Westmont (Illinois)
| Westmont | |||
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Location in Illinois
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| Basic data | |||
| Foundation : | 1921 | ||
| State : | United States | ||
| State : | Illinois | ||
| County : | DuPage County | ||
| Coordinates : | 41 ° 48 ′ N , 87 ° 59 ′ W | ||
| Time zone : | Central ( UTC − 6 / −5 ) | ||
| Residents : | 24,554 (as of: 2000) | ||
| Population density : | 1,933.4 inhabitants per km 2 | ||
| Area : | 12.7 km 2 (approx. 5 mi 2 ) of which 12.7 km 2 (approx. 5 mi 2 ) are land |
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| Height : | 228 m | ||
| Postal code : | 60559 | ||
| Area code : | +1 630 331 | ||
| FIPS : | 17-80645 | ||
| GNIS ID : | 422149 | ||
| Website : | www.westmont.il.gov | ||
| Mayor : | Bill Rahn | ||
Westmont is a location in the Chicago metropolitan area . In 2000 the village had 24,554 residents. Westmont is about 35 kilometers west of the Chicago Loop in southwest DuPage County .
geography
Westmont's geographic coordinates are 41 ° 48 ' N , 87 ° 59' W (41.794480, −87.976433). The town is bordered by Oak Brook to the north, Clarendon Hills to the east, Darien to the south and Downers Grove to the west . Most of Westmont is in the Downers Grove township .
According to the United States Census Bureau , the place has an area of 12.7 square kilometers, almost all of which is land, only 0.20 percent of the area is water.
history
The area now known as Westmont was settled by the Potawatomi until 1833 . After several unsuccessful attempts by the United States government to persuade the Indians to leave the area, they agreed, under duress, to resettlement with payment of the nominal land value. The construction of the Illinois – Michigan Canal , which was approved by the State of Illinois in the 1820s, but the start of construction was delayed until the 1830s, contributed to the early growth of Westmont. When canal construction came to a standstill because of the economic crisis of 1837 , many of the construction workers became farmers and agriculture became the main industry in the area. The produce was sold in nearby Chicago, making the Westmont area one of the most prosperous areas in the state.
In order to better transport the agricultural products to Chicago, the construction of a road built with wooden planks began from Chicago in 1840. This led over the 15 km wide swamp that separated Chicago and the area around what would later become the Westmont. In 1851 the road to Naperville was completed. Because this road quickly proved inadequate, the incorporated towns and villages asked the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad in 1858 to build a railroad from Chicago to Aurora that ran through their localities. The construction of this railway line was finally decided and the first train ran in 1864. Greg's station , which later developed into Westmont, was primarily used for the loading of agricultural and pasture products. The city developed from an agricultural community into a dormitory city , the growth of which initially concentrated around the railway station.
In the early 1900s, the parcels for the Village of Westmont were determined and roads were designated. The incorporation was decided by a small majority and officially made on November 10, 1921; Vince Pastor was named the first President of the Village Board.
traffic
Westmont is on the BNSF line of the METRA commuter train network, which runs between Aurora and Chicago's Union Station . By car, Westmont is connected to Chicago by the Eisenhower Expressway and the East-West Tollway. Also, US Highway 34 runs from east to west through the Westmont.
Interstate 55 runs south, Interstate 294 east, and Interstate 355 west past Westmont, and Interstate 88 runs north of the city . They connect the place with the rest of the region.
There is a small regional airport in the vicinity.
The existing railway line will be replaced by a high-speed line. Due to the economic crisis, however, construction work was suspended until 2010.
Demographic data
At the time of the United States Census 2000, Westmont was inhabited by 26,211 people. The population density was 1934.8 people per square kilometer. There were 10,269 housing units, averaging 809.2 per square kilometer. The Westmont population was 78.02 percent white , 5.38 percent black or African American , 0.13 percent Native American , 11.95 percent Asian , 2.41 percent said they were racial , and 2.11 percent named two or more races. 6.98 percent of the population declared to be Hispanic or Latinos of any race.
Westmont residents were distributed among 9,900 households out of which 29.1 percent had children under the age of 18. 47.1 percent of households were married, 10.4 percent had a female head of household without a husband, and 39.6 percent did not form families. 32.5 percent of households were made up of individuals and someone lived in 11.8 percent of all households aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.37 and the average family size was 3.05.
The population was divided into 21.9 percent minors, 8.3 percent 18 to 24 year olds, 33.8 percent 25 to 44 year olds, 20.3 percent 45 to 64 year olds and 15.7 percent aged 65 and over or more. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 women there were 87.4 men. For every 100 women over the age of 18, there were 82.9 men.
The median household income in Westmont was 51,422 US dollars and the median family income reached the amount of 64,472 US dollars. The median income for men was $ 42,909 versus $ 33,690 for women. The per capita income was $ 26,394. 3.8 percent of the population and 5.8 percent of families had an income below the poverty line , of which 4.8 percent of minors and 8.5 percent of the age group 65 and over were affected.
architecture
The architecture of the city is characterized by loosely built residential areas and many green spaces.
leisure
It's very quiet in the city. There are also many amusement parks and playgrounds. The main parks are: Randall Park, Patriota Park, Deer Creek Park, Twin Lakes Park, Lebeck Park, Veterans Memorial Park, Milness Memorial Park, and Prospect Park.
Well-known residents
- Muddy Waters (1913–1983), the father of the Chicago blues
- Ty Warner (* 1944), industrialist and founder of Ty Inc.
- Tori Franklin (* 1992), triple jumper
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ A b c Village of Westmont: History of Westmont ( English ) Retrieved August 2, 2014.