Riverside is a suburban village in

Cook County, Illinois Cook County is the List of counties in Illinois, most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the List of the most populous counties in the United States, second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, C ...

, United States. The population of the village was 9,298 at the 2020 census. It is a

suburb A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

, located roughly west of downtown Chicago and outside city limits. A significant portion of the village is in the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated a

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

in 1970.

History

Riverside is arguably the first planned

(as opposed to a stand-alone community) in the United States, designed in 1869 by

Calvert Vaux Calvert Vaux Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, FAIA (; December 20, 1824 – November 19, 1895) was an English-American architect and landscape architect, landscape designer. He and his protégé Frederick Law Olmsted designed park ...

and

Frederick Law Olmsted Frederick Law Olmsted (April 26, 1822 – August 28, 1903) was an American landscape architect, journalist, Social criticism, social critic, and public administrator. He is considered to be the father of landscape architecture in the U ...

. The village was incorporated in 1875. The Riverside Landscape Architecture District, an area bounded by 26th Street, Harlem and Ogden avenues, the

Des Plaines River The Des Plaines River ( ) is a river that flows southward for U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map , accessed May 13, 2011 through southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois''American H ...

, and Golf Road, was designated a

in 1970. In 1863 the

Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was a railroad that operated in the Midwest, Midwestern United States. Commonly referred to as the Burlington Route, the Burlington, CB&Q, or as the Q, it operated extensive trackage in the states of ...

was built heading southwest from downtown Chicago to

Quincy, Illinois Quincy ( ) is a city in Adams County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located on the Mississippi River, the population was 39,463 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, down from 40,633 in 2010. The Quincy, Illinois, mic ...

, passing through what is now the Near West Suburban area of Chicago in a western-southwestern direction. This new access to transportation and commerce brought about a significant housing and construction boom in what was once farmland far from the bustle of the city of Chicago. In 1868, an eastern businessman named Emery E. Childs formed the Riverside Improvement Company, and in 1869 purchased a tract of property along the Des Plaines River and the

line. The land was previously owned by David Allen Gage who operated a horse farm on a it called the "Riverside Farm".The Riverside Museum. Accessed November 3, 2009. The site was highly desirable due to its natural oak-hickory forest and its proximity to Chicago. The company commissioned well-known landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner,

, to design a rural bedroom community. The town's plan, which was completed in 1869, called for curvilinear streets, following the land's contours and the winding Des Plaines River. The plan also accorded for a central village square, located at the main railroad station, and a Grand Park system that uses several large parks as a foundation, with 41 smaller triangular parks and plazas located at intersections throughout town to provide for additional green spaces. The

Great Chicago Fire The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago, Illinois during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left mor ...

of 1871 and the financial

Panic of 1873 The Panic of 1873 was a financial crisis that triggered an economic depression in Europe and North America that lasted from 1873 to 1877 or 1879 in France and in Britain. In Britain, the Panic started two decades of stagnation known as the "L ...

brought about the demise of the improvement company, bringing new construction nearly to a halt for some time. A village government was established in September 1875, and Olmsted's original development plan remained in force. Building resumed in the following years, with the opening of the Riverside Golf Club in 1893, the striking Chateauesque Riverside Township Hall in 1895, and the Burlington line train station in 1901. Many homes and estates were designed by architects such as

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

Daniel Burnham Daniel Hudson Burnham (September 4, 1846 – June 1, 1912) was an American architect and urban designer. A proponent of the ''Beaux-Arts architecture, Beaux-Arts'' movement, he may have been "the most successful power broker the American archi ...

Louis Sullivan Louis Henry Sullivan (September 3, 1856 – April 14, 1924) was an American architect, and has been called a "father of skyscrapers" and "father of modernism". He was an influential architect of the Chicago school (architecture), Chicago ...

William Le Baron Jenney William Le Baron Jenney (September 25, 1832 – June 14, 1907) was an American architect and engineer known for building the first skyscraper in 1884. In 1998, Jenney was ranked number 89 in the book ''1,000 Years, 1,000 People: Ranking th ...

