:Joliet, Illinois

In 1673, Louis Jolliet, along with Father Jacques Marquette, paddled up the Des Plaines River and camped on a huge earthwork mound, a few miles south of present-day Joliet.{{Cite book|author1=Grossman, James R. |author2=Keating, Ann Durkin |author3=Reiff, Janice L. |title=Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|year=2005|orig-year=2004|edition=Online|page=676|publisher=Chicago Historical Society, Newberry Library|location=Chicago|isbn=0-226-31015-9|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/676.html|oclc=60342627}} Maps from Jolliet's exploration of the area showed a large hill or mound down river from Chicago, labeled Mont Joliet.{{cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11574.html|title=Jolliet's Map of New France, 1674|website=The Electronic Encyclopedia of Chicago|access-date=July 28, 2021}} The mound has since been flattened due to mining.

In 1833, following the Black Hawk War, Charles Reed built a cabin along the west side of the Des Plaines River. Across the river in 1834, James B. Campbell, treasurer of the canal commissioners, laid out the village of "Juliet", a corruption of "Joliet" that was also in use at the time. Just before the economic depression of 1837, Juliet incorporated as a village, but to cut tax expenses, Juliet residents soon petitioned the state to rescind that incorporation.

In 1845, local residents changed the community's name from "Juliet" to "Joliet", reflecting the original name. Joliet was reincorporated as a city in 1852. Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne was active in getting the city its first charter, and because of this, he was elected Joliet's first mayor. When the city later built a new bridge, it was named the Van Horne Bridge.{{cite web|url=http://www.genealogy.com/ftm/b/o/y/Robert-C-Boyett/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0600.html|title=Robert-C-Boyett - User Trees - Genealogy.com|website=www.genealogy.com|access-date=May 2, 2018}}

According to the 2010 census, Joliet has a total area of {{convert|62.768|sqmi|sqkm|2}}, of which {{convert|62.11|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 98.95%) are land and {{convert|0.658|sqmi|sqkm|2}} (or 1.05%) is covered by water.{{cite web

|url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1738570

|title=G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1

|access-date=December 27, 2015

|publisher=United States Census Bureau

|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213062235/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/G001/1600000US1738570

|archive-date=February 13, 2020

|url-status=dead

}} It has a sprawling, irregular shape that extends into nine different townships, more than any other Illinois city. They are: Joliet, Plainfield, Troy, New Lenox, Jackson, Channahon, and Lockport in Will County, and Na-Au-Say and Seward in Kendall County. Joliet developed along the Des Plaines River, and its downtown is located in the river valley.

Joliet has a "west side" and "east side", referring to areas in relation to the river.

With the construction of highways and suburban development to the west, many businesses moved from the downtown area to the expanding areas west of the river. Many stores relocated to the west side in new strip malls and shopping centers with more parking and easier access. These changes resulted in the decline of the downtown shopping district, which is still felt today. Today, Joliet has a "west side" and a "far west side" (which includes all city limits in Kendall County). This has given rise to a newly referenced "Central Joliet" portion of the city, which essentially is all land west of the Des Plaines River and east of Interstate 55. This new reference may soon change the current meaning of "west side" to west of I-55.{{Citation needed|date=September 2009}}

Joliet has a hot summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa) with hot, humid summers, and cold winters with moderate to heavy snowfall.

{{Weather box

|location = Joliet, Illinois (Brandon Dam), 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1975–present

