Downers Grove is a village in

DuPage County, Illinois DuPage County ( ) is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois, and one of the collar counties of the Chicago metropolitan area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 932,877, making it Illinois' second-most populous county. Its county seat is ...

, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the

eponym An eponym is a person, a place, or a thing after whom or which someone or something is, or is believed to be, named. The adjectives which are derived from the word eponym include ''eponymous'' and ''eponymic''. Usage of the word The term ''epon ...

for the village. It is a south-west suburb of

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. The village is located between

I-88 Interstate 88 may refer to either of two United States Interstate highways: * Interstate 88 (Illinois) Interstate 88 (I-88) is an Interstate Highway in the US state of Illinois that runs from an interchange with I-80 near Silvis and ...

and

I-55 Interstate 55 (I-55) is a major Interstate Highway in the central United States. As with most primary Interstates that end in a five, it is a major cross-country, north–south route, connecting the Gulf of Mexico to the Great Lakes. The h ...

History

Downers Grove was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, a farmer who traveled to Illinois from

Rutland, New York Rutland is a town in Jefferson County, New York, United States. The population was 3,038 at the 2020 census. Rutland is in the eastern part of the county, east of Watertown and southwest of Fort Drum. History Prehistoric remains are eviden ...

, but was originally from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

. Its other early settlers included the Blodgett, Curtiss, Blanchard, Stanley, Lyman, and Carpenter families. The original settlers were mostly migrants from the Northeastern United States and Northern Europe. The first schoolhouse was built in 1844. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was extended from

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 ...

to Chicago through Downers Grove in 1864, boosting its population. The town was incorporated in March 1873. Its somewhat unusual spelling ("Apostrophe-free since 1873") remains a minor historical mystery. In April 1947, the wreck of a Burlington Railroad '' Twin Cities Zephyr'' passenger train killed three people, including the engineer. The streamliner struck a large tractor which had fallen from a freight train and two passenger cars crashed through a wall of the Main Street Station. The construction of two major toll roads along the village's northern and western boundaries,

I-355 Interstate 355 (I-355), also known as the Veterans Memorial Tollway, is an Interstate Highway and tollway in the western and southwest suburbs of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. Like most other toll roads in the northeastern portion of th ...

in 1989, and what is now referred to as

in 1958, facilitated the village's access to the rest of

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 h ...

is not far from the south edge of the village. Downers Grove has developed into a bustling Chicago suburb with many diverse businesses, including the headquarters for

Devry University DeVry University () is a private for-profit university with its headquarters in Naperville, Illinois. It was founded in 1931 by Herman A. DeVry and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. DeVry is predominantly an online educator but ...

, FTD, Ambitech Engineering Corp, Dover,

Heartland Food Corporation Heartland Foods is one of the largest franchises of Burger King. The Downers Grove, Illinois-based company owns and operates over 225 restaurants in six US States. History By 2001 and nearly eighteen years of stagnant growth, many of Burger Kin ...

, and HAVI Global Solutions.

Housing

The housing stock in Downers Grove comprises a mixture; some, generally near the center of town, date from the middle of the 19th century, but housing styles of each succeeding generation are represented. Downers Grove has witnessed one of the highest teardown rates in the Chicago area; small older residences are being demolished and replaced with much larger new houses. Teardowns have been the source of much controversy within the village. Since they occupy much more land than the original houses, rainwater that was originally absorbed by their yards is directed into neighboring yards and streets, resulting in flooding. Concerns have been expressed that teardowns reduce

affordable housing Affordable housing is housing which is deemed affordable to those with a household income at or below the median as rated by the national government or a local government by a recognized housing affordability index. Most of the literature on af ...

in the town and promote

gentrification Gentrification is the process of changing the character of a neighborhood through the influx of more affluent residents and businesses. It is a common and controversial topic in urban politics and planning. Gentrification often increases the ec ...

Geography

Downers Grove is located at . According to the 2010 census, Downers Grove has a total area of , of which (or 98.98%) is land and (or 1.02%) is water. Only the DuPage County communities of Bartlett,

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 Bolingbrook have larger land areas. Within the town are two forest preserves: Lyman Woods and Maple Grove Forest Preserve. A small creek runs through Maple Grove forest preserve. Downers Grove has been designated a

Tree City USA The Arbor Day Foundation is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit membership organization dedicated to planting trees. The Arbor Day Foundation has more than one million members and has planted more than 350 million trees in neighborhoods, communities ...

28 times by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Downers Grove borders the communities of Oak Brook, Westmont, Darien, Lombard, Woodridge and Lisle.

Climate

Downers Grove is in a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

zone. On average, January is the coldest month, while July is the warmest month. August typically has the most

precipitation In meteorology, precipitation is any product of the condensation of atmospheric water vapor that falls under gravitational pull from clouds. The main forms of precipitation include drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, ice pellets, graupel and hail. ...

, and February the least. The record high for Downers Grove was in July 2005, and the record low of was set in January 1985.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census, there were 50,327 people living in Downers Grove. The population density was . The racial makeup of the village was 84.3%

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 ...

alone (not

Hispanic or Latino ''Hispanic'' and '' Latino'' are ethnonyms used to refer collectively to the inhabitants of the United States who are of Spanish or Latin American ancestry (). While the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, for example, by the United States ...

), 3.4% Black or African American alone, 0.1%

American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans, also known as American Indians, First Americans, Indigenous Americans, and other terms, are the Indigenous peoples of the mainland United States (Indigenous peoples of Hawaii, Alaska and territories of the United States are ...

alone, 5.3% Asian alone, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, and 2.5% from two or more races.

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 ...

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 ...

were 5.0% of the population. There were 20,115 households, with an average household size of 2.42 and an average family size of 3.09. 53.5% of family households included married couples living together, 16.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 26.1% had a female householder with no spouse present. Out of adults in the village, 55.2% were married (not separated), 5.9% were widowed, 9.8% were divorced, 0.7% were separated, and 28.5% were never married. In the village, 5.9% of the population was under 5 years of age, with 21.5% under the age of 18, and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The

median age A population pyramid (age structure diagram) or "age-sex pyramid" is a graphical illustration of the distribution of a population (typically that of a country or region of the world) by age groups and sex; it typically takes the shape of a pyramid ...

was 43.1 years. According to the 2020 American Community Survey, the

Median Household Income The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two equal groups, half having an income above that amount, and half having an income below that amount. It may differ from the mean (or average) income. Both of these are ways o ...

in the village was $97,197. The median income for a family was $131,733, while the median income for a non-family household was $45,193. About 5.0% 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 t ...

, including 2.6% of minors under age 18, 5.5% of adults aged 18–64, and 6.0% of seniors age 65 or over. The state of Illinois as a whole, has a $68,428 Median Household Income and a 12.0% poverty rate

Economy

Located 20 miles west of the

Chicago Loop The Loop, one of Chicago's 77 designated community areas, is the central business district of the city and is the main section of Downtown Chicago. Home to Chicago's commercial core, it is the second largest commercial business district in Nort ...

, Downers Grove residents commonly commute via the village's three Metra BNSF line stations or highway connections. The village itself also serves as headquarters for multiple businesses, including Advocate Aurora Health and Fortune 500 member

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 ...

. The village is also home to regional satellite offices of numerous national corporations, including

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washin ...

, MetLife, and State Farm. Downers Grove's retail economy is largely supported by the local section of

Ogden Avenue Ogden Avenue is a street extending from the Near West Side of Chicago to Montgomery, Illinois. It was named for William B. Ogden, the first mayor of Chicago. The street follows the route of the Southwestern Plank Road, which opened in 1848 acr ...

. The stretch of Ogden Avenue through Chicago's western suburbs is particularly known for its automobile dealerships, classic car dealerships, and service centers. Ogden Avenue is also framed by a variety of grocery and convenience stores such as CVS, Fresh Thyme Farmers Market, Jewel,

Trader Joe's Trader Joe's is an American chain of grocery stores headquartered in Monrovia, California. The chain has over 569 stores across the United States. The first Trader Joe's store was opened in 1967 by founder Joe Coulombe in Pasadena, Californi ...

, and

Walgreens Walgreen Company, d/b/a Walgreens, is an American company that operates the second-largest pharmacy store chain in the United States behind CVS Health. It specializes in filling prescriptions, health and wellness products, health information, a ...

. Industrial and corporate parks may be found on Ogden's tributaries adjacent to major tollways such as

Top employers

According to the Village's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,Village of Downers Grove 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report
/ref> the top employers in the city are:

Arts and culture

Architecture

About 25 Sears-Roebuck Catalog Homes are located in Downers Grove, built using purchased kits between 1908 and 1940. The Blodgett House (1846) was a stopover point on the

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. ...

. The house has been moved to the Downers Grove Museum Campus.

Community events

The Tivoli Theatre and over 140 community events and festivals, attract thousands of visitors each year. Over of parks for recreational use are available with 450 recreational activities are available throughout the year. On Friday nights throughout the summer, antique and specialty cars park downtown in an informal car show. The Indian Boundary

YMCA YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams (philanthropist), Georg ...

sponsors an ice sculpture festival held in January.

Parks and recreation

Downers Grove contains a multitude of parks and forest preserves, including: * Concord Square Park * Davis Park * Doerhoefer Park * Ebersold Park * Fishel Park * Gilbert Park * Hooper's Hollow Park * Hummer Park * Lee and Grant Park *

McCollum Park McCollum may refer to: * McCollum (surname), includes a list of people with the name * McCollum, Alabama, U.S., unincorporated community * McCollum Field, air field in Cobb County, Georgia, U.S. *McCollum High School Dillard McCollum High Schoo ...

* Memorial Park * Milnes Family Memorial Park * Ned Bell Park * O'Brien Park * Patriots Park * Prince Pond * Railroad Park (Defunct) * Randall Park * Ruth K. Powers Park * Spring Park * Wallingford Park * Washington Park * Whitlock Park * Belmont Prairie * Hidden Lake Forest Preserve * Fox Hollow County Forest Preserve * Lyman Woods Forest Preserve * Maple Grove

Government

Local

The Village of Downers Grove operates under a magisterial council-manager form of government. The Village Council is the policy-making body that authorizes a professional manager to oversee the daily operations of the village. The Village Council is composed of the Mayor and six Commissioners elected at-large. In addition to the Municipal Code, which establishes many of the rules and regulations by which the Village operates, the Council has also adopted separate council policies on several matters related to municipal activities. The Mayor of Downers Grove is Robert T. Barnett. The Commissioners of Downers Grove are Greg Hose, Nicole Walus, Leslie Sadowski-Fugitt, Rich Kulovany, Chris Gilmartin and Danny Glover. The Mayor and Commissioners are elected for four-year terms at odd-year Consolidated General Elections. The terms for Mayor Barnett and Commissioners Walus, Sadowski-Fugitt, and Kulovany expire in May 2023. The terms for Commissioners Hose, Gilmartin, and Glover expire in May 2025. The elections for Mayor and Commissioners are

non-partisan Nonpartisanism is a lack of affiliation with, and a lack of bias towards, a political party. While an Oxford English Dictionary definition of ''partisan'' includes adherents of a party, cause, person, etc., in most cases, nonpartisan refers s ...

; the candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot, and direct party funding is not traditionally practiced.

State and national

The majority of the Village of Downers Grove is within the 6th US Congressional District of Illinois. As of 2018 this district is represented by

Sean Casten Sean Thomas Casten (born November 23, 1971) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for . The district covers portions of five counties in Chicago's western suburbs, including Wheaton, Palatine, and Barringt ...

(Democrat). Portions of southwest Downers Grove are within

11th 11 (eleven) is the natural number following 10 and preceding 12. It is the first repdigit. In English, it is the smallest positive integer whose name has three syllables. Name "Eleven" derives from the Old English ', which is first atteste ...

US Congressional District. This district is represented by Bill Foster (Democratic). The majority of the Village of Downers Grove is within the Illinois Senate 41st Legislative District, which is represented by John Curran (Republican) as of 2017. A portion of northern Downers Grove is within the Illinois Senate 24th Legislative District, which is represented by Suzanne Glowiak (Democratic) as of 2019. The majority of the Village of Downers Grove is within the Illinois House of Representatives 81st Representative District, which was represented by Ron Sandack (Republican) as of 2015. Sandack abruptly resigned in July 2016 citing issues with social media and "ugly" politics. In August, local Republican officials chose David S. Olsen, previously the mayor pro tem of Downers Grove, as the new Representative of the 81st District. In 2018, newcomer Anne Stava-Murray overcame David S. Olsen in the election with only approximately $30,000. Portions of northern Downers Grove are within the Illinois House of Representatives 47th Representative District, which is represented by

Deanne Mazzochi Deanne Marie Mazzochi is a politician who served as a Republican member of the Illinois House of Representatives from the 47th district from 2018 to 2023. The 47th district included all or parts of Elmhurst, Oak Brook, Oakbrook Terrace, Weste ...

(Republican) and the Illinois House of Representatives 48th Representative District, which is represented by Terra Costa Howard (Democratic). In 2006, the

July 4 Events Pre-1600 *362 BC – Battle of Mantinea: The Thebans, led by Epaminondas, defeated the Spartans. * 414 – Emperor Theodosius II, age 13, yields power to his older sister Aelia Pulcheria, who reigned as regent and proclaime ...

parade in Downers Grove featured both of the major Illinois gubernatorial candidates at the time,

Judy Baar Topinka Judy Baar Topinka (January 16, 1944 – December 10, 2014) was an American politician and member of the Republican Party from the U.S. State of Illinois. Originally a journalist, Topinka served in the Illinois House of Representatives from 1981 ...

(R) and Rod Blagojevich (D).

Education

Downers Grove is home to twelve public elementary schools, two public middle schools and two public high schools,

Downers Grove North High School Downers Grove North High School (Simply often known as DGN) is a public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. Thi ...

and

Downers Grove South High School Downers Grove South High School, or DGS, and locally referred to as "South", is a public four-year high school located at the corner of Dunham Road and 63rd Street in Downers Grove, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United S ...

. Eleven of the elementary schools, including Hillcrest, Belle Aire, El Sierra, Kingsley, Fairmount, Highland, Whittier, Pierce Downer, Henry Puffer, Lester, and Indian Trail Schools and two of the middle schools-Herrick and O'Neill Middle School, are part of Downers Grove Grade School District 58. The other elementary schools, Prairieview and Elizabeth Ide and Lakeview Jr. High School, are part of Center Cass School District 66. Downers Grove has two Catholic Schools, St. Joseph's and St. Mary's of Gostyn, that enroll students from pre-school through 8th grade. The two high schools in Downers Grove,

North North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north ...

and South, are part of Community High School District 99. They serve the entire community of Downers Grove, the majority of the village of Woodridge, and parts of Westmont, Darien, Lisle, Bolingbrook, Oak Brook and unincorporated Downers Grove and Lisle Townships. Good Shepherd Lutheran School is a Christian Pre-K-8 school of the

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), also referred to simply as the Wisconsin Synod, is an American Confessional Lutheran denomination of Christianity. Characterized as theologically conservative, it was founded in 1850 in Milwauke ...

in Downers Grove. Downers Grove is home to the Avery Coonley School. Founded in 1906 and in its present location in Downers Grove since 1929, it is a private K-8 school, known for its math and science-oriented teaching as well as its focus on the arts and foreign language. Downers Grove is also the home of Midwestern University, which trains osteopathic physicians and surgeons, physician assistants,

pharmacists A pharmacist, also known as a chemist ( Commonwealth English) or a druggist (North American and, archaically, Commonwealth English), is a healthcare professional who prepares, controls and distributes medicines and provides advice and instru ...

, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and dentists. According to the American Community Survey 2010, Downers Grove has one of the nation's most educated citizenry, with 50.7% of individuals over the age of 25 holding bachelor's or advanced degrees; the national average is 27.9%.

Media

Newspaper; Downers Grove Suburban Life

Infrastructure

Transportation

The main line of the

BNSF Railway Line The BNSF Line (also known informally as the "Racetrack") is a Metra commuter rail line operated by the BNSF Railway in Chicago and its western suburbs. In 2010, the BNSF Line continued to have the highest weekday ridership (average 64,600) of t ...

, the line is also used by

Metra Metra is the 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 242 stations on 11 rail lines. ...

commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting Commuting, commuters to a Downtown, central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter r ...

. Metra's

has three stops in Downers Grove at Belmont Road, Main Street, and Fairview Avenue. Interstate Highways

355 __NOTOC__ Year 355 ( CCCLV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Arbitio and Maesius (or, less frequently, year 1108 '' Ab ...

and 88 pass through the community, as well as the major surface street

US 34 U.S. Route 34 (US 34) is an east–west United States highway that runs for from north-central Colorado to the western suburbs of Chicago. Through Rocky Mountain National Park it is known as the Trail Ridge Road where it reaches elevation ...

. Downers Grove is served by the Pace Bus Service, a system of suburban public transportation. The Grove Commuter Shuttle runs four routes throughout the community to two of the three train station that are in the village. The shuttle also operates for the RotaryGrove Fest from remote parking lots on the north and south sides of the village located at the respective north and south high schools.

Utilities

Downers Grove drinking water comes from Lake Michigan, via the DuPage Water Commission pipeline, which purchases the water from the City of Chicago Department of Water Management. Its electricity infrastructure is largely maintained by

Commonwealth Edison Commonwealth Edison, commonly known by syllabic abbreviation as ComEd, is the largest electric utility in Illinois, and the in Chicago and much of Northern Illinois. Its service territory stretches roughly from Iroquois County on the south to ...

Company (ComEd); its natural gas infrastructure was built by Northern Illinois Gas. Household waste pickup is contracted out by the village to Republic Services, as is yard waste pickup; these are paid for by either household-purchased stickers or rented carts. Curbside recycling is free. Waste water is treated by the Downers Grove Sanitary District.

Notable people

Muriel Anderson Muriel Anderson (born June 17, 1960) is an American fingerstyle guitarist and harp guitarist who plays in many genres. She is the first woman to win the National Fingerpicking Guitar Championship. Career Muriel Anderson was born in Downers Grove ...

(b. 1960), composer and guitarist * Henry Williams Blodgett (1821-1905),

United States federal judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. ...

and Illinois state representative * Bob Bryar (b. 1979), drummer for

My Chemical Romance My Chemical Romance (commonly abbreviated to MCR or My Chem) is an American rock band from Newark, New Jersey. The band's current lineup consists of lead vocalist Gerard Way, lead guitarist Ray Toro, rhythm guitarist Frank Iero, and bassist ...

Nick Burdi Nicholas Edward Burdi (born January 19, 1993) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Chicago Cubs organization. He played college baseball for the Louisville Cardinals baseball, Louisville Cardinals of the University of Louisville. ...

(b. 1993), baseball player *

Greg Corner Kill Hannah was an American rock band formed in 1993 in Chicago, Illinois. The band released six studio albums, seven EPs, and two compilation albums as well as three DVDs. History Kill Hannah was formed by singer-songwriter Mat Devine in ...

(b. 1974) bassist for

Kill Hannah Kill Hannah was an American rock band formed in 1993 in Chicago, Illinois. The band released six studio albums, seven EPs, and two compilation albums as well as three DVDs. History Kill Hannah was formed by singer-songwriter Mat Devine in ...

, co-host and musical director for

JBTV ''JBTV'' (a.k.a. ''JBTV Music Television'') is a Chicago-area broadcast, weekly 60-minute music television show featuring live in-studio performances, music videos, and music-related interviews from emerging and established musicians. Based in C ...

Andy Dunn Andy Dunn (born February 20, 1979) is an American entrepreneur and the co-founder of Bonobos Inc. Dunn served as CEO for eleven years after co-founding the Bonobos brand in 2007. In June 2017, Walmart announced it was purchasing the Bonobos brand ...

(b. 1979), CEO of Bonobos Inc. * David Edwards (b. 1997) is a professional football player for the Los Angeles Rams. * Charles Draper Faulkner (1890-1979), architect *

Collin Fernandez Collin Fernandez (born 13 February 1997) is a professional footballer who currently plays for USL Championship club FC Tulsa. Born in the United States, he has most recently represented Peru at youth level. Career Professional On 28 August 20 ...

(b. 1997), professional soccer player *

Lauren Frost Lauren Allison Frost (born May 25, 1985) is an American actress and singer who is best known for her recurring role as Ruby Mendel in the hit Disney Channel Original Series ''Even Stevens'' and the follow-up Disney Channel Original Movie ''The E ...

(b. 1985), actress best known as Ruby Mendel in

Disney Channel Original Series This article lists past, present and future television programming on American basic cable channel and former premium channel, Disney Channel, since its launch on April 18, 1983. Current programming Original Live-action Animated Shorts A ...

Even Stevens ''Even Stevens'' is an American comedy television series that originally aired on Disney Channel from June 17, 2000, to June 2, 2003, airing a total of 65 episodes over three seasons. It follows the life of the Stevens, a family living in subur ...

'' and

Disney Channel Original Movie Many television films have been produced for Disney Channel, an American family-oriented basic cable channel and former premium television channel since its launch on April 18, 1983. Until October 1997, films were released under the banner na ...

The Even Stevens Movie ''The Even Stevens Movie'' is a 2003 American Disney Channel Original Movie that is based on the Disney Channel Original Series ''Even Stevens''. It premiered on June 13, 2003, serving as the series finale. The movie drew an audience of 5.1 mil ...

'' * Cammi Granato (b. 1971), Olympic ice hockey champion, inductee in Hockey Hall of Fame *

Tony Granato Anthony Lewis Granato (born July 25, 1964) is an American former professional ice hockey left winger and current head coach of the Wisconsin Badgers men's ice hockey team. He served as head coach of the United States men's national ice hockey te ...

(b. 1964), NHL player, head coach of

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The Avalanche play thei ...

and

University of Wisconsin A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, ...

Kendall Gretsch Kendall Gretsch (born April 2, 1992) is an American triathlete, biathlete and cross-country skier. She was born with spina bifida. She has competed in both Summer Paralympics and Winter Paralympics and has a unique distinction of winning gold m ...

, paralympian *

Miles Harvey Miles Harvey is an American journalist and author. He is best known for his 2000 book, ''The Island of Lost Maps'', which recounted the story of a Floridian named Gilbert Bland, who stole old and precious maps from libraries across America. H ...

(b. 1960), journalist and author * F. Kenneth Iverson (1925–2002) CEO of Nucor Steel * Eric Jagielo (b. 1992), baseball player *

Nancy Johnson Nancy Elizabeth Lee Johnson (born January 5, 1935) is an American lobbyist and politician from the state of Connecticut. Johnson was a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2007, representing the 6th dis ...

