Woodstock is a city in
McHenry CountyMcHenry County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 260,077. As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 318,641. Its county seat is Woodstock, Illinois. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county,...
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census, and is 25,000 as of 2008. It is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
McHenry CountyMcHenry County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 260,077. As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 318,641. Its county seat is Woodstock, Illinois. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county,...
. Woodstock is located 51 miles northwest of the
Chicago LoopThe Loop or The Chicago Loop are the terms used to designate the historical center of downtown Chicago. Most accurately, the term refers to an area bounded by a public transit circuit along Lake Street on the north, Wabash Avenue on the east, Van Buren Street on the south, and Wells Street on the...
and 32 miles northwest of
O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International Airport , also known simply as O'Hare Airport or O'Hare Field or O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop. It serves as the primary and largest hub for United Airlines and as a hub for...
.
Woodstock is the home of the historic
Woodstock Opera HouseThe Woodstock Opera House is a historical venue for performing arts and receptions located in Woodstock, Illinois.- History :The Opera House was built in 1889 to house the library, council room, justice court, fire department & second floor auditorium for the City of Woodstock.The Patti Rosa...
and
Old McHenry County CourthouseThe Old McHenry County Courthouse, in McHenry County, Illinois, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 1974. Once the courthouse in the county seat of McHenry County, Woodstock, today the courthouse is occupied by various private tenants including a restaurant and an...
. The city was named in 2007 as one of the nation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations 2007 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 20,151 people, 7,273 households, and 4,843 families residing in the city.
Woodstock is a city in
McHenry CountyMcHenry County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 260,077. As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 318,641. Its county seat is Woodstock, Illinois. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county,...
,
IllinoisIllinois , the 21st state admitted to the United States of America, is the most populous and demographically diverse Midwestern state and the fifth most populous state in the nation...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census, and is 25,000 as of 2008. It is the
county seatA county seat is a term for an administrative center for a county or civil parish, primarily used in the United States. In the Northeast United States, the statutory term often is shire town, but colloquially county seat is the term in use there...
of
McHenry CountyMcHenry County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 260,077. As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 318,641. Its county seat is Woodstock, Illinois. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county,...
. Woodstock is located 51 miles northwest of the
Chicago LoopThe Loop or The Chicago Loop are the terms used to designate the historical center of downtown Chicago. Most accurately, the term refers to an area bounded by a public transit circuit along Lake Street on the north, Wabash Avenue on the east, Van Buren Street on the south, and Wells Street on the...
and 32 miles northwest of
O'Hare International AirportO'Hare International Airport , also known simply as O'Hare Airport or O'Hare Field or O'Hare, is a major airport located in the northwestern-most corner of Chicago, Illinois, United States, northwest of the Chicago Loop. It serves as the primary and largest hub for United Airlines and as a hub for...
.
Woodstock is the home of the historic
Woodstock Opera HouseThe Woodstock Opera House is a historical venue for performing arts and receptions located in Woodstock, Illinois.- History :The Opera House was built in 1889 to house the library, council room, justice court, fire department & second floor auditorium for the City of Woodstock.The Patti Rosa...
and
Old McHenry County CourthouseThe Old McHenry County Courthouse, in McHenry County, Illinois, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 1974. Once the courthouse in the county seat of McHenry County, Woodstock, today the courthouse is occupied by various private tenants including a restaurant and an...
. The city was named in 2007 as one of the nation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations 2007 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
Demographics
As of the
censusA "census" is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population.In other words every 10 years...next one would be in 2010 The term is used mostly in connection with...
of 2000, there were 20,151 people, 7,273 households, and 4,843 families residing in the city. The
population densityPopulation density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans. It is a key term used in geography....
was 1,891.1 people per square mile (729.9/km²). There were 7,599 housing units at an average density of 713.1/sq mi (275.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.48% White, 1.06% African American, 0.23% Native American, 2.01% Asian, 7.69% from
other racesRace and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the United States Census Bureau and the Federal Office of Management and Budget , 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 1.52% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 19.01% of the population.
There were 7,273 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were
married couplesMarriage is a social union or legal contract between individuals that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged by a variety of ways, depending on the culture or demographic...
living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.30.
In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $47,871, and the median income for a family was $54,408. Males had a median income of $40,137 versus $27,264 for females. The
per capita incomePer capita income means how much each individual receives, in monetary terms, of the yearly income generated in the country. This is what each citizen is to receive if the yearly national income is divided equally among everyone. Per capita income is usually reported in units of currency per year...
for the city was $23,210. About 5.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.
23% of Woodstock residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.
Movies
Woodstock was a primary filming location for the 1993 movie
Groundhog DayGroundhog Day is a 1993 comedy film directed by Harold Ramis, starring Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell. It was written by Ramis and Danny Rubin, and based on a story by Rubin...
(although the events of the movie take place in
Punxsutawney, PennsylvaniaPunxsutawney is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States, 84 miles northeast of Pittsburgh. In 1907, Punxsutawney and Claysville boroughs were consolidated and incorporated as Greater Punxsutawney. A high-grade soft coal was mined in the surrounding region...
). Outdoor and streetfront scenes were filmed at Woodstock Square, and signs from other stores and businesses are visible throughout the movie.
Several scenes in
Planes, Trains, and Automobiles were also filmed in Woodstock including the scene in which the car is towed in front of a building (the old Courthouse) and Steve Martin enters the truck driven by John Candy.
In addition, Woodstock can claim an important role in the creative development of
Orson WellesGeorge Orson Welles was an American film director, writer, actor and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television, and radio. Welles was also an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety spectacles in the war years...
. Welles attended the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock. At Todd, Welles came under the positive influence and guidance of Roger Hill, a teacher who later became Todd's headmaster. Hill provided Welles with an ad hoc educational environment that proved invaluable to his creative experience, allowing Welles to concentrate on subjects that interested him. Welles performed and staged his first theatrical experiments and productions at Todd School, he also performed at the Opera House.
Music
Woodstock has become an important destination for live music in McHenry County and the region with venues featuring local, national, and international artists.
A number of organizations support and promote live music in Woodstock:
- Jazz on the Square
Jazz on the Square is a non-profit organization based in Woodstock, Illinois. JOTS promotes live jazz in McHenry County and provides jazz education opportunities to the community. The organization works to ensure that jazz music remains vital in the region...
http://www.jazzonthesquare.net
- Masthouse
- Off Square Music
- Opera Woodstock
- RIFF Productions
- Woodstock Folk Festival
- Woodstock City Band
News
Woodstock residents have access to several local and/or regional newspapers.
The Woodstock Independent http://www.thewoodstockindependent.com is the town's local paper of record and is delivered weekly to subscribers. Published on Wednesdays,
The Independent covers local government meetings, all local schools' activities, local sporting events and other community news.
The Independent also publishes The Torch, a feature-oriented tabloid publication that is delivered free to all Woodstock residents 8 or 9 times a year.
The Northwest Herald is a larger, daily newspaper that covers many of the northwest Chicago suburbs, including McHenry County and Woodstock. The
Herald also includes national news and sports coverage.
Annual traditions
- Diversity Day Festival
- Fair Diddley
- Rich Bray isn't a Keeper
- Farmers market
- Festival of Lights
- Groundhog Days
- The town celebrates "Groundhog Days" at the beginning of every February, including tours of famous filming sites from the 1993 movie. The town now even has its own groundhog named "Woodstock Willie", who essentially performs the same tasks as "Punxsutawney Phil
'Punxsutawney Phil is a groundhog resident of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, USA. On February 2, of each year, the town of Punxsutawney celebrates the beloved groundhog with a festive atmosphere of music and food...
" at the site of the original Groundhog DayGroundhog Day is an annual holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day fails to see its shadow, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end...
festival. Every year on the weekend of Groundhog Day, the Classic Cinemas Woodstock Theater shows Groundhog DayGroundhog Day is an annual holiday celebrated on February 2 in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day fails to see its shadow, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end...
for free. Woodstock's Groundhog day festival also includes a traditional groundhog lighting.
- HarvestFest
- McHenry County Fair
- Summer band concerts
- every other Wednesday in the town square.
- Woodstock Challenge
- Woodstock CABA Days
- Woodstock Folk Festival
- Woodstock Jazz on the Square Festival
Education
In March 2007 the names for three new Woodstock schools were announced. Prariewood Elementary, Creekside Middle School, and Woodstock North High School were necessary because of the city's recent growth.
Woodstock Community Unit School District 200Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 is a public K-12 school district based in Woodstock, Illinois. The school district serves the communities of Woodstock, Bull Valley, Greenwood and the west side of Wonder Lake in McHenry County, Illinois....
.
Woodstock is currently served by three secondary education institutions,
Woodstock High SchoolWoodstock High School, home of the Blue Streaks, is a high school located in Woodstock, Illinois. It is a part of Woodstock Community Unit School District 200. Established in 1921, it is located fifteen minutes south of Wisconsin and one hour northwest of Chicago...
, Woodstock North High School, and
Marian Central Catholic High SchoolMarian Central Catholic is a private, Roman Catholic high school in Woodstock, Illinois. It is located in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Rockford....
