122-572: Arlington Heights is a village in Cook County, Illinois , United States. A northwestern suburb of Chicago , it lies about 25 miles (40 km) northwest of the city's downtown. As of the 2020 census , the village's population was 77,676, making it the 15th-most populous municipality in Illinois. Arlington Heights is known for the former Arlington Park Race Track , home of the Arlington Million ,
244-546: A Breeders' Cup qualifying event; it also hosted the Breeders' Cup World Thoroughbred Championships in 2002. The village is also home to the Arlington Heights Memorial Library, which has one of the largest collections of books in the state. Arlington Heights lies mostly in the western part of Wheeling Township , with territory in adjacent Elk Grove and Palatine townships, in an area originally notable for
366-512: A Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) . By the start of the 20th century Arlington Heights had about 1,400 inhabitants, and it continued to grow slowly with a good many farms and greenhouses after World War II . By then Arlington Heights was also known for Arlington Park , a racetrack founded in 1927 by the California millionaire Harry D. "Curly" Brown upon land formerly consisting of 12 farms. Camp McDonald and two country clubs were founded in
488-566: A 350-seat theatre, ballroom and classrooms for music and theatre. Music venue Hey Nonny opened in 2018. Public elementary schools and middle schools that serve most of the city are operated by Arlington Heights School District 25 . Portions of the city are also served by Prospect Heights School District 23 , Wheeling School District 21 , Community Consolidated School District 59 and Community Consolidated School District 15 . Seventeen elementary schools and nine middle schools serve sections of Arlington Heights. Public high schools serving most of
610-758: A National Historic Corridor. The two canals and the Great Lakes cemented trade ties between the Midwest and the Northeast, encouraging farmers to grow more than they needed to feed themselves in Illinois, with a large market for grain now open to them. Towns in Cook County along the Canal grew. From a national perspective, the trade ties made the South region of the US less important to the Northeast as
732-513: A Presidential election three times, all during national Republican landslides– Dwight Eisenhower over native son Adlai Stevenson II in 1952 and 1956, and Richard Nixon over George McGovern in 1972. Since then, the closest a Republican has come to carrying the county was in 1984, when Ronald Reagan won 48.4 percent of the county's vote. In 2020, 74 percent of the county voted for Joe Biden and 24 percent voted for Donald Trump . In 1936, with Franklin D. Roosevelt receiving 1,253,164 votes in
854-517: A cheese factory, a hardware store, and a hotel. In 1874, the town's name was officially changed to Arlington Heights. In 1878, Civil War veteran Charles Sigwalt and his brother John founded the Sigwalt Sewing Machine Company, which made 40,000 machines from the period of 1878 to 1883. The company was destroyed by a fire in 1895. Arlington Heights was an early commuter suburb . The town developed religious institutions that reflected
976-597: A credit crunch, but not bankruptcy. As boom followed bust, the Union Pacific continued to expand. A new company, with dominant stockholder Jay Gould , purchased the old on January 24, 1880. Gould already owned the Kansas Pacific (originally called the Union Pacific, Eastern Division, though in essence a separate railroad), and sought to merge it with UP. Through that merger, the original "Union Pacific Rail Road" transformed into "Union Pacific Railway". Extending towards
1098-469: A female householder with no husband present, and 34.83% were non-families. Of all households, 30.04% were made up of individuals, and 13.46% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.07 and the average family size was 2.42. The village's age distribution consisted of 22.9% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age
1220-617: A hump. Union Pacific also closed facilities in Kansas City ("Neff yard"), Hinkle, Oregon , and Pine Bluff, Arkansas in 2019. Union Pacific has owned some of the most powerful locomotives. These include members of the Challenger-type (including the 3985 ), and the Northern-type (including the 844 ), as well as the Big Boy steam locomotives (including the 4014 ). Union Pacific ordered
1342-533: A laptop to use within the library. Wifi is available throughout the library. The bookmobile stops in 29 Arlington Heights neighborhoods, delivering books, DVDs, and music. Village residents who are temporarily or permanently homebound due to an illness or physical disability may have library items brought to their homes through the Library Visitor Program. Participants may request books, audiobooks, videos, and other materials that will be delivered monthly by
SECTION 10
#17328510221281464-623: A library volunteer. The Library meets other special needs as well. The library sponsors seven book discussion clubs, and two more at the Arlington Heights Senior Center in addition to a film discussion group. The library also maintains a reading room and computer room at the senior center. Live homework help is available for students in grades 4–12 on the library's web site through Tutor.com . Ten summer volunteer squads attracted more than 250 students in 7th through 12th grade to learn life skills and teamwork. The literacy office at
1586-451: A new Union Pacific "Railroad". In the early 20th century, Union Pacific's focus shifted from expansion to internal improvement. Recognizing that farmers in the Central and Salinas Valleys of California grew produce far in excess of local markets, Union Pacific worked with its rival Southern Pacific to develop a spoilage-resistant rail-based transport system. These efforts came culminated in
1708-534: A new stadium on the site, either alongside or directly atop the track. On September 29, 2021, the Bears and Churchill Downs reached a $ 197.2 million purchase and sell agreement for the property where the new stadium would be built. A population explosion took place in the 1950s and 1960s, when the spread of automobile ownership, together with the expansion of the Chicago-area economy, the baby boom , and white flight from
1830-428: A number of units were repainted with a large, billowing American flag with the corporate motto "Building America" on the side, where the 'UNION PACIFIC' lettering is normally positioned. Until 2017, UP operated some locomotives still in the paint scheme of their former railroads. In addition, some locomotives were renumbered by UP, varying in the degree of the previous railroads' logos being eradicated, but always with
1952-481: A population boom, and many migrants moved to villages surrounding Chicago such as Dunton. Dunton also saw an influx of German immigration By the 1870s, Dunton's population had surpassed 1200. Several Dunton residents served in the Civil War, however only three of those residents who left for the war returned. One of the survivors, a recently naturalized Alsatian named Charles Sigwalt (namesake of Sigwalt Street), fought at
2074-552: A rail safety organization founded in 1970. As of December 2023, the Union Pacific had 7,175 locomotives on its active roster consisting of 42 different models. Union Pacific continues to use a small number of "heritage" steam locomotives and early streamlined diesel locomotives. This equipment is used on special charters (excursions). Union Pacific maintains a fleet of low-emissions locomotives. Most are used in Los Angeles basin rail yards, to satisfy an air quality agreement with
2196-479: A record of corruption. The most successful Republican candidate for mayor since then was Bernard Epton , who in 1983 came within 3.3 percentage points of defeating Democrat Harold Washington . The county's Republican Party organization is the Cook County Republican Party . The last Republican governor to carry the county was Jim Edgar in his 1994 landslide . The last Republican senator to do so
2318-447: A sewer, sending waste water through treatment plants and sending it away from Lake Michigan. It is also a waterway for movement of ships. The next major technology for transportation was railroads. Chicago and the towns along the canal and rivers understood the value of being a hub of a major network. Rail lines spurred out from Chicago by the 1850s, with major growth in the rail network for freight and passenger transportation coming after
2440-581: A trade partner. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal , completed in 1900, largely replaced the functions of the Illinois and Michigan Canal. This canal resulted in the reversal of the direction of flow of the main stem and the South branch of the Chicago River; they used to empty into Lake Michigan and now those river sections flow toward the Des Plaines River . The Sanitary and Ship Canal was built to serve many aims, including ending using Lake Michigan as
2562-458: A vote. In 2004, Blue Island mayor Donald E. Peloquin organized a coalition of fifty-five south and southwest suburban municipalities to form a new county, also proposing the name Lincoln County . The county would include everything south of Burbank , stretching as far west as Orland Park , as far east as Calumet City , and as far south as Matteson , covering an expansive area with a population of over one million residents. Peloquin argued that
SECTION 20
#17328510221282684-632: A wealth of regional bands and repeat performers, such as The Shadows of Knight , The Mauds , H. P. Lovecraft , and Ted Nugent . It also hosted a significant array of national and international rock bands as well, including The Who , The Byrds , Buffalo Springfield , Cream , and The Spencer Davis Group . Entertainment venues include the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre in downtown Arlington Heights, which opened in 1999. The Metropolis Performing Arts Centre includes live entertainment as well as arts education. The facility includes
2806-464: A yellow patch applied over the locomotive's former number and a new UP number applied on the cab. That allowed UP to number locomotives into its roster without spending the time and money necessary to perform a complete repaint. In May 2015, UP rostered 212 "patches", consisting of: In 2017, Union Pacific decided to repaint all locomotives which were not in the current corporate colors. As of March 2018, only 41 locomotives remained unpainted. From
2928-570: Is "dictating its views" to the rest of the state and Brown added that Chicago "overshadows" the rest of Illinois. Construction of the Erie Canal in New York State made a connection from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes in 1821. As the Midwest farms proved productive, with much grain to sell to other parts of the US, Chicago and Cook County saw the benefit of a canal to improve the link from
3050-679: Is also instrumental in business, residential and community development. The community is served by many fine hotels. According to the Village's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are: From 1964 to 1970, Arlington Heights served as the home to The Cellar . The club was located in an unused warehouse on Davis Street, along the Chicago and Northwestern railroad tracks. Founded by local record store owner Paul Sampson, The Cellar offered live rock and blues bands for its mostly teenage audience to listen and to dance. It hosted
3172-464: Is at the center of the Chicago metropolitan area . Cook County was incorporated in 1831 and named for Daniel Pope Cook , an early Illinois statesman. It achieved its present boundaries in 1839. Within a century, the county recorded explosive population growth, going from a trading post village with a little over six hundred residents to four million, rivaling Paris by the Great Depression . During
3294-651: Is divided into 29 townships ; these often divide or share governmental services with local municipalities. Townships within Chicago were abolished in 1902 but are retained for real estate assessment purposes. Evanston Township was formerly coterminous with the City of Evanston but was abolished in 2014. County government is overseen by the Cook County Board of Commissioners , with its president as chief executive, and Cook County Treasurer . Countywide state government offices include
3416-1132: Is land and 690 square miles (1,800 km ) (42.2%) is water. It is the sixth largest county in Illinois by land area, and the largest in total area. Most of the water is in Lake Michigan . The highest point is more than 950 feet (290 m), and is in northwest Barrington Township, in the northwest corner of the county. The lowest point is less than 580 feet (180 m), along the Lake Michigan shoreline. In July, temperatures in Chicago, Cook County average daytime highs of 84 °F (29 °C), and nighttime lows of 68 °F (20 °C); and January daytime highs of 31 °F (−1 °C), and nighttime lows of 18 °F (−8 °C). Winter temperatures will sometimes veer above 40 °F (4 °C), and, although not common, have also risen over 50 °F (10 °C) on some winter days. Average monthly precipitation ranged from 4.30 inches (109 mm) in June to 1.77 inches (45 mm) in February. The government of Cook County
3538-579: Is located in Arlington Heights, in a former middle school. It moved there from Niles in 1998. The Arlington Heights Memorial Library is the public library in the village. According to the Institute of Museum & Library Services ' Public Libraries Survey, in 2014, 63.5 percent of Arlington Heights residents (47,713 out of a service area population of 75,101) held library cards , entitling cardholders to borrowing privileges. For seven consecutive years,
3660-821: Is named in honor of George H. W. Bush , the US 41st President and is exhibited at the George H. W. Bush Presidential Center at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. The locomotive, custom painted in the colors of GWH Bush's Air Force One is the only UP locomotive not painted in traditional Armour yellow. The engine also pulled the president's funeral train on his final journey to College Station in 2018. The Union Pacific system includes hundreds of yards. Most are flat yards used for local switching. Other types of yards include intermodal terminals and hump yards. Most UP intermodal terminals are typically ports, but UP also has inland terminals for transfers to trucks, such as
