Lake County is a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

located in the northeastern corner of 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 so ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...

, along the shores of

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 depth () after Lake Superior and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the ...

. As of the 2020 census, it has a population of 714,342, making it the third-most populous county in Illinois. Its

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or parish (administrative division), civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equiva ...

Waukegan Waukegan ( ) is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located north of Chicago, Waukegan is a satellite city within the greater Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, its popu ...

, the tenth-largest city in Illinois. The county is primarily suburban, with some urban areas and some rural areas. Due to its location, immediately north 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 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. ...

, Lake County is one of the collar counties of the

Chicago metropolitan area The Chicago metropolitan area, also referred to as Chicagoland, is the largest metropolitan statistical area in the U.S. state of Illinois, and the Midwest, containing the City of Chicago along with its surrounding suburbs and satellite cities. ...

. Its northern boundary is the

Wisconsin Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...

state line. According to the 2010 census, Lake County is the second wealthiest county in the state by

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

, after DuPage County. Additionally, Lake County ranks as the 27th wealthiest county in the nation. The county includes the affluent North Shore communities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, and Highland Park, and much of the county's wealth is concentrated in this area, as well as in communities bordering

to the south and McHenry County to the west. The north and northwest areas of the county, though historically rural and exurban, have experienced rapid suburbanization in the past three decades, while the lakefront communities of

, North Chicago, and

Zion Zion (; ) is a placename in the Tanakh, often used as a synonym for Jerusalem as well as for the Land of Israel as a whole. The name is found in 2 Samuel (), one of the books of the Tanakh dated to approximately the mid-6th century BCE. It o ...

are postindustrial areas that have majority-minority populations. The Hispanic population has seen significant increases in nearly all areas of the county and comprise 24% of the county's population in 2020. The expansive

Naval Station Great Lakes Naval Station Great Lakes (NAVSTA Great Lakes) is the home of the United States Navy's only current recruit training, boot camp, located near North Chicago, Illinois, North Chicago, in Lake County, Illinois, along Lake Michigan. Important tenan ...

is located in the city of North Chicago. It is the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

's Headquarters Command for training, and the Navy's only recruit training center. One Wetland of International Importance is primarily located in the county, ''Chiwaukee Prairie Illinois Beach Lake Plain'', which encompasses Illinois Beach State Park and some of the lakeside lands of the Lake County Forest Preserve District.

History

The county was created by the Illinois State Legislature in 1839. At that time, the county was mostly unsettled; Libertyville, then known as Independence Grove, was the first county seat. In 1841, however, the county's residents voted to move the county government to Little Fort, now Waukegan, where the commissioners had purchased a section of land from the state. Lake County's first courthouse was built on part of that land in 1844 and the remainder was sold to pay for the $4,000 construction cost. The county's first courthouse was used solely for court sessions and the jail, but in 1853, commissioners constructed a building to accommodate county administration offices and house records. When fire damaged the courthouse on October 19, 1875, the county records were saved because they were in the adjacent building. After the fire, proposals were made to move the county seat to Highland Park, Libertyville or another site in central Lake County. The county commissioners, however, decided to rebuild in Waukegan. The east half of the building was reconstructed at a cost of $45,000. In 1895, the first jail building was added to the government complex and a west addition was added to the courthouse in 1922. By 1938, county commissioners saw a need for additional space and approved the addition of a 5th Floor. This courthouse, however, was demolished in 1967 to make room for a new high-rise administration building, which was completed with the addition of the jail in 1969 and courts in 1970. Shortly thereafter, the Lake County Board commissioned the construction of a multi-faceted justice facility and ground was broken in 1986 for the Robert H. Babcox Justice Center, named in memory of Sheriff Babcox, who served as Lake County Sheriff from 1982 to 1988. The justice center, which houses the county jail, work release program, sheriff's administration offices and three courtrooms, was finished in 1989 at a cost of $29.6 million. Additional county government facilities have been built or expanded throughout Lake County, including the Coroner's Office, Health Department/Community Health Center facilities, Division of Transportation, Public Works and Winchester House. Lake County government services extend throughout the county's . The historic Half Day Inn, a tavern/restaurant, was constructed in 1843. This structure, once located at the corner of Milwaukee Avenue and Rte. 45/Old Half Day Road, was one of the oldest structures in Lake County until it was demolished in 2007 to make way for retail space, condominiums, and a retention pond.

