Incorporated in 1882, the village of Elmhurst has a population of more than 44,000 and covers 10.2 square miles. A neighborhood of big trees and broad lawns and possessing a small-town feel, it is located 16 miles west of downtown Chicago. A well-known resident from the past was poet Carl Sandburg. In 2004, the village staff sent...
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Incorporated in 1882, the village of Elmhurst has a population of more than 44,000 and covers 10.2 square miles. A neighborhood of big trees and broad lawns and possessing a small-town feel, it is located 16 miles west of downtown Chicago. A well-known resident from the past was poet Carl Sandburg. In 2004, the village staff sent surveys to 1,600 randomly-selected residents who own single-family homes to determine their satisfaction with community services, as well as to obtain information regarding the community's strengths and weaknesses.
The survey results clearly indicated an overall satisfaction with city services and with the village of Elmhurst in general. For example, in the "Quality of Life" section, over 92.8 percent of the respondents rated the quality of their neighborhood as "good" to "excellent."
In their spare time, Elmhurst residents have a wide variety of activities from which to choose. They can visit the Elmhurst Art Museum overlooking Wilder Park and walk through three museum galleries, an education center, outdoor sculpture garden, and a gift shop; attend a concert put on by the Elmhurst Symphony Orchestra; find out about the history of the village by visiting the Elmhurst Historical Museum; view some beautiful gemstones at the Lizzadro Museum of Lapidary Art; go see a movie at the York Theatre; take out some books at the modern Elmhurst Public Library; or do some shopping in downtown Elmhurst. The village's downtown area received a facelift in 2000, and now contains new housing and a variety of specialty shops, restaurants, coffee houses and supermarkets.
The schools in Elmhurst are top quality. There are 13 schools: eight elementary schools, three middle schools, one high school, and one early childhood center. A $93 million rebuilding and renovation of York High School was completed in 2003. Students of all ages consistently perform above state averages on all standardized tests, and 80 percent of high school students go on to college.
One college they attend is Elmhurst College. A four-year institution, the 135-year-old college provides a full range of academic offerings- 58 programs of study in 22 departments and nine graduate degree programs to 2,900 undergraduates and graduate students. The housing in Elmhurst consists primarily of ranch and two-story residences, many of which were built after World War II.
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