3782-704: Is of Hispanic descent. Asian Americans are a very sizeable racial group in the county, numbering about 301,000. The Asian population is ethnically diverse, and includes roughly 87,900 Indians , 61,700 Filipinos , 60,700 Chinese , 35,000 Koreans , 13,700 Vietnamese , and 11,100 Japanese . Roughly 30,800 are of other Asian ethnic groups, such as Thai , Cambodian , and Hmong . Approximately 3,000 residents are of Pacific Islander heritage. This group includes roughly Native Hawaiians , Guamanians, Samoans , and various people of other Pacific Islander groups. Hispanic and Latino Americans make up over one-fifth (22.8%) of Cook County's population. Roughly 1,204,000 Latinos live in
Arlington Heights, Illinois - Misplaced Pages Continue
3904-604: Is primarily composed of the Board of Commissioners headed by the President of the County Board, other elected officials such as the Sheriff , State's Attorney , Treasurer, Board of Review, Clerk, Assessor, Recorder, Circuit Court judges, and Circuit Court Clerk, as well as numerous other officers and entities. Cook County is the only home rule county in Illinois. The Cook County Code is
4026-492: Is the largest single-site jail in the nation. The Cook County Juvenile Detention Center , under the authority of the Chief Judge of the court, is the first juvenile center in the nation and one of the largest in the nation. The Cook County Law Library is the second-largest county law library in the nation. The Bureau of Health Services administers the county's public health services and is the third-largest public health system in
4148-472: Is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California . More than 40 percent of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 2020, the population was 5,275,541. The county seat is Chicago , the most populous city in Illinois and the third most populous city in the United States. The county
4270-696: Is the principal operating company of Union Pacific Corporation , which are both headquartered at the Union Pacific Center , in Omaha, Nebraska . The original company, the "Union Pacific Rail Road", was incorporated on July 1, 1862, under the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 . President Abraham Lincoln had approved the act, which authorized railroad construction from the Missouri River to the Pacific to ensure
4392-603: Is the second largest railroad in the United States after BNSF , with which it shares a duopoly on transcontinental freight rail lines in the Western , Midwestern and West South Central United States. Founded in 1862, the original Union Pacific Rail Road was part of the first transcontinental railroad project, later known as the Overland Route . Over the next century, UP absorbed the Missouri Pacific Railroad ,
4514-501: The New York Sun , Union Pacific's largest construction company, Crédit Mobilier, had overcharged Union Pacific; the railroad would then pass the inflated costs on to the United States government. To convince the federal government to accept the increased costs, Crédit Mobilier had bribed multiple congressmen. Several prominent UP board members (including Durant) had been involved in the scheme. The ensuing financial crisis of 1873 led to
4636-502: The 2000 Census , there were 5,376,741 people, 1,974,181 households, and 1,269,398 families residing in the county. The population density was 5,686 inhabitants per square mile (2,195/km ). There were 2,096,121 housing units at an average density of 2,216 per square mile (856/km ). The racial makeup of the county was 56.27% white, 26.14% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 4.84% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islanders, 9.88% from other races, and 2.53% from two or more races. 19.93% of
4758-587: The American Civil War , when the transcontinental railroads were completed, coast to coast across the US, stopping in Chicago, the heart of Cook County. Chicago Transit Authority Pace Metra South Shore Line Union Pacific Railroad The Union Pacific Railroad ( reporting marks UP , UPP , UPY ) is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over 32,200 miles (51,800 km) routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans . Union Pacific
4880-559: The Battle of Chickamauga and the Battle of Kennesaw Mountain . Warren Kennicott (namesake of Kennicott Avenue) was killed in action at the Battle of Gettysburg . During the Civil War, Arlington Heights was a stop for many Union soldiers travelling South to fight the Confederacy or traveling North to fight in the Dakota War . Dunton slowly grew after the Civil War, acquiring a blacksmith ,