Geography

According to the

U.S. Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, 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 U.S. Census Bureau is part of the U ...

, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (67.6%) is water. It is the second-largest county in Illinois by total area and the only one that has more water area than land area. Most of the water is in

State parks

* Illinois Beach State Park * North Point Marina * Volo Bog State Natural Area * Chain O'Lakes State Park

Lakes

Besides

, lakes in the county include: * Bangs Lake * Bluff Lake * Butler Lake * Channel Lake * Lake Charles * Countryside Lake * Diamond Lake * Druce Lake * Dunns Lake * East Loon Lake * Fourth Lake * Fox Lake * Gages Lake * Grays Lake * Highland Lake * Island Lake * Lake Linden * Loon Lake * Lake Naomi * Sterling Lake * Slocum Lake * Valley Lake * Wooster Lake *

Lake Zurich Lake Zurich (, ; ) is a lake in Switzerland, extending southeast of the city of Zurich. Depending on the context, Lake Zurich or can be used to describe the lake as a whole, or just that part of the lake downstream of the Hurden peninsula and ...

Natural areas

Lake County's forest preserves and natural areas are administered by the Lake County Forest Preserves district. These facilities include traditional nature preserves, such as the Ryerson Conservation Area, as well as golf courses and historic homes, such as the

Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson may refer to: * Adlai Stevenson I Adlai Ewing Stevenson (October 23, 1835 – June 14, 1914) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 23rd vice president of the United States from 1893 to 1897 under President Gr ...

historic home. A long north–south string of the preserves in Lake County, including Half Day Woods, Old School Forest Preserve, Independence Grove, and Van Patten Woods, form the Des Plaines River Greenway, which contains the Des Plaines River Trail, a popular place for walking, running, and biking. Lake County is also home to Illinois Beach State Park, featuring over six miles of Lake Michigan shoreline, as well as dune areas, wetlands, prairie, and black oak savanna. Several local environmental groups operate in Lake County, such as Conserve Lake County and Citizens for Conservation, working to improve habitat. Volunteer opportunities also exist with the Lake County Forest Preserve District.

Adjacent counties

* Kenosha County,

north *

south * McHenry Countywest

Transit

Metra Metra is the primary commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 243 train station, stati ...

* '' Milwaukee District North Line'' * ''

North Central Service The North Central Service (NCS) is a Metra commuter rail line running from Union Station (Chicago), Union Station in downtown Chicago through northwestern and far northern suburbs to Antioch, Illinois, Antioch, Illinois. In December 2022, the pub ...

'' * ''

Union Pacific North Line The Union Pacific North Line (UP-N) is a Metra line in the Chicago metropolitan area. It runs between Ogilvie Transportation Center and Kenosha, Wisconsin; however, most trains terminate in Waukegan, Illinois. Although Metra owns the rolling st ...

'' * '' Union Pacific Northwest Line'' * Pace

Major highways

County routes and county highways

Lake County's

county road A county highway (also county road or county route; usually abbreviated CH or CR) is a road in the United States and in the Canadian province of Ontario that is designated and/or maintained by the county highway department. Route numbering can ...

system currently covers 300 miles of road. The county also employs two different numbering systems, a county route system and a county highway system. While both systems' can be seen on official road maps, only the County Route designations have been indicated with

highway marker A highway shield or route marker is a Signage, sign denoting the route number of a highway, usually in the form of a symbolic shape with the route number enclosed. As the focus of the sign, the route number is usually the sign's largest element, ...

s on

traffic signal Traffic lights, traffic signals, or stoplights – also known as robots in South Africa, Zambia, and Namibia – are signaling devices positioned at intersection (road), road intersections, pedestrian crossings, and other locations in order t ...

s or dedicated poles. The county route system in use today by Lake County was purportedly intended to be the dominant system for all of Illinois's counties and was proposed by the

National Association of Counties The National Association of Counties (NACo) is an organization that represents County (United States), county governments in the United States.

(NACo), however their system was not chosen and instead each county was given the freedom to number their own county routes as well as choose whether or not to produce and display

s. Currently, only Lake County, Boone County, McHenry County and

use NACo's proposed numbering system, and of the four only Lake and McHenry counties chose to fully display the county route designations on highway markers. Cook County began to roll out the production of highway markers near the beginning of 2009, but the seemingly arbitrary numbering system as well as the cost to produce the markers resulted in a lot of confusion and backlash, and ultimately only some of the markers were produced and mounted. For Lake County, all East–West-bound County Routes begin with an "A", while North—South-bound County Routes on the western half of the county begin with a "V", and those located on the eastern half begin with a "W".

Demographics

2020 census

2010 Census

As of the 2010 Census, there were 703,462 people, 241,712 households, and 179,428 families residing in the county. The population density was . There were 260,310 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the county was 75.1% white, 7.0% black or African American, 6.3% Asian, 0.5% American Indian, 8.5% from other races, and 2.6% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 19.9% of the population. In terms of ancestry, 20.5% were

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

, 12.9% were Irish, 9.4% were Polish, 6.9% were

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, a Romance ethnic group related to or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance languag ...

, 6.5% were English, and 4.0% were American. Of the 241,712 households, 40.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 25.8% were non-families, and 21.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.82 and the average family size was 3.31. The median age was 36.7 years. The median income for a household in the county was $78,948 and the median income for a family was $91,693. Males had a median income of $62,042 versus $44,200 for females. The per capita income for the county was $38,120. About 4.8% of families and 7.0% 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 ...

, including 9.6% of those under age 18 and 5.6% of those age 65 or over.

2023 American Community Survey one-year estimates

According to 2023 US Census Bureau

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

one-year estimates (which is conducted annually for cities over 65,000 via sampling), the population of Lake County, Illinois was 60.2%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

(55.6%

Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

and 4.6% Hispanic White), 6.1% Black or

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 8.8% Asian, 0.9% Native American and Alaskan Native, 0.1%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 10.9% Some Other Race, and 12.9% from two or more races. The White population continued to remain the largest racial category and included 18.5% of Hispanics in Lake County who identify as White. A plurality of Hispanics identified as Some Other Race (41.2%) with others continuing to identify as Multiracial (34.8%) and smaller amounts identifying as Black (0.6%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (3.8%), Asian (1.2%), and Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (0.0%). By ethnicity, 25.1% of the total population was Hispanic-Latino (of any race) and 74.9% is Non-Hispanic (of any race). If treated as a separate category, Hispanics are the largest minority group in Lake County, Illinois surpassing the Black population from the 1990 Census onward. The majority of Hispanic/ Latino residents in Lake County, Illinois are of Mexican descent (18.0% of the county population in 2021). There are also communities of Puerto Rican, Cuban, Central American, and South American ancestry in the county.

Sports

The following sports teams play in Lake County: * Lake County Fielders baseball (defunct) * Lake County Coyotes baseball * Lake County Legacy (

The Basketball League The Basketball League (TBL), formerly North America Premier Basketball (NAPB), is a professional basketball league. The league began operating in North America in 2018 with eight teams, and has since expanded. TBL's regular season runs from Feb ...

) at

Waukegan High School Waukegan High School, or WHS, is a public four-year high school located in Waukegan, Illinois, USA, a city to the north of Chicago, Illinois. It is part of Waukegan Community Unit School District 60. Students attend classes at the Washington Cam ...

