Woodstock, Illinois

Woodstock is a far northwest suburb of Chicago in McHenry County, Illinois. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census. The 2010 Census shows 24,770 residents. It is the county seat of McHenry County. Woodstock is located 51 miles (82 km) northwest of the Chicago Loop and 32 miles (51 km) northwest of O'Hare International Airport.

Woodstock is the home of the historic Woodstock Opera House and Old McHenry County Courthouse. The city was named in 2007 as one of the nation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations 2007 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,151 people, 7,273 households, and 4,843 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,891.1 people per square mile (729.9/km²). There were 7,599 housing units at an average density of 713.1 per square mile (275.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.48% White, 1.06% African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 7.69% from other races, and 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.01% of the population.

There were 7,273 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,871, and the median income for a family was $54,408. Males had a median income of $40,137 versus $27,264 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,210. About 5.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

23% of Woodstock residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

Movies
Woodstock was a primary filming location for the 1993 movie Groundhog Day  Outdoor and streetfront scenes were filmed at Woodstock Square, and signs from stores and businesses are visible throughout the movie.

See About Those Famous Groundhog Day's Filming Locations, an article by Reel-Scout, Inc.

Several scenes in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles were also filmed in Woodstock including the scene in which the car is towed in front of a building (the old Courthouse) and Steve Martin enters the truck driven by John Candy.

In addition, Woodstock can claim an important role in the creative development of Orson Welles. Welles attended the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock. At Todd, Welles came under the positive influence and guidance of Roger Hill, a teacher who later became Todd's headmaster. Hill provided Welles with an ad hoc educational environment that proved invaluable to his creative experience, allowing Welles to concentrate on subjects that interested him. Welles performed and staged his first theatrical experiments and productions at Todd School, he also performed at the Opera House.

Music
Woodstock has become an important destination for live music in McHenry County and the region with venues featuring local, national, and international artists.

A number of organizations support and promote live music in Woodstock:
 * Jazz on the Square
 * Masthouse
 * Off Square Music
 * Opera Woodstock
 * RIFF Productions
 * Woodstock Folk Festival
 * Woodstock City Band
 * Woodstock Mozart Festival

News
Woodstock residents have access to several local and/or regional newspapers.

The Woodstock Independent is the town's local paper of record and is delivered weekly to subscribers. Published on Wednesdays, The Independent covers local government meetings, all local schools' activities, local sporting events and other community news. The Independent also publishes The Torch, a feature-oriented tabloid publication that is delivered free to all Woodstock residents 8 or 9 times a year.

The Northwest Herald is a larger, daily newspaper that covers many of the northwest Chicago suburbs, including McHenry County and Woodstock. The Herald also includes national news and sports coverage.

Annual traditions

 * Diversity Day Festival
 * Fair Diddley
 * Farmers Market
 * Official website
 * Lighting of the Square
 * Held on the Friday after Thanksgiving, this celebration kicks the Holiday season downtown. After dark, crowds gather in the Square, sing carols and mingle around the local shops. At 7pm, a small presentation is made by the mayor, City council representative and even Santa Claus. After Miss Woodstock speaks, the crowd counts down in unison and she throws the big lightswitch. All at once, Christmas lights in all the park trees and atop every building's facade turn on in a dazzling and festive introduction to the season. History of the Lighting
 * Groundhog Day
 * The town celebrates "Groundhog Day" at the beginning of every February, including tours of famous filming sites from the 1993 movie. The town now even has its own groundhog named "Woodstock Willie", who essentially performs the same tasks as "Punxsutawney Phil" at the site of the original Groundhog Day festival. Every year on the weekend of Groundhog Day, the Classic Cinemas Woodstock Theater shows Groundhog Day for free.  Woodstock's Groundhog day festival also includes a traditional groundhog lighting.
 * HarvestFest
 * McHenry County Fair
 * Woodstock City Band Concerts
 * One of Woodstock's longest standing summertime traditions, these free Wednesday night summer concerts are held in the Park in the Square and are often accompanied by an ice cream social.
 * Woodstock Challenge Road Run
 * The annual 10K, 5K, 1 mile and 1/2-mile family run/walk races through Emricson Park, sponsored by the Woodstock Rec Department.
 * For more information, visit rec department's website.
 * Woodstock CABA Days
 * Woodstock Folk Festival
 * Woodstock Jazz on the Square Festival
 * Woodstock Mozart Festival
 * The WMF has a 25-year tradition. Concerts in late July and early August are held in the historic Woodstock Opera House and showcase internationally acclaimed guest artists and conductors.
 * For more information visit

Education
Woodstock's public schools are part of Woodstock Community Unit School District 200, which was formed in 1969. The district currently operates 6 elementary schools (Dean Street, Greenwood, Mary Endres, Olson, Prariewood and Westwood), two middle schools (Northwood and Creekside) and two high schools (Woodstock High School and Woodstock North High School). The three most recent buildings, Prariewood, Creekside and WNHS, were approved in a March 2006 referendum to address crowding in schools due to the area's recent growth.

Woodstock is also currently served by private education institutions. St. Mary Catholic grade school (K-8) is located in town and students often continue on to Marian Central Catholic High School, also located in Woodstock. Marian Central draws students from all over the county. Another, smaller private school is Woodstock Christian. Residents pursuing an associate's degree normally do so at McHenry County College in neighboring Crystal Lake.

History
Woodstock was originally called Centerville to attract the seat of McHenry County in 1842. It changed its name in 1845 to the present Woodstock and was incorporated as a city in 1873. A vital artery for the growing town was the train line, which allowed for a substantial industrial presence early in the town's history.

In 1895, a Chicago federal court sentenced former president of the American Railway Union Eugene V. Debs for his participation in the 1894 Pullman labor strike. Fearing that he'd be surrounded with too many sympathetic people in a Chicago prison, officials decided to put him on a train for the Woodstock Jail (built 1887), then housed in the red courthouse on the Square. It is said that the Woodstock Jail is where he encountered the works of Karl Marx, which he read. By the time he was released (purportedly before 10,000+ onlookers in the Woodstock Square) in 1895, Debs had become a socialist. He later ran for the United States Presidency under the newly formed Social Democratic Party against William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan, and then again in 1904.

During the early part of the 20th century, Woodstock had become "Typewriter City." Home to both the Emerson Typewriter Company and Oliver Typewriter, more than half the world's typewriters were produced in Woodstock by 1922. This industrial boom continued through World War II, but began to gradually decline.

Transportation
Woodstock's railroad station is the penultimate stop on Metra's Union/Pacific Northwest Line, which originates in Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago.

U.S. Route 14 curves around Woodstock's southwest border, intersecting with Illinois Route 47 at Woodstock's southeast edge. Illinois Route 120 meets Route 47 approximately 1/4 mile northwest of Woodstock's Public Square.

Notable people

 * Alexander Berkman, anarchist and political activist.
 * Nikol Hasler, author, sexual educator, internet personality
 * Jessica Biel, actress and model.
 * Emma Goldman, anarchist and political activist.
 * Chester Gould, (1900–1985) cartoonist and the creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip.
 * Johnny Stompanato, mob associate of Mickey Cohen, boyfriend of Lana Turner, killed by Turner's daughter Cheryl Crane in self-defense.
 * Michele Weiner-Davis, marriage therapist and author.
 * Orson Welles, (1915–1985) film director, writer, actor, and producer.
 * Bryan Bulaga, American Football Tackle, University of Iowa and Green Bay Packers
 * Pat Cates, American philosopher