Cary, Illinois

Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox settlement Cary is a village located in Algonquin Township, McHenry County, Illinois, and Cuba Township, Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 17,826.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Founding

In 1841, William Dennison Cary purchased Template:Convert for $1.25 an acre at the location of the current town and built a farm. In 1856, Cary included a train station for the Illinois & Wisconsin Railway which connected Cary to Chicago and Janesville. The site was approved and a post office was added with the designation "Cary Station." The community around Cary Station was incorporated in 1893 as Cary, Illinois.<ref>Craig L. Pfannkuche, "Cary, Illinois", Encyclopedia of Chicago, The Newberry Library, 2004</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Early farmers saw this new railway as an opportunity. The economy relied heavily on selling produce, mainly pickles, and the farmers utilized the railway to conduct business with more industrialized cities such as St. Louis and Chicago. The success of this transportation enterprise helped transform Cary into the suburban community it is today.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> People traveled by rail and most commerce became dependent on the railroad.

In the 1950s, highway transportation overtook rail as the primary means of moving people and goods. Northwest Highway (U.S. 14) parallels the railroad right-of-way, which has been the Union Pacific Northwest Metra line since the Union Pacific merged with the Chicago & North Western in 1995.

Geography

Cary is located at Template:Coord (42.2129566, -88.2483260).<ref name="gnis"/>

According to the 2010 census, Cary has a total area of Template:Convert, of which Template:Convert (or 98.62%) is land and Template:Convert (or 1.38%) is water.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It is located on the Fox River.

Demographics

Cary village, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Template:Nobold

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000<ref name=2000CensusP004>Template:Cite web</ref>	Pop 2010<ref name=2010CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Partial<ref name=2020CensusP2>Template:Cite web</ref>	% 2000	% 2010	Template:Partial
White alone (NH)	14,311	15,801	14,417	92.14%	86.48%	80.88%
Black or African American alone (NH)	60	113	134	0.39%	0.62%	0.75%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	18	10	25	0.12%	0.05%	0.14%
Asian alone (NH)	210	440	516	1.35%	2.41%	2.89%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	4	2	4	0.03%	0.01%	0.02%
Other race alone (NH)	3	19	52	0.02%	0.10%	0.29%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	82	260	578	0.53%	1.42%	3.24%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	843	1,626	2,100	5.43%	8.90%	11.78%
Total	15,531	18,271	17,826	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

The population of Cary was 17,826 as of 2020.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

There were 6,424 households, out of which 2838 had children under the age of 18 living with them.

The median income for a household in the village was $100,339, and the median income for a family was $111,065.

Education

Cary is mainly served by Community High School District 155 for high school students, specifically by Cary-Grove High School and Prairie Ridge High School,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and School District 26 for elementary and middle school students. Some portions of Cary also are served by Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District 47 and Community Unit School District 300.<ref name="Schools">Template:Cite web</ref>

Trinity Oaks Christian Academy, a non-denominational Christian school, is located in Cary,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> as well as Saints Peter and Paul, a Roman Catholic school and parish.<ref name="Schools"/>

Popular culture

The interior of the bed and breakfast room that Bill Murray's character stays in, in the 1993 film Groundhog Day, was built in a warehouse in Cary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Suzanne Evenson of Cary was featured on HGTV's show House Hunters International on December 8, 2010, showcasing her family's move from Cary to Dubai.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Students from the class of 2004 were featured in the MTV show High School Stories. They concocted a senior prank which included launching a boat onto a pond on school property.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In the summer of 2016, Burger King opened its first-ever drive-thru-only restaurant in Cary.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was closed in 2023.

A Cary resident, Chris Rudolph, was a contestant on TLC's "Spouse House,"<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> airing in July 2017.

Transportation

U.S. Route 14, locally known as Northwest Highway, passes through Cary between its northwest and southeast borders.

Illinois Route 31 forms part of Cary's western border.

Metra's Union Pacific Northwest Line has a station in Cary and operates daily service to Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago.

Lake in the Hills Airport is approximately two miles west of Cary's west border.

Notable people

• Brandon Barnes, soccer player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• Drew Conner, soccer player<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
• A. J. Raebel, Canadian football player
• Michael Glasder, ski jumper XXIII Olympic Winter Games (raised in Cary)
• Quinn Priester, MLB player, Boston Red Sox pitcher, (attended Cary-Grove High School)
• Jimmy John Liautaud, founder of Jimmy John's
• Paul Wertico, jazz drummer (member of the Pat Metheny Group for many years), winner of 7 Grammy Awards (raised in Cary)

External links

• Template:Official website