Arlington Heights, IL

Located 25 miles from downtown Chicago, the village of Arlington Heights covers nearly 17 square miles of desirable land, including a recently revamped downtown. With an estimated 76,000 residents, Arlington Heights is one of the largest suburban Chicago municipalities, making it attractive to businesses and potential homeowners.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Businesses began developing quickly in the village of Arlington Heights after it was settled in the 1830s. With the addition of a centralized Illinois-Wisconsin Railroad line, workers and businesses were able to move their dairy products and vegetables through the center of town to Chicago. Today, despite its large daytime population that includes 50,000 workers and 3,800 businesses, one of the keys to the success of Arlington Heights is that the village remains loyal to its small-town charisma. Some of the ways Arlington Heights has maintained the small-town feel include lining the streets with trees, providing distinctive neighborhoods, and preserving historic buildings. The revitalization of its downtown business area features eight blocks of shops, many of which have been staples in Arlington Heights for decades. Its exquisite design has earned the village numerous prestigious awards for urban enrichment and successful implementation.

Some of the leading industries in Arlington Heights are manufacturing, healthcare services and social assistance. The unemployment rate is 2.4 percent.

Major employers in Arlington Heights are Northwest Community Hospital, AMCOL International Corp., Paddock Publications Inc., Baptist General Conference and Arlington Hospitality Inc.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Arlington Heights accommodates around 31,710 houses with 30,730 houses occupied. More than three quarters of those are occupied by renters.

The housing stock available in Arlington Heights consists mainly of one-family structures and duplexes built from the 1890s through the 1950s. The office and light industrial centers are clustered on the far north and the far south ends of the city.

Downtown Arlington Heights mixes the feel of a lively Chicago neighborhood with a quieter, local suburban scene. Downtown is very walkable, offering stores, restaurants, a movie theater and live theater. The area is safe and clean, with easy access to parks, pools, the library, and local transit.

GETTING AROUND

The explosion of the auto industry during the 1950s and 1960s spurred population growth in Arlington Heights. As one of the first commuter suburbs, it found many of its inhabitants traveling east by Interstate 90 to nearby Chicago for work. After O'Hare Airport became a viable hub, drivers began using I-90 to travel from Arlington Heights to the nearby airport. Drivers can also use Illinois 53, which is a northern extension of Interstate 290, to travel north or south. For people who prefer to use the bus, numerous Pace Bus Service routes run through Arlington Heights, as the business maintains its headquarters in the suburb. Today, produce and goods aren't the only things that can use a train in this suburb; the passenger lines of the Metra Rail run through Arlington Heights and stop downtown at the Arlington Park Racetrack.

EVENTS

Clearbrook Wonderland of Lights: Held from the last week of November through the new year, visitors can view several hundred thousand lights in this drive-through winter wonderland, which is located at Arlington Park racecourse. Visitors drive their cars on the track to view this annual light extravaganza.

ChristkindlMarkt: Running during the last weekend of November, ChristkindlMarkt features German music, food, and a festive atmosphere at the North School Park. With free admission, patrons can walk around this outdoor festival to experience a little bit of Germany in the Midwest.

Frontier Days: Also known as "The Festival," this celebration occurs during the Fourth of July weekend. Cited as one of the best festivals in the northwest suburbs, Frontier Days features many free events and attractions, as well as food and one of the largest parades in the suburbs.

BEST BETS

Arlington Park Racecourse: Featuring horse races for more than 80 years, Arlington Park racecourse has been described as one of the most beautiful parks in America. A Churchill Downs Co., the track is only the fourth in the country to install a synthetic track. Its annual Arlington Million race was the first of its kind when it was initially run in 1981.

Lake Arlington: A human-made lake encompassing five acres, Lake Arlington provides a boathouse, boat rentals, and a two-mile biking and walking path. Fishing of stocked bluegill, catfish, bass, and northern fingerlings is allowed with a proper fishing license.

Arlington Heights Memorial Library: With one of the largest collections of resources in the state of Illinois, the library houses a collection of more than 400,000 items. Its genealogy collection encompasses more than 8,000 reference books, and the library has a genealogy specialist on staff.

Nickol Knoll Park: Built over a former landfill, this park contains a nine-hole, par-three golf course along with soccer fields, sled hills, and a bike path. Opened for business in 1996, this park saw more than 20,000 rounds of golf played its first year. A hill on the park's grounds was renamed Payton's Hill in 2000 after the late legendary Chicago Bears running back Walter Payton, who used it for training purposes.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Arlington Heights Historical Museum: This five-building complex that includes a coach house, a log cabin, and an 1882 home shares Arlington Heights' story through history. Located across the street from the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, the museum houses historical photographs, maps, newspaper clippings, and family history.

Metropolis Performing Arts Centre: This nonprofit theater-management company works this facility, which has quickly become a popular Chicagoland location for quality theater performances. The theater seats 300 patrons, some of whom come to view the infamous Second City Northwest, which is the suburban branch of the popular Second City comedy troupe.

LOCAL MEDIA

Printed in the Arlington Heights office, the Daily Herald is distributed in the northern, western, and northwestern suburbs, serving more than 90 communities. It ranks third as the largest newspaper in Illinois, trailing only the two Chicago conglomerates, the Chicago Sun-Times and the Chicago Tribune.