It is home to many large corporations, including: *

Ace Hardware Ace Hardware Corporation is an American hardware retailers' cooperative based in Oak Brook, Illinois, United States. It is the world's largest hardware retail cooperative, and the largest non-grocery American retail cooperative. Founded in 1924 ...

( Oak Brook) * Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. ( Itasca) (

Fortune 1000 The Fortune 1000 are the 1,000 largest American companies ranked by revenues, as compiled by the American business magazine ''Fortune''. It only includes companies which are incorporated or authorized to do business in the United States, and for ...

) * BP (formerly British Petroleum) ( Warrenville) * DeVry Inc. (

Oakbrook Terrace Oakbrook Terrace is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, and is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 2,751. It is the smallest town in DuPage County, in terms of area and population. History Oakbrook Terrace was original ...

) (

NYSE The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE, nicknamed "The Big Board") is an American stock exchange in the Financial District, Manhattan, Financial District of Lower Manhattan in New York City. It is by far the List of stock exchanges, world's largest s ...

) *

Dover Corporation Dover Corporation is an American conglomerate manufacturer of industrial products. The Downers Grove, Illinois-based company was founded in 1955. As of 2021, Dover's business was divided into five segments: Engineered Products, Clean Energy and ...

(

) (

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...

) *

Eby-Brown Eby-Brown is the largest privately owned tobacco, candy and convenience distributor in the United States. Founded in 1887, Eby-Brown has been led by members of the Wake family for over 50 years. On March 19, 2019, Eby-Brown announced that it ha ...

(

) *

Hub Group Hub Group is a transportation management company in North America, providing intermodal, truck brokerage and logistics services. A publicly traded company with over $3.5 billion in revenue, the company also owns Mode Transportation (formerly Exe ...

( Oak Brook) (

) * Molex ( Lisle) (

) * Nalco Water (

) (

) *

Namco Cybertainment was a Japanese multinational video game and entertainment company, headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo. It held several international branches, including Namco America in Santa Clara, California, Namco Europe in London, Namco Taiwan in Kaohsiung, a ...

( Bensenville) *

Navistar International Navistar, Inc is an American holding company created in 1986 as the successor to International Harvester. Navistar operates as the owner of International-branded trucks and diesel engines. The company also produces buses under the IC Bus br ...

( Lisle) (

Fortune Global 500 The ''Fortune'' Global 500, also known as Global 500, is an annual ranking of the top 500 corporations worldwide as measured by revenue. The list is compiled and published annually by ''Fortune'' magazine. Methodology Until 1989, it listed onl ...

) *

Nicor Gas Nicor Gas is an energy company headquartered in Naperville, Illinois. Its largest subsidiary, Nicor Gas, is a natural gas distribution company. Founded in 1954, the company serves more than two million customers in a service territory that en ...

(

) (

) *

OfficeMax OfficeMax is an American office supplies retailer founded in 1988. It is now a subsidiary of The ODP Corporation, which is headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida. As of December 2012, OfficeMax operated 941 stores in 47 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S ...

(

) (

) *

Sara Lee Corporation The Sara Lee Corporation was an American consumer-goods company based in Downers Grove, Illinois. It had operations in more than 40 countries and sold its products in over 180 countries. Its international operations were headquartered in Utrecht ...

(

) (

) *

Tellabs Tellabs, Inc. is a global network technology provider that providing services to both private and governmental agencies. History Tellabs traces its roots to a meeting in 1974 over a kitchen table in suburban Chicago. According to company founder ...

(

) (

) *

Ty Warner H. Ty Warner (born September 3, 1944) is an American billionaire toy manufacturer, businessman, and former actor. He is the CEO, sole owner and founder of Ty Inc. which manufactures and distributes stuffed toys, including Beanie Babies and other li ...

(Beanie Babies) ( Westmont) Shopping malls in DuPage County include

Oakbrook Center Oakbrook Center is a shopping center located near Interstate 88 and Route 83 in Oak Brook, Illinois. It was originally opened in 1962. It is the second largest shopping center in the Chicago metropolitan area by gross leasable area, only surp ...

, which is the largest open-air mall in the nation,

Fox Valley Mall Fox Valley Mall, formerly Westfield Fox Valley, is a shopping mall in Aurora, Illinois. The mall's anchor stores are JCPenney, Macy's. Some larger non anchor stores include H&M and Forever 21. A Round One Entertainment is located in the former S ...

Yorktown Center Yorktown Center is a shopping mall located in the village of Lombard, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates ...

, Town Square Wheaton, and

Stratford Square Mall Stratford Square Mall is a shopping mall that opened on March 9, 1981, in Bloomingdale, Illinois, a northwestern suburb of Chicago, Illinois, United States. The There are 6 vacant anchor stores that were last occupied by JCPenney, Carson Pirie Sc ...

. In addition, many of DuPage County's towns have prosperous and quaint downtown areas, especially in

Glen Ellyn Glen Ellyn is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. A suburb located due west of downtown Chicago, the village has a population of 28,846 as of the 2020 Census. History Glen Ellyn, like the neighboring town to the east, Lomba ...

, Elmhurst, Wheaton,

and Hinsdale, which are mixed with boutiques, upscale chain stores and restaurants.

National Laboratories

Fermilab Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), located just outside Batavia, Illinois, near Chicago, is a United States Department of Energy national laboratory specializing in high-energy particle physics. Since 2007, Fermilab has been operat ...

, which has the world's second-highest-energy

particle accelerator A particle accelerator is a machine that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to very high speeds and energies, and to contain them in well-defined beams. Large accelerators are used for fundamental research in particle ...

, is in

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

, where it straddles the border between Kane and DuPage counties.

Argonne National Laboratory Argonne National Laboratory is a science and engineering research United States Department of Energy National Labs, national laboratory operated by University of Chicago, UChicago Argonne LLC for the United States Department of Energy. The facil ...

, one of the United States government's oldest and largest science and engineering research laboratories, is in unincorporated, southeast DuPage County. Both laboratories conduct tours of their facilities.

Arts and culture

Architecture

The 31-story Oakbrook Terrace Tower in

, designed by

Helmut Jahn Helmut Jahn (January 4, 1940 – May 8, 2021) was a German-American architect, known for projects such as the Sony Center on Potsdamer Platz in Berlin, Germany; the Messeturm in Frankfurt, Germany; the Thompson Center in Chicago; One Liberty ...

, is the tallest building in Illinois outside of Chicago. The Elmhurst Art Museum is housed in a

Mies Van Der Rohe Ludwig Mies van der Rohe ( ; ; born Maria Ludwig Michael Mies; March 27, 1886August 17, 1969) was a German-American architect. He was commonly referred to as Mies, his surname. Along with Alvar Aalto, Le Corbusier, Walter Gropius and Frank Lloyd ...

building. There is a

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

house in Elmhurst.

Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha Bochasanwasi Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS; ) is a Hindu denomination within the Swaminarayan Sampradaya. It was formed in 1905 by Yagnapurushdas (Shastriji Maharaj) following his conviction that Swaminarayan remained present ...

, a conservative

sect A sect is a subgroup of a religious, political, or philosophical belief system, usually an offshoot of a larger group. Although the term was originally a classification for religious separated groups, it can now refer to any organization that b ...

, has built

BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Chicago The BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir of Chicago, Illinois is a traditional Hindu place of worship built by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha. The BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, which is headed by Mahant Swami Maharaj, is a denomination of the Swaminarayan ...

, a large, intricately carved, marble temple in Bartlett. There are some

Sears Catalog Home Sears Modern Homes were catalog and kit houses sold primarily through mail order by Sears, Roebuck and Co., an American retailer. From 1908 to 1942, Sears sold more than 70,000 of these houses in North America, by the company's count. Sears ...

s in

and

. The Byzantine-style clubhouse of the

Medinah Country Club Medinah Country Club is a private country club in Medinah, Illinois, with nearly 600 members and containing three golf courses, Lake Kadijah, swimming facilities, a golf learning center, golf shop, gun club, racket center and a mosque-evoking B ...

is also an architectural highlight of the county. Lombard is home to over thirty Lustron prefabricated steel homes.

Museums and historical sites

Historical museums in DuPage County include: *

Cantigny Park Cantigny is a park in Wheaton, Illinois, 30 miles west of Chicago. It is the former estate of Joseph Medill and his grandson Colonel Robert R. McCormick, publishers of the ''Chicago Tribune'', and is open to the public. Cantigny includes large ...

and First Division Museum, on the former estate of ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

'' magnate

Robert R. McCormick Robert Rutherford "Colonel" McCormick (July 30, 1880 – April 1, 1955) was an American lawyer, businessman and Anti-war movement, anti-war activist. A member of the McCormick family of Chicago, McCormick became a lawyer, Republican Party (Unite ...

( Wheaton) * Downers Grove Museum (

) * DuPage County Historical Museum, formerly the Adams Memorial Library ( Wheaton) *

Graue Mill The Graue Mill is a water-powered grist mill that was originally erected in 1852. Now a museum, it is one of two operating water-powered gristmills in Illinois (the other is the Franklin Creek Grist Mill). It is located on Salt Creek in Oak Bro ...

( Oak Brook) * Gregg House Museum ( Westmont) * Itasca Historical Depot Museum ( Itasca) * Kline Creek Farm (West Chicago) * Mayslake Peabody Estate ( Oak Brook) * The Museums at Lisle Station Park ( Lisle) *

Naper Settlement Naper Settlement, established in 1969, is a outdoor history museum accredited by the American Alliance of Museums that consists of a collection of thirty historical buildings and structures from the Naperville, Illinois area. Many buildings were ...

(

) * Villa Park Historical Society Museum (

) *

's City Museum (

) Specialty museums in DuPage County include: * DuPage Children's Museum (

) * Elmhurst Art Museum, which includes Mies Van Der Rohe's McCormick House ( Elmhurst) * Wheaton College ( Wheaton) **

Billy Graham Center The Wheaton College Billy Graham Center was founded and opened in 1981 on the campus of Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. Named after Billy Graham, the center is the primary location for many of Wheaton College's bible and theology classes, a ...

Marion E. Wade Center The Marion E. Wade Center at Wheaton College (Illinois) is a special research collection of papers, books, and manuscripts, primarily relating to seven authors from the United Kingdom: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien, G. K. Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sa ...

Naper's General Store, 216-218 Main Street, Naperville, IL

Historical sites include: *

Downtown Hinsdale Historic District The Downtown Hinsdale Historic District is a set of seventy-three buildings and one park in Hinsdale, Illinois, Hinsdale, Illinois. History The region was platted by William Robbins, the founder of Hinsdale, in 1865. The Chicago, Burlington an ...

* DuPage County Courthouse ( Wheaton) * Glen Ellyn Main Street Historic District * Joe Naper's General Store (

) *

Naperville Historic District The Naperville Historic District is a set of 613 buildings in Naperville, Illinois. Of these 613 buildings, 544 contribute to the historical integrity of the area. The district represents the town as it was originally platted and a few early add ...

Old Nichols Library The Old Nichols Library is a historic building on Washington Street in Naperville, Illinois. The building was designed by Mifflin E. Bell in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. The building served as the original public library for Naperville from ...

(

) * Pioneer Park, monument to white settlers of DuPage County and site of Bailey Hobson's mill (

) *

Stacy's Tavern Stacy's Tavern is a historic wayside stagecoach inn in the village of Glen Ellyn in DuPage County, Illinois. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 29, 1974. History Among the settlers coming to northern Illinois fol ...

(

) * Wayne Village Historic District

Music and theater

DuPage also plays host to a rich local music scene. Some of the better-known bands to come out of the area include

The Hush Sound The Hush Sound is an American indie pop band from Chicago, Illinois, United States. Initially named "The Hush," the band later changed its name to "The Hush Sound" due to the discovery of a rapper with the same name. The band consists of Bob M ...

Lucky Boys Confusion Lucky Boys Confusion is an American rock band from the western suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, United States. Hailing from DuPage County, the band's music is a mix of rock, punk, ska and hip hop. The band consists of vocalist Kaustubh "Stubhy" ...

, and

Plain White T's Plain White T's are an American Rock music, rock band from Lombard, Illinois, formed in 1997 by high school friends Tom Higgenson, Dave Tirio, and Ken Fletcher, and joined a short time later by Steve Mast. The group had a mostly underground music, ...

. Oakbrook Terrace's

Drury Lane Theatre The Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, commonly known as Drury Lane, is a West End theatre and Grade I listed building in Covent Garden, London, England. The building faces Catherine Street (earlier named Bridges or Brydges Street) and backs onto Drur ...

is an important live

theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

in DuPage County. The Tivoli Theatre, one of the first theaters in the United States to be equipped with sound, is still in use in Downers Grove. In addition to showing movies, the Tivoli is home to several local performing arts groups.

Parks and recreation

The

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County is a governmental agency headquartered in Wheaton, Illinois. Its mission is to acquire and hold lands containing forests, prairies, wetlands, and associated plant communities or lands capable of being re ...

owns and manages of

prairie Prairies are ecosystems considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and a composition of grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the ...

woodland A woodland () is, in the broad sense, land covered with trees, or in a narrow sense, synonymous with wood (or in the U.S., the ''plurale tantum'' woods), a low-density forest forming open habitats with plenty of sunlight and limited shade (see ...

s and

wetland 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 ...

s. More than 4 million visitors each year enjoy 60 forest preserves, 145 miles of trails, and five education centers. Local

urban park An urban park or metropolitan park, also known as a municipal park (North America) or a public park, public open space, or municipal gardens ( UK), is a park in cities and other incorporated places that offer recreation and green space to resi ...

s include Lombard's

Lilacia Park Lilacia Park, an garden, is located at 150 South Park Avenue, Lombard, Illinois, behind the Helen M. Plum Memorial Library. It specializes in lilacs and tulips. It is open to the public daily. The garden was established by Colonel William Plum and ...

Centennial Beach Centennial Beach is a public aquatic park located at 500 W. Jackson Avenue in Naperville, Illinois. The Beach is within an abandoned, double quarry alongside the DuPage River. The facility covers almost 6 acres (24,000 m²) of land with a full tw ...

, Woodridge's Cypress Cove Family Aquatic Park and Wheaton's

Cosley Zoo Cosley Zoo is an Association of Zoos and Aquariums, AZA-accredited zoo located in Wheaton, Illinois. It is a facility of the Wheaton Park District and open year-round. The zoo, which is situated on of land, is built on the site of a historic train ...

. Privately funded attractions include Lisle's

Morton Arboretum The Morton Arboretum, in Lisle, Illinois, United States, is a public garden, and outdoor museum with a library, herbarium, and program in tree research including the Center for Tree Science. Its grounds, covering 1,700 acres (6.9 square kilometres ...

. In the 1980s, DuPage County also had another major attraction, Ebenezer Floppen Slopper's Wonderful Water slides in

, which today, stands abandoned and neglected. The

Illinois Prairie Path The Illinois Prairie Path (often called the Prairie Path and abbreviated IPP) is a network of of bicycle trails, mostly in DuPage County, Illinois. Portions of the trail extend west to Kane County and east to Cook County. Most of the trail is ca ...

, a

rail-to-trail A rail trail is a shared-use path on rail transport, railway right of way. Rail trails are typically constructed after a railway has been abandoned and the track has been removed, but may also share the right of way with active railways, light rai ...

multi-use path, runs through Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. It intersects with the

Great Western Trail The Great Western Trail is a north-south long distance multiple use route that runs from Canada to Mexico through five western states in the United States. The trail has access for both motorized and non-motorized users and traverses through Ar ...

at several points, as well as the Fox River Trail at a few points. DuPage

golf course A golf course is the grounds on which the sport of golf is played. It consists of a series of holes, each consisting of a tee box, a fairway, the rough and other hazards, and a green with a cylindrical hole in the ground, known as a "cup". Th ...

s include: Wheaton's Chicago Golf Club, Arrowhead Golf Club and Cantigny Park#Golf, Cantigny Golf courses; the

; the Village Links of Glen Ellyn, Village Links and Glen Oak Country Club of

; Addison's Forest Preserve District of DuPage County#Golf, Oak Meadows; Oak Brook's Oak Brook Golf Club, Butler National Golf Club, and Butterfield Country Club; Wood Dale's Forest Preserve District of DuPage County#Golf, Maple Meadows; Westmont's Forest Preserve District of DuPage County#Golf, Green Meadows; Lisle's River Bend (9 holes); West Chicago's St. Andrews Golf & Country Club and Winfield's Klein Creek Golf Club, among others.

Government and politics

Government

The powers of the County Board include managing county funds and business, levying taxes, and appropriating funds. The County Board exercises powers not assigned to other elected officials or other boards. The county is divided into six districts. Each district elects three members to the County Board in staggered two-year and four-year terms. The Chairman of the County Board is the chief executive officer of DuPage County, and is elected countywide every four years. DuPage County is part of Regional Office of Education #19 which is coterminous with the county's corporate boundaries. The County Board is controlled by the Democratic Party by an 11 to 7 margin.

Politics

DuPage County was historically a stronghold of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, and a classic bastion of suburban conservatism. In recent years, DuPage County has joined other suburban counties outside large U.S. cities trending Democratic Party (United States), Democratic in presidential election years since the 1990s. The county continues to lean Republican in state and local politics, however in the 2018 Illinois gubernatorial election, J. B. Pritzker became the first Democratic candidate for the governorship to win the county in more than 100 years.

National politics

The county supported Barack Obama, a Chicago resident, in 2008 and 2012 (albeit narrowly in 2012). Obama was the first Democratic presidential nominee to win the county since Franklin Pierce in 1852 United States presidential election, 1852. The only time prior to 2008 that a Republican had failed to win the county was in 1912, when the GOP was mortally divided and former President and Progressive Party (United States, 1912), Progressive Party nominee Theodore Roosevelt won over half the county's vote. DuPage County has historically been a fiscally and socially conservative Republican stronghold, though in recent years has become more politically liberal especially on issues of race and immigration. DuPage County has been shifting more Democratic, with Joe Biden winning 58% of the vote in 2020. DuPage County has not voted for a Republican candidate for president since 2004. Donald Trump was the first Republican nominee for President since 1912 to get less than 40% of the DuPage County vote, both in the 2016 and 2020 general elections. Many DuPage County communities which normally vote Republican, including but not limited to

, Lisle, Wheaton,

, Carol Stream, Illinois, Carol Stream,

, and Elmhurst did not support Donald Trump in 2016. In December 2019, shortly after the U.S. House of Representatives First impeachment of Donald Trump, voted to impeach Donald Trump, Carol Stream, Illinois, Carol Stream-based

published a controversial editorial calling for the removal of Trump from office, citing the need to hold him to the same standards to which they held Bill Clinton in the 1990s (who was the last Democratic nominee for President to get less than 40% of the DuPage County vote). In the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives, DuPage County is in the Illinois's 5th congressional district, 5th, Illinois's 6th congressional district, 6th, Illinois's 8th congressional district, 8th, Illinois's 11th congressional district, 11th and Illinois's 14th congressional district, 14th districts. In the 2018 general election, despite the county's historical Republican dominance, Democrats won every congressional district within the county.

Local politics

Republicans historically controlled local politics in DuPage County from the nineteenth century until modern times. During the twentieth century, Democrats only held countywide office twice. In 1934 William Robinson was elected Circuit Clerk and Arthur Hellyer was elected Treasurer. That year also saw the first ever Democratic majority county board and only such majority that century. Robinson and Hellyer each served one term; Robinson lost his bid for a full term in 1936 and Hellyer left the Treasurer's office to make a failed bid for probate judge in 1938. In 2018, as part of a larger suburban realignment, Democratic candidate Jean Kaczmarek won the election for County Clerk and Daniel Hebreard won the President of the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. During that same period Democrats were sporadically elected to the county board and township government. In 1972, Don Carroll was elected to the County Board. In the Democratic wave of 1974, Jane Spirgel, Mary Eleanor Wall, and Elaine Libovicz were elected. All four were from the northeastern portion of DuPage, which at that time was the most Democratic region of the county. Eventually, Republicans regained all seats on the board when Jane Spirgel ran for Illinois Secretary of State with Adlai Stevenson III under the Illinois Solidarity Party, Solidarity Party banner. In 2000, Linda J. Bourke Hilbert was elected. Like her 1970s counterparts, she was from the northeastern portion of the county. During the 2008 Democratic wave, three Democrats were elected to the board. After the initial Obama wave, Republicans reasserted themselves on the board and by 2017 Democrats held only one of the eighteen board seats. In the 2018 general election, Democrats won seven seats as well as the offices of County Clerk and Forest Preserve District President. In 1973, a slate of Democrats took eight of nine offices in Addison Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Addison Township. This feat would not be replicated until 2017 when Democratic candidates won a majority of offices in Naperville Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Naperville and Lisle Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Lisle townships. Between these two victories, Democrats only held two township offices. Mark Starkovich served as York Township, DuPage County, Illinois, York Township Supervisor from 1989-1993 and Martin McManamon has served as Wayne Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Wayne Township Highway Commissioner since 2013. In 2020, Democrats won control of the DuPage County Board, expanding on their 2018 lead.

Education

Colleges and universities

The College of DuPage, in

, is one of the largest community colleges in the United States. Wheaton College is one of the most well-known and respected evangelicalism, evangelical Christian colleges in the country. Benedictine University, Elmhurst University and North Central College also have long and respected histories in their communities. Other prominent colleges and University, universities include: Midwestern University and the Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine in

; National University of Health Sciences in Lombard; Northern Seminary and National Louis University in Lisle; the Addison, Illinois, Addison and

campuses of DeVry University; the Naperville campus of Northern Illinois University; and the Wheaton campus of Illinois Institute of Technology.

School districts

The DuPage County Regional office of education, Regional Office of Education provides regulatory and compliance oversight, quality services and support, and a variety of other services and information to the public schools within forty-two school districts of the county that provide education to over 161,000 students in 245 schools. The following is a list of school districts that not only includes those supported by the DuPage County Regional Office of Education, but includes others which may have schools and/or administrative headquarters outside of DuPage County but which have any territory, no matter how slight, within the county: K-12: * Chicago Public School District 299 - Territory at Chicago O'Hare International Airport in DuPage County boundaries * Community Unit School District 200 (DuPage County, Illinois), Community Unit School District 200 * Elmhurst School District 205 * Indian Prairie Community Unit School District 204 * Lisle Community Unit School District 202 * Naperville Community Unit District 203 * School District U-46 * St. Charles Community Unit School District 303 * Westmont Community Unit School District 201 Secondary: * Community High School District 94 * Community High School District 99 * DuPage High School District 88 * Fenton Community High School District 100 * Glenbard Township High School District 87 * Hinsdale Township High School District 86 * Lake Park Community High School District 108 * Lemont Township High School District 210 Elementary: * Addison School District 4 * Benjamin School District 25 * Bensenville School District 2 * Bloomingdale School District 13 * Butler School District 53 * Cass School District 63 * Center Cass School District 66 * Community Consolidated School District 93 * Community Consolidated School District 180 * Darien School District 61 * Downers Grove Grade School District 58 * Glen Ellyn Community Consolidated School District 89 * Glen Ellyn School District 41 * Gower School District 62 * Hinsdale Community Consolidated School District 181 * Itasca School District 10 * Keeneyville School District 20 * Lemont-Bromberek Combined School District 113A * Lombard School District 44 * Maercker School District 60 * Marquardt School District 15 * Medinah School District 11 * Queen Bee School District 16 * Roselle School District 12 * Salt Creek School District 48 * Villa Park School District 45 * West Chicago School District 33 * Winfield School District 34 * Wood Dale School District 7 * Woodridge School District 68

High schools

Dupage County is home to many public high schools, such as: * Addison Trail High School * Bartlett High School (Illinois), Bartlett High School * Downers Grove North High School * Downers Grove South High School * Fenton High School (Illinois), Fenton High School * Glenbard East High School * Glenbard North High School * Glenbard South High School * Glenbard West High School * Hinsdale Central High School * Hinsdale South High School * Lake Park High School * Lisle High School * Metea Valley High School * Naperville North High School * Naperville Central High School * Waubonsie Valley High School * Community High School (West Chicago), West Chicago Community High School * Westmont High School (Westmont, Illinois), Westmont High School * Wheaton North High School * Wheaton Warrenville South High School * Willowbrook High School * York Community High School Additionally, DuPage County is home to several Private school, private High school (North America), high schools, including: * Benet Academy * Clapham School * College Preparatory School of America * Driscoll Catholic High School (closed 2009) * IC Catholic Prep (Elmhurst, Illinois), IC Catholic Prep * Islamic Foundation School * Montini Catholic High School * St. Francis High School (Wheaton, Illinois), St. Francis High School * Timothy Christian School (Illinois), Timothy Christian School * Wheaton Academy

Infrastructure

Health care

DuPage hospitals include: Central DuPage Hospital in Winfield; Edward Hospital in Naperville; Elmhurst Memorial Hospital in Elmhurst; Adventist Hinsdale Hospital in Hinsdale; Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove; Adventist GlenOaks Hospital in Glendale Heights; and Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital in Wheaton.

Transportation

Aside from the part of O'Hare International Airport that is located inside the county, DuPage also has many railroads and several small airports, including DuPage Airport. DuPage is served by the Pace (transit), Pace bus system. DuPage County is also well-covered by Metra, the Chicago-area commuter rail system. Three of Metra's eleven lines pass through the county: Milwaukee District West Line, Union Pacific West Line, and BNSF Line. Nineteen Metra stations are within DuPage County.

Major highways

DuPage County is served by five Interstate Highways, three US Highways, and nine Illinois Routes. * * * * * * US 66 (historic)

U.S. Route 66 in Illinois, US 66 * * * * * * * * * * * * DuPage County 11

Army Trail Road * DuPage County 29

Stearns Road (Chicago), Stearns Road North–south roads (from west to east) include: IL 59 (Sutton Road), IL 53 (Rohlwing Road), I-355 (Veterans Memorial Tollway) and IL 83 (Kingery Highway). East–west roads (from south to north) include: I-55 (Stevenson Expressway) I-88 (Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway), US 34 (Ogden Avenue), IL 56 (Butterfield Road), IL 38 (Roosevelt Road), IL 64 (North Avenue), Army Trail Road, US 20 (Lake Street), IL 19 (Irving Park Road) and IL 390 (Elgin–O'Hare Expressway), which begins at the Thorndale Avenue exit on Interstate 290 (Illinois), I-290 and ends on Lake Street, in Hanover Park. Interstate 294, I-294 partially enters DuPage County on its eastern border between Westchester, Illinois, Westchester, in Cook County, and Oak Brook, in DuPage County. Only the southbound lanes enter the county though. Historic U.S. Route 66 in Illinois, U.S. Route 66 crosses through the southeast portion of the county near Darien and Willowbrook.

Communities

Cities

(part) *

(part) * Chicago (part) * Darien, Illinois, Darien * Elmhurst (mostly) *

(mostly) *

* St. Charles, Illinois, St. Charles (part) * Warrenville *

* Wheaton * Wood Dale, Illinois, Wood Dale

Villages

* Addison, Illinois, Addison * Bartlett (mostly) * Bensenville (mostly) * Bloomingdale, Illinois, Bloomingdale * Bolingbrook, Illinois, Bolingbrook (part) * Burr Ridge, Illinois, Burr Ridge (part) * Carol Stream, Illinois, Carol Stream * Clarendon Hills *

* Elk Grove Village, Illinois, Elk Grove Village (part) * Glendale Heights, Illinois, Glendale Heights *

* Hanover Park, Illinois, Hanover Park (part) * Hinsdale (mostly) * Itasca * Lemont, Illinois, Lemont (part) * Lisle * Lombard * Oak Brook (mostly) * Roselle, Illinois, Roselle (mostly) * Schaumburg, Illinois, Schaumburg (part) *

* Wayne, Illinois, Wayne (part) * Westmont * Willowbrook * Willow Springs, Illinois, Willow Springs (part) * Winfield, Illinois, Winfield * Woodridge (mostly)

Unincorporated communities

* Belmont, Illinois, Belmont * Butterfield, Illinois, Butterfield * Cloverdale, Illinois, Cloverdale * Eola, Illinois, Eola * Flowerfield, Illinois, Flowerfield * Fullersburg, Illinois, Fullersburg * Keeneyville, Illinois, Keeneyville * Lakewood, DuPage County, Illinois, Lakewood * Medinah, Illinois, Medinah * Munger, DuPage County, Illinois, Munger * North Glen Ellyn, Illinois, North Glen Ellyn * Palisades, Illinois, Palisades * South Elmhurst, Illinois, South Elmhurst * Swift, Illinois, Swift * York Center, Illinois, York Center

Townships

DuPage County has nine townships as well as part of an independent city within its boundaries, their populations at the 2010 census are: * Downers Grove Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Downers Grove Township - 146,795 * York Township, DuPage County, Illinois, York Township - 123,449 * Milton Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Milton Township - 117,067 * Lisle Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Lisle Township - 116,268 * Bloomingdale Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Bloomingdale Township - 111,899 * Naperville Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Naperville Township - 100,019 * Addison Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Addison Township - 88,612 * Wayne Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Wayne Township - 66,582 * Winfield Township, DuPage County, Illinois, Winfield Township - 46,233 * Chicago, Illinois, City of Chicago - DuPage side is nonresidential

Ghost towns/Neighborhoods

* Gostyn, Illinois, Gostyn * Ontarioville, Illinois, Ontarioville * Tedens, Illinois, Tedens * Weston, DuPage County, Illinois, Weston

References

External links

*
DuPage Convention & Visitors Bureau

DuPage County Historical Society

DuPage Event Center and Fairgrounds
in Wheaton
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County

Forest Preserve District of DuPage County–Golf Facilities
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dupage County, Illinois DuPage County, Illinois, 1839 establishments in Illinois Chicago metropolitan area Illinois counties Populated places established in 1839