Elgin, Illinois

{{Further|Spring-Douglas Historic District}}

The Indian Removal Act of 1830 and the Black Hawk Indian War of 1832 led to the expulsion of the Native Americans who had settlements and burial mounds in the area and set the stage for the founding of Elgin. Thousands of militiamen and soldiers of Gen. Winfield Scott's army marched through the Fox River valley during the war, and accounts of the area's fertile soils and flowing springs soon filtered east.

In New York, James T. Gifford and his brother Hezekiah Gifford heard tales of this area ripe for settlement, and they traveled west. Looking for a site on the stagecoach route from Chicago to Galena, Illinois, they eventually settled on a spot where the Fox River could be bridged. In April 1835, they established the city, naming{{cite book |last=Alft |first=E.C. |title=Elgin: An American History |year=1984 |publisher=Crossroads Communications, Ashton, IL |isbn=0-916445-09-7 |url=http://www.elginhistory.com/eaah/ |access-date=October 26, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910042531/http://www.elginhistory.com/eaah/ |archive-date=September 10, 2013 |url-status=live }} it after the Scottish tune "Elgin".{{cite book| title=The Congregational Hymn and Tune Book| year=1856| publisher=General Association of Connecticut| page=120| url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hGKYVucXEjIC&q=Elgin&pg=PA120| access-date=November 20, 2015| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160208225425/https://books.google.com/books?id=hGKYVucXEjIC&lpg=PA434&ots=6cKBUe4rwb&dq=Elgin&pg=PA120| archive-date=February 8, 2016| url-status=live}}

Early Elgin achieved fame for the butter and dairy goods it sold to the city of Chicago. Gail Borden established a condensed milk factory here in 1866, and the local library was named in his honor. The dairy industry became less important with the arrival of the Elgin Watch Company. The watch factory employed three generations of Elginites from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century, when it was the largest producer of fine watches in the United States (the factory ceased production in 1965 and was torn down in the summer of 1966) and the operator of the largest watchmaking complex in the world.{{cite book|author=Aft, E.C.|title=Elgin: An American History|publisher=ElginHistory.com|date=2000|url=http://www.elginhistory.com/eaah/|access-date=September 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910042531/http://www.elginhistory.com/eaah/|archive-date=September 10, 2013|url-status=live}} Today, the clocks at Chicago's Union Station still bear the Elgin name.{{cite web |url=http://www.elginhistory.com/dgb/ |title=Elgin: Days Gone By by E. C. Alft |publisher=Elginhistory.com |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150223210829/http://www.elginhistory.com/dgb/ |archive-date=February 23, 2015 |url-status=live }}

From 1910 until 1920, with the exception of the World War I years, the city hosted the Elgin National Road Races, which attracted the top national racing champions as well as many of the major automobile manufacturers.{{cite web |url=https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=55454 |title=Elgin Road Races |publisher=The Historical Marker Database |access-date=January 25, 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://elginhistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Elgin-Road-Race.pdf |title=Elgin Road Race |publisher=elginhistory.org |access-date=January 25, 2024}} The races were sponsored by the Elgin Watch Company who offered a $1,000 prize and a silver trophy to the winner. The races contributed significantly to the development of the modern automobile.

Elgin has a long tradition of education and invention. Elgin was formerly home to the Elgin Academy, the oldest coeducational, non-sectarian college preparatory school west of the Allegheny Mountains. Its buildings have since been purchased by the Burhan Academy, an Islamic K-12 school billed as "the largest in North America". Elgin High School boasts five Navy admirals, a Nobel Prize winner, a Pulitzer Prize winner, a Tony Award winner, two Academy Award-winning producers, Olympic athletes and a General Motors CEO among its alumni. Elgin resident John Murphy invented the motorized streetsweeper in 1914 and later formed the Elgin Sweeper Corporation. Pioneering African-American chemist Lloyd Hall was an Elgin native, as was the legendary marketer and car stereo pioneer Earl "Madman" Muntz; and Max Adler, founder of the Adler Planetarium in Chicago, America's first planetarium.

In the 1990s, Elgin became one of the few cities in northern Illinois to host a riverboat casino. The Grand Victoria Casino initially generated controversy, but went on to be a significant source of income for the city. Drawing nearly four million people annually, as of March 2005 it was the fifth most popular tourist attraction in Illinois. The Grand Victoria Foundation, to which the casino had contributed an amount in excess of $116 million, provides community grants to nonprofits in the city. In the years since, more casinos have opened in the area and the Grand Victoria Casino had seen attendance and revenue decline.

In 2013, Elgin ranked number one in the Chicago metropolitan area in new home starts while ranking second in new home closings.{{cite web |url=http://www.crown-highlandwoods.com/elgin-housing-market-shows-strength-in-2013-numbers/ |title=Elgin Housing Market Shows Strength in 2013 Numbers |date=February 18, 2014 |publisher=Crown-highlandwoods.com |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155953/http://www.crown-highlandwoods.com/elgin-housing-market-shows-strength-in-2013-numbers/ |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |url-status=live }} Elgin's downtown has also been the center of city renovations and new developments. New townhouses, condo towers, loft spaces, and art galleries have opened in the last decade. In October 2003 the Gail Borden Public Library moved into a new $30 million, 139,980 square foot, 460,000 volume-capacity building, and in August 2009 opened its first-ever satellite branch. The 10,000 square foot Rakow Branch, situated on Elgin's West Side, was LEED registered, and was designed to be expandable up to 30,000 square feet.{{cite web |url=http://www.gailborden.info/about-the-library/rakow-branch |title=Rakow Branch - Gail Borden Public Library District - Elgin, Illinois |publisher=Gailborden.info |date=August 15, 2009 |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150315000208/http://gailborden.info/about-the-library/rakow-branch |archive-date=March 15, 2015 |url-status=live }} Elgin opened the 185,000 sq. ft. Centre of Elgin recreation facility across the street from the library. In 2009, Gail Borden was one of five libraries to receive the National Medal for Museum and Library Service issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services in Washington D.C.{{Cite web|url=http://www.gailborden.info/about-the-library/history-of-the-library|title=History of the Library - Gail Borden Public Library District - Elgin, Illinois|website=www.gailborden.info|language=en-gb|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016070352/http://www.gailborden.info/about-the-library/history-of-the-library|archive-date=October 16, 2017|url-status=live}} In 2014, Elgin completed the Central Business District Streetscape Improvement Project and the Riverside Drive Promenade.

A significant Laotian American community calls Elgin home.{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/725.html |title=Laotians |publisher=Encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150413033538/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/725.html |archive-date=April 13, 2015 |url-status=live }} Elgin has been a sister city of Vientiane, the capital of Laos, since 1967. Some Laotian Americans have opened stores and restaurants, contributing to the city's cultural diversity. Elgin is also home to a sizable Latino population, contributing to 45.7% of the population in 2020.{{cite web |title=Elgin city, Illinois |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/elgincityillinois |website=QuickFacts |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=January 24, 2022}}

Elgin is located at {{Coord|42|2|18|N|88|19|22|W|region:US-IL_type:city|display=inline}} (42.0384225, −88.3226510).

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Elgin has a total area of {{convert|38.60|sqmi|km2|2}}, of which {{convert|38.03|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 98.52%) is land and {{convert|0.57|sqmi|km2|2}} (or 1.48%) is water.{{Cite web |title=Gazetteer Files |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html |access-date=June 29, 2022 |website=Census.gov}}

Elgin is in the Hot-summer humid continental climate, or Köppen Dfa zone.{{Cite web |title=Köppen–Geiger Climate Classification Map |url=https://www.koppen-map.com/ |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.koppen-map.com}} The zone includes four distinct seasons. Winter is cold with snow. Spring warms up with precipitation and storms, some of which can be severe and include tornadoes. Summer has high precipitation and storms. Fall cools down.{{Cite web |title=Humid continental climate {{!}} Temperature, Precipitation & Seasons {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/science/humid-continental-climate |access-date=2025-04-05 |website=www.britannica.com |language=en}}{{Weather box

| location = Elgin, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1983–present)

| single line = Y

| Jan record high F = 63

| Feb record high F = 70

| Mar record high F = 83

| Apr record high F = 91

| May record high F = 97

| Jun record high F = 101

| Jul record high F = 102

| Aug record high F = 98

| Sep record high F = 95

| Oct record high F = 89

| Nov record high F = 76

| Dec record high F = 68

| year record high F = 102

| Jan high F = 30.1

| Feb high F = 34.2

| Mar high F = 46.1

| Apr high F = 58.7

| May high F = 70.3

| Jun high F = 80.1

| Jul high F = 84.1

| Aug high F = 82.3

| Sep high F = 75.7

| Oct high F = 62.7

| Nov high F = 47.6

| Dec high F = 35.5

| year high F = 59.0

| Jan mean F = 22.1

| Feb mean F = 25.5

| Mar mean F = 36.2

| Apr mean F = 47.9

| May mean F = 59.3

| Jun mean F = 69.2

| Jul mean F = 73.7

| Aug mean F = 71.8

| Sep mean F = 64.3

| Oct mean F = 51.8

| Nov mean F = 38.8

| Dec mean F = 27.8

| year mean F = 49.0

| Jan low F = 14.1

| Feb low F = 16.8

| Mar low F = 26.3

| Apr low F = 37.0

| May low F = 48.3

| Jun low F = 58.4

| Jul low F = 63.2

| Aug low F = 61.2

| Sep low F = 52.8

| Oct low F = 40.9

| Nov low F = 30.1

| Dec low F = 20.1

| year low F = 39.1

| Jan record low F = −27

| Feb record low F = −25

| Mar record low F = −9

| Apr record low F = 11

| May record low F = 28

| Jun record low F = 36

| Jul record low F = 45

| Aug record low F = 40

| Sep record low F = 29

| Oct record low F = 18

| Nov record low F = 4

| Dec record low F = −24

| year record low F = -27

| precipitation color = green

| Jan precipitation inch = 2.02

| Feb precipitation inch = 1.87

| Mar precipitation inch = 2.37

| Apr precipitation inch = 3.96

| May precipitation inch = 5.12

| Jun precipitation inch = 4.46

| Jul precipitation inch = 3.98

| Aug precipitation inch = 4.33

| Sep precipitation inch = 3.53

| Oct precipitation inch = 3.31

| Nov precipitation inch = 2.68

| Dec precipitation inch = 2.22

| year precipitation inch = 39.85

| Jan snow inch = 9.5

| Feb snow inch = 8.0

| Mar snow inch = 3.7

| Apr snow inch = 0.8

| 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 = 1.4

| Dec snow inch = 8.7

| year snow inch = 32.1

| unit precipitation days = 0.01 in

| Jan precipitation days = 10.0

| Feb precipitation days = 7.9

| Mar precipitation days = 9.6

| Apr precipitation days = 12.5

| May precipitation days = 13.1

| Jun precipitation days = 11.1

| Jul precipitation days = 9.4

| Aug precipitation days = 10.1

| Sep precipitation days = 9.1

| Oct precipitation days = 10.8

| Nov precipitation days = 9.9

| Dec precipitation days = 10.4

| year precipitation days = 123.9

| unit snow days = 0.1 in

| Jan snow days = 7.1

| Feb snow days = 5.1

| Mar snow days = 2.7

| Apr snow days = 0.7

| 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 = 1.1

| Dec snow days = 5.2

| year snow days = 21.9

| 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}}

{{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=USC00112736&format=pdf

| title = Station: Elgin, 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}}

}}

On March 28, 1920, Elgin was struck by several tornadoes along the Fox River that caused significant damage to Chicago and several western suburbs. Twenty-three people were killed and several businesses and homes were destroyed, including the Opera House and Grant Theater.{{Cite web|url=http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11112.html|title=Effects of a Tornado along the Fox River in Elgin, 1920|website=www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120707071744/http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11112.html|archive-date=July 7, 2012|url-status=live}}

{{US Census population

|1860= 2797

|1870= 5441

|1880= 8787

|1890= 17823

|1900= 22433

|1910= 25976

|1920= 27454

|1930= 35929

|1940= 38333

|1950= 44223

|1960= 49447

|1970= 55691

|1980= 63798

|1990= 77010

|2000= 94487

|2010= 108188

|2020= 114797

| estyear = 2022

| estimate = 113177

|estref=

|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=US Census Bureau|access-date=}}
2010 2020

}}

File:Race and ethnicity 2020 Elgin, IL.png

As of the 2020 census{{Cite web |title=Explore Census Data |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/profile?g=1600000US1723074 |access-date=June 28, 2022 |website=data.census.gov}} there were 114,797 people, 36,825 households, and 26,310 families residing in the city. The population density was {{Convert|2,974.02|PD/sqmi|PD/km2}}. There were 40,530 housing units at an average density of {{Convert|1,050.00|/sqmi|/km2}}. The racial makeup of the city was 43.42% White, 6.60% African American, 2.40% Native American, 6.48% Asian, 0.08% Pacific Islander, 24.33% from other races, and 16.69% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 47.44% of the population.

There were 36,825 households, out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.29% were married couples living together, 13.59% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.55% were non-families. 24.15% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.43% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.60 and the average family size was 2.99.

The city's age distribution consisted of 26.6% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 24.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $72,999, and the median income for a family was $82,334. Males had a median income of $41,402 versus $30,037 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,423. About 8.8% of families and 10.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 6.5% of those age 65 or over.

According to Elgin's 2018 Comprehensive Plan,{{Cite web|url=https://elgin.app.box.com/s/p08w3rt111hosust5e8ukz42kd3u4iqt|title=FINAL-Elgin Comprehensive Plan HQ - July 2018 #4.pdf | Powered by Box|website=elgin.app.box.com|accessdate=February 25, 2024}} the top employers in the city are:

File:Elgin Tower Building - January 2011.jpg]]

File:Gifford-Davidson House (8483822865).jpg]]

Elgin is home to the Elgin Symphony Orchestra. Other classical music groups include the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Elgin Master Chorale, and the Elgin Children's Chorus. Outdoor music can be heard at the Wing Park Bandshell. Theatre groups include the Janus Theatre Company, Elgin Theatre Company, the Independent Players, Children's Theatre of Elgin, Fox Valley Youth Theatre, and Nothing Special Productions. Together, The Hemmens Cultural Center and Elgin Community College's Visual & Performing Arts Center host dozens of performances a year by performers ranging from Chicago's Hubbard Street Dance Company to comedian Bill Maher.

After losing many landmark businesses in the 1980s, downtown Elgin experienced a renaissance in the 1990s with the arrival of the Grand Victoria riverboat casino and improvement in the local economy. Many historic buildings have been transformed into stylish clubs and restaurants.

File:ElginStateHosp.jpg, demolished in 1993]]

The city was known for its historic architecture and landmarks from the Victorian era, including some fine examples of homes in the Queen Anne style. Many of the most remarkable homes once belonged to National Watch Company executives. Many interesting Sears Catalog Homes arrived in Elgin as kits from 1908 to 1940. The Elgin Tower Building and the Elgin Professional Building are two large towers constructed in Elgin's heyday, before the Great Depression. The Tower Building was recently renovated, converting it to residential apartments.{{Cite web|url=http://www.elgintower.com/|title=elgintower.com|website=www.elgintower.com|access-date=December 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180715070524/http://elgintower.com/|archive-date=July 15, 2018|url-status=live}}

Predating Victorian homes were homes made of native cobblestone. It was believed that Elgin had at one time the largest concentration of cobblestone homes outside of Rochester, New York. Several such homes built by the earliest settlers still stand. They can be seen in Elgin's historic districts, two of which are recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

The Elgin Public Museum at Lords Park was the oldest building in Illinois built expressly as a museum that was still serving that purpose.

Open Elgin is a free, self guided tour of downtown Elgin's architecture. Each April, over two dozen buildings are accessible on the tour, though the event has been postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|title=Home Open Elgin|url=https://www.openelgin.com/|access-date=December 10, 2020|website=Open Elgin|language=en-US}}

The nine-member Elgin Heritage Commission promotes historic preservation activity. The Gifford Park Association was also active in historic preservation, and conducts a popular annual house tour.

Elgin's city parks include {{convert|112|acre|adj=on}} Lords Park, which features the Elgin Public Museum and a small zoo featuring a herd of American bison, and {{convert|121|acre|adj=on}} Wing Park, which includes a golf course and outdoor swimming pool. Other golf courses within Elgin include the Highlands of Elgin, the Elgin Country Club, and Bowes Creek Country Club. The Centre of Elgin, which among other features includes an aquatic park and a climbing wall, remains one of the largest municipal recreation centers in the United States. The Elgin Sports Complex on the city's southwest side offers ten lighted ballfields, ten soccer fields and The Hill BMX track. The complex hosts several local, regional and national tournaments every year. Elgin connects to Algonquin and Dundee to the north, and St. Charles, Geneva, and Batavia to the south by the Fox River Trail bike path.

Although one of the largest and fastest-growing cities in Illinois, Elgin still retains some of the natural habitat diversity that first brought settlers to this area. On the east, the city borders the {{convert|4200|acre|adj=on}} Poplar Creek Preserve, maintained by the Cook County Forest Preserves, which includes bike trails, hiking trails and equestrian trails. The Shoe Factory Road Prairie located in the preserve provides an example of the hill prairies that once dotted the region. Poplar Creek Preserves connects to the {{convert|4000|acre|adj=on}} Spring Creek Valley Forest Preserve via a conservation easement covering parts of the Sears campus.{{Cite web |url=https://www.cityofelgin.org/2140/Our-History |title=Our History | City of Elgin, Illinois - Official Website |access-date=April 21, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190421224229/https://www.cityofelgin.org/2140/Our-History |archive-date=April 21, 2019 |url-status=live }}

Elgin boasts two highly protected nature preserves, the Bluff Spring Fen and Trout Park. For its size, Bluff Spring Fen has a remarkable number of distinct plant communities, including a hill prairie and a fen, or alkaline spring marshland, which is home to several rare orchids. Trout Park also includes a similar calcareous seep community, with the addition of a unique forest community of oaks, ashes, maples, and uncommon species such as arborvitae and witch-hazel. When the park was created in the 1920s, the local newspaper ran a lengthy front-page story with lists of the plant species of Trout Park, reflecting both the great variety of plants present and the interest Elginites had in conservation. In the 1960s, the Northwest Tollway bisected the site and reduced it in size.

In recent years, Elgin has increased its efforts to be more environmentally sustainable. In 2017, the city introduced free curbside textile recycling to residents, and it is the first city in Illinois to do so.{{Cite news|url=http://kanecountyconnects.com/2017/07/elgin-is-first-illinois-city-to-offer-simple-curbside-textile-recycling/|title=Elgin Is First Illinois City To Offer Simple Curbside Textile Recycling|date=July 7, 2017|work=Kane County Connects|access-date=October 16, 2017|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016122326/http://kanecountyconnects.com/2017/07/elgin-is-first-illinois-city-to-offer-simple-curbside-textile-recycling/|archive-date=October 16, 2017|url-status=live}} Additionally, Elgin encourages its residents to compost and use rain barrels, which it sometimes subsidizes for residents to purchase.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cityofelgin.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=492&ARC=478|title=Elgin|website=Elgin|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016122328/http://www.cityofelgin.org/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=492&ARC=478|archive-date=October 16, 2017|url-status=live}} The city also has a proposed Sustainability Action Plan that includes plans for creating renewable sources of energy for the city, a curbside organics/composting pilot-program, and information about community gardens.{{Cite web|url=http://www.cityofelgin.org/index.aspx?NID=856|title=City of Elgin, Illinois - Official Website - Sustainability Action Plan|website=www.cityofelgin.org|language=en|access-date=October 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171016174124/http://www.cityofelgin.org/index.aspx?NID=856|archive-date=October 16, 2017|url-status=live}}

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

Elgin was chartered as a city by the State of Illinois in 1854, and 100 years later it became the first city in Illinois to adopt a council-manager form of government. Residents elect eight at-large council members and a mayor, who serve on a part-time basis. The city manager, a full-time professional, serves at the pleasure of the mayor and city council.

The [http://www.cityofelgin.org/77/Mayor-Council current council members] are Corey Dixon, Dustin Good, Rosamaria Martinez, Anthony Ortiz, Tish S. Powell, Carol J. Rauschenberger, F. John Steffen and Steven Thoren. Elgin's current mayor is David Kaptain and city manager is Rick Kozal.

The city council meets the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:00 p.m. in the council chambers, located on the second floor of City Hall. Agenda and minutes are available on the city's website. Residents may attend in person at City Hall, watch the live video stream from the online newsroom, or view the replays on cable Channel 17.

The city is represented in the Illinois legislature by Representatives Anna Moeller (D), Dan Ugaste (R), and Fred Crespo (D) and Senators Cristina Castro (D) and Don DeWitte (R). In the US House of Representatives, Elgin is represented by Lauren Underwood (D), Delia Ramirez (D), and Raja Krishnamoorthi (D).

Elgin includes portions of Hanover Township in Cook County and Elgin Township, Plato Township, Rutland Township, Dundee Township, and Campton Township in Kane County. [https://elgintownship.com/ Elgin Township] is governed by a supervisor (Kenneth C. Bruderle), highway commissioner (Jason Krabbe), assessor (Steven P. Surnicki), clerk (Karen Dowling) and four trustees (Mark Bialek, Alejandro Lopez, Janet Rogalla and Eric Stare) elected to four-year terms.

Elgin Fire Department has 133 sworn firefighters and seven fire stations. The front-line fire apparatus consists of four Advanced Life Support (ALS) fire engines, three ALS Quints, five ALS ambulances, two boats, a rescue raft, and a Battalion Chief, along with several vehicles used for inspections and other official business.

File:Elgin Academy (8489886186).jpg]]

File:ECC campus.jpg]]

Five public school districts and 18 private schools serve Elgin.

• Elgin Area School District U46 is Elgin-based, and serves most of Elgin. U-46 is the second largest school district in Illinois, serves an area of {{convert|90|sqmi|km2}} in Cook, DuPage and Kane Counties. Almost 40,000 children of school age are in its area. Elgin's two public high schools include Elgin High School and Larkin High School. Elgin has one K-8 publicly funded charter school: Elgin Math and Science Academy Charter School.{{Cite web|url=https://www.elginmathandscience.org/|title=Home - Elgin Math And Science Academy Charter School|website=www.elginmathandscience.org|accessdate=February 25, 2024}}
• Community Unit School District 301—Burlington-based, serves some western portions of Elgin
• Community Unit School District 300—Carpentersville-based, serves some northwestern portions of Elgin
• Community Unit School District 303—St. Charles-based, serves some southwestern portions of Elgin

Private schools include:

• Harvest Christian Academy
• The Einstein Academy
• Good Shepherd Lutheran Preschool
• Northwest Baptist Academy
• St. Edward Central Catholic High School
• St. John's Lutheran School and Preschool
• St. Edwards Preparatory Catholic School
• St. Mary Elementary School
• St. Thomas More Catholic Elementary School
• Westminster Christian School

• Elgin Community College{{cite web |url=http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,/instid,1086/ |title=Higher Learning Commission |publisher=Ncahlc.org |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150325213410/http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,/instid,1086/ |archive-date=March 25, 2015 |url-status=live }} serves the district #509 communities of St. Charles, Burlington, South Elgin, Wayne, Bartlett, Algonquin, Dundee, Hampshire and smaller towns, and was one of the fastest-growing community colleges in the state.
• Judson University, an accredited,{{cite web |url=http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Itemid,/form_submitted,TRUE/institution,judson/state,ANY/submit,Go!/ |title=Higher Learning Commission |publisher=Ncahlc.org |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110191604/http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Itemid,/form_submitted,TRUE/institution,judson/state,ANY/submit,Go!/ |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |url-status=live }} four-year liberal arts American Baptist college, sits on the banks of the Fox River on the city's northwest side. Judson features graduate programs in architecture, education, Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Human Services Administration, Organizational Leadership, Business Administration, Leadership in Ministry and the Doctor of Education in Literacy programs.
• National Louis University, an accredited {{cite web |url=http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,/instid,1129/ |title=Higher Learning Commission |publisher=Ncahlc.org |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141110195255/http://www.ncahlc.org/component/com_directory/Action,ShowBasic/Itemid,/instid,1129/ |archive-date=November 10, 2014 |url-status=live }} private non-profit undergraduate and graduate institution of higher learning, in colleges of education, arts and sciences, and business and management.

File:Elgin Metra Station 2023-10-01.jpg]]

Elgin has three stations on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line, which provides daily rail service between Elgin and Chicago Union Station): National Street, Elgin, and Big Timber Road. Big Timber Road is the western terminus of this service; however, Big Timber is not serviced by the Metra on weekends or major U.S. holidays, as trains terminate in Elgin on those days.

The Chicago & North Western had a line to Freeport which ran through Elgin.

Elgin used to have a streetcar system, operated by the Aurora, Elgin and Fox River Electric Company. Additionally, Elgin was served by several interurban lines. The most prominent of these was the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad which provided frequent service into Chicago. There was also the Elgin and Belvidere Electric Company.

Local bus service is provided by Pace (the Suburban bus provider of the Northeastern Illinois Regional Transportation Authority). Pace operates about a dozen bus routes in the city with service running Monday through Saturday. Most of the routes terminate at the Elgin Transportation Center located at 102 West Chicago Street in downtown. Routes generally run every half hour and meet up at the terminal at the same time to provide convenient transferring. Several routes also travel out of Elgin to other nearby suburbs, such as Carpentersville, West Dundee (Spring Hill Mall), Schaumburg (Woodfield Mall), and St. Charles (and connecting bus service to Aurora and Geneva).