|single line = Y

| Jan record high F = 65

| Feb record high F = 73

| Mar record high F = 86

| Apr record high F = 92

| May record high F = 95

| Jun record high F = 104

| Jul record high F = 103

| Aug record high F = 102

| Sep record high F = 97

| Oct record high F = 88

| Nov record high F = 78

| Dec record high F = 70

| year record high F = 104

|Jan avg record high F = 53.8

|Feb avg record high F = 57.0

|Mar avg record high F = 70.5

|Apr avg record high F = 79.9

|May avg record high F = 87.7

|Jun avg record high F = 92.6

|Jul avg record high F = 93.7

|Aug avg record high F = 91.6

|Sep avg record high F = 89.6

|Oct avg record high F = 82.3

|Nov avg record high F = 68.2

|Dec avg record high F = 56.7

|year avg record high F = 95.0

| Jan high F = 31.1

| Feb high F = 35.4

| Mar high F = 47.0

| Apr high F = 59.9

| May high F = 71.0

| Jun high F = 80.3

| Jul high F = 83.6

| Aug high F = 81.8

| Sep high F = 76.2

| Oct high F = 63.3

| Nov high F = 48.5

| Dec high F = 36.4

| year high F = 59.5

| Jan mean F = 23.9

| Feb mean F = 27.6

| Mar mean F = 38.1

| Apr mean F = 49.4

| May mean F = 60.2

| Jun mean F = 70.1

| Jul mean F = 73.9

| Aug mean F = 72.3

| Sep mean F = 65.7

| Oct mean F = 53.3

| Nov mean F = 40.4

| Dec mean F = 29.4

| year mean F = 50.4

| Jan low F = 16.6

| Feb low F = 19.8

| Mar low F = 29.2

| Apr low F = 38.9

| May low F = 49.4

| Jun low F = 59.9

| Jul low F = 64.1

| Aug low F = 62.9

| Sep low F = 55.3

| Oct low F = 43.4

| Nov low F = 32.3

| Dec low F = 22.4

| year low F = 41.2

|Jan avg record low F = -5.4

|Feb avg record low F = 0.6

|Mar avg record low F = 12.1

|Apr avg record low F = 26.5

|May avg record low F = 37.2

|Jun avg record low F = 47.1

|Jul avg record low F = 55.1

|Aug avg record low F = 54.6

|Sep avg record low F = 42.1

|Oct avg record low F = 30.0

|Nov avg record low F = 18.7

|Dec avg record low F = 3.1

|year avg record low F = -9.1

| Jan record low F = −26

| Feb record low F = −20

| Mar record low F = −7

| Apr record low F = 11

| May record low F = 18

| Jun record low F = 35

| Jul record low F = 47

| Aug record low F = 39

| Sep record low F = 32

| Oct record low F = 17

| Nov record low F = -2

| Dec record low F = −20

| year record low F = -26

| precipitation colour = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 1.99

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.78

| Mar precipitation inch = 2.27

| Apr precipitation inch = 3.93

| May precipitation inch = 4.53

| Jun precipitation inch = 4.30

| Jul precipitation inch = 4.55

| Aug precipitation inch = 3.97

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.17

| Oct precipitation inch = 3.14

| Nov precipitation inch = 2.46

| Dec precipitation inch = 1.94

| year precipitation inch = 38.03

| Jan snow inch = 5.0

| Feb snow inch = 6.2

| Mar snow inch = 2.1

| Apr snow inch = 0.1

| May snow inch = 0.0

| Jun snow inch = 0.0

| Jul snow inch = 0.0

| Aug snow inch = 0.0

| Sep snow inch = 0.0

| Oct snow inch = 0.0

| Nov snow inch = 0.3

| Dec snow inch = 3.2

| year snow inch = 16.9

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 11.4

| Feb precipitation days = 9.3

| Mar precipitation days = 10.2

| Apr precipitation days = 12.3

| May precipitation days = 12.4

| Jun precipitation days = 10.6

| Jul precipitation days = 9.2

| Aug precipitation days = 9.2

| Sep precipitation days = 8.0

| Oct precipitation days = 9.5

| Nov precipitation days = 9.9

| Dec precipitation days = 10.6

| year precipitation days = 122.6

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 4.2

| Feb snow days = 3.4

| Mar snow days = 1.2

| Apr snow days = 0.1

| May snow days = 0.0

| Jun snow days = 0.0

| Jul snow days = 0.0

| Aug snow days = 0.0

| Sep snow days = 0.0

| Oct snow days = 0.0

| Nov snow days = 0.4

| Dec snow days = 2.7

| year snow days = 12.0

| source 1 = NOAA{{cite web

| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lot

| title = NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = July 11, 2021

| archive-date = November 10, 2018

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20181110040544/http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lot

| url-status = dead

}}

{{cite web

| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00114530&format=pdf

| title = Station: Joliet Brandon RD DAM, IL

| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)

| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

| access-date = July 11, 2021}}

}}

{{US Census population

|1840= 2558

|1850= 2659

|1860= 7104

|1870= 7263

|1880= 11657

|1890= 23264

|1900= 29353

|1910= 34670

|1920= 38442

|1930= 42993

|1940= 42365

|1950= 51601

|1960= 66780

|1970= 78827

|1980= 77956

|1990= 76836

|2000= 106221

|2010= 147459

|2020= 150362

|align-fn=center

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census/decade.html|title=Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=}}
2010 2020

}}

As of the census of 2010, 147,433 people, 48,019 households, and 34,900 families were residing in the city. The population density was {{convert|2,288.3|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The 51,285 housing units averaged 796 per square mile (307.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.48% White, 15.98% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.93% Asian, 11.34% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.84% of the population.

Of the 48,019 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 14% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were not families. About 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01, and the average family size was 3.56.

In the city, the population is 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/QTP1/1600000US1738570|title=Age Groups and Sex: 2010|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=October 8, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213102054/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/QTP1/1600000US1738570|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}

For 2015, the median income for a household in the city was $60,976, and for a family was $69,386. Full-time, year-round working males had a median income of $51,082 versus $39,235 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,374. About 10.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP03/1600000US1738570|title=SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau|access-date=October 8, 2017|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213104101/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/DP03/1600000US1738570|archive-date=February 13, 2020|url-status=dead}}

From April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2011, Joliet was the fastest-growing city in the Midwestern United States and the 18th-fastest growing city in the United States among incorporated places with more than 100,000 people.{{cite web |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2013/PEPANNRSIP.US12A |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212200408/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/PEP/2013/PEPANNRSIP.US12A |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2020 |title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places of 50,000 or More, Ranked by July 1, 2013 Population: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2013 |date=May 2014|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division |access-date=September 15, 2014}}

According to the official website for the city of Joliet:

Joliet's diverse faith community represents over 60 denominations and offers residents services at more than 150 churches, synagogues, and houses of worship. Along with their spiritual offerings, these houses of worship enrich the Joliet area by providing some of the area's finest examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine, and Renaissance architecture. The spiritual community in Joliet welcomes newcomers with open arms, offering regular worship services and religious education.{{cite web|url=http://www.cityofjoliet.info/For-Residents/Worship.htm |title=City of Joliet: For Residents-Worship |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080911192632/http://www.cityofjoliet.info/For-Residents/Worship.htm |archive-date=September 11, 2008 }}

Joliet holds a very large Catholic population, and many Catholic institutions, including Joliet Catholic Academy and the University of St Francis.

File:20200829-DSCF4977 (50359243676).jpg, now a museum]]

Like many Midwestern and East Coast cities dependent on manufacturing industries, Joliet has experienced past economic troubles. {{as of|2017}}, the rate of unemployment in Joliet was around 6.4%. The city is evolving from a steel and manufacturing suburb to a commuter suburb in the Chicago metropolitan area. Some new migrants to the Chicago area are working in bordering Cook County (the nation's second-most populous county) and living in Joliet.

The downtown area of Joliet has slowly attracted new businesses to the area. The main attractions in Joliet's city center are the Harrah's Casino, Joliet Slammers baseball (Duly Health and Care Field), Hollywood Casino, and the Rialto Square Theatre, also known as the 'Jewel of Joliet',{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GQV4qKcpHXcC&pg=PA26|title=Murals : the Great Walls of Joliet|last=Huebner|first=Jeff|publisher=University of Illinois Press|year=2001|isbn=978-0-252-06957-4|pages=25–26}} and has been called one of the world's 10 most beautiful theaters. The 1999 film Stir of Echoes starring Kevin Bacon had scenes shot on at the Rialto Square Theatre (the hypnotism scenes in which James saw the word "Dig" on the movie screen), at the corner of Scott Street and Washington, and at the old Menards that took over the Wieboldt's building at Jefferson Square Mall.

The Illinois Youth Center Joliet, a juvenile correctional facility of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice, opened in April 1959."[https://archive.today/20121224184427/http://www.idjj.state.il.us/subsections/facilities/information.asp?instchoice=joe Illinois Youth Center Joliet]." Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice. Retrieved on October 27, 2012.

