Chicago Heights, Illinois
Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,480 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 26,533 in 2024. A southern suburb in the Chicago metropolitan area, its nicknames include "The Crossroads of the Nation" and "Da Heights”.
History
The first recorded settlement by non-native Americans of the area that would become Chicago Heights occurred in 1833 when Absalom Wells built a cabin on the ridge above Thorn Creek. By the 1840s, a small rural community known as Thorn Grove had been formed, centered around a Presbyterian church.In the 1890s, a group of Chicago developers led by Charles Wacker formed the Chicago Heights Land Association to create an outer-ring industrial suburb of Chicago. They convinced many businesses to construct factories in the new development, including Inland Steel, the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, and the Ludowici Roofing Tile Company, among many others.
The newly-created factories and plants drew large numbers of Italian, Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian, Irish, and Black workers to the East Side and Hill neighborhoods. A downtown area formed and became a center of activity for the surrounding region. In 1916, the Lincoln Highway Association was persuaded to route the country's first transcontinental highway through the city, leading the community to be dubbed "the crossroads of the nation."
During the Prohibition era, the city was home to many bootleggers. Al Capone was a frequent presence, and criminal bootlegging operations employed many area runners, sugar buyers, and plumbers. Period newspaper accounts placed the value of locally-produced alcohol during the 1925-1929 period at $35 million.
During the Great Depression the area was hard-hit due to its large industrial presence. World War II drove production in local factories essential for the war effort, which led to a resurgence in area prosperity during the 1950s. A Ford stamping factory created during that decade helped further the area. The area declined economically during the 1970s as heavy manufacturing scaled down or left the region.
Geography
Chicago Heights lies on the high land of the Tinley Moraine, with the higher and older Valparaiso Moraine lying just to the south of the city.According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
The city's major crossroads are at Dixie Highway and Lincoln Highway.
Chicago Heights is about south of the Chicago Loop.
Surrounding communities
Demographics
According to realtor website Zillow, the average price of a home as of October 31, 2025, in Chicago Heights is $167,101.As of the 2023 American Community Survey, there are 9,209 estimated households in Chicago Heights with an average of 2.84 persons per household. The city has a median household income of $57,479. Approximately 24.7% of the city's population lives at or below the poverty line. Chicago Heights has an estimated 52.0% employment rate, with 20.2% of the population holding a bachelor's degree or higher and 84.9% holding a high school diploma. There were 10,799 housing units at an average density of.
The top five reported languages were English, Spanish, Indo-European, Asian and Pacific Islander, and Other.
The median age in the city was 35.6 years.
| Race / ethnicity | Pop. 1980 | Pop. 1990 | Pop. 2000 | Pop. 2010 | |
| White alone | 22,163 | 16,516 | 12,062 | 7,062 | 4,438 |
| Black or African American alone | 10,558 | 11,406 | 12,305 | 12,370 | 11,487 |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 17 | 35 | 48 | 44 | 30 |
| Asian alone | 126 | 92 | 138 | 87 | 74 |
| Pacific Islander alone | — | — | 4 | 8 | 23 |
| Other race alone | 27 | 47 | 39 | 51 | 103 |
| Mixed race or multiracial | — | — | 390 | 400 | 611 |
| Hispanic or Latino | 4,135 | 4,976 | 7,790 | 10,254 | 10,714 |
| Total | 37,026 | 33,072 | 32,776 | 30,276 | 27,480 |
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, there were 27,480 people, 9,261 households, and 6,454 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 10,663 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city was 21.05% White, 42.50% African American, 1.27% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 23.35% from some other races and 11.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 38.99% of the population.2000 census
As of the 2000 census, there are 32,776 people, 10,703 households, and 7,823 families residing in the city. The population density was. There were 11,444 housing units at an average density of. The racial makeup of the city is 45.02% White, 37.90% African American, 0.45% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 13.46% from other races, and 2.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 23.77% of the population.There were 10,703 households, out of which 38.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.0% were married couples living together, 22.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.9% were non-families. 22.9% of all households are made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.00 and the average family size was 3.53.
In the city the population was spread out with 31.6% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 18.3% from 45 to 64, and 11.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $36,958, and the median income for a family was $42,681. Males had a median income of $34,207 versus $26,276 for females. The per capita income for the city was $14,963. 17.5% of the population and 13.7% of families were below the poverty line, including 24.5% were under the age of 18 and 9.9% are 65 or older.
Government
Mayors of Chicago Heights
Education
Schools
operates twelve schools, with a student population of 3,600. Highland is the district's preschool for children aged three and four; Garfield, Grant, Greenbriar, Jefferson, Kennedy, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Washington-McKinley, and Wilson are neighborhood schools that serve students from kindergarten through fifth grade. After elementary school/5th grade, students attend Chicago Heights Middle School for grades 6–8.Chicago Heights is home to Bloom High School, which all students of District 170 attend after 8th grade, and Bloom Trail High School, which shares its athletic programs with Bloom. Many students from neighboring communities including Steger, South Chicago Heights, Ford Heights, Sauk Village and Glenwood attend high school at Bloom.
Parts of Chicago Heights are included in Flossmoor School District 161 which includes Serena Hills Elementary School in Chicago Heights. After Serena, students attend Parker Jr. High School—also a part of Flossmoor School District 161. Only some students who complete middle school at Parker Jr. High School move on to Homewood-Flossmoor High School; the remainder attend Bloom High School.
Parts of Chicago Heights are also served by Park Forest – Chicago Heights School District 163, and Beacon Hill Primary Center is located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. After Beaker, students attend Michelle Obama School of Arts and Technology for middle school. Students from this neighborhood attend Rich Township High School, part of Rich Township High School District 227.
Marian Catholic High School, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, is a private high school located in the city.
Prairie State College is a community college located in Chicago Heights.
St. Agnes School is a private Catholic school located in Chicago heights.