Brookfield, Illinois

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Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield Zoo
Brookfield, Illinois
Location within the Chicago metropolitan area. The Chicago metropolitan area.
Incorporated Village in 1893.
County; State Cook; Illinois
Township Proviso, Lyons, Riverside
Government Village-manager
President Michael Garvey
Population (2000) 19,085 (up 1.1% from 1990)
Pop. density 2,416.0/km² (6,252.4/mi²)
ZIP code(s) 60513
Area code 708
Land area 7.9 km² (3.1 mi²)
Income Per capita:   $24,307
Household: $52,636
Home value Mean:    $160,200 (2000)
Median: $154,300
Website www.villageofbrookfield.com
Demographics (Full data)
White Black Hispanic Asian Islander Native Other
93.53% 0.89% 8.05% 1.24% 0.01% 0.14% 2.88%

Brookfield (formerly Grossdale) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, 13 miles west of Chicago. The population was 19,085 at the 2000 census. It is home to the world-famous Brookfield Zoo.

Contents

[edit] Geography

Brookfield is located at 41°49′22″N, 87°50′51″W (41.822681, -87.847532)[1].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 3.1 square miles (7.9 km²), all of it land.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 19,085 people, 7,536 households, and 5,034 families residing in the village. The population density was 6,252.4 people per square mile (2,416.0/km²). There were 7,753 housing units at an average density of 2,539.9/sq mi (981.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.53% White, 0.89% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.24% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.88% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.05% of the population.

The top five ancestries reported in Brookfield as of the 2000 census were German (23.2%), Irish (20.3%), Polish (18.0%), Italian (13.0%) and Czech (11.2%).[3]

There were 7,536 households out of which 31.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.2% were non-families. 27.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 3.10.

In the village the population was spread out with 23.9% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.3% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 15.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $52,636, and the median income for a family was $64,075. Males had a median income of $45,293 versus $33,136 for females. The per capita income for the village was $24,307. About 2.3% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.0% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Government

Nearly all of Brookfield is in Illinois' 3rd congressional district; the northernmost portion, a largely wooded area north of the zoo, is in the 4th district.

[edit] History

Settlement of the village dates to 1889 when Samuel Eberly Gross, a Chicago lawyer, began selling building lots platted from farms and woodlands he had acquired along both sides of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad line, which provided passenger and freight service between Chicago and Aurora, Illinois. "Grossdale," as his development was originally called, offered suburban living at prices affordable to working-class families. Prospective buyers were enticed with free train rides, brass bands, picnic lunches, and an inevitable sales pitch.

Grossdale was incorporated as a village in 1893. The name was changed to Brookfield in 1905 after residents became displeased with Gross, whose personal life and fortune had floundered.

In 1920, the old Plank Toll Road, now called Ogden Avenue (US Hwy 34), was paved, providing easy automobile access to and from Chicago.

The Chicago Zoological Park, commonly called the Brookfield Zoo, opened in 1934.

[edit] Public Education

Brookfield area schools are always rated highly. Brookfield-LaGrange Elementary School District 95 is the primary elementary school district for Brookfield residents, and is made up of 1 elementary, and 1 junior high school. Other Brookfield students may attend schools in Riverside School District 96, LaGrange Elementary School District 102, or Lyons School District 103. District 95, 96, and 103 Teens then attend Riverside Brookfield High School in district 208, while students from SD 102 attend Lyons Township High School, district 204, which has 2 campuses in LaGrange, and Western Springs.

[edit] Transportation

Brookfield's connection to the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy lives on with Metra's BNSF Railway Line, which serves three stations in the Brookfield area: Congress Park, Brookfield, and Hollywood. Metra trains operate daily between Chicago and Aurora.

[edit] Attractions

  • The world-renowned Brookfield Zoo, managed by the Chicago Zoological Society, is open every day of the year.
  • Brookfield was also the home of Rhoderick (RJ) Wallace, who was famous for his wit and animated GIF collection internet-wide. 1963-2007

[edit] References

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[edit] External links