Joliet IL Moving Companies

Joliet, Illinois

The city of Joliet is the fourth largest city in the state of Illinois, located just 45 miles southwest of Chicago’s Loop. Home to over 152,000 residents, in addition to thriving businesses and attractions, the city of Joliet is easily accessible by rail, auto and bus transit. A perfect place to live, work and play, Joliet is constantly striving to promote growth and diversity. Joliet, once an industrial city, has reinvented itself as a tourist destination with a robust and diversified economy. Joliet is the county seat of Will County, Illinois, situated southwest of Chicago on the leading edge of the metropolitan area.

History:
The Juliet region was part of Cook County until 1836, when it became the county seat of the new Will County. Just before the depression of 1837, Juliet incorporated as a village, but to cut tax expenses, Juliet residents soon petitioned the state to rescind that incorporation. In 1845, local residents changed the community's name from “Juliet” to “Joliet.” Joliet was reincorporated as a city in 1852. Soon, Joliet's transportation arteries included the Des Plaines River, a road that followed the Sauk Trail, the Illinois and Michigan Canal and the Rock Island Railroad, which ran through the business district. In 1858, the state of Illinois located a new penitentiary in Joliet, in part because of the abundance of stone for prison walls and cell houses. The Chicago Fire of 1871 spurred demand for stone and by 1890, Joliet quarries were shipping over three thousand railroad carloads of stone per month to Chicago and other cities. The “City of Steel” emerged with the construction of the Joliet mill in 1869. The Bessemer converters installed at the mill in the 1870s were among the earliest used in the United States. While canal construction drew Irish immigrants, the steel mill attracted thousands of southeastern Europeans. The city's large labor force and its steel mill attracted other industries. Joliet also became home of Joliet Junior College, the nation's oldest public community college. Joliet's economy entered a period of decline in the late 1970s, and by 1983, its unemployment rate stood at 26 percent. During the 1990s, Joliet's economy rebounded. Millions of people visit Joliet's riverboat casinos and its new drag racing and NASCAR tracks.

Economy:
Joliet is located in the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor. Employers contributing to the population boom of the 1980s and 1990s include Nalco, Bell Labs and Western Electric, BP Amoco Labs, Porsche Finance and Edward Hospital. The area was one of the ten fastest growing communities in the U.S. during the 1990s. Professional and business services led all sectors in the metro economy. Professional and business services contributed $86,372 million in 2008, that's 16.6% of the total economic output of Chicago-Naperville-Joliet. Other significant sectors in the metro economy include education and health services. Real estate is the largest among all industries in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet economy. Like many Midwestern cities dependent on manufacturing industries, Joliet has experienced past economic troubles, with the unemployment rate reaching as high as 25% in the early 1980s. Joliet's proximity to the Chicago metropolitan area has provided some relief; the city is increasingly evolving from its status as a steel-town to an exurb. Still, most new migrants to the area are moving to Joliet to live, choosing to work in bordering Cook and DuPage counties, and the downtown area, once downtrodden, is undergoing a total revitalization.

Tourism:
With fast-paced racing at the Chicagoland Speedway and Route 66 Raceway, high stakes gaming at both Harrah’s Casino Joliet and Hollywood Casino Joliet is the ideal place to play. Head to Rialto Square for top-notch shows, or check out the exciting sports and recreation escapes provided by the Joliet JackHammers Minor League Baseball team. Joliet is also a city rich in arts and entertainment, with murals and mosaics decking the town and depicting the city’s history and heritage. Head to the Joliet Area Historical Museum, full of interactive exhibits, personal courses and games for the kids, this museum is wonderful place for the entire family. Visitors can also enjoy learning about the city’s rich Slovenian Heritage. Finally, for the shopper in us all, spend some time enjoying the many fine specialty and major retail stores found throughout the city.

Colleges and Universities:

• Joliet Junior College
• University of St. Francis
• Lewis University

Interesting Facts:

• The discovery of limestone earned Joliet the nickname “City of Stone.”
• The 1999 film Stir of Echoes starring Kevin Bacon had scenes shot on location in Joliet.