Germantown Hills, Illinois
Encyclopedia
Germantown Hills is a village in Woodford County, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

, approximately 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Peoria
Peoria, Illinois
Peoria is the largest city on the Illinois River and the county seat of Peoria County, Illinois, in the United States. It is named after the Peoria tribe. As of the 2010 census, the city was the seventh-most populated in Illinois, with a population of 115,007, and is the third-most populated...

. Germantown Hills is the only incorporated community in Worth Township
Worth Township, Woodford County, Illinois
Worth Township is located in Woodford County, Illinois. The population was 7,285 at the 2000 census.- External links :***...

. As of the 2010 census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...

, the village had a total population of 3,438. Largely an agricultural community until its incorporation in 1954, Germantown Hills is now a growing bedroom community in the Peoria Metropolitan Area
Peoria metropolitan area
The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in Central Illinois, anchored by the city of Peoria...

.

History

Settlement of the area began as early as November 1831, when Methodist Rev. Zadock Hall began preaching in modern-day Worth Township. Soon after, an iron foundry was opened by settler Philip Klein. By 1837, a Catholic church was organized by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 Catholics in the area. In 1850, William Hoshor built a tavern
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....

 and hotel named the "Germantown House", for which the village would be named more than 100 years later. A steam sawmill was built in 1860, and in the 1890s, the Union House was erected as a tavern, grocery store, and saloon.

The area remained almost completely agricultural until the incorporation of Oak Grove Park in 1954. The village's founders wished to use the name "Germantown" to reflect Hoshor's Germantown House and the area's large German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

-American representation, but the name was taken by a village
Germantown, Illinois
Germantown is a village in Clinton County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2000 census.-History:The village of Germantown was established in 1833. Formerly known as Hanover, Germantown is said to be one of the first true German settlements in Illinois...

 in southern Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...

. Upon its incorporation, the population of Oak Grove Park was 182. In 1967, the name Oak Grove Park was dropped in favor of Germantown Hills. The village's population would rise steadily until the 1980 census, when the annexation of the Whispering Oaks subdivision brought the number to 524. Subsequent development and annexation brought the population to 1195 by 1990. Rampant development, fueled by suburbanization
Suburbanization
Suburbanization a term used to describe the growth of areas on the fringes of major cities. It is one of the many causes of the increase in urban sprawl. Many residents of metropolitan regions work within the central urban area, choosing instead to live in satellite communities called suburbs...

 in the Peoria Metropolitan Area
Peoria metropolitan area
The Peoria Metropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in Central Illinois, anchored by the city of Peoria...

, brought the population to its most-recent count of 3,438.

Geography

Germantown Hills is located at 40°46′17"N 89°27′43"W (40.771569, -89.461894).

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the village has a total area of 1.673 square miles (4.3 km²), of which 1.626 square miles (4.2 km²) is land and 0.047 square mile (0.12172944117 km²) (3.01%) is water.

Illinois State Route 116, a four-lane divided highway, runs through the center of the village and connects it to Peoria, serving as the focal point for development and residences.

Demographics

As of the census
United States Census
The United States Census is a decennial census mandated by the United States Constitution. The population is enumerated every 10 years and the results are used to allocate Congressional seats , electoral votes, and government program funding. The United States Census Bureau The United States Census...

 of 2010, there were 3,438 people, 1,175 households, and 975 families residing in the village. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 2055.0 people per square mile (793.0/km2). There were 1,218 housing units at an average density of 728.0 per square mile (304.5/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 96.0% White, 0.5% African American, 1.8% Asian, 0.3% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 1.3% representing two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race represented 1.8% of the population.

There were 1,175 households out of which 45.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.1% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.0% were non-families. 14.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 3.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.93 and the average family size was 3.26.

In the village the population was spread out with 33.6% under the age of 20, 4.2% from 20 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 6.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.8 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 20 and over, there were 95.9 males.

According to the 2005-2009 American Community Survey
American Community Survey
The American Community Survey is an ongoing statistical survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, sent to approximately 250,000 addresses monthly . It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the decennial census...

, the median income for a household in the village was $99,196, and the median income for a family was $105,792. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the village was $36,651. About 1.7% of families and 2.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.6% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Education

  • Germantown Hills School District 69 comprises two schools:
    • Germantown Hills Elementary School is responsible for Kindergarten to Grade 2. In 2008, 314 students were enrolled.
    • Germantown Hills Middle School educates students in Grades 3 through 8. The school's 2008 enrollment was 612 In 2008, GHMS was ranked 15 out of the 1357 middle schools in Illinois by results of the Illinois Standards Achievement Test (ISAT)
      Illinois Standards Achievement Test
      The Illinois State Achievement Test measures individual student achievement relative to the Illinois Learning Standards. Results of this score are applied to the No Child Left Behind Act, for purposes of identifying failing schools....

      .
  • Metamora Township High School District 122 encompasses Germantown Hills, responsible for Grades 9 through 12. The village's high school
    Secondary education
    Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education includes the final stage of compulsory education and in many countries it is entirely compulsory. The next stage of education is usually college or university...

     students attend Metamora Township High School
    Metamora Township High School
    Metamora Township High School is a public high school located in Metamora, Illinois with an enrollment of approximately 1,000 students. The school's athletic teams compete in the Mid-Illini Conference...

     in neighboring Metamora
    Metamora, Illinois
    Metamora is a village in Woodford County, Illinois, United States. The population was 2,700 at the 2000 census. Metamora is a growing suburb of Peoria and is part of the Peoria, Illinois Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

    .

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK