McHenry, Illinois

McHenry, Illinois
City
City of McHenry
The McHenry Riverwalk
Nickname:  "Heart of the Fox River" [1]
Location of McHenry in McHenry County, Illinois
McHenry, Illinois Location of McHenry within Illinois Show map of Illinois McHenry, Illinois McHenry, Illinois (the United States) Show map of the United States
Coordinates: 42°20′21″N88°16′54″W / 42.33917°N 88.28167°W / 42.33917; -88.28167
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	McHenry
Townships	McHenry Township, Nunda Township, Grant Township, Wauconda Township.
Founded	May 10, 1836 [2]
Incorporated (village)	1872
Named for	William McHenry
Government
• Type	Mayor–council government
•  Mayor	Wayne Jett
Area [3]
• Total	14.96 sq mi (38.74 km2)
• Land	14.54 sq mi (37.65 km2)
• Water	0.42 sq mi (1.09 km2)
Elevation	797 ft (243 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	27,135
• Density	1,866.74/sq mi (720.74/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	60050 and 60051
Area codes	815 and 779
FIPS code	17-45694
GNIS feature ID	424159
Wikimedia Commons	McHenry, Illinois
Website	www.ci.mchenry.il.us

McHenry is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. It is located about 55 miles northwest of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 27,135. ^[4] McHenry was at one time the county seat of McHenry County, which once included adjoining Lake County to the east. McHenry took its name from the county, which was named for Major William McHenry, a prominent US Army officer in the Black Hawk War. ^[5]

It rests at an elevation of 797 feet and the Fox River flows through the eastern portion of the city. ^[6] It is surrounded by natural lakes and streams, grassy moraine hills, gravel banks and shallow nutrient-rich peat bogs, remnants of receding glaciers from the last ice age. Moraine Hills State Park, Glacial Park Conservation Area, and Volo Bog State Natural Area preserve some of these natural features. ^[7]

History

19th century

In the 1830s various settlers arrived in the area and created the foundation for McHenry. Some of the family names can still be seen today: McCullom, McLean, Boone, and Wheeler. ^{[8] [9] [10]}

George Gage came to the area in 1835 and purchased a plot of land west of the Fox River. This area eventually came to be known as Gagetown. In 1854, George Gage played an instrumental role in bringing the railroad to the city. ^[11] Gagetown was eventually renamed to West McHenry. ^[12]

In 1851, a dam was built on Boone Creek which created Mill Pond. The pond encompassed an area between today's rail road tracks and Route 31 and north of Waukegan Road.

In 1860, the historical Count's House was completed.

On August 4, 1875, the first issue of the city newspaper, the McHenry Plaindealer, was published by Jay Van Slyke. ^{[13] [14]}

In 1880, the first bridge in McHenry was built at Pearl Street. ^[15]

20th century

On March 30, 1908 a train bound for Ringwood crashed near the McHenry train depot. One person was killed. ^[16]

In 1929, Mill Pond was drained by removing the dam on Boone Creek. ^[17]

The original single lane ^[18] Pearl Street bridge was built 1880-1881 over Fox River. The iron truss bridge was dismantled and a section of it was relocated to Terra Cotta Industries in Crystal Lake in Nov. 1976 to be used as a pedestrian bridge. ^[19] Other sections remain in storage. The original bridge was replaced with a concrete bridge. ^[20]

In 1985, the McHenry Plaindealer newspaper became part of the Northwest Herald. ^[21]

Geography

McHenry is located 46 miles northwest of Chicago in northeastern Illinois on the Fox River. According to the 2020 census, McHenry has a total area of 14.50 square miles (37.55 km²) ^[22] McHenry lies within the Fox River Valley, and its downtown area is situated on that river. "The Heart of the Fox River" is the city's motto. ^[23]

The 48 acre Lake Defiance is the centerpiece of Moraine Hills State Park on the east end of town. It is a glacial lake surrounded by now wooded kames and moraines. ^[24]

Climate and weather

Typically climate and weather in McHenry year-round is similar to Chicago's, though sometimes it is warmer in summer, and colder in winter. The all-time record high temperature is 103 °F (39 °C), set on July 4, 1974, while the all-time record low is −30 °F (−34 °C), set on January 31, 2019.

