Downers Grove, Illinois
Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the eponym for the village. Per the 2020 census, the population of the village was 50,248. It is a south-western suburb of Chicago located between I-88 and I-55.
History
Downers Grove was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, a farmer who traveled to Illinois from Rutland, New York, but was originally from Vermont. Downers Grove was named for a lush grove of old-growth bur oak trees surrounding the village, which stood out from the local savanna landscape. Its other early settlers included the Blodgett, Curtiss, Blanchard, Stanley, Lyman, and Carpenter families. The original settlers were mostly migrants from the Northeastern United States and Northern Europe. In 1839, Reverend Orange Lyman, a presbyterian minister, and his wife Maria Dewey Lyman arrived, and built what is believed to be the first home in Downers Grove. The first schoolhouse was built in 1844. In 1846, the Blodgett house was built by Israel and Avis Blodgett. It was the second home built in Downers Grove. Both the Lyman and Blodgett homes are of cultural significance, as they were both built by abolitionist families and served as former stops on the Underground Railroad.The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad was extended from Aurora to Chicago through Downers Grove in 1864, boosting its population. The town was incorporated in March 1873. Its somewhat unusual spelling remains a minor historical mystery.
In April 1947, the wreck of a Burlington Railroad Twin Cities Zephyr passenger train killed three people, including the engineer. The streamliner struck a large tractor which had fallen from a freight train and two passenger cars crashed through a wall of the Main Street Station.
The construction of two major toll roads along the village's northern and western boundaries, I-355 in 1989, and what is now referred to as I-88 in 1958, facilitated the village's access to the rest of Chicago metropolitan area. I-55 is not far from the south edge of the village. Downers Grove has developed into a bustling Chicago suburb with many diverse businesses, including the headquarters for FTD, Ambitech Engineering Corp, Dover, Heartland Food Corporation, and HAVI Global Solutions.
Housing
The housing stock in Downers Grove comprises a mixture; some, generally near the center of town, date from the middle of the 19th century, but housing styles of each succeeding generation are represented. Downers Grove has witnessed one of the highest teardown rates in the Chicago area; small older residences are being demolished and replaced with much larger new houses. Teardowns have been the source of much controversy within the village. Since they occupy much more land than the original houses, rainwater that was originally absorbed by their yards is directed into neighboring yards and streets, resulting in flooding. Concerns have been raised that teardowns reduce affordable housing in the town and promote gentrification.Geography
According to the 2010 census, Downers Grove has a total area of, of which is land and is water. Only the DuPage County communities of Bartlett, Aurora, Naperville and Bolingbrook have larger land areas. Within the town are two forest preserves: Lyman Woods and Maple Grove Forest Preserve. A small creek runs through Maple Grove forest preserve. Downers Grove has been designated a Tree City USA 28 times by the National Arbor Day Foundation.Climate
Downers Grove is in a humid continental climate zone. On average, January is the coldest month, while July is the warmest month. August typically has the most precipitation, and February the least. The record high for Downers Grove was in July 2005, and the record low of was set in January 1985.Demographics
As of the 2020 census, there were 50,327 people living in Downers Grove. The population density was. The racial makeup of the village was 84.3% White alone, 3.4% Black or African American alone, 0.1% American Indian and Alaska Native alone, 5.3% Asian alone, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, and 2.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino were 5.0% of the population.There were 20,115 households, with an average household size of 2.42 and an average family size of 3.09. 53.5% of family households included married couples living together, 16.2% had a male householder with no spouse present, and 26.1% had a female householder with no spouse present. Out of adults in the village, 55.2% were married, 5.9% were widowed, 9.8% were divorced, 0.7% were separated, and 28.5% were never married.
In the village, 5.9% of the population was under 5 years of age, with 21.5% under the age of 18, and 19.1% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.1 years.
