The hometown of comedian John Belushi and his brother, actor Jim Belushi, the village of Wheaton is also home to Wheaton College, a four-year, Christian, liberal-arts college founded in 1860. Wheaton is located 23 miles west of downtown Chicago and features a lively downtown business district, plenty of recreational activities and...
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The hometown of comedian John Belushi and his brother, actor Jim Belushi, the village of Wheaton is also home to Wheaton College, a four-year, Christian, liberal-arts college founded in 1860. Wheaton is located 23 miles west of downtown Chicago and features a lively downtown business district, plenty of recreational activities and excellent schools. The population of Wheaton is 55,416 (2000); nearby suburbs include Winfield and Glen Ellyn. The suburb serves as the county seat of DuPage County.
Wheaton's downtown area sports old-fashioned street lamps, colorful awnings, historic storefronts, cobblestone streets, a variety of restaurants, and a potpourri of fashionable shops offering everything from fine furnishings and antiques to clothing and gifts. The downtown business association sponsors a variety of events including the Wheaton Fine Art Fair and a number of popular sidewalk sales.
Villagers can also do their shopping in other sections of town including the Danada area that's located at the intersection of Butterfield and Naperville Roads; this shopping area consists of Danada Squares East and West, Rice Lake Square and Wheaton Town Square. Here, residents can find different types of stores including day spas, grocery stores and pet shops.
O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport are just 45 minutes away. Metra operates two commuter rail stations in town, and Pace runs several bus routes throughout the village. Illinois Routes 64 (North Avenue), 38 (Roosevelt Road) and Interstates 88 and 355 all run through Wheaton, providing villagers with convenient access to many destinations in the Chicago area.
Three times the Wheaton Park District has been awarded the prestigious National Gold Medal for Excellence. The district maintains 51 parks and facilities on 825 acres including the Rice Pool and Water Park, a community center, the Northside Aquatic Center, the Arrowhead Golf Club, the Leisure Center, and the Lincoln Natural Area. Villagers also take advantage of a variety of softball and baseball diamonds, football and soccer fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, and tennis courts. Other recreational facilities include the Danada Equestrian Center and Danada House, which offer hay and sleigh rides, horsemanship classes and local festivals. In their spare time, villagers also visit Cosley Zoo, which houses more than 35 types of animals.
In addition to Wheaton College, Wheaton contains a preschool center, 13 public elementary schools, four public middle schools and two public high schools. There are also a number of private schools in the area, and the Illinois Institute of Technology's Rice Campus provides undergraduate and graduate with an education in science and technology.
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