Climate data for McHenry, Illinois, 1981–2010 normals, extremes, 1888–present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °F (°C)	62 (17)	70 (21)	83 (28)	90 (32)	99 (37)	102 (39)	103 (39)	100 (38)	96 (36)	88 (31)	76 (24)	68 (20)	103 (39)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C)	28 (−2)	33 (1)	44 (7)	57 (14)	68 (20)	78 (26)	82 (28)	79 (26)	72 (22)	60 (16)	47 (8)	33 (1)	57 (14)
Daily mean °F (°C)	21 (−6)	25 (−4)	35 (2)	48 (9)	58 (14)	68 (20)	73 (23)	71 (22)	62 (17)	51 (11)	39 (4)	26 (−3)	48 (9)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C)	13 (−11)	17 (−8)	26 (−3)	38 (3)	48 (9)	58 (14)	63 (17)	61 (16)	52 (11)	41 (5)	30 (−1)	18 (−8)	39 (4)
Record low °F (°C)	−30 (−34)	−23 (−31)	−13 (−25)	5 (−15)	22 (−6)	35 (2)	38 (3)	38 (3)	25 (−4)	14 (−10)	−10 (−23)	−23 (−31)	−30 (−34)
Average rainfall inches (mm)	1.9 (48)	1.97 (50)	2.29 (58)	3.56 (90)	4.24 (108)	3.85 (98)	3.78 (96)	4.86 (123)	3.4 (86)	3.1 (79)	3.04 (77)	2.26 (57)	38.25 (972)
Average snowfall inches (cm)	10.9 (28)	8.4 (21)	4.1 (10)	0.6 (1.5)	—	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	—	1.4 (3.6)	9.3 (24)	35.9 (91)
Source 1: http://www.intellicast.com/Local/History.aspx?month=7
Source 2: https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=lot

Government

The city of McHenry lies within two townships: McHenry Township and Nunda Township. The majority of the city falls within the former.

Mayor

See the full article, List of mayors of McHenry, Illinois .

• Wayne Jett ^[25]

City Council

The city council consists of representatives from the 7 city wards: ^[25]

• Ward 1 - Victor A. Santi
• Ward 2 - Andrew Glab
• Ward 3 - Frank McClatchey
• Ward 4 - Chris Bassi
• Ward 5 - Vacant (as of 2024-05-07)
• Ward 6 - Michael Koch
• Ward 7 - Sue Miller

City Clerk

Trisha Ramel is the City Clerk and is supported by the Deputy City Clerk, Monte Johnson. ^[26]

City Administrator

• Derik Morefield

Police Chief

• John Birk

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1880	874		—
1890	979		12.0%
1900	1,013		3.5%
1910	1,031		1.8%
1920	1,146		11.2%
1930	1,354		18.2%
1940	1,596		17.9%
1950	2,080		30.3%
1960	3,336		60.4%
1970	6,772		103.0%
1980	10,737		58.5%
1990	16,177		50.7%
2000	21,501		32.9%
2010	26,992		25.5%
2020	27,135		0.5%
U.S. Decennial Census [27] 2010 [28] 2020 [29]

2020 census

McHenry city, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000 [30]	Pop 2010 [28]	Pop 2020 [29]	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	19,536	22,661	21,144	90.86%	83.95%	77.92%
Black or African American alone (NH)	62	173	280	0.29%	0.64%	1.03%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	43	45	20	0.20%	0.17%	0.07%
Asian alone (NH)	191	411	493	0.89%	1.52%	1.82%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	8	5	4	0.04%	0.02%	0.01%
Other race alone (NH)	13	7	40	0.06%	0.03%	0.15%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	121	240	954	0.56%	0.89%	3.52%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	1,527	3,450	4,200	7.10%	12.78%	15.48%
Total	21,501	26,992	27,135	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

2000 Census

The population density was 1,850.2 inhabitants per square mile (714.4/km²). There were 8,127 housing units at an average density of 699.4 per square mile (270.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.18% White, 0.35% African American, 0.21% Native American, 0.89% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.31% from other races, and 1.02% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 7.10% of the population.