Sites of interest

Amusement parks

Six Flags Great America Six Flags Great America is a amusement park, theme park located in Gurnee, Illinois, within the northern Chicago metropolitan area. The theme park originally opened as Marriott's Great America on May 29, 1976, as one of two theme parks built ...

in Gurnee * Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago in Gurnee * Lambs Farm in Libertyville

Museums

* Volo Auto Museum in Volo * Bess Bower Dunn Museum in Libertyville * Warbird Heritage Foundation in

* Waukegan History Museum in Waukegan * Raupp Museum in Buffalo Grove * Shiloh House in

* Fort Hill Memorial Museum in Mundelein * Dunn Museum in Libertyville

Performing arts

* Adler Arts Center in Libertyville * ArtWauk in Waukegan * Clockwise Theatre in Waukegan * Genesee Theatre in Waukegan * James Lumber Center for Performing Arts in Grayslake *

Marriott Theatre The Marriott Theatre in Lincolnshire, Illinois is a respected Chicago area regional theatre. Attached to the Marriott Lincolnshire Resort, the theatre produces an average of five musicals each year, presented in the round, as well as produ ...

Lincolnshire Lincolnshire (), abbreviated ''Lincs'', is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions of England. It is bordered by the East Riding of Yorkshire across the Humber estuary to th ...

Ravinia Festival Ravinia Festival is a primarily outdoor music venue in Highland Park, Illinois. It hosts a series of outdoor concerts and performances every summer from June to September in a wide variety of musical genres from classical to pop. The first orche ...

in Highland Park

Other

* Gurnee Mills shopping mall *

Communities

Cities

* Highland Park * Highwood * Lake Forest * McHenry (unincorporated part) * North Chicago * Park City *

(county seat) *

Villages

Antioch Antioch on the Orontes (; , ) "Antioch on Daphne"; or "Antioch the Great"; ; ; ; ; ; ; . was a Hellenistic Greek city founded by Seleucus I Nicator in 300 BC. One of the most important Greek cities of the Hellenistic period, it served as ...

* Bannockburn * Barrington (part) * Barrington Hills (part) * Beach Park * Buffalo Grove (part) * Deerfield (mostly) * Deer Park (part) * Fox Lake (part) * Fox River Grove (part) * Grayslake * Green Oaks * Gurnee * Hainesville * Hawthorn Woods * Indian Creek * Island Lake (part) * Kildeer * Lake Barrington * Lake Bluff * Lake Villa *

* Lakemoor (mostly) * Libertyville *

* Lindenhurst * Long Grove * Mettawa * Mundelein * North Barrington * Old Mill Creek * Port Barrington (part) * Riverwoods * Round Lake * Round Lake Beach * Round Lake Heights * Round Lake Park * Third Lake * Tower Lakes * Vernon Hills * Volo * Wadsworth * Wauconda * Wheeling (part) * Winthrop Harbor

Census-designated places

* Channel Lake * Forest Lake * Fox Lake Hills * Gages Lake * Grandwood Park * Knollwood * Lake Catherine * Long Lake * Venetian Village

Unincorporated communities

* Aptakisic * Diamond Lake * Eddy * Fort Sheridan * Fremont Center * Gilmer * Grange Hall * Grass Lake * Half Day * Ingleside *

Ivanhoe ''Ivanhoe: A Romance'' ( ) by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in December 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. It marked a shift away from Scott's prior practice of setting stories in Scotland and in the more ...

* Kennedy * Loon Lake * Millburn * Monaville * Palm Beach * Prairie View * Rondout (Part of Lake Bluff) * Rosecrans * Russell * Sylvan Lake * West Miltmore * Wildwood * Wilson

