St. Charles is a city in
DuPage and
Kane counties 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 sove ...
of
Illinois
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 Rockf ...
. It lies roughly west of
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
on
Illinois Route 64
Illinois Route 64 (IL 64, Illinois 64) is an east–west state highway in Northern Illinois. Its western terminus is at the Iowa state line, connecting with U.S. Route 52 (US 52) and Iowa Highway 64 via the Dale Gardner Veterans ...
. Per the
2020 census, the population was 33,081. The official city slogan is "Pride of the Fox", after the
Fox River that runs through the center of town. St. Charles is part of a
tri-city area along with
Geneva
, neighboring_municipalities= Carouge, Chêne-Bougeries, Cologny, Lancy, Grand-Saconnex, Pregny-Chambésy, Vernier, Veyrier
, website = https://www.geneve.ch/
Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevr ...
and
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 ...
, all western suburbs of similar size and socioeconomic condition.
History
Early history
St. Charles was the location of the Native American community for the chief of the
Pottawatomie
The Potawatomi , also spelled Pottawatomi and Pottawatomie (among many variations), are a Native American people of the western Great Lakes region, upper Mississippi River and Great Plains. They traditionally speak the Potawatomi language, a m ...
that inhabited the area. A city park overlooking the river was dedicated to this Native American past. After the
Black Hawk War
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between the United States and Native Americans led by Black Hawk, a Sauk leader. The war erupted after Black Hawk and a group of Sauks, Meskwakis (Fox), and Kickapoos, known as the " British Band", cros ...
in 1832, the entire area of the Fox Valley was opened to American settlement. Evan Shelby and William Franklin staked the first claim in what is now St. Charles in 1833. They came back in 1834 with their families from
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
, and were joined by over a dozen other families later that year. The township was initially known as ''Charleston'', but this name was already taken by the downstate city of
Charleston, Illinois
Charleston is a city in, and the county seat of, Coles County, Illinois, United States. The population was 17,286, as of the 2020 census. The city is home to Eastern Illinois University and has close ties with its neighbor, Mattoon. Both are ...
, so the name of ''St. Charles'' (suggested by S. S. Jones, a lawyer) was adopted in 1839. St. Charles became incorporated as a city February 9, 1839, and reincorporated October 17, 1874 (under the 1870 Illinois Constitution).
Underground Railroad
There is widespread speculation of
slavery-era Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a network of clandestine routes and safe houses established in the United States during the early- to mid-19th century. It was used by enslaved African Americans primarily to escape into free states and Canada. ...
stations operating in St. Charles homes, complete with tunnels and false doorways. While these claims are not historically substantiated, there was an
active abolitionist group operating in St. Charles around this time, called the Kane County Anti-Slavery Society. The Society was founded in 1842 and had about 180 members at its peak. The most plausible connection to the Underground Railroad in the town is the Wheeler House, built in St. Charles in 1837.
Transportation history
St. Charles was a very isolated place early on in its existence. The village was located three days away from Chicago, and the Fox River was not navigable for large boats. By the 1850s, St. Charles had begun construction of a
plank road to
Sycamore
Sycamore is a name which has been applied to several types of trees, but with somewhat similar leaf forms. The name derives from the ancient Greek ' (''sūkomoros'') meaning "fig-mulberry".
Species of trees known as sycamore:
* ''Acer pseudoplata ...
but turned down an offer by the
Galena and Chicago Union Railroad to construct a line through the town, which was eventually built in nearby
Elgin. Lack of regional connections in the early years kept the town relatively small. St. Charles was without a railroad until 1871 when a branch line from Geneva was constructed, and was without a direct connection to Chicago until the 1880s with the coming of the
Chicago Great Western Railway
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesot ...
.
