Kankakee, Illinois

Kankakee, Illinois
City
Kankakee County Courthouse
Kankakee County Courthouse
Official logo of Kankakee, Illinois
Logo
Interactive map of Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is located in Illinois
Kankakee
Kankakee
Location within Illinois
Kankakee is located in the United States
Kankakee
Kankakee
Location within the United States
Coordinates: 41°07′12″N 87°51′40″W / 41.12000°N 87.86111°W / 41.12000; -87.86111
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyKankakee
Established1853
Incorporated (city)1865
Government
 • TypeMayor–council
 • MayorChris Curtis[citation needed] (R)
 • City Council14 aldermen
Area
 • Total
15.61 sq mi (40.44 km2)
 • Land15.14 sq mi (39.20 km2)
 • Water0.48 sq mi (1.24 km2)
Elevation
617 ft (188 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
24,052
 • Estimate 
(2025)
23,400
 • Density1,589.0/sq mi (613.51/km2)
DemonymKankakeean
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
60901
Area codes815, 779
FIPS code17-38934
GNIS feature ID2395489
Websitecitykankakee-il.gov

Kankakee (/ˌkæŋkəˈkiː/ KANG-kə-KEE) is a city in and the county seat of Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. Located on the Kankakee River, as of 2020, the city's population was 24,052. Kankakee is a principal city of the Kankakee-Bourbonnais-Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area. It serves as an anchor city in the rural plains outside Chicago.

History

Kankakee in 1936

The city's name is probably derived from a corrupted version of the Miami-Illinois word teeyaahkiki, meaning "open country/exposed land/land in open/land exposed to view", in reference to the area's prior status as a marsh. Kankakee was founded in 1854.

On March 10, 2026, a high-end EF3 tornado struck the south side of Kankakee, with winds up to 160 miles per hour.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Kankakee has a total area of 15.54 square miles (40.25 km2), of which 15.06 square miles (39.01 km2) (or 96.92%) is land and 0.48 square miles (1.24 km2) (or 3.08%) is water.

The Kankakee River runs through Kankakee. It is approximately 133 miles long and serves as a major attraction and defining landmark of Kankakee. The river water is refined at the Kankakee Water Company, and electricity is generated at the Kankakee River Dam, providing vital resources to the community. Its winding path, including inlets and eddies, creates desirable fishing conditions for outdoor enthusiasts.

Climate

Climate data for Kankakee, Illinois (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1887–present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 66
(19)		 74
(23)		 85
(29)		 91
(33)		 99
(37)		 103
(39)		 103
(39)		 107
(42)		 99
(37)		 90
(32)		 79
(26)		 71
(22)		 107
(42)
Mean daily maximum °F (°C) 32.5
(0.3)		 36.8
(2.7)		 48.6
(9.2)		 61.2
(16.2)		 72.5
(22.5)		 81.9
(27.7)		 84.8
(29.3)		 83.2
(28.4)		 77.9
(25.5)		 65.1
(18.4)		 49.9
(9.9)		 37.8
(3.2)		 61.0
(16.1)
Daily mean °F (°C) 24.4
(−4.2)		 28.2
(−2.1)		 39.0
(3.9)		 50.3
(10.2)		 61.8
(16.6)		 71.5
(21.9)		 74.8
(23.8)		 73.1
(22.8)		 66.5
(19.2)		 54.1
(12.3)		 41.0
(5.0)		 30.0
(−1.1)		 51.2
(10.7)
Mean daily minimum °F (°C) 16.3
(−8.7)		 19.7
(−6.8)		 29.4
(−1.4)		 39.4
(4.1)		 51.0
(10.6)		 61.0
(16.1)		 64.8
(18.2)		 63.0
(17.2)		 55.1
(12.8)		 43.1
(6.2)		 32.1
(0.1)		 22.1
(−5.5)		 41.4
(5.2)
Record low °F (°C) −29
(−34)		 −21
(−29)		 −7
(−22)		 8
(−13)		 27
(−3)		 38
(3)		 46
(8)		 39
(4)		 30
(−1)		 18
(−8)		 1
(−17)		 −26
(−32)		 −29
(−34)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 2.37
(60)		 1.94
(49)		 2.49
(63)		 3.87
(98)		 5.15
(131)		 5.21
(132)		 4.65
(118)		 3.85
(98)		 3.56
(90)		 3.40
(86)		 2.82
(72)		 2.35
(60)		 41.66
(1,058)
Average snowfall inches (cm) 8.1
(21)		 3.4
(8.6)		 3.0
(7.6)		 0.3
(0.76)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.6
(1.5)		 5.3
(13)		 20.7
(53)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) 10.7 8.6 9.1 10.9 11.7 10.1 8.6 8.6 7.6 9.2 9.0 9.0 113.1
Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) 5.6 4.2 1.9 0.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.7 3.5 16.3
Source: NOAA

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18805,651—
18909,02559.7%
190013,59550.6%
191013,9862.9%
192016,75319.8%
193020,62023.1%
194022,2417.9%
195025,85616.3%
196027,6667.0%
197027,575−0.3%
198029,6337.5%
199030,9444.4%
200027,491−11.2%
201027,5370.2%
202024,052−12.7%
2025 (est.)23,400−2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census
2010 2020

Racial and ethnic composition

Kankakee city, Illinois – racial and ethnic composition
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 may be of any race.
Race / ethnicity (NH = non-Hispanic) Pop 2000 Pop. 2010 Pop. 2020 % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 13,130 10,432 8,096 47.76% 37.88% 33.66%
Black or African American alone (NH) 11,216 11,128 9,233 40.80% 40.41% 38.39%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 58 54 62 0.21% 0.20% 0.26%
Asian alone (NH) 86 175 116 0.31% 0.64% 0.48%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 7 3 3 0.03% 0.01% 0.01%
Other race alone (NH) 49 39 107 0.18% 0.14% 0.44%
Mixed race or multiracial (NH) 401 599 916 1.46% 2.18% 3.81%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 2,544 5,107 5,519 9.25% 18.55% 22.95%
Total 27,491 27,537 24,052 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Kankakee had a population of 24,052 and 9,204 households, including 5,627 families.

The population density was 1,548.25 inhabitants per square mile (597.78/km2). There were 10,600 housing units, of which 13.2% were vacant; the homeowner vacancy rate was 3.8% and the rental vacancy rate was 11.1%.

The median age was 36.6 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18, 9.1% were from 18 to 24, 27.5% were from 25 to 44, 23.6% were from 45 to 64, and 15.1% were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.9 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.

Of the city's 9,204 households, 32.1% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 30.2% were married-couple households, 23.2% had a male householder with no spouse or partner present, and 38.1% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 34.7% of households were made up of individuals, and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

About 99.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.2% lived in rural areas.

Arts and culture

Warren Hickox House

Library service is provided by the Kankakee Public Library.

Architecture

Parks and recreation

Kankakee Valley Park District

Kankakee Valley Park District has 37 parks, comprising a total of 600 acres (2.4 km2). Facilities include an indoor ice skating rink, a recreation center, dog park, campground and a 72 boat slip marina on the Kankakee River. Fishing is plentiful as the district has 13 riverfront parks as well as a 5-acre (2.0 ha) stocked quarry.

The city has two softball complexes that have both been inducted into the Softball Hall of Fame. They host annual state and international tournaments drawing nearly 50,000 spectators throughout the year. Some Kankakee youth baseball leagues have won state championships.

Government

Civil War Memorial by the courthouse

Kankakee is governed by the mayor council system. The city council consists of fourteen members who are elected from seven wards (two per ward). The mayor and city clerk are elected in a citywide vote.[citation needed]

Education

Higher education

Organized in 1966 by a group of citizens, Kankakee Community College was established to provide a post-secondary educational resource for the people of the Kankakee area.

Primary and secondary education

Public schools are part of the Kankakee School District 111, which includes five elementary schools (Edison, Mark Twain, Lincoln Cultural Center Montessori, Steuben, and Taft), two middle schools (Kennedy and King), one junior high school (Kankakee Junior High), and one high school (Kankakee High), which from 1966 to 1983 was two separate high schools, Eastridge and Westview.

There are three private high schools: Bishop McNamara Catholic School (Catholic), Grace Christian Academy (non-denominational), and Kankakee Trinity Academy (inter-denominational).

Infrastructure

Transportation

Aerial view of Kankakee. The confluence of Iroquois River and Kankakee River is visible on the left edge of the frame.

Airport

Kankakee is served by the Greater Kankakee Airport, a general aviation facility located in the southern portion of Kankakee.

Railroads

Amtrak provides service to Kankakee from the Kankakee Amtrak Station. Amtrak operates the City of New Orleans, the Illini, and the Saluki, which each run once daily in both directions.

Highways

Interstate 57 runs east–west in the southern part of the city and turns north–south in the eastern part of Kankakee. United States Highways US 45 and US 52 run concurrently forming, along with Illinois State Route 50, the major north–south thoroughfares through Kankakee. Illinois State Route 17 is the major east–west road that bisects the city.