According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,{{Cite web |title=CITY OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017 |url=http://cityofjoliet.info/home/showdocument?id=20539 |access-date=March 15, 2021 |website=City of Joliet |page=153}} the largest employers in the city are:

{{see also|List of mayors of Joliet, Illinois}}

{{See also|National Register of Historic Places listings in Will County, Illinois}}

File:Rialto Square Theatre in Joliet IL, 23 Nov 2012.jpg in downtown Joliet]]

The Rialto Square Theatre, a favorite haunt of Al Capone and filming location for scenes from Kevin Bacon's film Stir of Echoes, is on Chicago Street, downtown.[http://www.itsfilmedthere.com/2010/01/stir-of-echoes.html Filming Locations of Chicago and Los Angeles: Stir Of Echoes]. Itsfilmedthere.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2013. Near the theatre, the Joliet Area Historical Museum commemorates the history of Joliet, especially its heritage as a stopping point on U.S. Route 66.{{cite web |url=http://www.jolietmuseum.org/|title=Joliet Area Historical Museum |access-date=April 30, 2014 }} Among local landmarks are the Chicagoland Speedway (NASCAR) and the Route 66 Raceway (NHRA).

The Auditorium Building is located at the northeast corner of Chicago and Clinton Streets. Designed by G. Julian Barnes and built of limestone in 1891, it was controversial as one of the first buildings to combine religious, civic, and commercial uses. Nonetheless, people such Theodore Roosevelt visited and spoke at the building.{{cite web|url=http://www.uucj.com/uucj175/history1.html%3Ehttp://www.uucj.com/uucj175/history1.html|title=Site Unavailable|website=www.uucj.com|access-date=May 2, 2018}} The building was originally built for the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet, but the church sold the building in 1993, and it is no longer home to the congregation.[http://www.uucj.com/uucj175/history2.html UUCJ 175th Anniversary]. Uucj.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2013.

The Jacob A. Henry Mansion, 20 South Eastern Avenue, is a three-story, red-brick, Second Empire/Italian Renaissance-style structure built on a Joliet limestone foundation in 1873 (completed in 1876). The structure is set on bedrock and the entire basement floor is made of Joliet limestone from the building owner's quarry. The walls of the structure are constructed of red Illinois sandstone and deep red brick specially fired in Ohio (wrapped individually and shipped by barge to Joliet). A commanding three-story tower is the focal point of the structure. The structure has steel trim with slate shingles on a mansard roof. The front and side porches are single slabs of limestone. The largest stone ever quarried lies in the sidewalk under the front entry gate. The stone is 9×22×20 ft. In 1885, an immense Byzantine dome was added to the south façade.{{Cite web|url=http://cityofjoliet.info/government/boards-commissions/joliet-historic-preservation-commission/national-register-properties/jacob-henry-mansion|title=The Jacob Henry Mansion|website=City of Joliet, IL|language=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20181027150029/http://cityofjoliet.info/government/boards-commissions/joliet-historic-preservation-commission/national-register-properties/jacob-henry-mansion|archive-date=October 27, 2018|url-status=live|access-date=October 27, 2018}}

The interior of the Jacob A. Henry Mansion has elaborate polished-walnut woodwork, massive, carved pocket doors, original wood mantles, and a solid-walnut staircase. The original owner, Mr. Henry, was a railroad magnate, building railroads in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. He had ownership in a local quarry and was a principal stockholder in Will County National Bank. The mansion won the architecture award at the American Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia in 1876.{{citation needed|date=November 2017}} The structure is a local landmark, part of the East Side National Register District and individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Joliet Prison is located near Joliet's downtown district on Collins Street. The prison has been featured in both television shows and movies. One such television series filmed there was Prison Break.[https://web.archive.org/web/20110604154725/http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/9981954/ns/today-entertainment/t/joliet-one-characters-prison-break#.TyWrDl0RZOE Joliet is one of the characters on 'Prison Break' - today > entertainment - today > entertainment > tv - TODAY.com]. Today.msnbc.msn.com (November 9, 2005). Retrieved on August 17, 2013. The prison was also used for the opening scenes in the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers, which starred John Belushi as "Joliet" Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues.[https://abc7chicago.com/archive/7607815/ 'Blues Brothers' movie showing Friday at Joliet's old Stateville Prison | abc7chicago.com]. Abclocal.go.com (August 13, 2010). Retrieved on August 17, 2013.