Pace operates an express route between Elgin and the Rosemont station on the Blue Line.{{Cite news|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/news/ct-ecn-elgin-pace-route-st-1221-20161221-story.html|title=New Pace bus routes between Elgin and suburban locations launched this week|last=Danahey|first=Mike|work=Elgin Courier-News|access-date=September 14, 2017|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170915023519/http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/news/ct-ecn-elgin-pace-route-st-1221-20161221-story.html|archive-date=September 15, 2017|url-status=live}} The service operates along I-90. Access to the bus route is via the Elgin Transportation Center, the Randall Road park and ride lot, and the IL-25 park and ride lot.{{cite news|url=http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140716/news/140718970/|newspaper=Daily Herald|access-date=August 22, 2014|title=Pace, Tollway deal would ramp up service along I-90|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140823033804/http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20140716/news/140718970/|archive-date=August 23, 2014|url-status=live}}

Major highways in Elgin include:

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Interstate Highways

25px Interstate 90

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US Highways

25px U.S. 20

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Illinois Highways

25px Illinois Route 19

25px Illinois Route 25

25px Illinois Route 31

25px Illinois Route 47

25px Illinois Route 58

25px Illinois Route 59

25px Illinois Route 72

25px Randall Road

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

Notable people of Elgin include the following:

• Brandon Johnson, is currently serving as the 57th Mayor of Chicago (2023); Cook County Board Commissioner (2018–2023){{Cite web |date=April 5, 2023 |title=Chicago mayoral election results: Brandon Johnson elected next mayor as Paul Vallas concedes |url=https://abc7chicago.com/chicago-mayoral-election-results-brandon-johnson-mayor-new-of-speech/13088280/ |access-date=April 5, 2023 |website=ABC7 Chicago |language=en}}
• Max Adler, vice-president of Sears & Roebuck; benefactor of Adler Planetarium
• Bruce Boxleitner, actor
• Harry Chamberlin, U.S. Army brigadier general and Olympic medalist in equestrian events{{cite book |date=1941 |title=Historical and Pictorial Review, 9th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Cavalry Division |url=https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/LWSK-FRM/harry-dwight-chamberlin-1887-1944 |location=Baton Rouge, LA |publisher=The Army and Navy Publishing Company |page=27 |via=FamilySearch}}
• Paul Flory, chemist; Nobel Prize winner (1974)
• Eugenia St. John Mann, President, Illinois State WCTU; President, Kansas Equal Suffrage Association
• Jessica Mink, astronomer; co-discover of the rings around the planet Uranus
• Earl "Madman" Muntz, marketer, car stereo and 4-track cartridge pioneer
• James Roche, chairman of General Motors
• Wade Schaaf, dancer and choreographer
• Tom Shales, journalist; Pulitzer Prize winner (1988)
• Jim Gaffigan, comedian and actor
• Dan Andriano, musician

{{main|Elgin, Illinois, Centennial half dollar}}

File:Elgin centennial half dollar commemorative obverse reverse.jpg]]

In 1936, a commemorative silver half dollar was issued by the United States Mint commemorating the centennial of Elgin. The coin was meant to raise money for the pioneer family memorial proposed by Elgin sculptor Trygve Rovelstad, and sold for $1.50. The obverse features the profile of a pioneer with the dates 1673 * 1936, while the reverse features a pioneer family; both images are based on a centennial "Pioneer Medal" made by Rovelstad.{{cite web |url=http://www.coinfacts.com/commemoratives/half_dollar_commems/elgin.htm |title=Elgin Commemorative Half Dollar |publisher=Coinfacts.com |date=November 11, 2001 |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150203084632/http://www.coinfacts.com/commemoratives/half_dollar_commems/elgin.htm |archive-date=February 3, 2015 |url-status=live }} The date 1673 was in reference to the expedition of Louis Jolliet and Jacques Marquette, despite the fact that their journey took them nowhere near the future site of Elgin.

The coin did not prove to be a popular success, probably because of the Great Depression and the great variety of commemorative coins being issued at the time. Five thousand of the 25,000 coins initially minted were unsold and melted down by the mint. Rovelstad's pioneer statue was not installed until 2001.

• Scenes from the film Four Friends (1981) were shot in the west side neighborhood just above the Woodruff and Edwards foundry.
• Part of the comedy film Dennis the Menace (1993) was set in Elgin.
• The Elgin Mental Health Center appears in the movie Primal Fear (1996).
• A scene in the suspense/thriller film Contagion (2011) was filmed in Elgin's Sherman Hospital.
• Parts of the horror film Plastic (2011) were shot in Elgin.
• A scene in the film A Nightmare on Elm Street (2010) was shot in Elgin's Bluff City Cemetery.
• Purge Feed footage depicts Elgin in The Purge (2013).

• The exterior of the home in the television series Grace Under Fire was on Elgin's east side at 445 DuPage Street.{{cite web |url=https://www.google.com/maps/@42.036344,-88.273659,3a,24.6y,226.86h,90.92t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbVUle_-COKKDMzhBrdkxKQ!2e0 |title=Google Maps |date=January 1, 1970 |access-date=March 16, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140611034732/https://www.google.com/maps/@42.036344,-88.273659,3a,24.6y,226.86h,90.92t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sbVUle_-COKKDMzhBrdkxKQ!2e0 |archive-date=June 11, 2014 |url-status=live }}
• In "Unearthed", an episode of the television series Prison Break, Dr. Sara Tancredi stayed at a motel in Elgin.{{cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0866271/plotsummary|publisher=IMDb|access-date=August 22, 2014|title=Prison Break Unearthed Plot Summary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131034427/http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0866271/plotsummary|archive-date=January 31, 2016|url-status=live}}
• The television series Roseanne was set in the fictional town of Lanford but was modeled after Elgin.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/08/12/scene-stealers-7/|newspaper=Chicago Tribune|access-date=August 22, 2014|title=Scene Stealers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115045/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-08-12/news/9003070471_1_perfect-sofa-production-designer-pacific-design-center/2|archive-date=August 26, 2014|url-status=live}} At one point, Jackie attends a trucking school in Elgin. In the episode "Crime and Punishment", Roseanne offers to take Jackie to the hospital in Elgin.{{cite web|url=http://www.tv.com/shows/roseanne/crime-and-punishment-1-29461/|publisher=TV.com|access-date=August 22, 2014|title=Crime and Punishment|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140826115416/http://www.tv.com/shows/roseanne/crime-and-punishment-1-29461/|archive-date=August 26, 2014|url-status=live}}
• Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas featured the Elgin Police Department's community policing strategies in its episode "Energy Problems, Millennial Problems, Community Policing Problems" which aired on April 27, 2018.{{cite news |url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/news/ct-ecn-elgin-hbo-debut-st-0427-story.html |title=HBO's Wyatt Cenac's 'Problem Areas' to spotlight policing in Elgin on Friday's episode |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |date=April 7, 2018 |access-date=August 7, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807190022/http://www.chicagotribune.com/suburbs/elgin-courier-news/news/ct-ecn-elgin-hbo-debut-st-0427-story.html |archive-date=August 7, 2018 |url-status=live }}
• The NBC series Superstore mentions Elgin.{{Citation|last=Superstore|title=Cloud 9 Corporate Office Tour - Superstore (Digital Exclusive)|date=May 17, 2019|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM7gDepr9uE| archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211117/VM7gDepr9uE| archive-date=November 17, 2021 | url-status=live|access-date=May 17, 2019}}{{cbignore}}

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{{Reflist}}

{{commons category}}

• {{official website}}
• [http://www.elginhistory.org/ Elgin Area Historical Society]
• [https://historicelgin.com/about/ Historic Elgin]

{{Kane County, Illinois}}

{{Cook County, Illinois}}

{{Fox Valley}}

{{Chicagoland}}

{{Great Lakes Megalopolis}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Geographic location

|Center=Elgin

|Northwest=Gilberts

|North=West Dundee

|Northeast=East Dundee

|East=Bartlett

|Southeast=Carol Stream

|South=South Elgin

|Southwest=Plato Center

|West=Pingree Grove

}}

Category:1835 establishments in Illinois

Category:Chicago metropolitan area

Category:Cities in Illinois

Category:Cities in Cook County, Illinois

Category:Cities in Kane County, Illinois

Category:Populated places established in 1835

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

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