Townships

The county is divided into eighteen townships. Image:Map of Lake County Illinois showing townships.png, Lake County townships (clickable), 350px poly 115 99 421 102 420 209 236 207 236 239 205 239 205 264 111 264 Antioch Township poly 610 113 619 111 621 117 641 116 642 125 632 128 635 134 642 136 632 138 634 141 644 142 641 148 655 148 657 159 674 162 695 167 697 170 707 166 715 163 716 151 746 150 743 165 717 167 714 189 742 188 738 209 718 209 713 234 701 236 698 230 691 227 671 230 670 225 656 226 656 213 650 216 647 205 645 198 640 197 636 205 625 203 632 185 631 180 619 181 616 170 626 157 613 156 595 157 595 150 611 149 619 149 618 134 609 135 Zion Township poly 621 108 739 108 747 145 745 171 739 232 735 274 608 272 609 158 620 157 618 162 616 173 616 180 631 181 624 202 637 203 638 210 643 210 650 210 650 217 657 226 672 233 691 228 700 236 712 237 720 213 738 213 742 190 716 190 717 168 745 168 746 149 717 149 714 164 705 165 698 169 698 164 681 165 678 162 657 159 657 148 645 149 645 144 633 141 634 138 645 138 646 134 634 133 634 131 641 126 643 118 621 116 Benton Township poly 425 103 610 104 610 147 593 148 592 158 608 159 607 273 421 271 Newport Township poly 420 330 420 210 239 210 238 240 207 240 206 301 237 300 238 330 Lake Villa Township poly 114 266 204 266 205 303 235 304 235 453 114 452 Grant Township poly 238 333 420 332 420 455 237 455 Avon Township poly 422 273 422 458 609 456 607 274 Warren Township poly 611 275 736 275 735 327 732 341 725 361 715 379 708 393 700 425 693 457 609 458 Waukegan Township poly 114 454 236 456 236 640 115 638 Wauconda Township poly 238 456 417 459 419 641 237 640 Fremont Township poly 420 458 607 459 605 640 421 642 Libertyville Township poly 610 460 691 460 687 506 693 552 705 604 720 641 608 641 Shields Township poly 115 641 236 642 233 825 112 826 Cuba Township poly 237 643 419 643 419 825 236 823 Ela Township poly 422 644 606 644 605 826 421 826 Vernon Township poly 608 643 677 644 684 660 696 660 697 828 605 828 West Deerfield Township poly 681 644 720 644 750 720 774 770 807 826 699 829 700 659 686 658 Moraine Township *

* Avon * Benton *

Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

* Ela * Fremont * Grant * Lake Villa * Libertyville *

Moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...

* Newport *

Shields A shield is a piece of personal armour held in the hand, which may or may not be strapped to the wrist or forearm. Shields are used to intercept specific attacks, whether from close-ranged weaponry like spears or long ranged projectiles suc ...

* Vernon * Warren * Wauconda *

* West Deerfield *

Government

County Officials: The county has several other elected offices, including

sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...

coroner A coroner is a government or judicial official who is empowered to conduct or order an inquest into the manner or cause of death. The official may also investigate or confirm the identity of an unknown person who has been found dead within th ...

, clerk,

treasurer A treasurer is a person responsible for the financial operations of a government, business, or other organization. Government The treasury of a country is the department responsible for the country's economy, finance and revenue. The treasure ...

, State's attorney, regional superintendent, and circuit

court clerk A court clerk (British English: clerk to the court or clerk of the court ; American English: clerk of the court or clerk of court ) is an officer of the court whose responsibilities include maintaining records of a court and administering oaths ...

. Each of these elected officers serves a term of four years and oversees a different part of county government.

Politics

As a historic

Yankee The term ''Yankee'' and its contracted form ''Yank'' have several interrelated meanings, all referring to people from the United States. Their various meanings depend on the context, and may refer to New Englanders, the Northeastern United Stat ...

settlement, Lake County was initially a stronghold of the

Free Soil Party The Free Soil Party, also called the Free Democratic Party or the Free Democracy, was a political party in the United States from 1848 to 1854, when it merged into the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. The party was focused o ...

. In the 1848 presidential election, it was Free Soil nominee and former president

Martin van Buren Martin Van Buren ( ; ; December 5, 1782 – July 24, 1862) was the eighth president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841. A primary founder of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as Attorney General o ...

’s strongest county, giving him over 58 percent of the vote. Consequently, Lake County would turn rock-solid Republican for most of the next century and a half. After narrowly supporting Democrat

Franklin Pierce Franklin Pierce (November 23, 1804October 8, 1869) was the 14th president of the United States, serving from 1853 to 1857. A northern Democratic Party (United States), Democrat who believed that the Abolitionism in the United States, abolitio ...

in 1852, it voted Republican at all but one presidential election from 1856 to 1960. This tradition was only broken in

1912 This year is notable for Sinking of the Titanic, the sinking of the ''Titanic'', which occurred on April 15. In Albania, this leap year runs with only 353 days as the country achieved switching from the Julian to Gregorian Calendar by skippin ...

, when the GOP was mortally divided and Lake County voted for Progressive Party nominee and former president

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

over conservative incumbent

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...

. In

1964 Events January * January 1 – The Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland is dissolved. * January 5 – In the first meeting between leaders of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches since the fifteenth century, Pope Paul VI and Patria ...

the Republican Party nominated

Barry Goldwater Barry Morris Goldwater (January 2, 1909 – May 29, 1998) was an American politician and major general in the United States Air Force, Air Force Reserve who served as a United States senator from 1953 to 1965 and 1969 to 1987, and was the Re ...

, whose hostility to the Yankee establishment and strongly conservative platform were sufficient to leave many traditional Republicans to stay home or even to vote for Lyndon Johnson, who narrowly became the first Democrat to win an absolute majority in the county since

James K. Polk James Knox Polk (; November 2, 1795 – June 15, 1849) was the 11th president of the United States, serving from 1845 to 1849. A protégé of Andrew Jackson and a member of the Democratic Party, he was an advocate of Jacksonian democracy and ...

in 1844, and the first to win it at all since Pierce in 1852. Between 1968 and 1988, however, Lake County became powerfully Republican once more, with no Democrat cracking forty percent of the vote. However, as in the other collar counties, the Republican edge narrowed considerably in the 1990s, and

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, ...

actually won it with a 166-vote plurality in 1996–the only time that Clinton won any of the collar counties besides Will County during his two campaigns for president. After narrowly voting for

George W. Bush George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician and businessman who was the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Bush family and the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he i ...

twice, in 2008 it swung over dramatically to support Democrat

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II (born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who was the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, he was the first African American president in American history. O ...

, who carried it by almost 20 points. Obama won it but by a slimmer margin in 2012.

Hillary Clinton Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, lawyer and diplomat. She was the 67th United States secretary of state in the administration of Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, a U.S. senator represent ...

won it handily in 2016, tallying her second-best margin in the state. At 36%,

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

's performance in the county was the worst of any Republican presidential nominee since 1912. In 2020,

Joe Biden Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. (born November 20, 1942) is an American politician who was the 46th president of the United States from 2021 to 2025. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served as the 47th vice p ...

won 61% of the vote, the highest percentage of the vote for any candidate since 1988 and the highest ever attained by a Democrat. Lake County has the highest payout for wrongful conviction in the United States. Juan Rivera was awarded $20 million, the largest wrongful conviction settlement in United States history, including $2 million from John E. Reid & Associates, who were known for the

Reid technique The Reid technique is a method of interrogation after investigation and behavior analysis. The system was developed in the United States by John E. Reid in the 1950s. Reid was a polygraph expert and former Chicago police officer. The technique i ...

of questioning suspects. This technique has been widely criticized for its history of eliciting confessions that were later determined to be false. Rivera was questioned twice at Reid headquarters by an employee of the company during his interrogation, which lasted for several days. Another payout was made to Jerry Hobbs. Kathleen Zellner settled Jerry Hobbs's civil rights case for $7.75 million. Hobbs was incarcerated for 66 months. This was the largest pre-trial detainee settlement in the United States.

Media

Lake County is covered by the Chicago and Milwaukee

media market A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area (DMA), television market area, or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same (or similar) television station, television and radio broadcasting, ra ...

and the county relies on Chicago and Milwaukee television stations, radio stations, and newspapers for the source of its news and information. The county has multiple radio stations, including 102.3 FM XLC and 98.3 FM WRLR. The

Lake County News-Sun The ''Lake County News-Sun'' is a regional newspaper based in Gurnee, Illinois, United States, that predominantly covers news for Lake County, Illinois, a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is currently owned by the Chicago Tribune Medi ...

, owned by

Tribune Publishing Tribune Publishing Company (briefly Tronc, Inc.) is an American newspaper print and online media publishing company. The company, which was acquired by Alden Global Capital in May 2021, has a portfolio that includes the ''Chicago Tribune'', t ...