The first Dairy Queen store opened in Joliet.[http://www.dairyqueen.com/us-en/Company/About-Us/ Dairy Queen]. dairyqueen.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2013. The location is now occupied by Universal Church.

Two casinos originated as riverboat casino in Joliet: the Hollywood Casino near Channahon and a Harrah's hotel and casino downtown.

The Louis Joliet Mall is located near the intersection of I-55 and U.S. Route 30.[http://www.westfield.com/louisjoliet/directions Louis Joliet Mall] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423200249/http://www.westfield.com/louisjoliet/directions |date=April 23, 2012 }}. Westfield.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2013.

The former Joliet Arsenal (now the site of both the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie) is in nearby Elwood.

Joliet is home to three high schools that bear its name: Joliet Central, Joliet West, and Joliet Catholic Academy (JCA), in addition to the closed Joliet East,[http://www.jths.org/about204/district-history/] [https://archive.today/20140218013200/http://www.jths.org/about204/district-history/ Archived] from Archive.today on March 19, 2021 each of which has sports programs. JCA has been a major football powerhouse for many years and has won more state football titles than any other team in the state, with 15 as of 2023.[http://www.ihsa.org/SportsActivities/BoysFootball/RecordsHistory.aspx?url=/data/fb/records/index.htm Records & History]. Ihsa.org. Retrieved on August 17, 2013.

Joliet is the home of the University of St Francis athletics, nicknamed the Fighting Saints. The Fighting Saints participate in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) and Mid-States Football Association (MSFA).{{cite web |title=University of St. Francis Athletics |url=https://gofightingsaints.com/ |website=Go Fighting Saints |publisher=University of St. Francis Athletics |access-date=October 19, 2024}}

Joliet also is home to a minor-league baseball team, the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League. Since the beginning of the 2011 season, they have played their home games at Duly Health and Care Field. The Slammers replace the former Joliet JackHammers of the Northern League. The Joliet Slammers won the 2011 Frontier League Championship in their first season as a team.[http://www.frontierleague.com/history.php Frontier League Professional Baseball] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100102093328/http://frontierleague.com/history.php |date=January 2, 2010 }}. Frontierleague.com. Retrieved on August 17, 2013.

File:Chicagoland Speedway ow.jpg]]

Chicagoland Speedway held events from NASCAR. During major races, the large influx of fans means that the number of people in the city is double that of the official figure. Next door to the Speedway, the Route 66 Raceway features National Hot Rod Association events on its drag strip. Joliet Central has become actively involved in Route 66 by building an alternative fuel vehicle.{{cite web|url=http://midwestalternativefuelvehicleexpo.com|title=Cuisine Jardin Inspiration - midwestalternativefuelvehicleexpo.com|website=Cuisine Jardin Inspiration|access-date=May 2, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180502211220/http://midwestalternativefuelvehicleexpo.com/|archive-date=May 2, 2018|url-status=dead}} Autobahn Country Club, also located in Joliet, has held the SCCA World Challenge, Atlantic Championship, and Star Mazda Championship races since 2009.

Joliet soccer team Sueño FC compete in the USL League Two competition.{{cite web | url=https://pearsonsportsgroup.com/sueno-football-club | title=Pearson Sports Group }}

{{Unreferenced section|date=October 2020}}

File:Joliet Veteran's Memorial Bicentennial Park.JPG

Three golf courses are located in the city of Joliet: Inwood Golf Course, Woodruff Golf Course, and Wedgewood Golf Course. Disc golf courses are available at Highland Park and West Park.

The Pilcher Park Nature Center, located in Pilcher Park, hosts many youth and educational programs. Pilcher Park, one of Joliet's oldest parks, is home to over {{convert|640|acres}} of land that provide a habitat for abundant wildlife and outdoor recreation. Pilcher Park also contains Native American Indian remains and was the site of a Potowatami Indian village. A burial mound is just south of the entrance on Gougar Road, on the south side of the bridge, and a marked burial plot is inside the park grounds.

Hammel Woods is also located in Joliet with miles of hiking trails and even a seven-acre dog park.

Louis Joliet Mall located on Route 30 in Joliet hosts a large Cinemark theatre

The Rock Run and Joliet Junction Trails are roughly north–south routes that begin at the Theodore Marsh in Crest Hill, Illinois, and have southern termini on the I&M Canal State Trail. These three paths can be used as a 16-mile loop through western Joliet. The I and M Canal State Trail stretches about 60 miles to Peru. The Wauponsee Glacial Trail also begins close to town.

File:Joliet Township High School 1.jpg]]

As of 2009, almost all public-school students in Joliet attend schools in Joliet Public Schools District 86, Joliet Township High School District 204, Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C,{{cite web|url=http://maps.troy30c.org/after20160217/district.php|title=Troy CCSD 30-C|website=maps.troy30c.org|access-date=May 2, 2018}} and Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202."[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2009/02/18/joliet-schools-leap-hurdles/ Changes make the grade for Joliet schools]" ([https://web.archive.org/web/20150916033125/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2009-02-18/news/0902160218_1_students-focus-school-year-illinois-children Archive]). Chicago Tribune. February 18, 2009. Retrieved on August 3, 2015.

• Joliet Junior College, the nation's first public community college
• University of St. Francis

School districts serving Joliet include Joliet Township High School District 204, Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202, Oswego Community Unit School District 308, and Minooka Community High School District 111.

Joliet area High Schools include Joliet Catholic Academy, Joliet Central High School, Joliet West High School and Joliet East High School (defunct)

Elementary and middle school districts serving Joliet include:

• Joliet Public Schools District 86
• Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C (Also serves neighboring communities of Plainfield, Illinois and Shorewood, Illinois)

Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202–

Since the early 1980s, the Job Corps of the U.S. Department of Labor has operated the Joliet Job Corps Center on the campus of the former Joliet East High School.{{cite web|url=http://joliet.jobcorps.gov/vocations.aspx |title=Career Training |access-date=May 18, 2021|publisher=Joliet Job Corps|url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306171810/http://joliet.jobcorps.gov/vocations.aspx |archive-date=March 6, 2014 }}

File:Joliet station.jpg, served by Amtrak and Metra passenger trains]]

File:Cass Street Bridge in Joliet, Illinois (2012).jpgs spanning the Des Plaines River in Joliet.]]

Situated about {{convert|40|mi|km}} southwest of central Chicago, Joliet has long been a significant transportation hub. It lies on both sides of the Des Plaines River, a major waterway in Northern Illinois, and was one of the principal ports on the Illinois and Michigan Canal. The Chicago & Rock Island Railroad and Michigan Central came through in the 1850s, and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Chicago & Alton Railroad soon followed, with the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway and Milwaukee Road lines built around the turn of the century.

U.S. Highways 6 (the Grand Army of the Republic Highway), 30 (the Lincoln Highway), 45, 52, and 66 (Route 66) all ran through the city. In the 1960s, Interstate 55 and Interstate 80 made their way through Joliet, linking up near Channahon just west of the city limits. The phrase "Crossroads of Mid-America", found on the Joliet seal, is an allusion to the intersection of I-80 and I-55 (and, historically, the intersection between the Lincoln Highway and Route 66).

Joliet Transportation Center is the final stop on the Metra rail lines from Chicago for the Heritage Corridor route from Chicago Union Station and the Rock Island District route from LaSalle Street Station. A third line, the STAR Line, would have also terminated at the station, but the project was shelved as of 2012.{{cite news|last=Pyke|first=Marni|title=Do fast buses on I-90 mean falling STAR line?|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20120118/news/701189697/|accessdate=December 22, 2012|newspaper=Daily Herald|date=January 18, 2012}}

Pace provides local bus service six days a week (no service on Sundays) with buses leaving from a terminal in downtown Joliet once an hour.

Amtrak serves Joliet Union Station daily via its Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle routes. Service consists of four Lincoln Service round-trips between Chicago and St. Louis, and one Texas Eagle round-trip between San Antonio and Chicago. Three days a week, the Eagle continues on to Los Angeles.{{Cite web|url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Illinois-Missouri-Services-Schedule-091317.pdf|title=Amtrak Lincoln Service and Missouri River Runner timetable|date=September 13, 2017|website=Amtrak|access-date=November 7, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.amtrak.com/content/dam/projects/dotcom/english/public/documents/timetables/Texas-Eagle-Schedule-031118.pdf|title=Amtrak Texas Eagle Timetable|date=November 3, 2018|website=Amtrak|access-date=November 7, 2018}}

The Joliet Regional Airport is located off Jefferson Street near Interstate 55. Lewis University Airport is located to the north in the nearby village of Romeoville and is owned by the Joliet Regional Port District.