There were 7,872 households, of which 38.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.2% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.4% were non-families. 24.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.25.

Age distribution was 28.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 32.7% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 11.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.2 males.

The median household income was $55,759, and the median family income was $66,040. Males had a median income of $46,552 versus $29,808 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,272. About 3.8% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.1% of those under age 18 and 2.6% of those age 65 or over.

Culture

McHenry is home to Fiesta Days, a ten-day festival in the middle of the summer that includes music, parades, food, car shows, and more. ^[31]

Historic Places on the National Register

• 
  The Count's House

Recreation

McHenry is home to Moraine Hills State Park which has many miles of hiking trails and connects to the Stratton Lock and Dam. Fishing from the dam is allowed only with a valid fishing license. ^{[32] [33]}

In addition to several dozen city parks, the Prairie Trail — a sub-section of the larger Grand Illinois Trail — runs through the middle of the city. ^[34]

The live entertainment venue on Green Street was once was an indoor movie theater. ^[35] The movie theater operated as 'The McHenry Theatre' from 1955-2014. ^[36] It reopened from January 18, 2018 - January 2022 as the McHenry Downtown Theater with 3 screens, before closing permanently and converting to a live entertainment venue. ^{[37] [38]}

A drive-in movie theater east of town is open from March to December playing a combination of new release and classic movies. It opened July 20, 1951 as the Skyline Theater. ^[39] In 2013 it won Honda’s Project Drive-In contest and was upgraded with a digital projector. ^[40] It continues to operate today as the Mchenry Outdoor Theater. ^[41]

Economy

Mchenry has 3 distinct downtown districts with many local shops and restaurants: Green Street, Riverside Drive, and Main Street. ^[42] The Mchenry Area Chamber of Commerce also owns and operates the McHenry RiverWalk Shoppes, a retail incubator with 10 small shops in Miller Point Park, available for local businesses to rent seasonally. ^[43]

Connecting the Green Street and Riverside Drive downtown districts is the 0.73 mile (1.17 km) McHenry Riverwalk. which runs along Boone Creek and the Fox River. ^[44] It is home to residences, shops, restaurants, bars, a concert venue, Miller Point Park, Weber's Park, and other various forms of entertainment and commerce.

Major industrial employers including Medela, Follett School Solutions, Fabrik Industries, Brake Parts Inc, Jessup Manufacturing Company, and Plaspros Inc. These businesses are located in the city's business parks. ^[45]

Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital provides 143 beds for emergency and in and out-patient health care services to the city and surrounding areas. ^[46]

North of Illinois Route 120 on Illinois Route 31 is a big box retail corridor including Meijer, Aldi, Harbor Freight, Home Depot, Kohls, and Dicks Sporting Goods. ^[45]

Education

Schools and libraries

There are two school districts serving the city of McHenry: McHenry Community High School District 156 and McHenry School District 15. District 156 is composed of two high schools while District 15 is composed of five elementary schools and three middle schools.

McHenry is served by one public library which is part of Cooperative Computer Services (CCS) consortium. ^[47] The library itself houses physical books, DVDs, magazines, and more as well as providing access to online digital content. The library also offers various training classes on various topics and has several meeting rooms available for use by request. ^[48]

Colleges

The City of McHenry is also home to the Shah Center, which offers business seminars and trainings from the McHenry County College. ^[49]

Transportation

Airports

The closest public international airports to the city of McHenry are Chicago's O'Hare International Airport and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport in Wisconsin.