, is the county's main print newspaper. It is printed and published in Gurnee. ''Lake and McHenry County Scanner'', launched in 2012 by Sam Borcia, is the county's biggest digital newspaper which covers Lake County as well as nearby McHenry County. The publication's work has been quoted in top news outlets such as Fox News and Yahoo! News. The county is also covered by the ''

Chicago Sun-Times The ''Chicago Sun-Times'' is a daily nonprofit newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Since 2022, it is the flagship paper of Chicago Public Media, and has long held the second largest circulation among Chicago newspaper ...

'' and '' The Daily Herald''.

Education

Emmons School District 33 Emmons School District 33 is a K-8 school district located in the central region of the village Antioch, which is, in turn, located in Lake County, Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwest ...

* Fox Lake Grade School District 114 * Fremont School District 79 * Gavin School District 37 * Grass Lake School District 36 * Grayslake Consolidated Community School District 46 * Gurnee School District 56 * Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73 * Kildeer Countryside Community Consolidated School District 96 * Lake Bluff Elementary School District 65 * Lake Forest School District 67 * Lake Villa Community Consolidated School District 41 * Libertyville School District 70 * Lincolnshire-Prairieview School District 103 * McHenry Community Consolidated School District 15 * Millburn Community Consolidated School District 24 * Mundelein Elementary School District 75 * North Shore School District 112 * Nippersink School District 2 * Oak Grove School District 68 * Rondout School District 72 * Winthrop Harbor School District 1 * Woodland Community Consolidated School District 50 * Zion Elementary School District 6

Notable people

Jack Benny Jack Benny (born Benjamin Kubelsky; February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) was an American entertainer who evolved from a modest success as a violinist on the vaudeville circuit to one of the leading entertainers of the twentieth century with ...

(February 14, 1894 – December 26, 1974) – entertainer, comedian, actor and musician, Benny was one of America's greatest stars of radio and television, and also appeared in many films; he was raised in

Waukegan, Illinois Waukegan ( ) is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located north of Chicago, Waukegan is a satellite city within the greater Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, its population was 89,321, makin ...

. * Charles Boyce (September 21, 1949) – cartoonist, creator of syndicated comic panel Compu-toon and the telecommunication public affairs image The KeyPad Kid. *

Ray Bradbury Ray Douglas Bradbury ( ; August 22, 1920June 5, 2012) was an American author and screenwriter. One of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers, he worked in a variety of genres, including fantasy, science fiction, Horror fiction, horr ...

(August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) – fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his

dystopia A dystopia (lit. "bad place") is an imagined world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized, fearful lives. It is an imagined place (possibly state) in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmen ...

n novel ''

Fahrenheit 451 ''Fahrenheit 451'' is a 1953 Dystopian fiction, dystopian novel by American writer Ray Bradbury. It presents a future American society where books have been outlawed and "firemen" Book burning, burn any that are found. The novel follows in the ...

'' and ''

The Martian Chronicles ''The Martian Chronicles'' is a science fiction fix-up novel, published in 1950, by American writer Ray Bradbury that chronicles the exploration and settlement of Mars, the home of indigenous Martians, by Americans leaving a troubled Earth tha ...

'', Bradbury is widely considered one of the greatest and most popular American writers of

speculative fiction Speculative fiction is an umbrella term, umbrella genre of fiction that encompasses all the subgenres that depart from Realism (arts), realism, or strictly imitating everyday reality, instead presenting fantastical, supernatural, futuristic, or ...

of the twentieth century. Bradbury was born in Waukegan. *

Marlon Brando Marlon Brando Jr. (April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) was an American actor. Widely regarded as one of the greatest cinema actors of the 20th century,''Movies in American History: An Encyclopedia''

(April 3, 1924 – July 1, 2004) actor; as a young

sex symbol A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...

, he is best known for his roles in ''

A Streetcar Named Desire ''A Streetcar Named Desire'' is a play written by Tennessee Williams and first performed on Broadway on December 3, 1947. The play dramatizes the experiences of Blanche DuBois, a former Southern belle who, after encountering a series of pe ...