Public transportation

The River Valley Metro Mass Transit District (RVMMTD; River Valley Metro or METRO, for short) operates the region's transit bus system. Service runs seven days a week to locations in Kankakee as well as the nearby cities of Aroma Park, Bradley, Bourbonnais, and Manteno. All of the Kankakee routes are stationed out of the Chestnut & North Schuyler Transfer Station. River Valley Metro operates 12 fixed-regular bus routes and two commuter routes. The Midway and University Park commuter routes were added January 5, 2014, and in August 2015 River Valley Metro added a second Midway route to its schedule. In January 2016, a second University Park route was added.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Kankakee, Illinois
  2. ↑ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2025". United States Census Bureau. May 26, 2026. Retrieved July 29, 2026.
  4. ↑ Matthew White (October 14, 2022). Nine arrested in Kankakee Drug Raid. WCIA News. Event occurs at 00:06. Retrieved February 4, 2024 – via YouTube.
  5. ↑ "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  6. ↑ "Kankakee city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 13, 2022.
  7. ↑ McCafferty, Michael, "'Kankakee': An Old Etymological Puzzle," Names, 2014-06, Vol.62 (2), p. 107-114
  8. ↑ McCafferty, Michael (April 29, 2018). Native American Place Names of Indiana. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-03268-4. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Google Books.
  9. ↑ McCafferty, Michael (April 29, 2018). Native American Place Names of Indiana. University of Illinois Press. ISBN 978-0-252-03268-4. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Google Books.
  10. ↑ Werich, Jacob Lorenzo (April 29, 2018). "Pioneer Hunters of the Kankakee". Chronicle Printing Company. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Google Books.
  11. ↑ Bradford, William John Alden (April 29, 2018). Notes on the Northwest: Or, Valley of the Upper Mississippi. Wiley and Putnam. ISBN 978-0-608-43884-9. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Google Books.
  12. ↑ Johnson, Vic. 1994. "L'Riviere Theakiki--'The Fabulous River of 2,000 Bends'", The Daily Journal (July 31, 1994), p. 24.
  13. ↑ Temple, Wayne C. 1958. Indian Villages of the Illinois Country Archived July 4, 2015, at the Wayback Machine. Illinois State Museum Scientific Papers, vol. 2, Part 2, p. 145, fn 104
  14. ↑ Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Kankakee County , Volume 2, Issue 1, edited by Newton Bateman, Paul Selby; edited by William F. Kenaga, George R. Letourneau, p. 623.
  15. ↑ "Mound Grove Cemetery". graveyards.com. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  16. ↑ US Department of Commerce, NOAA. "March 10, 2026: Several Tornadoes in the Kankakee River Valley and Record Large Hail". www.weather.gov. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  17. ↑ US Census Bureau. "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  18. ↑ "NowData – NOAA Online Weather Data". National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Archived from the original on November 10, 2018. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Station: Kankakee Metro Wastewater, IL". U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020). National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Retrieved July 13, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  21. 1 2 "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kankakee city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  22. 1 2 "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Kankakee city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  23. ↑ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Kankakee city, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  24. 1 2 3 4 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  25. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  26. ↑ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  27. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2026.
  28. ↑ "The B. Harley Bradley House". www.kankakeewright.org. Archived from the original on January 15, 2012. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  29. ↑ Heinz, Thomas A.; Wright, Frank Lloyd (April 29, 2018). Frank Lloyd Wright Field Guide: Includes All United States and International Sites. Northwestern University Press. ISBN 978-0-8101-2244-4. Retrieved April 29, 2018 – via Google Books.
  30. ↑ "Kankakee". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. Retrieved February 23, 2026.
  31. ↑ "Geographic Names Information System". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on July 14, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  32. ↑ "Kankakee School District Schools". Kankakee School District 111. Archived from the original on June 10, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Kankakee: Name change introduces Grace Christian Academy". The Daily Journal.
  34. ↑ "Grace Baptist Academy". gracecrusaders.org. Grace Baptist Academy. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  35. ↑ "Our Purpose". Kankakee Trinity Academy. Archived from the original on May 16, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  36. ↑ "Kankakee Valley Airport Authority". Kankakee Valley Airport Authority. Archived from the original on August 16, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  37. ↑ "Kankakee, IL (KKI)". Amtrak. Archived from the original on August 25, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  38. ↑ "City of New Orleans, Illini and Saluki" (PDF). Amtrak. May 7, 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  39. ↑ "Transfer Stations". River Valley Metro. Archived from the original on October 6, 2011. Retrieved June 8, 2012.
  40. ↑ "Too many bullet holes in Accountant". October 14, 2016. Archived from the original on December 2, 2022. Retrieved March 11, 2026.
  41. ↑ "Kirkbride Buildings Forum • View topic – Movies Filmed at Kankakee". Kirkbridebuildings.com. April 28, 2008. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved October 17, 2011.
  42. ↑ Sheet Music Art Of Irving Berlin / Thomas Inglis. – Atglen, PA : Schiffer Pub., c2003 (p. 21 & 23)
  43. ↑ "Song Search for "city of new orleans"". AllMusic. Archived from the original on October 23, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2018.
  44. ↑ Philip Furia; Michael L. Lasser (May 12, 2006). America's songs. Taylor & Francis. p. 160. ISBN 978-0-415-97246-8.
  45. ↑ "King Von – Took Her to the O Lyrics - Genius". Genius.
  46. ↑ "David Letterman thanks Kankakee for gazebo-turned-rocking chair". Chicago Sun-Times. March 27, 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2022.
  47. ↑ "554: Not It!". thisamericanlife.org. April 10, 2015. Archived from the original on April 8, 2015.