, Joseph Lyman Silsbee,

Frederick Clarke Withers Frederick Clarke Withers (4 February 1828 – 7 January 1901) was an English architect in America, especially renowned for his Gothic Revival ecclesiastical designs. For portions of his professional career, he partnered with fellow immigrant Cal ...

, and

at the time as well. A major period of residential development came again in the 1920s and late 1930s, when many modest houses were constructed on smaller parcels. The population grew to 7,935 by 1940 and consisted primarily of small proprietors, managers, and professionals who were predominantly of Anglo-American and German American background. The remaining residential areas were developed during the post–World War II boom, and by 1960 the village was almost entirely developed. The population peaked at 10,357 in 1970 and dropped below 8,500 by the mid-1990s. Riverside has become an architectural museum, which is recognized by the village's National Historic Landmark designation. The village housing stock varies from well-maintained 1920s bungalows and huge Victorian and early-twentieth-century mansions that attract architectural tours led by The Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside. The charming village center houses several restaurants as well as coffee shops, and hosts stores selling antiques and Victorian house fixtures, reflective of the village's older affluent population. The historian Walter Creese called Riverside "The Greatest American Suburb". In celebration of the 2018 Illinois Bicentennial, Riverside was selected as one of the Illinois 200 Great Places by the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach progr ...

' Illinois chapter, AIA Illinois.

Geography

Riverside is located at (41.830881, -87.815981). According to the 2010 census, Riverside has a total area of , of which (or 99.1%) is land and (or 0.9%) is water. Bordering suburbs include North Riverside to the north, Berwyn to the east, Stickney and Forest View to the southeast,

Lyons Lyon (Franco-Provençal: ''Liyon'') is a city in France. It is located at the confluence of the rivers Rhône and Saône, to the northwest of the French Alps, southeast of Paris, north of Marseille, southwest of Geneva, Switzerland, north ...

and McCook to the south, and Brookfield to the west. The

runs through the village along an area called Swan Pond.

Demographics

As of the 2020 census there were 9,298 people, 3,238 households, and 2,424 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 3,720 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 79.46%

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 ...

, 1.88%

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 ...

, 0.47% Native American, 2.23% Asian, 0.01%

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 ...

, 5.25% from other races, and 10.70% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 16.35% of the population. There were 3,238 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.16% were married couples living together, 12.42% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.14% were non-families. 22.98% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.92% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.20 and the average family size was 2.70. The village's age distribution consisted of 25.4% under the age of 18, 6.9% from 18 to 24, 18.3% from 25 to 44, 32.1% from 45 to 64, and 17.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.5 males. The median income for a household in the village was $120,336, and the median income for a family was $137,963. Males had a median income of $75,883 versus $56,709 for females. The

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 ...

for the village was $55,882. About 2.1% of families and 2.7% 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 2.9% of those under age 18 and 2.8% of those age 65 or over.

2020 census

Government

Riverside is mostly in Illinois's 4th congressional district, with a small portion in Illinois's 3rd congressional district. The

United States Postal Service The United States Postal Service (USPS), also known as the Post Office, U.S. Mail, or simply the Postal Service, is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the executive branch of the federal governmen ...

operates the Riverside Post Office at 45 East Burlington Street and the North Riverside Post Office at 7300 West 25th Street.

Education

Riverside is served by District 96 for public schools. District 96 has 4 elementary schools, and one

junior high school Middle school, also known as intermediate school, junior high school, junior secondary school, or lower secondary school, is an educational stage between primary school and secondary school. Afghanistan In Afghanistan, middle school includes ...

. High school District 208 serves Riverside high school students. The elementary schools are: * Central Elementary School located at 61 Woodside Road * Ames School located at 86 Southcote Road * Blythe Park School located at 735 Leesley Road * Hollywood School (in Brookfield) located at 3423 Hollywood Avenue The middle school is: * L. J. Hauser Junior High School located at 65 Woodside Road The high school is: * Riverside Brookfield High School, locally known as RB, is located at 160 Ridgewood Road Private schools include:
Riverside Presbyterian Pre-SchoolSt. Paul's Building Blocks Pre-SchoolSt. Mary Catholic Elementary SchoolTallgrass Sudbury School

Transportation

Riverside is served by the BNSF Line with a station for

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 ...

commuter trains operating between Aurora and Chicago.

