Editing Will County, Illinois

{{Short description|County in Illinois, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox U.S. county
 | county               = Will County
 | state                = Illinois
 | seal                 = 
 | founded date         = January 12
 | founded year         = 1836
 | named for            = [[Conrad Will (politician)|Conrad Will]]
 | seat wl              = Joliet
 | largest city wl      = Joliet
 | area_total_sq_mi     = 849
 | area_land_sq_mi      = 837
 | area_water_sq_mi     = 12
 | area percentage      = 1.5
 | population_as_of     = 2020
 | population_total     = 696355
 | pop_est_as_of        = 2023
 | population_est       = 700728 {{gain}}
 | density_sq_mi        = auto
 | time zone            = Central
 | web                  = https://willcounty.gov/
 | ex image             = {{Photomontage
    | photo1a      = Flanders House (5978683004).jpg
    | photo2a      = Midewin bison 2016-06-05 16.32.59 crop3.jpg
    | spacing      = 10
    | position     = center
    | color_border = white
    | color        = white
    | size         = 280
    | foot_montage = 
   }}
 | ex image cap         = Flanders House in Plainfield (1840), [[Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie]].
 | district             = 1st
 | district2            = 2nd
 | district3            = 11th
 | district4            = 14th
}}

'''Will County''' is a [[County (United States)|county]] in the northeastern part of the [[U.S. state|state]] of [[Illinois]]. According to the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], it had a population of 696,355, an increase of 2.8% from 677,560 in 2010, making it Illinois's fourth-most populous county.<ref name="census.gov">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Will County, Illinois |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/willcountyillinois/POP010220 |website=www.census.gov |access-date=August 29, 2021 |language=en}}</ref> The [[county seat]] is [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]].<ref name="GR6">{{cite web|url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|access-date=June 7, 2011|title=Find a County|publisher=National Association of Counties|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx|archive-date=May 31, 2011}}</ref> Will County is one of the five [[collar counties]] of the Chicago–Naperville–Elgin, IL–IN–WI Metropolitan Statistical Area. The portion of Will County around Joliet uses area codes 815 and 779, while 630 and 331 are for far northern Will County and 708 is for central and eastern Will County.

==History==
Will County was formed on January 12, 1836, out of [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook]] and [[Iroquois County, Illinois|Iroquois Counties]]. It was named after [[Conrad Will (politician)|Conrad Will]], a politician and businessman involved in salt production in southern Illinois.<ref>[http://www.ledgersentinel.com/article.asp?a=5216 "Was Dr. Conrad Will really worth his salt?"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111001164731/http://www.ledgersentinel.com/article.asp?a=5216 |date=October 1, 2011 }}, Ledger-Sentinel, Roger Matile, June 22, 2006</ref> Will was a member of the first Illinois Constitutional Convention and a member of the Illinois legislature until his death in 1835. Besides its present area, the county originally included the part of [[Kankakee County, Illinois]], north of the [[Kankakee River]]. It lost that area when Kankakee County was organized in 1852. Since then its boundaries have not changed.

[[National Register of Historic Places listings in Will County, Illinois|36 locations]] in Will County are on the [[National Register of Historic Places]].

{{Quote box
|width   = 50%
|fontsize  = 95%
|align   = left
|quote   = "WILL, a county in the E. N. E. part of Illinois, bordering on Indiana, has an area of {{convert|1236|sqmi|km2}}. It is intersected by the Kankakee and [[Des Plaines River]]s, branches of the [[Illinois River|Illinois]]. The surface is generally level, and destitute of timber, excepting small groves. The soil is very fertile, and much of it is under cultivation. The soil of the prairies is a deep, sandy loam, adapted to Indian corn and grass. In 1850 the county produced 527,903 bushels of Indian corn; 230,885 of wheat; 334,360 of oats; 32,043 tons of hay, and 319,054 pounds of butter. It contained 14 churches, 3 newspaper offices; 3472 pupils attending public schools, and 200 attending other schools. Quarries of building stone are worked near the county seat. The Des Plaines river furnishes water-power. The county is intersected by the [[Illinois and Michigan canal]], by the Chicago branch of the [[Illinois Central|Central railroad]], the [[Chicago and Mississippi Railroad|Chicago and Mississippi]], and by the [[Chicago and Rock Island railroad]]. Named in honor of Conrad Will, for many years a member of the Illinois legislature. Capital, Joliet. Population 16,703."
|source  =  {{mdash}} ''1854 U.S. Gazetteer''
}}

