Known for it’s lively downtown area, a meandering Riverwalk attracts visitors to Naperville throughout the year, while an eclectic array of dining venues accommodate a variety of tastes and style. World-class shopping and seasonal festivals complete Naperville’s appeal. With an abundance of professional opportunities, top-performing school district, top-ranking hospitals and libraries, low crime rate and a surplus of things to do, residents are proud to call Naperville home, and we are sure you will too!
History of Naperville
Naperville is located in the west suburbs of Chicago, in the northeastern part of Illinois, and within the State of Illinois’ top growth region. Once a quaint farming town, today little farmland exists. Naperville has evolved into an affluent city.
Naper Settlement credits Joseph Naper founded Naperville along the DuPage River in 1831. Naperville historic rise and economic development at this time in history was attributed to Naperville becoming an important stopping location between two main stage routes running from Chicago to Galena and to Ottawa providing visitors with a tavern, a store with travel amenities, and rooms at Naperville’s Pre-Emption House hotel. Continuing to grow and eventually holding the county seat for DuPage County in 1839, Naperville was incorporated later in 1857.
Naperville experienced a population explosion first in the 1960’s. However the city’s biggest growth occurred in the 1980’s and 90’s upon construction of the East-West Tollway I-88 and 355 Interstates. In the past two decades, Naperville has nearly quadrupled in size as the Chicago metropolitan area’s urban sprawl brought corporations, jobs, and wealth to the area. Located 30 miles west of Chicago, Naperville occupies a land area nearly 40 square miles with a population of approximately 145,000 residents.
Awards
Ranked as a top community in the United States to raise children, retire and start a home-based business, the city boasts nationally acclaimed schools, the best public library system in the country, and an exceptionally low crime rate. Naperville was voted the second best place to live in the United States by Money magazine in 2006 and in 2016 Naperville has been ranked the tenth best place to live. Money Magazine continually ranks Naperville in the “Best Places to Live” in the U.S. with a population more than 100,000. (2004, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2012). Naperville was rated 1st on the list of best cities for early retirement in 2013 by Kiplinger. In a 2010 study, Naperville was named the wealthiest city in the Midwest, and eleventh in the nation with a population over 75,000. Movoto in 2013, names Naperville #9 best mid-sized cities in the country to move to.
Economy + Lifestyle
Naperville has ready access to a variety employment options. The City of Naperville’s diversified employer base features high technology firms, retailers and factories, as well as small and home-based businesses. Naperville is located within the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. Review a list of Naperville’s top employers in the area.
Naperville embraces a small town attitude while offering big town conveniences. With an abundance of professional opportunities, top-performing school district, top-ranking hospitals and libraries, low crime rate and a surplus of things to do, Naperville accommodates to your every need. Known for it’s lively downtown area, a meandering Riverwalk attracts visitors throughout the year, while an eclectic array of dining venues accommodate a variety of tastes and style. World-class shopping and seasonal festivals complete Naperville’s appeal.
Transportation
Naperville’s land spans into two counties DuPage and Will counties of Illinois. Two-thirds of the residents live in DuPage County and one-third in Will County. Residents to the have direct access to the East-West Tollway (I-88), the North-South Tollway (I-355), U.S. 59, and the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). The Burlington Northern Santa Fe train line accessible from downtown Naperville or the Aurora Route 59 train station has express train travel times to the Loop at 40 minutes.
For additional local information, we invite you to watch the City of Naperville’s video.
City of Naperville Video
Video Source: http://www.naperville.il.us/napervillevideo.aspx
Source + Content Provided By:
Wikipedia City of Naperville
City of Naperville
Metra Train
Wikipedia Reference: Thomas, G. Scott “Rich City, Poor City: Ratings of America’s Wealth Centers”
Naperville School Districts:
Naperville Ranked No. 2 city with the best public schools in the country, 2016
Naperville Community Unit School District 203
Indian Prairie School District 204
Downtown Naperville
Naperville Magazine
Naperville Public Library
Naper Settlement & History
Visit Naperville
Naperville Park District Centennial Beach Quarry
Naperville Riverwalk
Naperville Main Street Promenade Shopping
DuPage Children’s Museum Naperville
Naperville Ranks 10th out of 50 Best Places to Live in the US, 2016 Money Magazine
Why Everybody Loves Naperville, 2007 Chicago Magazine Article
Article Posted March 2014.
Information not guaranteed as accurate.