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood ...

and

Harlem Avenue Harlem Avenue is a major north–south street located in Chicago and its west, southwest, and northwest suburbs. It stretches from Glenview Road in Glenview to the intersection of East South Street and South Drecksler Road in Peotone, where ...

Metra stations are nearby. Pace provides bus service on routes 302, 307 and 331 connecting Riverside to destinations across the region.

Notable people

* Robert Todd Lincoln Beckwith, last descendant of

Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was the 16th president of the United States, serving from 1861 until Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, his assassination in 1865. He led the United States through the American Civil War ...

* Clare Briggs, pioneering cartoonist of domestic life and creator of the first continuity daily newspaper comic strip * Telford Burnham, lawyer, namesake and planner of

Burnham, Illinois Burnham is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 4,046 at the 2020 census. Burnham has a Chicago ZIP code (60633) and was named for Telford Burnham, who drew its plat. There are two sections of Burnham. The wes ...

, and brother of architect

* Arthur T. Broche, Illinois state representative *

Patrick Creadon Patrick Creadon (born May 4, 1967) is an American filmmaker known for his work in documentaries. His first film, '' Wordplay'', profiled ''New York Times'' crossword editor Will Shortz and premiered at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival. The film ...

, filmmaker * Jean Fenn, opera singer * George Hunt, Illinois Attorney General *

Johnny "Red" Kerr John Graham Kerr (July 17, 1932 – February 26, 2009), also known as Red Kerr, was an American basketball player, Coach (sport), coach, executive and sports commentator, broadcaster who devoted six decades to the sport at all levels. The affable ...

, center and power forward with the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, also known colloquially as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlan ...

and Baltimore Bullets; coach with the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

and

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division (NBA), Pacific Division of the Western Conference (NBA), We ...

; longtime Bulls broadcaster * Tom Kondla, center with the

Minnesota Pipers Minnesota ( ) is a state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the south, and Nor ...

and

Houston Mavericks The Houston Mavericks were a charter member of the American Basketball Association (ABA). They played in the upstart league's first two seasons, from 1967–68 ABA season, 1967 to 1968–69 ABA season, 1969. Their home arena was the Sam Houston Co ...

* Ring Lardner, newspaper and short story writer * "Screwy" Claude Maddox, criminal ally of

Al Capone Alphonse Gabriel Capone ( ; ; January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947), sometimes known by the nickname "Scarface", was an American organized crime, gangster and businessman who attained notoriety during the Prohibition era as the co-foun ...

* Martin E. Marty, scholar of religion *

Frank Nitti Frank Ralph Nitto (born Francesco Raffaele Nitto, ; January 27, 1886 – March 19, 1943), known as Frank Nitti, was an Italian-American organized crime figure based in Chicago. The bodyguard of Al Capone, Nitti was in charge of all money flowing ...

, criminal ally of Capone * Judy Baar Topinka, state politician; Illinois State Comptroller and Illinois State Treasurer

In popular culture

* Parts of the movie The Lake House were filmed at the Riverside train station, the former Henninger's Pharmacy, and at the Sidney Allen home at 84 Riverside Road. * The made-for-TV movie '' In the Company of Darkness'' was filmed throughout Riverside. * The 2004 movie '' Christmas with the Kranks'' was set in Riverside, although it was filmed in California and Canada. *Portions of Season 4 of the FX series ''Fargo'' were filmed in Riverside as a stand-in for Kansas City of the 1950s.

Business

The Central Business District, located around the Riverside Metra station, has a collection of shops, several cafes, banks, and wealth management offices.

References

External links

Village of Riverside official websiteThe Frederick Law Olmsted Society of RiversideIllinois Great Places

RiversideSociety of Architectural Historians SAH ARCHIPEDIA entry on Riverside
{{authority control Villages in Cook County, Illinois Chicago metropolitan area Planned communities in the United States Populated places established in 1869 National Register of Historic Places in Cook County, Illinois 1869 establishments in Illinois Villages in Illinois