According to the 2020 American Community Survey, the Median Household Income in the village was $97,197. The median income for a family was $131,733, while the median income for a non-family household was $45,193. About 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.6% of minors under age 18, 5.5% of adults aged 18–64, and 6.0% of seniors age 65 or over. The state of Illinois as a whole, has a $68,428 Median Household Income and a 12.0% poverty rate
| Race / Ethnicity | Pop 2000 | Pop 2010 | % 2000 | % 2010 | ||
| White alone | 42,777 | 40,631 | 40,289 | 87.79% | 84.94% | 80.18% |
| Black or African American alone | 911 | 1,388 | 1,801 | 1.87% | 2.90% | 3.58% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone | 43 | 37 | 34 | 0.09% | 0.08% | 0.07% |
| Asian alone | 2,773 | 2,623 | 2,919 | 5.69% | 5.48% | 5.81% |
| Pacific Islander alone | 5 | 4 | 13 | 0.01% | 0.01% | 0.03% |
| Other race alone | 48 | 55 | 118 | 0.10% | 0.11% | 0.23% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial | 420 | 627 | 1,664 | 0.86% | 1.31% | 3.31% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 1,747 | 2,468 | 3,409 | 3.59% | 5.16% | 6.78% |
| Total | 48,724 | 47,833 | 50,247 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
Economy
Located 20 miles west of the Chicago Loop, Downers Grove residents commonly commute via the village's three Metra BNSF line stations or highway connections. The village itself also serves as headquarters for multiple businesses, including Advocate Aurora Health and Fortune 500 members Dover Corporation and Univar Solutions. The village is also home to regional satellite offices of numerous national corporations, including Microsoft, MetLife, and State Farm.Top employers
According to the Village's 2023 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:| # | Employer | # of Employees |
| 1 | Duly Health and Care | 4549 |
| 2 | Hearthside Food Solutions LLC | 3600 |
| 3 | Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital | 2500 |
| 4 | Midwestern University | 1000 |
| 5 | Ambitech Engineering Corp. | 700 |
| 5 | Havi Global Solutions, LLC | 700 |
| 5 | Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants | 700 |
| 6 | First Health Corporation/Coventry Health Care | 500 |
| 6 | FTD Inc | 500 |
| 7 | Advocate Aurora Health | 450 |
| 8 | HMOS of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois | 420 |
| 9 | Flavochem | 400 |
| 9 | Rexnord | 400 |
| 10 | Ensono | 368 |
Arts and culture
Architecture
Downers Grove has 68 confirmed Sears Kit Homes, 11 Harris Brothers, 9 Wardway/Gordon-Van Tine, and 1 Aladdin Kit Home. Source Downers Grove Museum. Sears and Other Kit-Home research.Tivoli Theatre
The Tivoli Theatre is located in Downers Grove. Built in 1928, with an initial seating capacity of 1,390, The Tivoli was the first theatre in DuPage County to show "talkies". The Tivoli was equipped with an original Wurlitzer theatre organ. Replaced in 1992, the current instrument, dubbed "Opus 942", originally came from the Indian Theatre in East Chicago, Indiana. The Wurlitzer is frequently played during the opening credits of films shown on weekend evenings.Parks and recreation
Downers Grove contains many parks and forest preserves, including Doerhoefer Park. The Hidden Lake Forest Preserve contains a glacier-dug pond that provides boating access to the nearby DuPage River.Lyman Woods, a nature preserve, was originally ranching lands. The preserve consists of oak savannas, prairies, and marshes. The land was purchased by Downers Grove in 1987. The preserve contains over 300 native species of plants and animals; six of which are considered rare in northern Illinois. In 1996, residents of Downers Grove passed the referendum to protect Lyman Woods from residential and commercial development.
Government
Local
The Village of Downers Grove operates under a magisterial council-manager form of government. The Village Council is the policy-making body that authorizes a professional manager to oversee the daily operations of the village. The Village Council is composed of the Mayor and six Commissioners elected at-large. In addition to the Municipal Code, which establishes many of the rules and regulations by which the Village operates, the council has also adopted separate council policies on several matters related to municipal activities.The Mayor of Downers Grove is Robert T. Barnett. The Mayor and Commissioners are elected for four-year terms at odd-year Consolidated General Elections.
The elections for Mayor and Commissioners are non-partisan; the candidates' party affiliations do not appear on the ballot, and direct party funding is not traditionally practiced.