'', ''

On the Waterfront ''On the Waterfront'' is a 1954 American crime drama film, directed by Elia Kazan and written by Budd Schulberg. It stars Marlon Brando, and features Karl Malden, Lee J. Cobb, Rod Steiger, Pat Henning and Eva Marie Saint in her film de ...

'' and ''

Guys and Dolls ''Guys and Dolls'' is a musical theater, musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Jo Swerling and Abe Burrows. It is based on "The Idyll of Miss Sarah Brown" (1933) and "Blood Pressure", which are two short stories by Damon Run ...

''. Brando and his family moved to

Libertyville, Illinois Libertyville is a village in Libertyville Township, Lake County, Illinois, Libertyville Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. It is located west of Lake Michigan, approximately 40 miles north of the Chicago Loop. As such, it is part o ...

where he lived from 1937 until 1942. *

Gary Coleman Gary Wayne Coleman (February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) was an American actor, known as a high-profile child star of the late 1970s and 1980s. Born in Zion, Illinois, Coleman grew up with his adopted parents, and a kidney disease; due to the co ...

(February 8, 1968 – May 28, 2010) – actor, known for his role as Arnold Jackson in the American sitcom ''

Diff'rent Strokes ''Diff'rent Strokes'' is an American television sitcom, which originally aired on NBC from November 3, 1978, to May 4, 1985, and on ABC from September 27, 1985, to March 7, 1986. The series stars Gary Coleman and Todd Bridges as Arnold and ...

'' (1978–1986). Coleman was born in

Zion, Illinois Zion is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 United States census, the population was 24,655. History The city was founded in 1900 by John Alexander Dowie, a Scots-Australian evangelical minister and faith healer who had ...

. * Ron Goldman (July 2, 1968 – June 12, 1994), who was killed along with

Nicole Brown Simpson Nicole Brown Simpson (née Brown; May 19, 1959 – June 12, 1994) was the second wife of American professional football player, actor, and media personality O. J. Simpson. She was murdered outside her Brentwood home, along with her friend Ro ...

grew up in Buffalo Grove. *

Michael Jordan Michael Jeffrey Jordan (born February 17, 1963), also known by his initials MJ, is an American businessman and former professional basketball player, who is currently a minority owner of the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Ass ...

(born February 17, 1963) – retired professional basketball player and active businessman, widely considered one of the greatest players of all time; as of 2015, Jordan had a residence in

Highland Park, Illinois Highland Park is a suburban city located in southeastern Lake County, Illinois, United States, about north of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 30,176. Highland Park is one of several municipali ...

. *

Vince Vaughn Vincent Anthony Vaughn (born March 28, 1970) is an American actor. He is known for starring as a leading man in numerous comedy films during the late 1990s and 2000s. He was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Award ...

(born March 28, 1970) – actor, known for his roles in '' Swingers'' and ''

Wedding Crashers ''Wedding Crashers'' is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by David Dobkin, written by Steve Faber and Bob Fisher, starring Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn and Christopher Walken with Rachel McAdams, Isla Fisher, Bradley Cooper and ...

''; grew up in Buffalo Grove, Illinois, then moved to Lake Forest,

, where he graduated from Lake Forest High School in 1988. *

Pete Wilson Peter Barton Wilson (born August 23, 1933) is an American attorney and politician who served as governor of California from 1991 to 1999. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, Wilson previously served as a United S ...

(born August 23, 1933), mayor of San Diego (1971-1983);

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

(1983-1991); and

Governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

(1991-1999), born in Lake Forest. * Thomas E. Wilson (1868-1958), businessman and founder of '

Wilson Sporting Goods The Wilson Sporting Goods Company is an American sports equipment manufacturer based in Chicago, Illinois. Wilson makes equipment for many sports, among them baseball, badminton, American football, basketball, fastpitch softball, golf, racquetball ...

', resident and buried in Lake County.

References

Citations

General sources

*
''Encyclopedia of Chicago'' (2004)
comprehensive coverage of city and suburbs, past and present

External links

*
Lake County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Lake County Forest Preserve District
{{Coord, 42.43, -87.78, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-IL_source:UScensus1990 Illinois counties 1839 establishments in Illinois Chicago metropolitan area Populated places established in 1839