Streetcar
A tram (called a streetcar or trolley in North America) is a rail vehicle that travels on tramway tracks on public urban streets; some include segments on segregated right-of-way. The tramlines or networks operated as public transport a ...
lines along the Fox River between Elgin and
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 ...
were built through the city in 1896, operated by the
Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric company. A direct automobile route to Chicago, which eventually became
Route 64 (Main Street), was constructed in 1920. Four Illinois state routes, including Routes 64,
38 (Lincoln Highway),
25 (5th Avenue) and
31 (2nd Street) now run through the city. Two major Kane County roads also cut through the city;
Randall Road
Randall Road is a major north-south county highway in McHenry and Kane County, Illinois. The road is named after Norman Randall, a prominent area landowner in the 1930s. It serves as the western extent of the Fox Valley suburbs in the Chicago m ...
on the west side and Kirk Road on the east side.
Immigration history
St. Charles has attracted groups of
European immigrants, including from
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
and
Sweden during the 1840s and 1850s, and later from
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
and
Lithuania.
COVID-19 pandemic
On April 25, 2020, the Kane County Health Department ordered
Smithfield Foods
Smithfield Foods, Inc., is an American pork producer and food-processing company based in Smithfield, Virginia, in the United States, and an independent subsidiary of WH Group. Founded in 1936 as the Smithfield Packing Company by Joseph W. Luter ...
to close its meat processing plant because of the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, a local instance of the pandemic's
effects on the meat industry in the United States.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, St. Charles has a total area of , of which (or 97.83%) is land and (or 2.17%) is water. The Fox River runs through downtown. Potawatomie Park, which sits on the river, is the largest park in St. Charles and a popular destination for both tourists and tri-city area citizens.
Demographics
2020 census
''Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.''
2000 Census
According to the 2000 census,
population density
Population density (in agriculture: Stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical ...
was . There were 11,072 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 93.81%
White
White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...
, 1.66%
African American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
, 0.14%
Native American, 1.79%
Asian
Asian may refer to:
* Items from or related to the continent of Asia:
** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia
** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia
** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...
, 0.00%
Pacific Islander
Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the Pacific Islands. As an ethnic/racial term, it is used to describe the original peoples—inhabitants and diasporas—of any of the three major subregions of O ...
, 1.66% from
other races
Other often refers to:
* Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy
Other or The Other may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack
* ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...
, and 0.94% from two or more races. 5.50% of the population were
Hispanic
The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad.
The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to viceroyalties forme ...
or
Latino
Latino or Latinos most often refers to:
* Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America
* Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States
* The people or cultures of Latin America;
** Latin A ...
of any race.
There were 10,351 households, out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% were
married couples living together, 8.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the city the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $75,181, and the median income for a family was $94,704. Males had a median income of $55,864 versus $35,134 for females. 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 city was $33,969. 3.4% of the population and 2.1% of families 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 ...
. Out of the total population, 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Government and infrastructure
State government
The Illinois Youth Center St. Charles (IYC St. Charles), a juvenile correctional facility of the
Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice
The Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice (IDJJ) is the code department of the Illinois state government that acts as the state juvenile corrections agency.
The department was formed on July 1, 2006. Previously, the Illinois Department of Corre ...
, is in St. Charles. It opened in December 1904.
Education
The public education system in St. Charles is operated by the
Community Unit School District 303, which currently has thirteen
elementary schools
A primary school (in Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, and South Africa), junior school (in Australia), elementary school or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ed ...
: Anderson, Bell-Graham, Corron, Davis, Ferson Creek, Fox Ridge, Lincoln, Munhall, Norton Creek, Wasco, and Wild Rose. Also including Davis Primary (K-2), and Richmond Intermediate (3-5) split elementary schools. There are two
middle school
A middle school (also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school) is an educational stage which exists in some countries, providing education between primary school and secondary school. ...
s:
Thompson
Thompson may refer to:
People
* Thompson (surname)
* Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician
Places Australia
*Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality
Bulgaria
* Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province
Canada
* ...
and
Wredling; and two
high school
A secondary school describes an institution that provides secondary education and also usually includes the building where this takes place. Some secondary schools provide both '' lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper seconda ...
s:
St. Charles East High School, and
St. Charles North High School. The Glenwood School for Boys and Girls has a campus in St. Charles known as the Rathje Campus named for the
Frank C. Rathje family. St. Patrick Catholic School opened its doors in 1930 and previously served about 500 students at the downtown campus. Saint Patrick Catholic school is downtown campus is now a preschool. The school opened another location off Randall Road which serves over 500 students. St. Charles is part of Community College District 509 which is served by
Elgin Community College.
