McHenry, Illinois

McHenry is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is an outer suburb, part of the Chicago metropolitan area. The 2010 U.S. census reported its population at 26,992 and rests at an elevation of 797 feet.[4] McHenry was at one time the county seat of McHenry County, which once included adjoining Lake County to the east. McHenry took its name from McHenry County, which was named for Major William McHenry, a prominent officer in the Black Hawk War.[5]

McHenry, Illinois
City
City of McHenry
The McHenry Riverwalk
Nickname(s): 
The Heart of the Fox
Location of McHenry in McHenry County, Illinois
McHenry, Illinois
Location of McHenry within Illinois
McHenry, Illinois
McHenry, Illinois (the United States)
Coordinates: 42°20′21″N 88°16′54″W
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyMcHenry
TownshipsMcHenry Township. Nunda Township
FoundedMay 10, 1836[1]
Incorporated (village)1872
Named forWilliam McHenry
Government
 • TypeMayor–council government
 • MayorChristi Bowers
Area
 • Total14.88 sq mi (38.55 km2)
 • Land14.46 sq mi (37.45 km2)
 • Water0.42 sq mi (1.09 km2)
Elevation
797 ft (243 m)
Population
 (2010)
 • Total26,992
 • Estimate 
(2019)[3]
27,061
 • Density1,871.44/sq mi (722.57/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)
60050 and 60051
Area codes815 and 779
FIPS code17-45694
GNIS feature ID424159
Wikimedia CommonsMcHenry, Illinois
Websitewww.ci.mchenry.il.us

McHenry is surrounded by natural lakes and streams, grassy moraine hills, gravel banks and shallow nutrient-rich peat bogs, remnants of receding glaciers from the last ice age. Moraine Hills State Park and Volo Bog State Natural Area preserve some of these natural features.[6]

History

19th century

In the 1830s various settlers arrived in the area and created the foundation for McHenry. Some of the family names can still be seen today: McCullom, McLean, Boone, and Wheeler.[7][8][9]

George Gage came to the area in 1835 and purchased a plot of land west of the Fox River. This area eventually came to be known as Gagetown. In 1854, George Gage played an instrumental role in bringing the railroad to the city.[10] Gagetown was eventually renamed to West McHenry.[11]

In 1851, a dam was built on Boone Creek which created Mill Pond. The pond encompassed an area between today's rail road tracks and Route 31 and north of Waukegan Road.

In 1860, the historical Count's House was completed.

On August 4, 1875, the first issue of the city newspaper, the McHenry Plaindealer, was published by Jay Van Slyke.[12][13]

In 1880, the first bridge in McHenry was built at Pearl Street.[14]

20th century

On March 30, 1908 a train bound for Ringwood crashed near the McHenry train depot. One person was killed.[15]

In 1929, Mill Pond was drained by removing the dam on Boone Creek.

The original Pearl Street bridge was dismantled in 1976 and rebuilt using concrete. The bridge was split into multiple parts and relocated. One part sits on the grounds of TC Industries in Crystal Lake. Another sits in a county storage unit.[16]

In 1985, the McHenry Plaindealer became part of the Northwest Herald.

Geography

McHenry is located 50 miles northwest of Chicago in northeastern Illinois on the Fox River. According to the 2010 census, McHenry has a total area of 15.175 square miles (39.30 km2), of which 14.74 square miles (38.18 km2) (or 97.13%) is land and 0.435 square miles (1.13 km2) (or 2.87%) is water.[17] McHenry lies within the Fox River Valley, and its downtown area is situated on that river which is how it earned the nickname "The Heart of the Fox River".[18]

Climate and weather

Typically climate and weather in McHenry year-round is similar to Chicago's, though sometimes it is warmer in summer, and colder in winter. The all-time record high temperature is 103 °F (39 °C), set on July 4, 1974, while the all-time record low is −30 °F (−34 °C), set on January 31, 2019.

Climate data for McHenry, Illinois, 1981–2010 normals, extremes, 1888–present
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 62
(17)		 70
(21)		 83
(28)		 90
(32)		 99
(37)		 102
(39)		 103
(39)		 100
(38)		 96
(36)		 88
(31)		 76
(24)		 68
(20)		 103
(39)
Average high °F (°C) 28
(−2)		 33
(1)		 44
(7)		 57
(14)		 68
(20)		 78
(26)		 82
(28)		 79
(26)		 72
(22)		 60
(16)		 47
(8)		 33
(1)		 57
(14)
Daily mean °F (°C) 21
(−6)		 25
(−4)		 35
(2)		 48
(9)		 58
(14)		 68
(20)		 73
(23)		 71
(22)		 62
(17)		 51
(11)		 39
(4)		 26
(−3)		 48
(9)
Average low °F (°C) 13
(−11)		 17
(−8)		 26
(−3)		 38
(3)		 48
(9)		 58
(14)		 63
(17)		 61
(16)		 52
(11)		 41
(5)		 30
(−1)		 18
(−8)		 39
(4)
Record low °F (°C) −30
(−34)		 −23
(−31)		 −13
(−25)		 5
(−15)		 22
(−6)		 35
(2)		 38
(3)		 38
(3)		 25
(−4)		 14
(−10)		 −10
(−23)		 −23
(−31)		 −30
(−34)
Average rainfall inches (mm) 1.9
(48)		 1.97
(50)		 2.29
(58)		 3.56
(90)		 4.24
(108)		 3.85
(98)		 3.78
(96)		 4.86
(123)		 3.4
(86)		 3.1
(79)		 3.04
(77)		 2.26
(57)		 38.25
(972)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 10.9
(28)		 8.4
(21)		 4.1
(10)		 0.6
(1.5)		 — 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 — 1.4
(3.6)		 9.3
(24)		 35.9
(91)
Source 1: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?month=7
Source 2: https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lot

Government

The city of McHenry lies within two townships: McHenry Township and Nunda Township. The majority of the city falls within the former.

Mayor

See the full article, List of mayors of McHenry, Illinois.

City Council

The city council consists of representatives from the 7 city wards:[19]

  • Ward 1 - Victor A. Santi
  • Ward 2 - Andrew Glab
  • Ward 3 - Jeffrey A. Schaefer
  • Ward 4 - Ryan Harding
  • Ward 5 - Chad Mihevc
  • Ward 6 - Patrick Devine
  • Ward 7 - Sue Miller

City Clerk

Trisha Ramel is the City Clerk and is supported by the Deputy City Clerk, Monte Johnson.[20]

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
1880874—
189097912.0%
19001,0133.5%
19101,0311.8%
19201,14611.2%
19301,35418.2%
19401,59617.9%
19502,08030.3%
19603,33660.4%
19706,772103.0%
198010,73758.5%
199016,17750.7%
200021,50132.9%
201026,99225.5%
2019 (est.)27,061[3]0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census[21]

The population density was 1,850.2 per square mile (714.4/km2). There were 8,127 housing units at an average density of 699.4 per square mile (270.0/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 94.18% White, 0.35% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.31% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.10% of the population.

There were 7,872 households, of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.25.

Age distribution was 28.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.

The median household income was $55,759, and the median family income was $66,040. Males had a median income of $46,552 versus $29,808 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,272. About 3.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

McHenry is home to Fiesta Days, a ten-day festival in the middle of the summer that includes music, parades, food, car shows, and more.[22]

Historic Places on the National Register

Recreation

McHenry is home to Moraine Hills State Park which has many miles of hiking trails and connects to the Stratton Lock and Dam. Fishing from the dam is allowed only with a valid fishing license.[23][24]

In addition to several dozen city parks, the Prairie Trail — a sub-section of the larger Grand Illinois Trail — runs through the middle of the city.[25]

There once was a movie theater downtown but it was closed in 2014.[26] In 2017 it was announced that it would be renovated in late 2017. The new McHenry Downtown Theater reopened on January 18, 2018.[27] A drive-in theater east of town is open during the summer months.[28]

Economy

Major industrial users including Medela, Follett School Solutions, Fabrik Industries, and Plaspros have located in the city's business parks. Northwestern Centegra Hospital - McHenry provides emergency and in and out-patient health care services to the city and surrounding areas. Steady residential growth has resulted in significant commercial development. The north Richmond Road corridor has become a destination for shoppers in the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin areas with numerous "big box" retailers and smaller chains.

Education

Schools and libraries

There are two school districts serving the city of McHenry: McHenry Community High School District 156 and McHenry School District 15. District 156 oversees two high schools while District 15 oversees five elementary schools and three middle schools.

McHenry is served by one public library which is part of Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) consortium.[29] The library itself houses physical books, DVDs, magazines, and more as well as providing access to online digital content. The library also offers various training classes on various topics and has several meeting rooms available for use by request.[30]

Colleges

In addition to K-12 schools, McHenry County College holds business seminars and trainings in the Shah Center.[31]

Transportation

Airports

The closest public international airports to the city of McHenry are Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee.

The closest private airport to the city is Galt Airport in Wonderlake.

Public transportation

The city of McHenry is served by Pace Bus and connects travellers to other cities in the area.[32]

Bike

The Prairie Trail runs through the middle of McHenry from Crystal Lake and connects to trails near the border of Wisconsin.[33]

Passenger rail
McHenry Metra Station

McHenry is currently the terminus of a branch line on Metra's Union Pacific/Northwest Line, with daily passenger service to Ogilvie Transportation Center (Northwestern Station) in downtown Chicago.[34] The line that now terminates at McHenry once continued to Williams Bay, Wisconsin, but that service was discontinued in stages in the 1960s and 1970s.[35]

Road

Illinois Route 31 and Illinois Route 120 intersect in the city center. While not highways or interstates, they are the main roads into and out of the city.

Notable people

Notable horses
  • Two Eyed Jack, born in McHenry; Quarter Horse stallion and showhorse; the leading all time sire of American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) champions[41][42][43]

References
  1. "McHenry Turns 175 - McHenry County Living". June 2, 2011.
  2. "2019 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 14, 2020.
  3. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". United States Census Bureau. May 24, 2020. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
  4. "GNIS Detail - McHenry". geonames.usgs.gov.
  5. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 100.
  6. "About". www.dnr.illinois.gov. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
  7. "McHenry, IL". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org.
  8. Munsell Publishing Company (1922). History of McHenry County, Illinois (Vol 1).
  9. Munsell Publishing Company (1922). History of McHenry County, Illinois (Vol 2).
  10. "Movers, shakers shaped McHenry".
  11. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. "Plaindealer History". McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society.
  13. "Day in McHenry County History - McHenry County Historical Society and Museum". www.mchenrycountyhistory.org.
  14. Machaj, Sandra Landen (July 21, 2018). McHenry and McCullom Lake. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 9780738550602 – via Google Books.
  15. "The McHenry Train Crash of 1908". August 22, 2016.
  16. "Old Pearl Street Bridge". Bridgehunter.com.
  17. "G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2015.
  18. "History". cityofmchenry.org. Retrieved June 28, 2019.
  19. "Archived copy". Retrieved March 28, 2017.
  20. "City Clerk". cityofmchenry.org. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
  21. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  22. "McHenry Fiesta Days - Enjoy the Party". mchenryfiestadays.com.
  23. "Parks". www.dnr.illinois.gov.
  24. "Water Resources". www.dnr.illinois.gov.
  25. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  26. "McHenry Theater closes temporarily for repairs".
  27. "McHenry City Council approves downtown theater proposal".
  28. "Golden Age Cinemas". www.goldenagecinemas.com.
  29. User, Super. "Other Libraries' Catalogs - McHenry Public Library". www.mchenrylibrary.org.
  30. User, Super. "HOME - McHenry Public Library". www.mchenrylibrary.org.
  31. "About the Center for Corporate Training and the Illinois Small Business Development Center". www.shahcenter.mchenry.edu.
  32. "Pace Fixed Bus Routes - McHenry County, IL". www.co.mchenry.il.us.
  33. "Bicycling - McHenry County Conservation District". www.mccdistrict.org.
  34. "Union Pacific Northwest (UP-NW) - Metra". metrarail.com.
  35. Behrens, P. L. (2002). Steam Trains to Geneva Lake: C&NW's Elgin – Williams Bay Branch.
  36. Dodson, James (May–June 1998). "Ace of Clubs". Departures Magazine. American Express Publishing Corporation. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  37. Wyss, Cyndi (May 15, 2009). "Wyss: Economic uptick good, but bears price". Northwest Herald. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
  38. Illinois Blue Book 2004-2005
  39. 'Illinois Blue Book 1951-1952,' Biographical Sketch of Thomas A. Bolger, pg. 162-163
  40. Barlow, Sarah E., ed. (November 15, 2018). "Biographies of New Senate Members" (PDF). First Reading. Illinois Legislative Research Unit. p. 11. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
  41. "Two Eyed Jack".
  42. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2017.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  43. "The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas on September 16, 1987 · Page 25".

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