Glen Ellyn

History

Glen Ellyn, like the neighboring town to the east, Lombard, had its genesis in an 1833 claim by two brothers from the Finger Lakes region of New York, Morgan and Ralph Babcock. The two claimed property in a large stand of timber near present-day St. Charles Road and the East Branch of the DuPage River. The brothers also arranged for a claim for their New York neighbor Deacon Winslow Churchill, who arrived in 1834 along with some of his adult children and their families. The nascent settlement became known as Babcock's Grove, and it included property currently part of both Glen Ellyn and Lombard.

Up the trail from the river to the west was a five-cornered intersection. In 1835, Daniel Fish built a cabin there, and other settlers followed. By the 1840s the intersection was called Fish's Corners and held a general store, blacksmith's forge, shops selling or repairing wagons and harnesses, and a Baptist church.

Moses Stacy, a soldier in the War of 1812, arrived in 1835 and built a house south of Fish's Corners. In 1846, Stacy built at the five corners an inn, Stacy's Tavern, to serve as a halfway stop between Chicago and the Fox River Valley and a probable stop for Galena, Illinois stagecoaches on their way to Rockford, Illinois. Stacy's Tavern, now a historical monument, stands at what is now the intersection of Geneva Road and Main Street.

In 1849, construction of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad through Glen Ellyn was finished. The railroad was about a mile south of the corners. At first, trains running through the town on the railway did not stop there. A local landowner, Lewey Quitterfield Newton, made an offer to the railroad company: Newton would provide land for a right-of-way and build a depot and water tank if the railroad would require trains to stop there. The depot that Newton built became known as Newton Station, and the locus of the community shifted to the area around the station.

The first church, a Congregational church, was built in 1862. Many Protestant churches were built in the village in the years to come. It was not until 60 years later that the first Catholic church was built.

The growing settlement went through several names, including Babcock's Grove, DuPage Center, Stacy's Corners, Newton's Station, Danby (after Danby, Vermont, a local landowner's birthplace) and Prospect Park. The current Glen Ellyn is based on the Welsh version of the name of village president Thomas E. Hill's wife Ellen, preceded by glen, referring to the local geography.

Geography

The Village of Glen Ellyn is a suburb of Chicago, and it lies about 24 miles (39 km) due west of downtown Chicago.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Glen Ellyn has a total area of 7.01 square miles (18.16 km2), of which 6.85 square miles (17.74 km2) (or 97.70%) is land and 0.16 square miles (0.41 km2) (or 2.30%) is water.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Glen Ellyn had a population of 28,846. The population density was 4,114.39 inhabitants per square mile (1,588.57/km2). There were 10,749 households and 7,529 families in the village. 36.0% of households had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 59.8% were married-couple households, 12.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 24.3% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 25.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.17 and the average family size was 2.58.

The median age was 40.0 years. 26.1% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 93.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.1 males age 18 and over.

100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 11,283 housing units at an average density of 1,609.33 per square mile (621.37/km2), of which 4.7% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.

Income and poverty

The median income for a household in the village was $118,208, and the median income for a family was $169,358. Males had a median income of $90,561 versus $44,196 for females. The per capita income for the village was $65,328. About 2.2% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 1.7% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

According to Glen Ellyn's 2021 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:

Transportation

Glen Ellyn is served by the Metra Union Pacific West Line. The Glen Ellyn station is located at 551 Crescent Blvd, near the heart of the downtown business district. The station is located 22.4 miles (36.0 km) away from Ogilvie Transportation Center, the eastern terminus of the West Line.

Glen Ellyn is served by Pace bus routes 714, 715, and 301 passing through the village on Roosevelt Road.

The Illinois Prairie Path bicycle trail bisects the village and the Great Western Trail (Illinois) passes through the northern edge.

At the east end of the village, Roosevelt Road provides access onto Interstate 355.

Glen Ellyn Park District

Glen Ellyn Park District was established on November 3, 1919, as a government agency for the community of Glen Ellyn. The facility was made to provide recreational activities such as, sports, dance, childcare and more. The park district provides more than 700 programs and is open all year round. The park district's year is divided into three seasons: Fall, Winter and Spring/Summer. It has 30 parks that are maintained for both recreational use and programmed events like youth football and softball. The district has one outdoor aquatic facility Sunset Pool, four recreation buildings, 23 multipurpose parks and playgrounds and two lakes, including Ackerman Sports & Fitness Center and the Lake Ellyn Boathouse. Annual events include Taste of Glen Ellyn and a Fourth of July firework show and parade.

Education

Higher education

The main campus of College of DuPage is located in Glen Ellyn. Among its alumni are the comedian John Belushi and his actor brother James Belushi.

Public schools

Glen Ellyn's primary schools are part of Glen Ellyn School District 41 and Community Consolidated School District 89. Its high schools are a part of Glenbard Township High School District 87, with the term Glenbard being a blend of Glen Ellyn and Lombard, a village due east of Glen Ellyn.

High schools

Glenbard West High School

Glenbard South High School

Middle schools

Glen Crest Middle School

Hadley Junior High School

Elementary schools

Abraham Lincoln Elementary School

Arbor View Elementary School

Benjamin Franklin Elementary School

Churchill Elementary School

Forest Glen Elementary School

Park View Elementary School

Westfield Elementary School

Private schools

Montessori Academy of Glen Ellyn

Phillip J. Rock Center and School

St. James the Apostle Catholic School

St. Petronille Catholic School

Maryknoll Montessori School

Sister cities

Calatayud, Aragón, Spain

Le Bouscat, Gironde, France