(b. 1974), 2000 Summer Olympics gold medalist in the

10 metre air rifle 10 metre air rifle (N.B. For "Meter" in this article – read "Metre") is an International Shooting Sports Federation (ISSF) shooting event, shot at a bullseye target over a distance of using a calibre air rifle with a maximum weight of . It ...

* Matt Jones (b. 1983), professional hockey player formerly with the Phoenix Coyotes (NHL) * Dan LeFevour (b. 1987), professional quarterback for Hamilton Tiger-Cats of 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 ...

* Fred Faulkner Lester (1926–1945),

Hospital corpsman A hospital corpsman (HM r corpsman is an enlisted medical specialist of the United States Navy, who may also serve in a U.S. Marine Corps unit. The corresponding rating within the United States Coast Guard is health services technician (HS ...

in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

and awardee of the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valo ...

. *

Eric Lichaj Eric Joseph Lichaj ( ; born November 17, 1988) is an American former professional soccer player, who is currently the head coach of the FC Cincinnati U19 team. Club career Eric Lichaj is the third son of Stan and Ann Lichaj, who were both fro ...

(b. 1988), professional soccer player, currently with

Hull City Hull City Association Football Club is a professional football club based in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, England, that compete in the . They have played home games at the MKM Stadium since moving from Boothferry Park in 2002. The club's t ...

and also a member of the US national team * Emil Martinec (b. 1958), string theorist * Thomas McCracken Jr. (born 1952), Illinois state legislator and lawyer *

Jim McDermott James Adelbert McDermott (born December 28, 1936) is an American politician and psychiatrist who was the U.S. representative for from 1989 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The 7th District includes most of Seattle, Vashon I ...

(b. 1936), U.S. representative representing

Washington's 7th congressional district Washington's 7th congressional district encompasses most of Seattle and Burien, and all of Vashon Island, Lake Forest Park, Edmonds, Shoreline, and Normandy Park. Since 2017, the 7th district has been represented in the U.S. House of Repres ...

from 1989 to 2017 *

Sherrill Milnes Sherrill Milnes (born January 10, 1935) is an American dramatic baritone most famous for his Verdi roles. From 1965 until 1997 he was associated with the Metropolitan Opera. His voice is a high dramatic baritone, combining good legato with an in ...

(b. 1935), baritone, formerly with the

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is oper ...

Sandi Morris Sandi Morris (born July 8, 1992) is an American pole vault record holder. She won the silver medal in the pole vault event at the 2016 Summer Olympics. She also won silver at the pole vault event at the 2017 World Championships in Athletics an ...

(b. 1992), pole vaulter, silver medalist at 2016 Olympics and 2017 World Championships * Edward F. Mrkvicka Jr. (b. 1944), lay minister and financial expert *

Bryan Mullins Bryan Mullins (born January 13, 1987) is a former American basketball player and current college basketball coach. He is currently head coach of the Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball team. Playing career Mullins was a four-year letterwi ...

(b. 1987), former basketball player and current Men's Basketball head coach at

Southern Illinois University Southern Illinois University is a system of public universities in the southern region of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its headquarters is in Carbondale, Illinois. Board of trustees The university is governed by the nine member SIU Board of Tr ...

* Bill Novey (1948–1991), head of special effects at

Walt Disney Imagineering Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attra ...

Emo Philips Emo Philips (born Philip Soltanec February 7, 1956) is an American actor, stand-up comedian, writer and producer. His stand-up comedy persona makes use of paraprosdokians spoken in a wandering falsetto tone of voice. The confused, childlike deli ...

(b. 1956), comedian *

Lanny Poffo Lanny Mark Poffo (born December 28, 1954), better known by his ring names "Leaping" Lanny Poffo and The Genius, is a Canadian-American professional wrestler, motivational speaker, poet, and actor. Poffo was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, to ...

(b. 1954), professional wrestler * "Shorty" Powers (1922–1979), NASA spokesman for

Project Mercury Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight program of the United States, running from 1958 through 1963. An early highlight of the Space Race, its goal was to put a man into Earth orbit and return him safely, ideally before the Soviet Un ...

Joe Principe Joseph Daniel Principe (; born November 14, 1974) is an American musician. He is the bassist, backing vocalist, and co-founder of the American rock band Rise Against. He is also a straight edge, a vegan, an animal rights advocate, and acti ...

(b. 1974), bass guitarist for Rise Against *

Denise Richards Denise Richards (born February 17, 1971) is an American actress, television personality, and former fashion model. Her most recognized roles are Carmen Ibanez in ''Starship Troopers'' (1997), Kelly Van Ryan in '' Wild Things'' (1998) and Bond gi ...

(b. 1971), actress and former model, ''

The World Is Not Enough ''The World Is Not Enough'' is a 1999 spy film, the nineteenth in the ''James Bond'' series produced by Eon Productions and the third to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by Michael Apted, from an ...

'', '' Wild Things'', '' Denise Richards: It's Complicated'' *

John Ridgely John Ridgely (born John Huntington Rea, September 6, 1909 – January 18, 1968) was an American film character actor with over 175 film credits. Early years Ridgely was born in Chicago, Illinois,Katz, Ephraim (1979). ''The Film Encyclopedia: T ...

(1909–1968), actor, ''

The Big Sleep ''The Big Sleep'' (1939) is a hardboiled crime novel by American-British writer Raymond Chandler, the first to feature the detective Philip Marlowe. It has been adapted for film twice, in 1946 and again in 1978. The story is set in Los Angel ...

'', ''

Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an ...

'', '' Destination Tokyo'' *

Johnny Sain John Franklin "Johnny" Sain (September 25, 1917 – November 7, 2006) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951. He ...

(1917-2006), baseball pitcher, 6-time World Series champion; died in Downers Grove *

Randy Savage Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestl ...

(1952-2011), Randall Mario Poffo, ring name "Macho Man", former professional wrestler and actor *

Luther Ely Smith Luther Ely Smith (June 11, 1873 – April 2, 1951) was a St. Louis, Missouri lawyer and civic booster. He has been described by the National Park Service as the "father of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial," which was renamed as the Ga ...

(1873–1951), founder of the

Gateway Arch National Park Gateway Arch National Park is an American national park located in St. Louis, Missouri, near the starting point of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The memorial was established to commemorate: *the Louisiana Purchase and subsequent westward mo ...

Barbara Stock Barbara Stock (born May 26, 1956) is an American former actress, best known for roles as Susan Silverman in ABC crime drama series '' Spenser: For Hire'' (1985–1988), and as Liz Adams in CBS primetime soap opera ''Dallas'' (1990–1991); she al ...

(b. 1956), actress, '' Spenser: For Hire'', ''

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

'' * Joseph Tumpach (1912-1968), Illinois state representative and motel owner *

Matthew West Matthew Joseph West (born April 25, 1977) is an American contemporary Christian musician, singer-songwriter, and actor. He has released five studio albums and is known for his songs " More", "You Are Everything", and " The Motions". He was nom ...

(b. 1977), contemporary Christian musician *Megan Callahan-Shah (b. 1985), 5-time Emmy Awards nominated writer for

Saturday Night Live ''Saturday Night Live'' (often abbreviated to ''SNL'') is an American late-night live television sketch comedy and variety show created by Lorne Michaels and developed by Dick Ebersol that airs on NBC and Peacock (streaming service), Peacock. ...

References

External links

Village of Downers Grove
{{Authority control Villages in Illinois Populated places on the Underground Railroad Populated places established in 1832 Chicago metropolitan area Villages in DuPage County, Illinois 1873 establishments in Illinois