Waukegan, Illinois

Waukegan is a city and county seat of Lake County, Illinois. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. The 2010 population was 89,078. It is the ninth-largest city in Illinois by population. It is the fifth-largest city on the western shore of Lake Michigan, after Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Kenosha.

Geography
Waukegan is located at °N, °W (42.372471, -87.861521). Waukegan is on the shore of Lake Michigan, about 8 mi south of the border with Wisconsin and 40 mi north of downtown Chicago, at an elevation of about 669 ft above sea level.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 23.1 square miles (59.8 km²). 23.0 square miles (59.6 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.35%) is water.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 87,901 people, 27,787 households, and 19,450 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,819.8 inhabitants per square mile (1,475.0/km²). There were 29,243 housing units at an average density of 1,270.8 per square mile (490.7/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 30.92% White, 19.21% African American, 0.54% Native American, 3.58% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 22.96% from other races, and 3.50% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 44.82% of the population. 6.9% were of German ancestry according to Census 2000.

There were 27,787 households out of which 40.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.5% were married couples living together, 14.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.0% were non-families. 24.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.68.

In the city the population was spread out with 30.2% under the age of 18, 12.1% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 16.4% from 45 to 64, and 7.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females there were 103.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $42,335, and the median income for a family was $47,341. Males had a median income of $30,556 versus $25,632 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,368. About 10.7% of families and 13.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.1% of those under age 18 and 8.0% of those age 65 or over.

Superfund sites
Waukegan contains three Superfund sites of hazardous substances that are on the National Priorities List.

In 1975, PCBs were discovered in Waukegan Harbor sediments. Investigation revealed that during manufacturing activities at Outboard Marine Corporation (OMC), hydraulic fluids containing PCBs had been discharged through floor drains at the OMC plant, directly to Waukegan Harbor and into ditches discharging into Lake Michigan. The OMC plants were subsequently added to the National Priorities List, and was designated as one of 43 Great Lakes Areas of Concern. Cleanup of the site began in 1990, with OMC providing $20–25 million in funding. During the OMC cleanup, additional soil contaminants were found at the location of the former Waukegan Manufactured Gas and Coke company. Soil removal was completed at the Coke site in 2005, and cleanup of that soil will continue for several years.

The Johns-Manville site is located one mile (1.6 km) north of the OMC site. In 1988, asbestos contamination found in groundwater and air prompted listing on the National Priorities List and subsequent cleanup. In 1991, the soil cover of the asbestos was completed. However, additional asbestos contamination was found outside the Johns-Manville property which will require further cleanup.

The Yeoman Creek Landfill is a Superfund site located 1.5 mi west of the Johns-Manville site. The site operated as a landfill from 1959 to 1969. In 1970, it was discovered that the lack of a bottom liner in the landfill had allowed leachate to enter groundwater, contaminating the water with volatile organic compounds and PCBs, and releasing gases that presented an explosion hazard. All major cleanup construction activities were completed in 2005, and monitoring of local water and air continues.

The book Lake Effect by Nancy Nichols gives an account of the effects of PCBs on Waukegan residents.

Revitalization
The city has plans for redevelopment of the lakefront. The lakefront and harbor plan calls for most industrial activity to be removed, except for the Midwest Generation power plant and North Shore wastewater treatment facilities. The existing industry would be replaced by residential and recreational space. The city also set up several tax increment financing zones which have been successful in attracting new developers. The first step in the revitalization effort, the opening of the Genesee Theatre, has been completed, many new restaurants have opened, buildings have been renovated, and the City of Waukegan has made substantial investments in the pedestrian areas and other infrastructure.

The city has had an annual "Scoop the Loop" summer festival of cruising since 1998.

Notable people
Waukegan is the hometown of comedian Jack Benny (1894–1974), one of the 20th century's most notable and enduring entertainers, but although he claimed for decades on his radio and television shows to have been born there, he was actually born at Mercy Hospital in Chicago. Benny's affection for the town in which he grew up can clearly be felt by this exchange with his co-star (and wife) Mary Livingstone during a conversation they had on The Jack Benny Program on Mother's Day of 1950 while they were discussing the itinerary for his summer tour that year:


 * Mary Livingstone: Aren't you going to bring your show to Waukegan?
 * Jack Benny: Mary, I was born in Waukegan — how can you follow that?!.

Benny put Waukegan on the map for millions of his listeners (and later viewers) over the years, and the community was proud of his success. A Waukegan middle school is named in his honor, and a statue of him, dedicated in 2002, stands in the downtown facing the Genesee Theater, which hosted the world premiere of his film Man about Town in 1939, with Jack, Mary, Dorothy Lamour, Phil Harris, Andy Devine, Don Wilson and Rochester (Eddie Anderson) appearing onstage.

Jack Benny's family lived in several buildings in Waukegan during the time he was growing up there, but the house at 518 Clayton Street is the only one of them that still stands. It was designated a landmark by the city on April 17, 2006.

Waukegan is also the birthplace of author Ray Bradbury and serves as the pattern (circa 1929) for the mythical Green Town IL which appears in many of his works. Ray Douglas Bradbury born Waukegan IL, August 22, 1920.