5002-484: The Central Pacific Railroad line, which had been constructed eastward from Sacramento, California . The combined Union Pacific–Central Pacific line became known as the first transcontinental railroad and later the Overland Route . The line was constructed primarily by Irish labor who had learned their craft during the recent Civil War . Under the guidance of its dominant stockholder, Thomas C. Durant ,
Arlington Heights, Illinois - Misplaced Pages Continue
5124-754: The Chicago & Northwestern trackage starting in 1936. Disputes over trackage rights and passenger revenues with the C&;NW prompted the UP to switch to the Milwaukee Road for the handling of its streamliner trains between Chicago and Omaha beginning in late 1955. The last intercity passenger train operated by UP was the westbound City of Los Angeles , arriving at Los Angeles Union Station on May 2. Since then, Union Pacific has satisfied its common carrier requirements by hosting Amtrak trains. Many Amtrak and commuter rail routes use Union Pacific rails. This list excludes
5246-489: The Chicago metropolitan area , which has a population of approximately 10 million people. Cook County was created on January 15, 1831, out of Putnam County by an act of the Illinois General Assembly . It was the 54th county established in Illinois and was named after Daniel Pope Cook , one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history. He served as the second U.S. representative from Illinois and
5368-637: The Circuit Court of Cook County , the Cook County State's Attorney , the Cook County Sheriff , and the Cook County Assessor . Geographically, the county is the sixth-largest in Illinois by land area and the largest by total area. It shares the state's Lake Michigan shoreline with Lake County . Including its lake area, Cook County has a total area of 1,635 square miles (4,234.6 km ),
5490-552: The Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad company to build track through his property. In 1853, Dunton sold 16 acres of his land to the company for $ 350. The first Dunton train station was built in 1854. The construction of the railroad helped to expand the population of Dunton, as it was easier for settlers to reach the village. By 1850, the area had largely changed its ethnic composition, as many German farmers from Saxony had arrived during
5612-572: The Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific railroads, and 1988, the Missouri–Kansas–Texas . By 1993, Union Pacific had doubled its system to 17,385 miles (27,978 km) routes. By then, few large (class I) railroads remained. The same year that Union Pacific merged with the Chicago and North Western (1995), Burlington Northern and ATSF announced merger plans. The impending BNSF amalgamation would leave one mega-railroad in control of
5734-578: The Missouri–Kansas–Texas with UP 1988 , the Chicago and North Western with UP 1995 , the Southern Pacific with UP 1996 , and the Denver and Rio Grande Western with UP 1989 . In October 2005, UP unveiled SD70ACe 4141 , commissioned in honor of George Bush . The locomotive has " George Bush 41" on the sides and its paint scheme resembles that of Air Force One . It was sent into storage in 2007, but returned in 2018 to power Bush's funeral train . It
5856-543: The North Central Service , which stops nearby in Prospect Heights . Interstate 90 and Illinois Route 53 (northern extension of Interstate 290 ) run along the south and western edges, respectively, of the city, providing easy access to nearby O'Hare International Airport , the city of Chicago, and other suburbs. Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Arlington Heights to destinations across
5978-653: The Western Pacific Railroad , the Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad . In 1995, the Union Pacific merged with Chicago and North Western Transportation Company , completing its reach into the Upper Midwest . In 1996, the company merged with Southern Pacific Transportation Company , itself a giant system that was absorbed by the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad . The Union Pacific Railroad Company
6100-467: The codification of Cook County's local ordinances . Cook County's current County Board president is Toni Preckwinkle . The Circuit Court of Cook County , which is an Illinois state court of general jurisdiction is funded, in part, by Cook County, and accepts more than 1.2 million cases each year for filing. The Cook County Department of Corrections , also known as the Cook County Jail ,
