FRANKFORT, IL

Frankfort is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Cook County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 20,296. According to Forbes.com, in 2007 the village ranked as the 36th fastest growing suburb in the United States. Frankfort is a southwestern suburb of Chicago. The Village is home to a park called Commissioners Park and some schools like Lincoln Way East and Dr. Julian Rogus School.

Name

The name "Frankfort" was taken from Frankfort Township designated by the governing board of Will County. It was commonly known as "Frankfort Station" after the opening of the Joliet & Northern Indiana Railroad through the township in 1855, though the official plat of the community dated March 1855 shows the name as "Frankfort". Property deed abstracts and railroad documents also show that the name was always Frankfort. Local residents incorporated Frankfort as a village in 1879. It also has some reference to the major German city of Frankfurt.

History

First inhabited by Native Americans, including the Potawatomi and Sac and Fox tribes, Frankfort was used as a conduit between the Des Plaines and St. Joseph rivers. Originally, the area was part of the Virginia Territory before the French signed a treaty with Manitoqua, the Potawatomi chief, for land in the Prestwick area. The first pioneers came to Frankfort in the early 1830s by means of the Des Plaines River from the southwest and by wagon from the east along the Sauk Trail, a roadway that still exists today.

William Rice, the first non-native settler, made a permanent settlement in Frankfort in 1831. While the first pioneers, coming mainly from the New England colonies, were mostly of English and Scottish descent, German settlers made the village of Frankfort a reality. Later in the 1840s German settlers migrated from Germany to Frankfort. They had fled harsh conditions in their homeland by coming to America and proved to be very industrious and experienced farmers as they soon bought most of the fertile farm land from the "Yankees", who were more inclined to provide services for local needs. Establishing both ownership and pride in the area, the German settlers implemented the first system of resident concern for local lands, which has been maintained ever since.

What is now known as Frankfort Township was originally part of the Hickory Creek Precinct. Will County was originally divided into ten precincts. The county, in 1850, was changed to the township form of government. Frankfort Township was named by Frederick Cappel after his native city, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In 1855 the Joliet and Northern Indiana Railroad built a line through an area linking Joliet, Illinois, with Lake Station, Indiana. The J&NI Railroad was leased to the Michigan Central Railroad, and service was implemented in July 1855. Nelson D. Elwood, an officer of the rail line, and Sherman Bowen, a Joliet attorney and real estate man, jointly platted a village of around in March 1855 and named it Frankfort after the township. It was commonly referred to as "Frankfort Station" because of the railroad depot located there.

John McDonald became the first railroad agent in 1857.

In 1879, the village of Frankfort was incorporated, and elected John McDonald as the first Village President. Along with the establishment of the government, among the first undertakings of the newly formed administration was the institution of land use policies. Early plats that were recorded indicated a traditional grid pattern with residential uses surrounding the business district and railroad line and additional land provided for schools and public open spaces.

Geography

Frankfort is located at (41.498133, -87.849549).

According to the 2010 census, Frankfort has a total area of , all land.

An unincorporated area north of the village of Frankfort (in Frankfort Township) is a census-designated place known as Frankfort Square.

The Village is bordering Richton Park to the east, Tinley Park, Frankfort Square and Matteson to the northeast, New Lenox to the southwest, Mokena to the west, Monee and University Park to the southeast.

Demographics

2020 census

Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.

2000 Census

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,391 people, 3,418 households, and 2,942 families residing in the village. The population density was 952.7 people per square mile (367.7/km²). There were 3,580 housing units at an average density of 328.2 per square mile (126.7/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 93.86% White, 2.48% African American, 0.17% Native American, 2.13% Asian, 0.62% from other races, and 0.74% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.31% of the population.

There were 3,418 households, out of which 42.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 77.6% were married couples living together, 6.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 13.9% were non-families. 12.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.8% had someone living alone who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.98 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 28.7% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 24.9% from 25 to 44, 30.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 94.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $83,055, and the median income for a family was $89,645. Males had a median income of $66,147 versus $36,179 for females. The per capita income for the village was $33,968. About 1.9% of families and 2.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 3.3% of those age 65 or over. According to Money Magazine's "Best Places to Live 2011"; Frankfort is estimated to have a population of 17,594, a median family income of $116,611, and a median home price of $296,250.

Comedian Bernie Mac, Styx singer Dennis DeYoung and Hall of Fame baseball player Lou Boudreau had homes and lived in Frankfort for a good portion of their lives. Western film actor Jack Ingram was born in Frankfort. Former MLB baseball player Garret Jones lived in Frankfort as well.

Government

Frankfort is divided between two congressional districts. Most of the village is in Illinois's 1st congressional district, while the small portion in Cook County is in the 2nd district.

Education

Frankfort School District 157C and Summit Hill District 161 serve residents of Frankfort. As of 2018 the former district's middle school "Hickory Creek" is ranked 5th in the state.

Frankfort is home to Lincoln-Way East High School. Lincoln-Way East High School has won state championships in Football (2005, 2017, 2019), Girls Softball (2002), Boys Gymnastics (2006, 2011), Girls Track & Field (2014, 2015, 2016), Girls Cheerleading (2014, 2015, 2017), Summer League Baseball, and Marching Band (2007, 2008). Lincoln-Way North has a state championship in Boys Gymnastics (2011) and Summer League Baseball (2011).

Notable residents