DeKalb County Economic Development Corp

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DeKalb County is located in northern Illinois. Its eastern border is approximately 50 miles from Lake Michigan ; its western border 60 miles from Iowa and its northern border 25 miles from Wisconsin. The county is 36 miles long ( N-S ) and 18 miles wide ( E-W ) with 636 square miles. Being so close to Chicago ties DeKalb County to that metropolitan area geographically and economically. DeKalb County is included in the Chicago MSA. The County is bordered by LaSalle County to the south, Ogle and Lee Counties to the west, Boone and McHenry Counties to the north, and Kane and Kendall Counties to the east.The Illinois East-West Tollway, or Interstate 88, goes through the middle of DeKalb County where there are two interchanges available at Annie Glidden and Peace roads at the southern end of the city of DeKalb. The majority of state and national highways traveling through the County travel in an east-west direction ( for a rough diagram of the county highway system, click here ). Proximity to Chicago provides short driving times to both major airports ( O'Hare and Midway ), downtown Chicago, major sporting events, and museums. The County is about 2 hours away from Milwaukee, Madison, the Quad Cities, Peoria, Bloomington-Normal, and Galena. It is about 3 hours away from the State Capitol in Springfield and the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign.The most recent U.S. Census places the County population at 106, 321 people in 19 different townships. The majority of the population is located in the 14 municipalities in DeKalb County. The largest city, DeKalb, recorded a population of 42, 559. The county seat and second largest town, Sycamore, has a population of 15, 000 people. These two communities, located only six miles apart, create a county core area for population, commerce, industry, and retail. The other important centers for population are located in Genoa in the north and Sandwich in the southeast corner. For more information about these and other communities in the County, click on the 'Communities' button above.Permanent settlement of DeKalb County began in the 1830s. The rich soils of the eastern prairie provided the early settlers of the region a valuable asset from which to earn a living. The relationship between land and the residents of DeKalb County has continued to strengthen ever since. The industrial development of the area also originated in the 19th century. The invention of barbed wire by Joseph Glidden fostered a wire manufacturing industry which, until The Great Depression, was a major producer and employer of the region. The time near the turn of the century saw other significant changes in the development of the County. In 1895, Northern Illinois State Normal School opened. The school, which has since been renamed Northern Illinois University, has grown to accommodate an annual enrollment of approximately 25, 000 students, and has the distinct title of being the County's largest employer.The early 20th century saw the development of the agricultural industry into what has become an organized, research oriented industry. The Farm Bureau and developments made by DeKalb Agricultural Research were established during this time and continue to represent and advance farming interests on a County and national level. The era between 1940 and 1970 saw County economic trends typical of those felt throughout the nation. War time growth and post war slowdowns influenced gradual growth in the County's population and a steady diversification of the regional industrial base. However, the decades of the 1970s and early 1980s was a time when growth slowed and development leveled off.