Education
Waukegan is served by the Waukegan Public School District 60. It serves about 17,000 students in preschool through grade twelve. Waukegan has three Early Childhood Schools, fifteen Elementary Schools, five Middle Schools, and three High Schools. The Early Childhood Schools are EPIC Early Learning Center at 540 S. McAlister Street, EPIC North Shore at 326 Julian Street, and EPIC AOEC at 1020 Glen Rock Avenue. The Elementary Schools are Carman-Buckner Elementary School at 520 Helmholz Street, John S. Clark Elementary School at 601 Blanchard Road, Clearview Elementary School at 1700 Delaware Road, Andrew Cooke Magnet School at 522 Belvidere Road, Glen Flora Elementary School at 1110 Chestnut Street, Glenwood Elementary School at 2500 Northmoor Avenue, Greenwood Elementary School at 1919 North Avenue, Hyde Park Elementary School at 1525 Hyde Park Avenue, Little Fort Elementary School at 1775 Blanchard Road, Lyon Magnet School at 800 S. Elmwood Avenue, H. R. McCall Elementary School at 3215 McAree Road, North Elementary School at 410 Franklin Street, Oakdale Elementary School at 2230 McAree Road, Washington Elementary School at 110 S. Orchard Avenue, Whittier Elementary School at 901 N. Lewis Avenue. The Middle Schools are Robert Abbott Middle School at 1319 Washington Street, Jack Benny Middle School at 1401 Montesano Avenue, Thomas Jefferson Middle School at 600 S. Lewis Avenue, Miguel Juarez Middle School at 201 N. Butrick Street, and Daniel Webster Middle School at 930 New York Street. The High Schools are Waukegan High School-Washington Campus at 1011 Washington Street, Waukegan High School-Brookside Campus at 2325 Brookside Avenue, and Alternative/Optional Education Center at 1020 Glen Rock Avenue.

Transportation
Waukegan has a port district which operates the city harbor and regional airport.
 * Waukegan Harbor:
 * Marina provides services and facilities for recreational boaters.
 * Industrial port provides access for 90-100 large shipping vessels yearly. Companies with cargo facilities at the port currently include Gold Bond Building Products (capacity for 100,000 tons of gypsum), LaFarge Corp (12 cement silos), and St Mary's Cement Co (2 cement silos).


 * Waukegan Regional Airport:
 * FAA certified for general aviation traffic
 * Has a U.S. Customs facility, allowing for direct international flights.
 * A wide range of VIPs arrive and depart from the airport in private airplanes. This includes the Dalai Lama and Dick Cheney.

The Lake County (IL) McClory recreational trail passes through Waukegan.
 * Provides a non-motor route spanning from Kenosha, Wisconsin to the North Shore, along the right of way of the former Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad.

Metra provides service between Waukegan and downtown Chicago via the Union Pacific North Line. Service runs daily from early morning to late evening. Pace provides public bus service throughout Waukegan and surrounding areas. Most buses run Monday thru Saturday with limited Sunday/Holiday service on two routes.

Waukegan has three licensed taxi companies. 303 Taxi, Metro Yellow&Checker Cabs and Speedy Taxi which operate under city ordinances.

Artistic references

 * Waukegan's Amstutz Expressway, locally known as the "Expressway to Nowhere", has been used as a shooting location for such films as Groundhog Day, The Ice Harvest, The Blues Brothers, and Batman Begins. The music video "In Love with a Thug" sung by Sharissa featuring R. Kelly was filmed in Waukegan predominantly on the corner of Water Street and Genesee Street.
 * Waukegan is mentioned in the Tom Waits song "Gun Street Girl."
 * Waukegan is mentioned by Groucho Marx during a sequence of the film The Cocoanuts during a comic speech.
 * The book The Man From Waukegan by J.P. Zabolski is an autobiographical account comparing Waukegan in the '60s with the city in 2003.
 * The poet Frank O'Hara mentioned Waukegan in his poem "Mary Desti's Ass."
 * The poem, "Wonders of the Visible World", by J.Tarwood seems to be about Waukegan.
 * Eleanor Taylor Bland is an author of crime fiction taking place in "Lincoln Prairie" an amalgam of Waukegan, North Chicago, and Zion.
 * The character Johnny Blaze from the Marvel comic book Ghost Rider is described as having been born in Waukegan.
 * In an episode of Married... with Children, Al flips off a random point on an Illinois map during his Army reserve training. Jefferson replies, "I think you owe the nice people of Waukegan an apology."
 * In an episode of That '70s Show, Kelso mentions that the new police academy he is going to attend (after he burned down the old building with a misfired flare) is located in Waukegan.
 * In 2005 Ringo Starr and the Roundheads recorded a concert for an episode of Soundstage at Genesee Theatre in Waukegan.
 * The hip-hop group Atmosphere namechecks the city in live performances of the song "You."
 * In their novel "Stardance", Spider & Jeanne Robinson refer to Waukegan as if it were a prototypical Earth location, as identified by gravity vs. free fall.
 * Waukegan is mentioned in the Ray Bradbury poem 'Byzantium, I come not from'
 * Waukegan is mentioned in the movie "Yankee Doodle Dandy"

Twin Towns And Sister Cities
Waukegan has one sister city in Japan.: