St. Charles, Illinois

St. Charles is a Chicago suburb in Kane and DuPage counties of Illinois, United States, and is roughly 40 mi west of Chicago on Illinois Route 64. According to a 2004 census estimate, the city has a total population of 32,134. The official city slogan is Pride of the Fox, after the Fox River that runs through the center of town. St. Charles is part of a tri-city area along with Geneva and Batavia, all western suburbs of similar size and relative socioeconomic condition. St. Charles is the water garden capital of the world.

Early history
St Charles was the location of the Indian community for the chief of the Pottawatomie that inhabited the area. A city park overlooking the river was dedicated to this Indian past. After the Black Hawk War in 1832, the entire area of the Fox Valley was opened to American settlement. Evan Shelby and William Franklin staked the first claim in what is now St. Charles in 1833. They came back in 1834 with their families from Indiana, and were joined by over a dozen other families later that year. The township was initially known as Charleston, but this name was already taken by the downstate city of Charleston, Illinois so the name of St. Charles (suggested by S. S. Jones, a lawyer) was adopted in 1839. St. Charles became incorporated as a city in 1834, 3 years before the city of Chicago.

Underground Railroad
Several "stations" of the slavery-era Underground Railroad were in St. Charles homes, complete with tunnels and false doorways; there was also an open abolitionist group called the Kane County Anti-Slavery Society, founded in 1842, with about 180 members.

Transportation history
St. Charles was a very isolated place early on in its existence. The village was located three days away from Chicago, and the Fox River was not navigable for large boats. By the 1850s, St. Charles had begun construction of a plank road to Sycamore but turned down an offer by the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad to construct a line through the town, which was eventually built in nearby Elgin. Lack of regional connections in the early years kept the town relatively small. St. Charles was without a railroad until 1871 when a branch line from Geneva was constructed, and was without a direct connection to Chicago until the 1880s with the coming of the Chicago Great Western Railway.

Streetcar lines along the Fox River between Elgin and Aurora were built through the city in 1896, operated by the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric company. A direct automobile route to Chicago, which eventually became Route 64 (Main Street), was constructed in 1920. Four Illinois state routes, including Routes 64, 38 (Lincoln Highway), 25 (5th Avenue) and 31 (2nd Street) now run though the city. Two major Kane County roads also cut through the city; Randall Road on the west side and Kirk Road on the east side.

Immigration history
St. Charles was also the place of settlement for diverse groups of European immigrants, including those from Ireland and Sweden during the 1840s and '50s, and later, groups from Belgium and Lithuania.

Selected census results for St. Charles over time are:
 * 1850: 2,132
 * 1860: 1,822
 * 1880: 1,533
 * 1890: 1,690
 * 1900: 2,675
 * 1910: 4,046
 * 1920: 4,099
 * 1930: 5,377
 * 1940: 5,870
 * 1950: 6,709


 * 1960: 9,269
 * 1970: 12,928
 * 1972: 14,239
 * 1977: 16,145
 * 1980: 17,492
 * 1985: 18,266
 * 1987: 20,383
 * 1989: 21,992
 * 1990: 22,620
 * 1992: 23,847
 * 1994: 25,282
 * 1997: 26,286
 * 2000: 27,896
 * 2004: 32,134
 * 2008 (est.) 32,829

Geography
St. Charles is located at 41°54'49" North, 88°18'39" West (41.913744, -88.31085).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.1 sqmi of which, 14 sqmi is land and 0.2 sqmi is water. The total area is 1.13% water.

Demographics
According to the 2000 census, population density is 1993.9 PD/sqmi. There are 11,072 housing units at an average density of 791.4 per square mile (305.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.81% White, 1.66% African American, 0.14% Native American, 1.79% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.66% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. 5.50% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 10,351 households out of which 36.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.1% are married couples living together, 8.0% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% are non-families. 23.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 8.0% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.62 and the average family size is 3.13.

In the city the population is spread out with 27.8% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 94.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $75,181, and the median income for a family is $94,704. Males have a median income of $55,864 versus $35,134 for females. The per capita income for the city is $33,969. 3.4% of the population and 2.1% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 3.9% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Education
The public education system in St. Charles is operated by the Community Unit School District 303, which currently has twelve elementary schools: Anderson, Bell-Graham, Corron, Davis, Ferson Creek, Fox Ridge, Lincoln, Munhall, Norton Creek, Wasco, and Wild Rose. Plans for 2011-12 include combining the students from Davis and Richmond, changing grade levels at Richmond School to 3rd, 4th and 5th and at Davis to K, 1st and 2nd There are three middle schools: Haines, Thompson and Wredling; and two high schools: St. Charles East, and St. Charles North. The Glenwood School for Boys and Girls has a campus in St. Charles known as the Rathje Campus named for the Frank C. Rathje family. St. Patrick Catholic School opened its doors in 1930 and currently serves about 500 students at the downtown campus. A "Building to do God's Work" campaign over recent years has resulted in a new school at the Crane Road location which will open its doors for the 2011/2012 school year with the capacity for over 800 students. There will be 27 classrooms intended for 3 rooms per grade. Features of the new school include a music room, expansive library learning center, computer and science labs, an art room equipped with a kiln, an atrium cafeteria and modern athletic facilities.

Culture
Also home of the Kane County Fair in July and the Kane County Flea Market the first Sunday and preceding Saturday of every month. Downtown St. Charles' Lincoln Park serves as the central location for two annual citywide events: the Pride of the Fox RiverFest in June, and the Scarecrow Festival in October. St. Charles is also home to the Fox Valley Concert Band.

Downtown St. Charles was named one of the region's "Top 10" by the Chicago Tribune for fine dining, arts and entertainment, recreational opportunities, unique shopping, and a lively nighttime personality.

Family Circle magazine named St. Charles #1 in its 2011 Annual Survey of Best Towns and Cities for families. The comprehensive survey included communities from across the country and is featured in the magazine’s August 2011 issue.

The communities in the magazine’s annual roundup of perfect places to call home combine affordable housing, good neighbors, green spaces, strong public school systems and giving spirits.

The St. Charles Heritage Center maintains two small museums in historic local buildings.

The St. Charles Public Library is nationally ranked among the best libraries in the U.S. and has earned a "three star" rating in the 2010 Library Journal Index. Located near downtown St. Charles, the library has a large collection of print materials, as well as DVDs, CDs, downloadable content, online research databases, and a genealogy collection. Programs and activities for children and adults are offered. Outreach Services can arrange special delivery options for those who have special circumstances, such as visual, mobility or hearing impairments. The Friends of the Library sponsors spring and fall book sales each year.

Top employers
According to St. Charles' 2009 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Notable people

 * Edward J. Baker, known for building the landmark Hotel Baker, the Municipal Building, Baker Community Center, St. Charles National Bank, and Baker United Methodist Church.
 * Frantz Hunt Coe, physician, public official and educator.
 * Karen Morrison-Comstock, Miss USA 1974
 * Michael J. Nelson, comedian and writer, known for his work on Mystery Science Theater 3000.
 * Matt Reynolds, Major League Baseball relief pitcher for the Colorado Rockies.