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Bloomington, Illinois

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Bloomington, Illinois
Official seal of Bloomington, Illinois
Seal
location in McLean County, Illinois
location in McLean County, Illinois
Founded
Incorporated		1822
Dec. 25, 1830 [1]
Government
 • MayorSteve Stockton
Population
 (2006)
 • City74,975
 • Metro
165,500
Time zoneUTC-6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (Central)
Websitewww.cityblm.org

Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States. A 2006 special census indicated that the population was 74,975 [2], and it is predicted that the city's population will reach 100,000 by 2020. It is the county seat of McLean CountyTemplate:GR. It is the host of the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, which is nationally known as one of the top Shakespearean festivals in the country (held at Ewing Manor).[3] It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and when mentioned together they are known as the "Twin Cities, "Bloomington-Normal," or simply abbreviated "B-N."

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 58.3 km² (22.5 mi²), all land.

Division Street, as the name suggests, forms a part of the border between Bloomington and Normal, with Bloomington to the south and Normal to the north. It is symbolic as well as literal, in that the two cities have sometimes disagreed about the best way to govern.

Demographics

As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there were 64,808 people, 26,642 households, and 15,718 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,112.1/km² (2,880.3/mi²). There were 28,431 housing units at an average density of 487.9/km² (1,263.6/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 84.92% White, 8.64% African American, 0.18% Native American, 3.02% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.42% from other races, and 1.78% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.32% of the population.

The City of Bloomington and McLean County comprise the fastest-growing metropolitan area in Illinois. The area's population has grown 28% from 1990 through 2006. The fastest growth has been in Bloomington, as the U.S. Census Bureau conducted a special census of that city in February, 2006, showing a population of 74,975, a 15.7% increase in less than six years.

In 2000, there were 26,642 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.3% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 41.0% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 3.04.

In the city the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 12.5% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 94.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.0 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,496, and the median income for a family was $61,093. Males had a median income of $41,736 versus $29,077 for females. The per capita income for the city was $24,751. About 4.3% of families and 7.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.5% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.

History

Prior to the 1820's, the area of today's Bloomington was at the edge of a large grove enjoyed by the Kickapoo people before the first Euro-American settlers arrived in the early 1820's.[1] Springing from the settlement of Blooming Grove in 1822, Bloomington was named as county seat on December 25, 1830, when McLean County was created. [4]

When the County of McLean was incorporated a county seat was established. However, the legislation stated the site of Bloomington "would be located later." James Allen, who was one of the promoters of the new county, offered to donate 60 acres of his own land for the new town. His offer was accepted and Bloomington was laid out. Its lots were sold at a big party on the 4th of July 1831. At this time there were few roads, but rich soils brought new farmers who began commerce by conducting their business in the newly formed county. People came from all over to trade and do business at the town's center, known today as Downtown Bloomington, including Abraham Lincoln who was working as a lawyer in nearby Springfield.[1]

In 1900 an officer on patrol discovered a fire in a laundry across the street from the old City Hall and Police Station. He sounded the alarm but the fire eventually destroyed the majority of the downtown, especially the areas north and east of the courthouse. However, the burnt area was quickly rebuilt from the designs of local architects George Miller, Paul Moratz and A.L. Pillsbury.

During the first two decades of the 20th century Bloomington continued to grow. Agriculture, the construction of highways and railroads, and the growth of the insurance business (mainly State Farm Insurance) all influenced the growth of Bloomington and its downtown area. The downtown area became a regional shopping center attracting trade from adjoining counties. Labor unions grew in strength.

Economy

Bloomington-Normal is located in one of the most productive agricultural areas in the nation.[5] In addition to the major manufacturers and industries, there are two universities (Illinois State University in Normal and Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington), two hospitals (BroMenn in Normal and St. Joseph's in Bloomington), a convention center at the McLean County Fairgrounds, an indoor mall (Eastland Mall in Bloomington), an outdoor mall (College Hills in Normal), and many banks and Savings & Loan Associations. The largest employers located in the Bloomington-Normal area are[6]:

Notable people and places

Miller Park Pavilion. Designed in 1898, the building overlooks four distinctly designed areas within the park's parameters. In addition to historic monuments and bridges, the park features a zoo.

People

Places

Sports teams

Trivia

References

  1. ^ a b c History of Bloomington, History of Bloomington
  2. ^ 2006 Census
  3. ^ Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival
  4. ^ History of Bloomington (City Website), History of Bloomington (from city website)
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bloomington Economy was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Largest Companies in Bloomington, Economy Demographics (PDF)
  7. ^ Beer Nuts located in Bloomington, Official Website
  8. ^ Normal, IL website, Sister City Partnership

Maps

Template:Mapit-US-cityscale

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