<gallery>
File:Will County Illinois 1836.png|Will County from its 1836 creation to 1852
File:Will County Illinois 1853.png|Will County in 1853, reduced to its current borders by the creation of Kankakee County
</gallery>

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau|U.S. Census Bureau]], the county has an area of {{convert|849|sqmi}}, of which {{convert|837|sqmi}} is land and {{convert|12|sqmi}} (1.5%) is water.<ref name="census-density"/>

The [[Kankakee River]], [[Du Page River]] and the [[Des Plaines River]] run through the county and join on its western border. The [[Illinois and Michigan Canal]] and the [[Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal]] run through Will County.

A number of areas are preserved as parks (over {{convert|20000|acre|km2}} total) under the [[Forest Preserve District of Will County]]. The {{convert|17,000|acre|km2}} [[Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie]] is a [[U.S. Forest Service]] park in the county on the grounds of the former [[Joliet Army Ammunition Plant|Joliet Arsenal]]. Other parks include [[Channahon State Park]] and the [[Des Plaines Fish and Wildlife Area]].

===Climate and weather===
{{climate chart
|[[Joliet, Illinois]]
|13|30|1.58
|19|35|1.64
|28|47|2.46
|37|60|3.75
|48|72|3.87
|58|81|4.22
|63|85|4.34
|61|82|3.82
|53|76|3.14
|41|64|2.70
|31|48|3.00
|20|35|2.44
|float=right
|units=imperial
|clear=both
|source=The Weather Channel<ref name="weather">{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0592
 |title       = Monthly Averages for Joliet, Illinois
 |access-date  = January 27, 2011
|publisher   = The Weather Channel
 |url-status     = live
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20120127222634/http://www.weather.com/weather/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USIL0592
 |archive-date = January 27, 2012
|df          = mdy-all
}}</ref>}}
In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Joliet have ranged from a low of {{convert|13|°F}} in January to a high of {{convert|85|°F}} in July, although a record low of {{convert|-26|°F}} was recorded in January 1985 and a record high of {{convert|104|°F}} was recorded in June 1988. Average monthly precipitation ranged from {{convert|1.58|in}} in January to {{convert|4.34|in}} in July.<ref name="weather"/>

===Adjacent counties===
* [[Kane County, Illinois|Kane County]] (northwest)
* [[DuPage County, Illinois|DuPage County]] (north)
* [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]] (northeast)
* [[Lake County, Indiana]] (east)
* [[Kankakee County, Illinois|Kankakee County]] (south)
* [[Grundy County, Illinois|Grundy County]] (southwest)
* [[Kendall County, Illinois|Kendall County]] (west)

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1840= 10167
|1850= 16703
|1860= 29321
|1870= 43013
|1880= 53422
|1890= 62007
|1900= 74764
|1910= 84371
|1920= 92911
|1930= 110732
|1940= 114210
|1950= 134336
|1960= 191617
|1970= 249498
|1980= 324460
|1990= 357313
|2000= 502266
|2010= 677560
|2020= 696355
|estyear=2023
|estimate=700728
|estref=<ref name="USCensusEst2023">{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/popest/data/tables.html|title=Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 2, 2024}}</ref>
|align-fn=center
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=U.S. Decennial Census|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 16, 2015}}</ref><br />1790–1960<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu|title=Historical Census Browser|publisher=University of Virginia Library|access-date=July 9, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811110448/http://mapserver.lib.virginia.edu/|archive-date=August 11, 2012}}</ref> 1900–1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt|title=Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 16, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140424084443/http://www.census.gov/population/cencounts/il190090.txt|archive-date=April 24, 2014}}</ref><br />1990–2000<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|title=Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 9, 2014|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141218203824/http://www.census.gov/population/www/cen2000/briefs/phc-t4/tables/tab02.pdf|archive-date=December 18, 2014}}</ref> 2010<ref name="QF">{{cite web|title=State & County QuickFacts|url=http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17101.html|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=July 9, 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606133209/http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/17101.html|archive-date=June 6, 2011}}</ref> 2020<ref name="census.gov">{{cite web |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Will County, Illinois |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/willcountyillinois/POP010220 |website=www.census.gov |access-date=August 29, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable"  style="text-align:center;"
|+'''Will County, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition'''<br><small>{{nobold|''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.''}}</small>
!Race / Ethnicity <small>(''NH = Non-Hispanic'')</small>
!Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>{{Cite web|title=P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Will County, Illinois|url=https://data.census.gov/table?g=050XX00US17197&tid=DECENNIALSF12000.P004|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=}}</ref>
!Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Will County, Illinois|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US17197&tid=DECENNIALPL2010.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!{{partial|Pop 2020}}<ref name=2020CensusP2>{{Cite web|title=P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Will County, Illinois|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=p2&g=050XX00US17197&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|website=[[United States Census Bureau]]}}</ref>
!% 2000
!% 2010
!{{partial|% 2020}}
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino whites|White]] alone (NH)
|388,523
|455,577
|style='background: #ffffe6; |418,418
|77.35%
|67.24%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |60.09%
|-
|[[Non-Hispanic or Latino African Americans|Black or African American]] alone (NH)
|51,980
|74,419
|style='background: #ffffe6; |79,256
|10.35%
|10.98%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |11.38%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or [[Alaska Native]] alone (NH)
|672
|814
|style='background: #ffffe6; |711
|0.13%
|0.12%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.10%
|-
|[[Asian Americans|Asian]] alone (NH)
|11,021
|30,458
|style='background: #ffffe6; |42,416
|2.19%
|4.50%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |6.09%
|-
|[[Native Hawaiian]] or [[Pacific Islander Americans|Pacific Islander]] alone (NH)
|120
|104
|style='background: #ffffe6; |82
|0.02%
|0.02%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.01%
|-
|[[Race and ethnicity in the United States census|Other race]] alone (NH)
|536
|751
|style='background: #ffffe6; |2,105
|0.11%
|0.11%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |0.30%
|-
|[[Multiracial Americans|Mixed race or Multiracial]] (NH)
|5,646
|9,620
|style='background: #ffffe6; |22,516
|1.12%
|1.42%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |3.23%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] (any race)
|43,768
|105,817
|style='background: #ffffe6; |130,851
|8.71%
|15.62%
|style='background: #ffffe6; |18.79%
|-
|'''Total'''
|'''502,266'''
|'''677,560'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''696,355'''
|'''100.00%'''
|'''100.00%'''
|style='background: #ffffe6; |'''100.00%'''
|}

===2010 census===
As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 Census]], there were 677,560 people, 225,256 households, and 174,062 families residing in the county.<ref name="census-dp1">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17197
  |title=DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213010309/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0500000US17197
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The population density was {{convert|809.6|PD/sqmi}}. There were 237,501 housing units at an average density of {{convert|283.8|/sqmi}}.<ref name="census-density">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17197
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
|title=Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County
  |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212201025/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_SF1/GCTPH1.CY10/0500000US17197
  |archive-date=February 12, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref> The racial makeup of the county was 76.0% white, 11.2% black or African American, 4.6% Asian, 0.3% American Indian, 5.8% from other races, and 2.3% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 15.6% of the population.<ref name="census-dp1"/> In terms of ancestry, 21.6% were [[German American|German]], 18.6% were [[Irish American|Irish]], 13.3% were [[Polish American|Polish]], 11.1% were [[Italian American|Italian]], 5.9% were [[English American|English]], and 2.1% were [[Americans|American]].<ref name="census-dp2">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17197
  |title=DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213015920/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP02/0500000US17197
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

Of the 225,256 households, 44.0% had children under 18 living with them, 61.9% were married couples living together, 10.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 22.7% were non-families, and 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.41. The median age was 35.4.<ref name="census-dp1"/>

The median income for a household in the county was $75,906 and the median income for a family was $85,488. Males had a median income of $60,867 versus $40,643 for females. The per capita income was $29,811. About 5.0% of families and 6.6% of the population were below the [[poverty line]], including 9.0% of those under 18 and 5.6% of those 65 or older.<ref name="census-dp3">{{cite web
  |url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17197
  |title=DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates
  |access-date=July 12, 2015
|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]
  |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213025057/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/10_5YR/DP03/0500000US17197
  |archive-date=February 13, 2020
|url-status=dead
  }}</ref>

==Government==
Will County is governed by a 22-member county board elected from 11 districts. Each district elects two members. The county executive, county clerk, coroner, auditor, treasurer, recorder of deeds, state's attorney, and [[Will County Sheriff's Office|sheriff]] are all elected in a countywide vote. The current county executive is [[Jennifer Bertino-Tarrant]], who took office in 2020.

Will County government has been housed in a succession of courthouses, the first being erected in 1837.<ref name="Will County Court Facts">{{cite web |title=Will County Court Facts |url=https://www.willcountycourts.com/Circuit-Court/Will-County-Court-Facts|access-date=February 11, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> The fourth courthouse was designed of reinforced concrete in the [[Brutalist architecture|Brutalist]] style by Otto Stark of [[C.F. Murphy Associates]] and completed in 1969. Citing lack of space, inefficiency and high operating costs, the County Board chose to erect a new courthouse, which was designed by Wight & Co. and completed in 2020.<ref name="County Breaks Ground on New Courthouse">{{cite web |title=County Breaks Ground on New Courthouse |url=https://www.willcountyboard.com/news/county-breaks-ground-on-new-courthouse|access-date=February 11, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> Considerable controversy surrounded the disposition of the 1969 courthouse, with [[Landmarks Preservation Council of Illinois]] including the building on its “2022 Most Endangered Historic Places in Illinois”.<ref name="Landmarks Illinois">{{cite web |title=Landmarks Illinois & Courthouse Preservation Partnership Issue Request For Expressions Of Interest To Demonstrate Interest In Former Will County Courthouse|url=https://www.landmarks.org/press-room/will-county-courthouse-rfei-press-release/#:~:text=Despite%20its%20significance%20and%20eligibility,Endangered%20Historic%20Places%20in%20Illinois.|access-date=February 11, 2024 |language=en}}</ref> After a number of votes and appeals, demolition was approved and the destruction of the building began on December 4, 2023.<ref name="Demolition Of Will County Courthouse Finally Arrives">{{cite web |title=Demolition Of Will County Courthouse Finally Arrives|url=https://patch.com/illinois/joliet/demolition-will-county-courthouse-finally-arrives-exclusive|access-date=February 11, 2024 |language=en}}</ref>

==Politics==
Like most of the [[collar counties]], Will County was once a Republican stronghold. It went Republican in all but three elections from 1892 to 1988. Since the 1990s, it has become a swing county. It voted for the national winner in every presidential election from 1980 to 2012, but Chicago-born [[Hillary Clinton]] won it along with the rest of the "collar counties" aside from McHenry in 2016.
{{PresHead|place=Will County, Illinois|source=<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS|title=Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections|first=David|last=Leip|website=uselectionatlas.org|access-date=April 29, 2018|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180323225526/https://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/|archive-date=March 23, 2018}}</ref>}}
<!-- PresRow should be {{PresRow|Year|Winning party|GOP vote #|Dem vote #|3rd party vote #|State}} -->
{{PresRow|2024|Democratic|157,672|162,874|8,391|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2020|Democratic|155,116|183,915|7,235|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2016|Democratic|132,720|151,927|19,579|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2012|Democratic|128,969|144,229|4,967|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2008|Democratic|122,597|160,406|4,178|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2004|Republican|130,728|117,172|1,709|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|2000|Republican|95,828|90,902|4,940|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1996|Democratic|62,506|69,354|16,444|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1992|Democratic|58,337|59,633|34,153|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1988|Republican|73,129|49,816|786|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1984|Republican|78,684|45,193|520|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1980|Republican|69,310|41,975|9,373|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1976|Republican|61,784|51,103|1,840|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1972|Republican|65,155|33,633|430|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1968|Republican|43,630|31,576|13,254|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1964|Democratic|38,619|49,663|0|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1960|Republican|42,575|41,056|81|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1956|Republican|45,628|25,188|100|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1952|Republican|38,533|29,749|110|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1948|Republican|28,601|26,430|597|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1944|Republican|30,058|27,085|310|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1940|Republican|32,291|29,442|213|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1936|Democratic|25,028|28,135|2,151|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1932|Democratic|25,173|25,798|1,295|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1928|Republican|26,081|20,877|447|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1924|Republican|22,780|4,707|8,018|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1920|Republican|21,746|5,410|1,318|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1916|Republican|19,881|11,378|506|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1912|Progressive|3,331|4,717|8,719|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1908|Republican|10,358|5,693|850|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1904|Republican|10,001|3,191|1,873|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1900|Republican|10,056|6,655|269|Illinois}}
{{PresRow|1896|Republican|9,249|6,873|120|Illinois}}
{{PresFoot|1892|Republican|6,720|6,434|420|Illinois}}

