Vernon Hills, Illinois
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vernon Hills is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,120 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 23,957 as of 2005. Vernon Hills serves as a retail hub for its surrounding area (Libertyville, Lake Forest, Mundelein, Lincolnshire).
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[edit] Geography
Vernon Hills is located at (42.231123, -87.969053)GR1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 19.7 km² (7.6 mi²). 19.2 km² (7.4 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it (2.49%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the censusGR2 of 2000, there were 20,120 people, 7,568 households, and 5,312 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,045.5/km² (2,708.3/mi²). There were 7,813 housing units at an average density of 406.0/km² (1,051.7/mi²). The racial makeup of the village was 82% White, 12% Asian, 2% African American, and 0.1% Native American. 3% are from other races, and 2% from two or more races. 7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 7,568 households out of which 42% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59% were married couples living together, 8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30% were non-families. 25% of all households were made up of individuals and 6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the village the population was spread out with 29% under the age of 18, 6% from 18 to 24, 37% from 25 to 44, 22% from 45 to 64, and 6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $71,297, and the median income for a family was $83,806. Males had a median income of $54,807 versus $39,136 for females. The per capita income for the village was $32,246. About 2.5% of families and 2.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.0% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] History
The land that was to become Vernon Hills began with the establishment of a 200-acre farm in 1851. Use of the land remained relatively static until the 1950s, when part of it was purchased for a residential community and golf course; the development was the first use of the name "Vernon Hills." In 1958, the village officially incorporated with 123 residents. It saw steady but slow growth until the annexing of a plot of land near the corner of IL-60 and IL-21 in 1971, which led to the building of 1.2 million-square-foot Hawthorn Center (now known as Westfield Hawthorn). The addition of this significant commercial hub reduced the tax burden of private residents and helped facilitate growth. By 1980, the village's population had grown to almost 10,000 residents, and by 2000, it had surpassed 20,000.
Through the 1980s and 1990s, the village grew geographically through the annexation of surrounding areas. This included land that would become the Corporate Woods business park and Centennial Crossing residential development (1986), a 1,200-acre section of Hawthorne-Mellody Farms (1988), and part of the village of Half Day (1994). In 2000, the village acquired land that had belonged at different times to the U.S. Army as a Nike missile base, the U.S. Navy as a naval training center, and the Curtiss Candy Company; it was converted to what is now the 184-acre Vernon Hills Athletic Complex.
[edit] Schools
There are six grade schools in the village served by the Hawthorn School District. High school students, who formerly went to Libertyville High School, now attend Vernon Hills High School.
Students living in the southwest corner of Vernon Hills attend Long Grove grade schools (Country Meadows & Woodlawn, District 96). Students in a small section of one subdivision go to Mundelein schools. Some subdivisions in southern Vernon Hills send students to Lincolnshire schools, including Adlai E. Stevenson High School.
[edit] Additional facts
Vernon Hills is the home of the Cuneo Museum, a converted mansion originally built in 1914 by Samuel Insull, founder of the Commonwealth Edison Company. John Cuneo, Sr. purchased the mansion in 1937 after the collapse of the Insull utility empire. Cuneo was the founder of the Cuneo Press and Hawthorn Mellody Dairy.
The mansion, which remained the family home until the death of his widow in 1990, is now an art museum. Some of the 1997 film My Best Friend's Wedding, starring Julia Roberts and Cameron Diaz, was shot there.
[edit] External links
- Maps and aerial photos
- Street map from Google Maps, or Yahoo! Maps, or Windows Live Local
- Satellite image from Google Maps, Windows Live Local, WikiMapia
- Topographic map from TopoZone
- Aerial image or topographic map from TerraServer-USA