Culture
Also home of the Kane County Fair in July and the Kane County
Flea Market the first Sunday and preceding Saturday of every month. Pottawatomie Park is the center of the annual Dragon Boat festival and family event, the second weekend of June. Downtown St. Charles' Lincoln Park serves as the central location for the Scarecrow Festival in October. St. Charles is also home to the Fox Valley Concert Band.
St. Charles is also home to the
Arcada theatre, a notable attraction within the Fox River valley, where many famous performers have appeared including
Martin Short,
Joan Rivers
Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 – September 4, 2014), known professionally as Joan Rivers, was an American comedian, actress, producer, writer and television host. She was noted for her blunt, often controversial comedic persona—heavi ...
, and
Paul Anka
Paul Albert Anka (born July 30, 1941) is a Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor. He is best known for his signature hit songs including " Diana", " Lonely Boy", " Put Your Head on My Shoulder", and "(You're) Having My Baby". Anka also ...
. Local theatres include Steel Beam Theatre, the Vero Voce Theater & School of Performing Arts, and Kane Repertory Theatre.
Historic
Hotel Baker
Hotel Baker is a historic landmark in St. Charles, Illinois, listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been in and out of the hotel business since 1928. 9/28/08
History
It was 1926 when the groundbreaking began at a site of a g ...
which opened in 1928 is a symbolic representation of the rich history of downtown St. Charles.
Downtown St. Charles was named one of the region's "Top 10" by the ''
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 a ...
'' for fine dining, arts and entertainment, recreational opportunities, unique shopping, and a lively nighttime personality.
''Family Circle'' magazine named St. Charles #1 in its 2011 Annual Survey of Best Towns and Cities for families. The comprehensive survey included communities from across the country and is featured in the magazine's August 2011 issue. The communities in the magazine's annual roundup of perfect places to call home combine affordable housing, good neighbors, green spaces, strong public school systems and giving spirits.
The St. Charles History Museum maintains a small museum of community artifacts in a historic former
Texaco
Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an independent company unt ...
service station built in 1928 on Main Street.
The St. Charles Public Library is nationally ranked among the best libraries in the U.S. and has earned a "three star" rating in the 2010 Library Journal Index. Located near downtown St. Charles, the library has a large collection of print materials, as well as DVDs, CDs, downloadable content, online research databases, and a genealogy collection. Programs and activities for children and adults are offered. Outreach Services can arrange special delivery options for those who have special circumstances, such as visual, mobility or hearing impairments. The Friends of the Library sponsors spring and fall book sales each year.
In 2008, as part of a promotional effort by a local water gardening company, St. Charles named itself the
water garden
Water garden or aquatic garden, is a term sometimes used for gardens, or parts of gardens, where any type of water feature is a principal or dominant element. The primary focus is on plants, but they will sometimes also house waterfowl, or orn ...
capital of the world.
St. Charles is home to the Q Center, a 95-acre conference site. Originally built as a Catholic Women's Liberal Arts College, St. Dominic College, it later became
Arthur Andersen
Arthur Andersen was an American accounting firm based in Chicago that provided auditing, tax advising, consulting and other professional services to large corporations. By 2001, it had become one of the world's largest multinational corporat ...
's Center for Professional Education. It is now used by
Accenture, and hosts meetings, conferences and executive learning for Fortune 500 companies, associations and social, military, education, religious and fraternal organizations from all over the world.
St. Charles hosts an annual Scarecrow Fest, featuring 100+ handmade
scarecrow
A scarecrow is a decoy or mannequin, often in the shape of a human. Humanoid scarecrows are usually dressed in old clothes and placed in open fields to discourage birds from disturbing and feeding on recently cast seed and growing crops.Lesley ...
s.