==Education==
* [[Governors State University]] is a 6,000-student public university in [[University Park, Illinois|University Park]].
* [[Lewis University]] is a 5,200-student four-year private university in [[Romeoville, Illinois|Romeoville]].
* [[University of St. Francis]] is a 3,300-student four-year private university in [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]].
* The county is in Community College District 525 and is served by [[Joliet Junior College]] in Joliet.<ref>[http://www.illinoisatlas.com/illinois/education/pdf/il_cc_2002.pdf retrieved 2007-02-13] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208121622/http://www.illinoisatlas.com/illinois/education/pdf/il_cc_2002.pdf |date=December 8, 2006 }}</ref> Joliet Junior College was the first two-year higher education institution in the United States.

===K-12 school districts===
K-12 school districts, including any with any territory in Will County, no matter how slight, even if the schools and/or administrative headquarters are in other counties:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st17_il/schooldistrict_maps/c17197_will/DC20SD_C17197.pdf|title=2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Will County, IL|publisher=[[U.S. Census Bureau]]|accessdate=July 20, 2022}} - [https://www2.census.gov/geo/maps/DC2020/PL20/st17_il/schooldistrict_maps/c17197_will/DC20SD_C17197_SD2MS.txt Text]</ref>

K-12:
* [[Beecher Community Unit School District 200U]]
* [[Coal City Community Unit School District 1]]
* [[Crete-Monee Community Unit School District 201-U]]
* [[Indian Prairie School District 204]]
* [[Manteno Community Unit School District 5]]
* [[Naperville Community Unit District 203]]
* [[Oswego Community Unit School District 308]]
* [[Peotone Community Unit School District 207U]]
* [[Plainfield School District 202]]
* [[Reed Custer Community Unit School District 255U]]
* [[Valley View Community Unit School District 365U]]
* [[Wilmington Community Unit School District 209U]]

Secondary:
* [[Bloom Township High School District 206]]
* [[Joliet Township High School District 204]]
* [[Lincoln Way Community High School District 210]]
* [[Lockport Township High School District 205]]
* [[Minooka Community High School District 111]]

Elementary:
* [[Chaney-Monge School District 88]]
* [[Channahon School District 17]]
* [[Elwood Community Consolidated School District 203]]
* [[Fairmont School District 89]]
* [[Frankfort Community Consolidated School District 157C]]
* [[Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C]]
* [[Joliet Public School District 86]]
* [[Laraway Community Consolidated School District 70C]]
* [[Lockport School District 91]]
* [[Manhattan School District 114]]
* [[Minooka Community Consolidated School District 201]]
* [[Mokena School District 159]]
* [[New Lenox School District 122]]
* [[Richland School District 88A]]
* [[Rockdale School District 84]]
* [[Steger School District 194;]]
* [[Summit Hill School District 161]]
* [[Taft School District 90]]
* [[Troy Community Consolidated School District 30C]]
* [[Union School District 81]]
* [[Will County School District 92]]

==Transportation==
Will County is served by four U.S. interstate highways, four U.S. highways, and 12 Illinois highways. [[Pace (transit)|Pace]] provides bus transit services within the county.

===Rail===
Four different [[Metra]] commuter rail lines ([[Metra Electric Line|Metra Electric Main Line]], [[Southwest Service]], [[Rock Island District]] and [[Heritage Corridor]]) connect Will County with the [[Chicago Loop]]. [[Amtrak]] serves the county at [[Joliet Transportation Center]]. The [[Lincoln Service]] operates between Chicago and St. Louis, while the [[Texas Eagle]] provides service from Chicago south to [[San Antonio]] and west to [[Los Angeles]].

===Major highways===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[File:I-55.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 55]]
* [[File:I-57.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 57]]
* [[File:I-80.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 80]]
* [[File:I-355.svg|25px]] [[Interstate 355]]
* [[File:US 6.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 6]]
* [[File:US 30.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 30]]
* [[File:US 45.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 45]]
* [[File:US 52.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Highway 52]]
* [[File:US 66 (historic).svg|25px]] [[U.S. Route 66 in Illinois|U.S. Highway 66]]
* [[File:Illinois 1.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 1]]
* [[File:Illinois 7.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 7]]
* [[File:Illinois 43.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 43]]
* [[File:Illinois 50.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 50]]
* [[File:Illinois 53.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 53]]
* [[File:Illinois 59.svg|20px]] [[Illinois Route 59]]
* [[File:Illinois 102.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 102]]
* [[File:Illinois 113.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 113]]
* [[File:Illinois 126.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 126]]
* [[File:Illinois 129.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 129]]
* [[File:Illinois 171.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 171]]
* [[File:Illinois 394.svg|25px]] [[Illinois Route 394]]
{{div col end}}

==Energy infrastructure==

===Pipelines===
Will County is a major hub in the national [[natural gas]] pipeline grid where pipelines from [[Canada]] and the [[Gulf of Mexico]] meet and then fan out to serve the Midwest. The following major energy companies own pipeline that runs through Will County:
* [[Alliance Pipeline]]
* [[Enbridge Pipeline System|Enbridge]]
* [[Integrys Energy Group]]
** [[Peoples Gas]]
* [[Kinder Morgan Interstate Gas Transmission]]
* [[TransCanada Corporation|TransCanada]]
** [[ANR Pipeline]] - Fully owned & operated
** [[Northern Border Pipeline]] - Partially owned & fully operated
* [[Vector Pipeline]]

===Joliet Refinery===
[[ExxonMobil]] owns and operates the [[List of oil refineries#Illinois|Joliet Refinery]] along the [[Des Plaines River]] just east of [[Interstate 55 in Illinois|I-55]]. According to ExxonMobil, the refinery employs about 600 people and was constructed in 1972.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Files/joliet_brochure.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=August 30, 2013 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131005230356/http://www.exxonmobil.com/Corporate/Files/joliet_brochure.pdf |archive-date=October 5, 2013  }}</ref>

==Municipalities==

===Cities===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Aurora, Illinois|Aurora]] (mostly in DuPage, Kane, and Kendall counties)
* [[Braidwood, Illinois|Braidwood]] 
* [[Crest Hill, Illinois|Crest Hill]] 
* [[Joliet, Illinois|Joliet]] (partly in Kendall County)
* [[Lockport, Illinois|Lockport]] 
* [[Naperville, Illinois|Naperville]] (mostly in DuPage County)
* [[Wilmington, Will County, Illinois|Wilmington]] 
{{div col end}}

===Villages===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Beecher, Illinois|Beecher]]
* [[Bolingbrook, Illinois|Bolingbrook]] (partly in DuPage County)
* [[Channahon, Illinois|Channahon]] (partly in Grundy County)
* [[Coal City, Illinois|Coal City]] (mostly in Grundy County)
* [[Crete, Illinois|Crete]]
* [[Diamond, Illinois|Diamond]] (mostly in Grundy County)
* [[Elwood, Illinois|Elwood]]
* [[Frankfort, Illinois|Frankfort]] (partly in Cook County)
* [[Godley, Illinois|Godley]] 
* [[Homer Glen, Illinois|Homer Glen]] (partly in Cook County)
* [[Manhattan, Illinois|Manhattan]] 
* [[Minooka, Illinois|Minooka]] (mostly in Grundy & Kendall counties)
* [[Mokena, Illinois|Mokena]]
* [[Monee, Illinois|Monee]]
* [[New Lenox, Illinois|New Lenox]] 
* [[Orland Park, Illinois|Orland Park]] (mostly in Cook County)
* [[Oswego, Illinois|Oswego]] (mostly in Kendall County)
* [[Park Forest, Illinois|Park Forest]] (mostly in Cook County)
* [[Peotone, Illinois|Peotone]]
* [[Plainfield, Illinois|Plainfield]] (partly in Kendall County)
* [[Rockdale, Illinois|Rockdale]]
* [[Romeoville, Illinois|Romeoville]]
* [[Shorewood, Illinois|Shorewood]]
* [[Steger, Illinois|Steger]] (partly in Cook County)
* [[Symerton, Illinois|Symerton]]
* [[Tinley Park, Illinois|Tinley Park]] (mostly in Cook County)
* [[University Park, Illinois|University Park]] (partly in Cook County)
* [[Woodridge, Illinois|Woodridge]] (mostly in DuPage County)
{{div col end}}

===Census-designated places===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Andres, Illinois|Andres]]
* [[Arbury Hills, Illinois|Arbury Hills]]
* [[Ballou, Illinois|Ballou]]
* [[Bonnie Brae, Illinois|Bonnie Brae]]
* [[Crystal Lawns, Illinois|Crystal Lawns]]
* [[Custer Park, Illinois|Custer Park]]
* [[Eagle Lake, Illinois|Eagle Lake]]
* [[Fairmont, Illinois|Fairmont]]
* [[Frankfort Square, Illinois|Frankfort Square]]
* [[Goodenow, Illinois|Goodenow]]
* [[Ingalls Park, Illinois|Ingalls Park]]
* [[Lakewood Shores, Illinois|Lakewood Shores]]
* [[Lockport Heights, Illinois|Lockport Heights]]
* [[Lorenzo, Illinois|Lorenzo]]
* [[Marley, Illinois|Marley]]
* [[Plum Valley, Illinois|Plum Valley]]
* [[Polk, Illinois|Polk]]
* [[Preston Heights, Illinois|Preston Heights]]
* [[Rest Haven, Illinois|Rest Haven]]
* [[Ridgewood, Illinois|Ridgewood]]
* [[Ritchie, Illinois|Ritchie]]
* [[Sunnyland, Illinois|Sunnyland]]
* [[Willow Brook Estates, Illinois|Willow Brook Estates]]
* [[Wilton, Illinois|Wilton]]
* [[Wilton Center, Illinois|Wilton Center]]
{{div col end}}

===Fort===
* [[Fort Beggs|Beggs]]

===Townships===
{{div col|colwidth=15em}}
* [[Channahon Township, Will County, Illinois|Channahon]]
* [[Crete Township, Will County, Illinois|Crete]]
* [[Custer Township, Will County, Illinois|Custer]]
* [[DuPage Township, Will County, Illinois|DuPage]]
* [[Florence Township, Will County, Illinois|Florence]]
* [[Frankfort Township, Will County, Illinois|Frankfort]]
* [[Green Garden Township, Will County, Illinois|Green Garden]]
* [[Homer Township, Will County, Illinois|Homer]]
* [[Jackson Township, Will County, Illinois|Jackson]]
* [[Joliet Township, Will County, Illinois|Joliet]]
* [[Lockport Township, Will County, Illinois|Lockport]]
* [[Manhattan Township, Will County, Illinois|Manhattan]]
* [[Monee Township, Will County, Illinois|Monee]]
* [[New Lenox Township, Will County, Illinois|New Lenox]]
* [[Peotone Township, Will County, Illinois|Peotone]]
* [[Plainfield Township, Will County, Illinois|Plainfield]]
* [[Reed Township, Will County, Illinois|Reed]]
* [[Troy Township, Will County, Illinois|Troy]]
* [[Washington Township, Will County, Illinois|Washington]]
* [[Wesley Township, Will County, Illinois|Wesley]]
* [[Wheatland Township, Will County, Illinois|Wheatland]]
* [[Will Township, Will County, Illinois|Will]]
* [[Wilmington Township, Will County, Illinois|Wilmington]]
* [[Wilton Township, Will County, Illinois|Wilton]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal bar|Chicago|Illinois}}

==References==
;Specific
{{Reflist|30em}}

;General
* {{cite book
 | first = Richard L. (editor)
 | last = Forstall
 | year = 1996
 | title = Population of states and counties of the United States: 1790 to 1990: from the twenty-one decennial censuses
 | publisher = United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census, Population Division
 | isbn = 0-934213-48-8
}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{official website}}
* [https://www.willcountyboard.com/ Will County Board]

{{Geographic Location
|Centre    = Will County, Illinois
|North     = [[DuPage County, Illinois|DuPage County]]
|Northeast = [[Cook County, Illinois|Cook County]]
|East      = [[Lake County, Indiana]]
|Southeast = [[Jasper County, Indiana]]
|South     = [[Kankakee County, Illinois|Kankakee County]]
|Southwest = [[Grundy County, Illinois|Grundy County]]
|West      = [[Kendall County, Illinois|Kendall County]]
|Northwest = [[Kane County, Illinois|Kane County]]
}}
{{Will County, Illinois}}
{{Chicagoland}}
{{Illinois}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|41.44|-87.98|display=title|type:adm2nd_region:US-IL_source:UScensus1990}}

[[Category:Will County, Illinois| ]]
[[Category:1836 establishments in Illinois]]
[[Category:Chicago metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Illinois counties]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1836]]