Search results
Elgin (/ ˈɛldʒɪn / EL-jin) is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located 35 mi (56 km) northwest of Chicago along the Fox River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 114,797, making it the sixth-most populous city in the state. [4] History.
3 days ago · Elgin, Illinois has been named the "safest and most affordable" city in the United States. According to a ranking by the finance website GoBankingRates Read on...
6 days ago · Elgin, city, Kane and Cook counties, northeastern Illinois, U.S. It lies on the Fox River, about 40 miles (65 km) northwest of downtown Chicago. Potawatomi Indians were early inhabitants of the region.
- The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Most of Elgin lies within Kane County, Illinois, with a portion in Cook County. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 114,797, making it the sixth largest city in Illinois. As true today as in 1849 when the Galena & Chicago Union Railroad reached Elgin, the City in the Suburbs benefits greatly from our convenient access to ...
- Elgin History Museum
- Lords Park
- Lords Park Zoo
- Fox River Trail
- Elgin Public Museum
- Gail Borden Public Library
- Elgin Fire Barn No. 5 Museum
- Elgin Historic District
- Festival Park
- The Hemmens Cultural Center
Elgin Academy, founded in 1839, is the oldest coeducational, non-sectarian college preparatory school west of the Allegheny Mountains. An original building for this institution is the Greek Revival-style Old Main (1856), which was sold to the city to be restored in the 1870s. This building now holds the excellent Elgin History Museum, charting the ...
In the 1890s the wealthy Lord family purchased this 108-acre tract of land and gifted it to the City of Elgin to be used as a public park. Lords Park is as genteel as they come, with beautiful stands of mature oak and hickory on undulating terrain. There are two picnic shelters here, along with a zoo (more later), two playgrounds and facilities for...
On the south side, Lords Park has had a zoo since the 1890s and this is a beloved summer attraction in Elgin attracting tens of thousands of visitors each year. The zoo, in gorgeous grounds, has traditionally focussed on species native to Illinois, but has kept a lion in the past. Nowadays you can see bison, white-tailed deer and elk in the pasture...
Elgin is one of a string of communities on a 40-mile multi-use trail that tracks the Fox River from Algonquin in the north to Aurora in the south. Large sections of the route follow the former rights of way of freight and interurban railroads laid down in the 1890s. This makes for an easy gradient and little interference from road traffic, and on t...
In Lords Park, this museum was established in 1920 and is housed in a fine Neoclassical building completed in 1907. The Elgin Public Museum is dedicated to natural history and anthropology, and is the only attraction of its kind in the Fox Valley area. Inside, exhibits cover the La Salle Expeditions of the 17th century, as well as Ice Age mammals, ...
Elgin has a public library that would be the envy of most cities. This is named after the inventor of condensed milk, Gail Borden (1801-1871), who set up a factory here in 1866. The original Gail Borden Library was in the historic Scofield mansion until 2003 when this spectacular new complex opened in picturesque grounds on the east bank of the Fox...
This stately-looking building southeast of downtown is in fact a former fire station, operating from 1903 until as recently as 1991. Elgin’s fifth engine fire barn is in the Classical Revival style, designed by local architect Smith Hoag who intended the building to resemble a storefront. The building is now a repository for Elgin Fire Department’s...
Enclosed by Villa Street in the south and Park Street in the north is the oldest portion of Elgin, first settled by European Americans in the 1830s. This sizable historic core, one of five in Elgin, has 697 buildings (429 contributing) and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983. Exploring the historic district you’ll come a...
In a perfect setting right on the river, this beautiful space has a dual role as a neighborhood park loaded with amenities and as a venue for some of Elgin’s biggest annual events. The Fox River Trail runs through Festival Park, while for families there’s a superb playground and an ever popular splash pad that stays open from 10 am to 8 pm in the s...
Founded in 1950, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra is held as one of the foremost regional orchestras in the United States. The list of famous musicians and conductors who have performed with the orchestra is formidable and includes Yo-Yo Ma, Benny Goodman, Rachel Barton Pine, Pepe Romero, Rosen Milanov, Jennifer Koh and Nicola Benedetti. The orchestra’...
Nestled along the banks of the Fox River, Elgin, Illinois is approximately 38 miles northwest of downtown Chicago and is home to approximately 115,000 people. Elgin is a unique community that proudly distinguishes itself from the rest of the metropolitan area.
Welcome to Elgin, Illinois—a creative community in the Fox River Valley of Northern Kane County. Discover a vibrant arts scene, captivating events, and abundant opportunities to immerse yourself in the outdoors.