Major highways in Joliet include:

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break|width=20%}}

Interstate Highways

25px Interstate 55

25px Interstate 80

{{col-break|width=15%}}

US Highways

25px US 6

25px US 30

25px US 52

25px US 66

{{col-break|width=65%}}

Illinois Highways

25px Route 7

25px Route 53

25px Route 59

25px Route 171

{{col-end}}

Joliet currently has one hospital within its city limits: Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center (also known as St. Joe's), located on the west side. Silver Cross Hospital, now located in neighboring New Lenox, was located on Joliet's east side. These were the only two hospitals in the history of the existence of Will County until AMITA Bolingbrook Adventist Hospital opened in January 2008. In September 2008, Silver Cross Hospital broke ground for a new facility on Maple Road (U.S. Route 6) in New Lenox, immediately west of Interstate 355. All patients were transferred to the new hospital on February 26, 2012, and the old facility was completely vacated and later demolished.{{cite news |title=Silver Cross Hospital moves from Joliet to New Lenox |url=http://posttrib.suntimes.com/photos/galleries/10892515-417/silver-cross-hospital-moves-from-joliet-to-new-lenox.html#.VBc-URawSSo |archive-url=https://archive.today/20140915194553/http://posttrib.suntimes.com/photos/galleries/10892515-417/silver-cross-hospital-moves-from-joliet-to-new-lenox.html%23.VBc-URawSSo |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 15, 2014 |first=Janet |last=Lundquist |work=Post-Tribune |date=March 28, 2012 |access-date=September 15, 2014 }}

{{Main|List of people from Joliet, Illinois}}

The 2019 American drama Working Man, was shot in Joliet.

In the 2024 action comedy novel Carl and the Big Guy, title characters Carl McIntyre and Devin "Dee" "The Big Guy" Shields both reside in Joliet. In the novel - as part of their shadow courier service "The Six-Four-Five Couriers" - they are being pursued in their modified 1986 Ford F-150 named "Lucky Black" by a private military company that wants their cargo. After a chase through a nearby oil refinery, Dee and Carl are then chased through Joliet, causing massive damage in the process.{{Cite book |last=Shannon |first=Dan |title=Carl and the Big Guy |date=November 26, 2024 |isbn=9798338929025 |edition=1st |location=United States of America |pages=179–208 |language=en}}

In the 1980 John Landis film The Blues Brothers, John Belushi's Jake Blues is nicknamed "Joliet Jake" as he was imprisoned at the now closed Joliet Correctional Center.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JpOyfSkg628C&pg=PA91|title=Illinois Curiosities: Quirky Characters, Roadside Oddities & Other Offbeat Stuff |last=Moreno|first=Richard|date=February 8, 2011|publisher=Globe Pequot Press|isbn=978-0-7627-7497-5|location=Guilford, Conn.|page=91|access-date=October 27, 2018}} The Joliet Prison has been a site for many other films and television shows, such as the film Let's Go to Prison, and the opening season of Fox's Prison Break was filmed predominately at the Joliet Prison, at which time part of the prison was still in use.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B7GpBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA40 |title=Illustrated Route 66 Historical Atlas|last=Hinckley|first=Jim|date=October 10, 2014|publisher=Voyageur Press|isbn=978-1-62788-496-9|location=Minneapolis |page=40}}

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{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

{{wikivoyage|Joliet}}

• {{official website}}

{{Joliet, Illinois}}

{{Will County, Illinois}}

{{Kendall County, Illinois}}

{{Chicago metropolitan area}}

{{Illinois county seats}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Geographic location|

|Center=Joliet

|East=New Lenox

|West=Rockdale

|North=Lockport

|South=Elwood

}}

Category:1834 establishments in Illinois

Category:Cities in Illinois

Category:Cities in Kendall County, Illinois

Category:Cities in Will County, Illinois

Category:County seats in Illinois

Category:Populated places established in 1834

Category:Majority-minority cities and towns in Will County, Illinois