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Will County is a county located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Illinoismarker. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan areamarker. As of 2000, the population was 502,266. In 2007, the estimated population was 673,586, making it one of the fastest growing counties in the United States. The county seat of Will County is Joliet, Illinoismarker. The portion of Will County around Joliet uses the 815 and 779 area codes, 630 and 331 area code for far northern Will County, and 708 area code for eastern Will County.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 849 square miles (2,200 km²), of which 837 square miles (2,168 km²) is land and 12 square miles (32 km²) (1.47%) is water.

The Kankakee River, Du Page Rivermarker and the Des Plaines River run through the county and join on its western border. The Illinois and Michigan Canalmarker and the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal run through Will County.

A number of areas are preserved as parks (over 20,000 acres total) under the Forest Preserve District of Will County. The 17,000 acre (69 km²) Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie is a U.S. Forest Service park in the county on the grounds of the former Joliet Arsenalmarker. Other parks include Channahon State Parkmarker and the Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Areamarker.

Major highways



Adjacent counties



History

Will County was formed in 1836 out of Cookmarker, Iroquoismarker and Vermilion Countiesmarker. It was named after Dr. Conrad Will, a businessman involved in salt production in southern Illinois, and also a politician. (At that time, the law allowed slaves to be leased from other states and used in the free state of Illinois only for salt production.) Will was a member of the first Illinois Constitutional Convention and a member of the Illinois Legislature until his death in 1835. On January 12, 1836, Will County was formed from Cook County and Iroquois County. It included besides its present area, the part of Kankakee County, Illinoismarker lying north of the Kankakee River. Will County lost that area when Kankakee County was organized in 1852, but since then its boundaries have been unchanged.

From the 1854 US Gazetteer:

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 502,266 people, 167,542 households, and 131,017 families residing in the county. The population density was 600 people per square mile (232/km²). There were 175,524 housing units at an average density of 210 per square mile (81/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 81.83% White, 10.45% Black or African American, 0.21% Native American, 2.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 3.63% from other races, and 1.63% from two or more races. 8.71% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 18.1% were of German, 12.8% Irish, 10.1% Polish and 9.8% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 167,542 households out of which 42.70% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.80% were married couples living together, 9.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.80% were non-families. 17.80% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.94 and the average family size was 3.36.

In the county the population was spread out with 30.00% under the age of 18, 8.10% from 18 to 24, 32.90% from 25 to 44, 20.60% from 45 to 64, and 8.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 99.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $62,238, and the median income for a family was $69,608 (these figures had risen to $73,159 and $82,082 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $50,152 versus $31,345 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,613. About 3.40% of families and 4.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.60% of those under age 18 and 5.50% of those age 65 or over.

Townships

Will County is divided into these townships:


Municipalities



Unincorporated areas



Education

Governors State Universitymarker is a 6,000-student four-year public university located in University Park, Illinoismarker. Lewis University is a 5,200-student four-year private university located in Romeoville, Illinoismarker. Rasmussen College - Romeoville / Joliet is a private, 4 year, regionally accredited online college with support campuses.

The county is in Community College District 525 and is served by Joliet Junior College in Jolietmarker. Joliet Junior College was the first two-year higher education institution in the United States.

Infrastructure

The county is a major hub in the United States natural gas pipeline grid where pipelines from Canadamarker and the Gulf of Mexicomarker meet and then fan out to serve the Midwest.

Major highways in the county include Interstate 55 and Interstate 80. The Interstate 355 toll road extension has been completed and now connects with Interstate 80.

Four different Metra commuter rail lines (Metra Electric Main Line, Southwest Service, Rock Island District and Heritage Corridor) connect the parts of the county with the Chicago Loopmarker.

Major highways



Historic sites

The following sites, in Will County, Illinois, are on the National Register of Historic Places Listing:

Place Address City Date Listed
Alternate Route 66, Wilmington to Joilet IL 53 between Wilmington and Joilet Jolietmarker 2006-05-05
Briscoe Mounds Front Street Channahonmarker 1978-12-22
Christ Episcopal Church 75 W. Van Buren St. Joliet 1982-08-12
Downtown Peotone Historic District Roughly N. First St. and both sides of N. Second St., roughly bounded by the alley S of Main and N by North St. Peotonemarker 2005-11-16
Eagle Hotel 100-104 Water St. Wilmington 1994-02-16
Fitzpatrick House IL 53 Lockportmarker 1984-02-09
Flanders House 405 W. Main St. Plainfieldmarker 1991-11-14
George, Ron, Round Barn NE of Romeoville off US 66 Romeovillemarker 1982-12-07
Heck, John, House 1225 S. Hamilton St. Lockport 1994-08-16
Henry, Jacob H., House 20 S. Eastern Ave. Joliet 1979-05-14
Illinois and Michigan Canal . SW of Joliet on U.S. 6, in Channahon State Park Joliet 1966-10-15
Joliet YMCA 215 N. Ottawa St. Joliet 2006-02-09
Joliet East Side Historic District Roughly bounded by Washington and Union Sts., 4th and Eastern Aves. Joliet 1980-08-15
Joliet Municipal Airport 4000 W. Jefferson St. Joliet 1980-12-10
Joliet Steel Works 927 Collins St. Joliet 1991-02-28
Joliet Township High School 201 E. Jefferson St. Joliet 1982-08-12
Joliet, Louis, Hotel 22 E. Clinton St. Joliet 1990-02-09
Lockport Historic District Area between 7th and 11th Sts. and Canal and Washington Sts. Lockport 1975-05-12
McGovney-Yunker Farmstead 10824 LaPorte Rd. Mokenamarker 2006-05-31
Milne, Robert, House 535 E. 7th St. Lockport 1979-12-17
Ninth Street Seven Arch Stone Bridge Ninth St. spanning Deep Run Creek Lockport 2004-08-20
Peotone Mill 433 W. Corning Ave. Peotone 1982-03-19
Plainfield Halfway House 503 Main St. Plainfield 1980-09-29
Rubens Rialto Square Theater 102 N. Chicago St. Joliet 1978-07-24
Scutt, Hiram B., Mansion 206 N Broadway Joliet 2003-02-05
Small-Towle House 515 County Rd. Wilmington 2004-05-12
Standard Oil Gasoline Station 600 W. Lockport St. Plainfield 1984-11-13
Stone Manor SE of Lockport Lockport 1980-11-26
U.S. Post Office 150 N. Scott St. Joliet 1981-08-20
Union Station 50 E. Jefferson St. Joliet 1978-08-01
Upper Bluff Historic District Roughly bounded by Taylor, Center and Campbell Sts. and Raynor Ave. Joliet 1991-06-05
Will County Historical Society Headquarters 803 S. State St. Lockport 1972-05-17


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