, as well as a number of primary schools such as
Northwood Middle SchoolNorthwood Middle School is located in Woodstock, Illinois just off of Route 47. It is in front of Mary Endres Elementary school and is on the opposite side of the parking lot of Verda Dierzen Early Learning Center. It is located in the Woodstock Community Unit School District 200.-Teams:Northwood...
, Creekside Middle School, Olson Elementary, Dean Street Elementary, St. Mary Catholic grade school, Westwood Elementary. Residents pursuing an
associate's degreeAn associate degree is an academic degree awarded by community colleges, junior colleges, four-year universities, business colleges and some bachelor's degree-granting colleges/universities upon completion of a course of study usually lasting two years....
normally do so at McHenry County College in neighboring
Crystal LakeCrystal Lake is a city located in southeastern McHenry County in northeastern Illinois. It is named after Crystal Lake, a lake 1.6 miles west-southwest of downtown. Crystal Lake is also a suburb of the city of Chicago. The population was 38,000 at the 2000 census, but as of 2008 the population is...
.
Parks
Bates Park
Emricson Park (Which includes the "Woodstock Water Works" Aquatic Center)
Kishwaukee Park
Olson Park
Rain Tree Park
Ryders Park
Silver Creek Park
Tourists Park |
Transportation
Woodstock's railroad stationWoodstock is a station on Metra's Union Pacific/Northwest Line located in Woodstock, Illinois. The station is located on the Harvard branch of the Northwest Line and is the last stop before Harvard; inbound trains run as far as Ogilvie Transportation Center in Chicago. The station is located in the...
is the penultimate stop on Metra's Union/Pacific Northwest Line, which originates in Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago.
U.S. Route 14U.S. Route 14 , an east-west route, is one of the original United States highways of 1926. It currently has a length of 1,398 miles , but it had a peak length of 1,429 miles . For much of its length, it runs roughly parallel to Interstate 90.As of 2004, the highway's eastern terminus is in...
curves around Woodstock's southwest border, intersecting with
Illinois Route 47Illinois Route 47 is a largely rural north-south state highway that runs from the Wisconsin state border at Highway 120 near Hebron, to Illinois Route 10, just south of Interstate 72 near Seymour. This is a distance of . Even though Route 47 is primarily rural, in several suburbs of Chicago, such...
at Woodstock's southeast edge.
Illinois Route 120Illinois Route 120 is a major east-west arterial in northeastern Illinois. It runs from U.S. Route 14 west of Woodstock to Illinois Route 131 in Waukegan. This is a distance of .- Route description :...
meets Route 47 approximately 1/4 mile northwest of Woodstock's Public Square.
Notable Residents
- John Hegner - Musician and composer.
- Jessica Biel
Jessica Claire Biel is an American actress and former model, who has appeared in several Hollywood films, including Summer Catch, the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, The Illusionist and I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry...
- Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, and auto racing enthusiast...
(1925-2008)
- Chester Gould
Chester Gould was a U.S. cartoonist and the creator of the Dick Tracy comic strip, which he wrote and drew from 1931 to 1977. Gould was known for his use of colorful, often monstrous, villains.-Early years:...
(1900–1985)
- Orson Welles
George Orson Welles was an American film director, writer, actor and producer, who worked extensively in film, theatre, television, and radio. Welles was also an accomplished magician, starring in troop variety spectacles in the war years...
(1915–1985)
- Emma Goldman
Emma Goldman was an anarchist known for her political activism, writing and speeches. She played a pivotal role in the development of anarchist political philosophy in North America and Europe in the first half of the twentieth century.Born in Kovno in the Russian Empire , Goldman emigrated to the...
- Anarchist and political activist.
- Alexander Berkman
Alexander Berkman was an anarchist known for his political activism and writing. He was a leading member of the anarchist movement in the early 20th century....
- Anarchist and political activist.
- Laura Caldwell, popular author of several novels including A Clean Slate and The Rome Affair.
- Michele Weiner-Davis, renowned social worker and author of the bestselling books Divorce Busting and The Sex-Starved Marriage.
- Lynn Stewart - cofounder of Hooters Restaurant
- Matt Rogers - founder of Christian Record Label South Pawl Records Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is the second most populous city in the state after Memphis. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state...
- Pete Catan - Defensive end for the Houston Gamblers (USFL)
- Gustave Axelson - writer
External links
Woodstock
Woodstock Schools
Woodstock Area
McHenry CountyMcHenry County is located in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of 2000, the population was 260,077. As of 2008, the U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population to be 318,641. Its county seat is Woodstock, Illinois. This county is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is the sixth largest county,...