Orchard Place, Illinois

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Orchard Place
Annexed Town
Country United States
State Illinois
County Cook
Coordinates 41°58′43″N 87°54′17″W / 41.97861, -87.90472
Government Incorporated in Des Plaines, Illinois
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
 - summer (DST) CDT (UTC-5)
Postal code XXXXX
Area code XXX
Location of Orchard Place within Illinois
Location of Orchard Place within Illinois
Location of Orchard Place within Illinois

Orchard Place, Illinois was a small farming community in Cook County, Illinois just west of Chicago. Settled by German immigrants in the 1840s, Orchard Place became a stop on the Wisconsin Central Railroad in 1887 and received its name at that time. In 1942, Orchard Place was selected as the site of a new air base and aircraft manufacturing facility, Orchard Place Airport/Douglas Field. After the Second World War, the city of Chicago bought the facility from the United States government and converted it into a commercial airport, Chicago Orchard Field, opened in 1946. The airport was renamed in 1949 to O'Hare International Airport and has grown into the Chicago metropolitan area's primary airport and a major North American transportation hub. Today, the former Orchard Place is incorporated in Des Plaines, Illinois. Its legacy persists in O'Hare's airport code, (FAA LID: ORD), as well as in the name of Orchard Place Elementary School in Des Plaines.


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