The closest privately owned airport to the city is Galt Field in Wonder Lake, with a 3000 ft by 50 ft runway. The airport is used by small general aviation aircraft. ^[50]

Public transportation

McRide, a paratransit service provided by Pace Bus, and Metra are available services which offers transportation options between nearby towns in the area. ^[51]

Bike

The Prairie Trail runs through the middle of McHenry from Crystal Lake and connects to trails near the border of Wisconsin. ^[52]

Passenger rail

McHenry Metra Station

McHenry is currently the terminus of a branch line on Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line, with weekday passenger service to Ogilvie Transportation Center (formerly Northwestern Station) in downtown Chicago. ^[53] The line that now terminates at McHenry once continued to Williams Bay, Wisconsin, but that service was discontinued in stages in the 1960s and 1970s. ^[54]

Road

Illinois Route 31 and Illinois Route 120 intersect in the city center. They are the main roads in and out of the city.

Notable people

• Gary Adams (d. 2000), founded TaylorMade Golf in McHenry in 1979 ^{[55] [56]}
• Pamela Althoff (b. 1953), member of the Illinois Senate from 2003-2018. She was Mayor of McHenry prior to her appointment to the Illinois Senate. ^[57]
• Thomas A. Bolger (1887–1953), member of the Illinois House of Representatives ^[58]
• John Brzenk (b. 1964), world champion arm wrestler
• Rob Doran (b. 1976), original bassist of the rock band Alkaline Trio
• Jason Faunt (b. 1974), actor, grew up in McHenry
• Flavel K. Granger (1832–1905), Illinois state legislator, lawyer, and farmer; lived in McHenry
• Mariann Mayberry (b. 1965), member of Steppenwolf Theatre Company, lived in McHenry and graduated from McHenry High School (West Campus)
• Jace Sayler (b. 1979), football player with the New England Patriots (Super Bowl champion), attended McHenry High School (West Campus)
• Matt Skiba (b. 1976), Grammy-nominated co-lead singer and guitarist for the rock bands Blink-182 and Alkaline Trio
• Robert Tonyan (b. 1994), professional American football player for the Minnesota Vikings
• Joe Walsh (b. 1961), radio personality and former congressman (Republican) for the 8th district
• Craig Wilcox (b. 1967), member of the Illinois Senate since 2018. He resides in McHenry. ^[59]
• Lana Rhoades (b. 1996), world famous social-media/pornography star. Born and raised in McHenry ^[60]
• Jack Perconte (b. 1954), MLB Baseball Player for Dodgers, Indians, Mariners
• Amie Cunat (b. 1986), artist specializing in painting and installation

Notable horses

• Two Eyed Jack, born in McHenry; Quarter Horse stallion and showhorse; the leading all time sire of American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) champions ^{[61] [62] [63]}

References

1. Martin, Douglas. "City of McHenry, Heart of the Fox River" (PDF). cityofmchenry.org. Retrieved February 19, 2021.
2. "McHenry Turns 175 - McHenry County Living". June 2, 2011.
3. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
4. "McHenry city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved April 15, 2022.
5. Chicago and North Western Railway Company (1908). A History of the Origin of the Place Names Connected with the Chicago & North Western and Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railways. p. 100.
6. "GNIS Detail - McHenry". geonames.usgs.gov.
7. "About". www.dnr.illinois.gov. Retrieved June 12, 2018.
8. "McHenry, IL". www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org.
9. Munsell Publishing Company (1922). History of McHenry County, Illinois (Vol 1).
10. Munsell Publishing Company (1922). History of McHenry County, Illinois (Vol 2).
11. "Movers, shakers shaped McHenry". Archived from the original on April 6, 2017. Retrieved April 5, 2017.
12. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 4, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2017.
13. "Plaindealer History". McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society.
14. "Day in McHenry County History - McHenry County Historical Society and Museum". www.mchenrycountyhistory.org.
15. Machaj, Sandra Landen (July 21, 2018). McHenry and McCullom Lake. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN   9780738550602 – via Google Books.
16. "The McHenry Train Crash of 1908". August 22, 2016.
17. "'Venetian Gardens' New Subdivision - Mill Pond Has Been Drained". The McHenry Plaindealer. June 20, 1929. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
18. "Next step for McHenry Riverwalk remains uncertain". Northwest Herald. December 21, 2015. Archived from the original on March 7, 2016. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
19. "RESCUED BRIDGE STILL HAS FUTURE TO SPAN, THANKS TO PRIVATE FIRM". Chicago Tribune. July 7, 1997. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
20. "Old Pearl Street Bridge". Bridgehunter.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2021.
21. "History of the McHenry Plaindealer Newspaper 1875-1985". McHenry County Illinois Genealogical Society. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
22. "QuickFacts McHenry city, Illinois; McHenry County, Illinois". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
23. "History". cityofmchenry.org. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
24. "About Moraine Hills". Illinois Department of Natural Resources . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
25. "City Council". CityOfMchenry.org. Retrieved May 7, 2024.
26. "City Clerk". cityofmchenry.org. Retrieved April 2, 2020.
27. "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
28. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – McHenry city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau .
29. "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – McHenry city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau .
30. "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – McHenry city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
31. "McHenry Fiesta Days - Enjoy the Party". mchenryfiestadays.com.
32. "Parks". www.dnr.illinois.gov.
33. "Water Resources". www.dnr.illinois.gov.
34. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 2, 2015. Retrieved June 18, 2017.
35. "About The Vixen".
36. "McHenry Theater closes temporarily for repairs". Shaw Local News Network. May 20, 2014.
37. "McHenry City Council approves downtown theater proposal". Shaw Local News Network. February 7, 2017.
38. James T. Norman (April 14, 2022). "McHenry Downtown Theater to reopen as live performance venue with new name". Shaw Local News Network.
39. "Drive-In Theater Announces Official Opening on July 20". McHenry Plaindealer. July 19, 1951. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
40. King, Patrick (September 13, 2019). "Seeing Stars at the McHenry Drive-In, McHenry County is one of a few lucky places to still have a drive-in movie theater" . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
41. "Golden Age Cinemas". www.goldenagecinemas.com.
42. "Mchenry - From downtown to downtown" . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
43. "McHenry RiverWalk Shoppes - A Retail Incubator Program" . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
44. "CHAPTER 4: MCHENRY RIVERWALK" . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
45. "City of McHenry Online Business Directory" . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
46. "Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital Overview" . Retrieved May 7, 2024.
47. "Other Libraries' Catalogs - McHenry Public Library". www.mchenrylibrary.org.
48. "HOME - McHenry Public Library". www.mchenrylibrary.org.
49. "About the Center for Corporate Training and the Illinois Small Business Development Center". www.shahcenter.mchenry.edu.
50. "About Us | Galt Airport | JB Aviation | 5112 Greenwood Road, Wonder Lake, IL 60097 | 815-648-2433".
51. "Pace Fixed Bus Routes - McHenry County, IL". www.co.mchenry.il.us.
52. "Bicycling - McHenry County Conservation District". www.mccdistrict.org.
53. "Union Pacific Northwest (UP-NW) - Metra". metrarail.com.
54. Behrens, P. L. (2002). Steam Trains to Geneva Lake: C&NW's Elgin – Williams Bay Branch.
55. Dodson, James (May–June 1998). "Ace of Clubs". Departures Magazine . American Express Publishing Corporation. Retrieved August 31, 2009.
56. Wyss, Cyndi (May 15, 2009). "Wyss: Economic uptick good, but bears price". Northwest Herald . Retrieved August 31, 2009.
57. Illinois Blue Book 2004-2005
58. 'Illinois Blue Book 1951-1952,' Biographical Sketch of Thomas A. Bolger, pg. 162-163
59. Barlow, Sarah E., ed. (November 15, 2018). "Biographies of New Senate Members" (PDF). First Reading. Illinois Legislative Research Unit. p. 11. Retrieved December 12, 2018.
60. "Lana Rhoades Net Worth in 2021, Wiki and Facts | richidol.com". RICHIDOL. September 26, 2019. Archived from the original on September 24, 2020. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
61. "Two Eyed Jack".
62. "AWA Burgenland". Archived from the original on September 11, 2011. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
63. "The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas on September 16, 1987 · Page 25". September 16, 1987.

External links

• Official website
• McHenry Public Library District