Economy
Top employers
According to St. Charles' 2016 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:
History
Piano-making was a major industry in St. Charles in the first three decades of the 20th century. The arrival of the
Chicago Great Western Railway
The Chicago Great Western Railway was a Class I railroad that linked Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha, and Kansas City. It was founded by Alpheus Beede Stickney in 1885 as a regional line between St. Paul and the Iowa state line called the Minnesot ...
enabled
The Cable Co., one of the country's largest producers of pianos and reed organs, to build a factory on 11 acres of land at 410 South 1st Street in 1901.
It employed up to 500 workers and...
"...gave St. Charles an international flavor. Ivory for piano keys came from India and Africa. Wool for the hammers came from Australia. Rich wood veneers were imported from Mexico, South America and the gold coast of Africa. In return, Cable distributed its pianos all over the world and had dealers in Spain, Italy, British East Africa, Japan, Australia and other key foreign places."
The St. Charles factory was closed on Jan. 7, 1937,
and sold to the W.H. Howell company, which made furniture there until 1980.
The building reopened in May 1986 as the indoor Piano Factory Outlet Mall, whose
outlet stores
An outlet store, factory outlet or factory shop is a brick and mortar or online store in which manufacturers sell their stock directly to the public. Traditionally, a factory outlet was a store attached to a factory or warehouse, sometimes allowin ...
included
Corning,
American Tourister
American Tourister is a brand of luggage owned by Samsonite. Brothers Sol and Irving Koffler founded American Luggage Works in Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. On ...
,
Carter's,
Pfalzgraff, and
Anchor Hocking
Anchor Hocking Company is a manufacturer of glassware. The Hocking Glass Company was founded in 1905 by Isaac Jacob (Ike) Collins in Lancaster, Ohio, and named after the Hocking River.
That company merged with the Anchor Cap and Closure Co ...
.
It was foreclosed upon and closed in 1997.
The building was razed in September 2000 to make way for a residential development; the site is now occupied by condominiums and mixed-use buildings.
In popular culture
St. Charles is featured in the 2011 American independent horror film
''Munger Road''.
Brief scene crossing the downtown St. Charles Fox River bridge in an early
Brendan Fraser
Brendan James Fraser ( ; born December 3, 1968) is an American-Canadian actor known for his leading roles in blockbusters, comedies, and dramatic films. Having graduated from the Cornish College of the Arts in 1990, he made his film debut in '' ...
movie
''With Honors''.
The 2020 documentary ''
A Secret Love
''A Secret Love'' is an 2020 American documentary film, directed by Chris Bolan. Ryan Murphy serves as a producer on the film, while Jason Blum serves as an executive producer under his Blumhouse Productions banner. It stars Terry Donahue and ...
'' follows the story of a couple who lived in St. Charles for decades.
Filming for an upcoming
David Fincher movie called ''The Killer'' is currently taking place in St. Charles.
Notable people
*
Edward J. Baker, wealthy benefactor; provided the funding for several buildings in St. Charles; born and raised in St. Charles
*
Robert F. Casey, Illinois state legislator and lawyer, practiced law in St. Charles.
*
Frantz Hunt Coe, physician, public official, and educator
*
Ethan Cutkosky
Ethan Francis Cutkosky (born August 19, 1999) is an American actor and singer, best known for his roles as Carl Gallagher on the Showtime series '' Shameless'',
and Barto in '' The Unborn''.
Early life
Ethan Francis Cutkosky was born on Augus ...
, actor
*
John F. Farnsworth, Union Army general and U.S. congressman; friend of
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
; lived in St. Charles
*
Dennis E. Fitch, off-duty pilot who helped saved lives in the crash of
United Airlines Flight 232
United Airlines Flight 232 was a regularly scheduled United Airlines flight from Stapleton International Airport in Denver to O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, continuing to Philadelphia International Airport. On July 19, 1989, the DC ...
; died in St. Charles
*
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 Liber ...
(1940–2021), architect and member of the
postmodern group of architects dubbed the
Chicago Seven
The Chicago Seven, originally the Chicago Eight and also known as the Conspiracy Eight or Conspiracy Seven, were seven defendants—Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, John Froines, Tom Hayden, Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, and Lee Weiner—charged by ...
. He was a St. Charles resident at the time of his death.
*
Dallas Jenkins
Dallas Jenkins (born July 25, 1975) is an American film and television director, writer and film producer. He is best known as the creator, director and co-writer of ''The Chosen'', the first multi-season series about the life of Jesus of Nazare ...
, actor
*
Marci Jobson, born and raised in St Charles, professional soccer player and coach
*
Jenny McCarthy
Jennifer McCarthy Wahlberg (' Jennifer Ann McCarthy; born November 1, 1972) is an American actress, model, and television personality. She began her career in 1993 as a nude model for ''Playboy'' magazine and was later named their Playmate of ...
, lives in St. Charles, actress
*
Tera Moody, long-distance runner
*
Karen Morrison-Comstock
Karen Jean Morrison-Comstock (born August 4, 1954) is an American model and beauty queen from St. Charles, Illinois who held the Miss USA 1974 title.
Pageants
Comstock entered the Miss Illinois USA pageant at the suggestion of her modeling agency ...
, Miss Illinois USA 1974, Miss USA 1974
*
Michael J. Nelson
Michael John Nelson (born October 11, 1964) is an American comedian and writer, most known for his work on the television series '' Mystery Science Theater 3000'' (''MST3K''). Nelson was the head writer of the series for most of the show's origi ...
, comedian and writer; (
Mystery Science Theater 3000)
*
Dellora A. Norris, civic philanthropist
*
David Purcey
David Kent Purcey (born April 22, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Toronto Blue Jays, Oakland Athletics, Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox.
Amateur career
Purcey attend ...
, left-handed relief pitcher for the
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...
,
Oakland Athletics,
Detroit Tigers,
Philadelphia Phillies and
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
*
Matt Reynolds, relief pitcher for the
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...
*
Matthew Shiltz Quarterback for the
Hamilton Tiger-Cats in the
Canadian Football League
The Canadian Football League (CFL; french: Ligue canadienne de football—LCF) is a professional sports league in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football. The league consists of nine teams, each located in a ci ...
*
Donnie Wahlberg
Donald Edmond Wahlberg Jr. (born August 17, 1969) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper, actor, record producer, and film producer. He is a founding member of the boy band New Kids on the Block. Outside music, he has had roles in the ''Saw' ...
, lives in St. Charles, entertainer
*
Brian Wilson, singer and member of the
Beach Boys
A beach is a landform alongside a body of water which consists of loose particles. The particles composing a beach are typically made from rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles, etc., or biological sources, such as mollusc shell ...
; lived in St. Charles
*
Chris Witaske
Chris Witaske (born June 12, 1983) is an American actor, best known for his portrayal of Chris Czajkowski in the Netflix romantic comedy ''Love''.
Life and career
Witaske was born in St. Charles, Illinois. He began taking classes at Second Ci ...
, actor
*
Rick Wohlhuter
Rick Wohlhuter (born December 23, 1948) is a retired American middle-distance runner.
Wohlhuter won the national indoor championship in the 600 yards in 1970. He graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 1971, and later qualified for the 1 ...
,
1976 800m Olympic bronze medalist; born in St. Charles
*
Randy Wright, former professional football quarterback, born and raised in St. Charles
See also
*
Tri-Cities, Illinois
The Tri-Cities, or Tri-City area, is a vernacular region that is situated between the large cities of Aurora and Elgin, Illinois, and encompasses the cities of Batavia, Geneva, and St. Charles.
A "vernacular region" is a distinctive area where ...
References
External links
City of St. Charles official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saint Charles, Illinois
Populated places established in 1834
Cities in DuPage County, Illinois
Cities in Kane County, Illinois
Cities in Illinois
Populated places on the Underground Railroad
1834 establishments in Illinois