Waukegan IL Moving Companies

Waukegan, Illinois

Waukegan, located in Lake County, is the ninth-largest city in Illinois. The City has plans for a complete redevelopment of the lakefront area, which should be of interest to boating and water. Should you be thinking of moving to Waukegan then make sure you connect out our detailed listings of homes for sale and apartments.

History:
Originally a French Trading Post, the town was first named “Little Fort” which it held until changed to Waukegan - a Native American word meaning “house.” The early days saw Waukegan prosper through industries such as wagon and shipbuilding as well as several agricultural pursuits, and then the Chicago North Western Railway reached the town in 1855. Incorporation followed in 1859 with Waukegan gaining “City” status. The second half of the nineteenth century saw more activity in the form of brewing of malt liquor which, using the busy shipping channels on the lake, was distributed throughout the United States. Entering the 20th century, Waukegan now had a large residential community with several new industries arriving in the area including the likes of Fansteel, Abbot Laboratories, Anchor Glass, Baxter International and National Gypsum. However, with fierce competition from the Far East, local industries took a severe knock in the 1970s and the City, now recognizing the need for diversification has set about attracting new sectors to the local economy.

Economy:
Forming part of the Greater Midwest economy, Waukegan has come to terms with the fact that much of the manufacturing sector has downsized or even completely shut down over the last few decades. Local authorities have recognized this and put plans in place to attract and develop a knowledge-based economy. Waukegan may have to network into the successes achieved in surrounding areas such as Kenosha County, although it also has plans to redevelop the lake frontage, which will have significant implications for its own tourism market.

Tourism:
The scenery around Waukegan is a joy to behold and the local residents are friendly too, so your visit to this part of Illinois will be well rewarded. Fishing and water sports on the lake are popular pastimes. You can also admire abandoned edifices of pre-1950s architecture in the north historic district and along Sheridan Road. Building styles are Victorian, Greek revival and Italian and the area is on the National Register of Historic Places. The Six Flags Great America Theme Park is well worth taking the family to although it involves a 15 minute drive through to next door Gurnee. And, if you like your food spicy, you will be well pleased with the food fare in Waukegan as it has a large Mexican-American population. You will find further useful information when you visit the Waukegan City website.

Universities/Colleges:

• Trinity International University
• University of Wisconsin-Parkside
• National-Louis University
• Shimer College
• William Rainey Harper College
• Oakton Community College
• College of Lake County
• Gateway Technical College

Interesting Facts:

• Well this one sure bucks the trend – there are more males in Waukegan (46,002) than females (44,620). Maybe some of the women were out of town on the day of the headcount?
• There are 457 full-service restaurants in the area.