6222-448: The first diesel streamliner , the largest fleet of turbine-electric locomotives in the world , and the largest diesel locomotives ever built (including 6936 ). The yellow paint scheme was introduced in the spring of 1934. Engineers claimed the visibility of yellow would reduce grade crossing accidents. In 1941, UP introduced its yellow and gray color scheme with red highlights, which remains in use today. The middle two-thirds of
SECTION 50
#17328510221286344-574: The poverty line , including 1.6% of those under age 18 and 8.5% of those age 65 or over. Arlington Heights has experienced a recent boom in development of condos, restaurants and other businesses in the Central Business District or downtown area of Arlington Heights, with restaurants experiencing the greatest overall success. Although land and space is now limited in Arlington Heights, business and community development along with community design are key concerns. The Village of Arlington Heights
6466-473: The 1840s. John Klehm might serve as an example; he was at first a potato farmer, supplying the Chicago market, and in 1856 began a nursery for cherry, apple, and pear trees, later moving into spruce, maple, and elm, and then flowers. By the late 1850s the area had become noted for its truck farms , sending dairy products as well as vegetables to Chicago on the railroad. During the Civil War , Chicago experienced
6588-477: The 1906 founding of Pacific Fruit Express , soon to be the world's largest lessee of refrigerated railcars . Meanwhile, Union Pacific worked to construct a faster, and more direct substitute for the original climb to Promontory Summit . In 1904, the Lucin cutoff opened, reducing curvature and grades. The original route would eventually be stripped of track in 1942 to provide war scrap . To attract customers during
6710-665: The 1930s. On July 31, 1985, a fire burned down the grandstand . The current six-story grandstand was completed and opened for use June 28, 1989. In February 2021, the track's owners, Churchill Downs Inc. , announced that they would sell the site for redevelopment, which would draw in many new developers. In June 2021, the Chicago Bears of the National Football League emerged as prospective buyers of Arlington Park, raising speculation that they would leave Soldier Field (their current home stadium in downtown Chicago) and build
6832-1089: The 1960s to the 1980s, there were three public high schools in Arlington Heights: Hersey, Arlington High School , and Forest View High School . Arlington High School was the original high school founded in 1922, but was closed in 1984, and is now the private Christian Liberty Academy . Forest View High School was closed in 1986, but serves as the administration center for the district. Today Arlington Heights high school students attend Rolling Meadows High School , Prospect High School , John Hersey High School and Buffalo Grove High School , with small portions attending Wheeling High School , Elk Grove High School , and Palatine High School (Palatine, Illinois). There are also several private schools in Arlington Heights, such as St. Viator High School , Our Lady of Wayside School, St. James School, St. Peter Lutheran School and Christian Liberty Academy. Chicago Futabakai Japanese School , which offers day classes for Japanese students as well as weekend supplemental instruction ,
6954-411: The 2000 census and the 2010 census, and increased 1.6% between 2010 and 2020. As of the 2010 Census , the population of the county was 5,194,675, White Americans made up 55.4% of Cook County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 43.9% of the population. African Americans made up 24.8% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.4% of Cook County's population. Asian Americans made up 6.2% of
7076-539: The 2021 census gazetteer files, Arlington Heights has a total area of 16.64 square miles (43.10 km), of which 16.61 square miles (43.02 km) (or 99.81%) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km) (or 0.19%) is water. As of the 2020 census there were 77,676 people, 30,672 households, and 19,988 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,669.15 inhabitants per square mile (1,802.77/km). There were 33,356 housing units at an average density of 2,005.05 per square mile (774.15/km). The racial makeup of
7198-598: The 22% recommendation rating from Glassdoor.com. When Union Pacific bought out the Chicago & North Western in 1995, it inherited the railroad's Metra commuter rail services in the Chicago metropolitan area : the Union Pacific North Line to Kenosha, Wisconsin , Northwest Line to Harvard, Illinois , and West Line to Elburn, Illinois , all of which operate from Ogilvie Transportation Center (the former North Western Station–a name still used by many Chicago residents). In order to ensure uniformity across
7320-631: The Chicago area commuter rail system, trains are branded as Metra services and use Metra equipment. However, Union Pacific crews continue to operate the trains under a purchase-of-service agreement. In 2023, UP announced its intentions to surrender the control and operation of commuter rail services and trains in Chicago to Metra , however the UP would retain ownership and control of the right-of-ways of former Chicago & Northwestern lines radiating from Chicago. Between 1869 and 1971, Union Pacific operated passenger service throughout its historic "Overland Route". These trains ran between Chicago and Omaha on
7442-550: The County Department of Transportation was instrumental in designing many of the expressways in the county, today they are under the jurisdiction of the state. The Cook County Forest Preserves , organized in 1915, is a separate, independent taxing body, but the Cook County Board of Commissioners also acts as its Board of Commissioners. The district is a belt of 69,000 acres (280 km ) of forest reservations surrounding
SECTION 60
#17328510221287564-562: The Great Depression, Union Pacific's chairman W. Averell Harriman simultaneously sought to "spruce up" the quality of its rolling stock and to make its unique locations more desirable travel destinations. The first effort resulted in the purchase of the first streamlined train : the M-10000 . The latter resulted in the Sun Valley ski resort in central Idaho ; it opened in 1936 and finally
7686-664: The Great Lakes to the Mississippi River. The Illinois and Michigan Canal was completed in 1848, extending from the Bridgeport neighborhood in Chicago on the Chicago River, to the Illinois River at the cities of LaSalle-Peru. This canal spurred the growth of Chicago and the areas around it, as water travel was the primary way to ship grain or other commodities in that part of the 19th century. The Illinois and Michigan Canal ceased major operation in 1933. Portions are now designated as
7808-524: The Pacific Northwest, Union Pacific built or purchased local lines to reach Portland, Oregon . Towards Colorado, it built the Union Pacific, Denver and Gulf Railway : a system combining narrow-gauge trackage into the heart of the Rockies and a standard gauge line that ran south from Denver, across New Mexico , and into Texas. The Union Pacific Railway would later declare bankruptcy during the Panic of 1893 . The resulting corporate reorganization reversed Gould's name change: Union Pacific "Railway" merged into
7930-402: The Potawatomi who once inhabited the land that is now Arlington Heights currently live on a reservation in Mayette, Kansas. Many prominent roads in the Arlington Heights area were built on top of Native American trails: Rand Road was built on top of a Native trail which passed by the property of Socrates Rand, who built a tavern near a crossing on the Des Plaines River . Arlington Heights Road
8052-405: The Union Pacific", which is painted in a scheme to honor the United States armed forces. On June 6, 2019, Union Pacific unveiled SD70ACe 1111, the "Powered By Our People" unit. In April 2021, Union Pacific repainted an SD70M into a commemorative paint scheme called "We Are ONE" to honor Juneteenth and Pride Month. UP also has a collection of locomotives painted for Operation Lifesaver ,
8174-411: The absence of groves and trees. The land that is now the Village of Arlington Heights was controlled by the Miami Confederacy (which contained the Illini and Kickapoo tribes) starting in the early 1680s. The Confederacy was driven from the area by the Iroquois and Meskwaki in the early 1700s. The French-allied Potawatomi began to raid and take possession of Northern Illinois in the 1700s. In
8296-400: The age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples living together, 15.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.7% were non-families. 29.4% of all households were someone living alone including 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.38. In the county, the population age distribution was: 26.0% under
8418-463: The age of 18, 9.9% from 18 to 24, 31.7% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 45,922, and the median income for a family was $ 53,784. Males had a median income of $ 40,690 versus $ 31,298 for females. The per capita income for
8540-472: The census of 1840, growing rapidly to 5,150,233 people estimated for 2019 by the US census. Growth was rapid in the 19th century, with the County reaching 2.4 million people by 1910. In the 20th century, the County reached 5.1 million population. Cook County is nearly completely developed, with little agricultural land remaining near the outer county boundaries. According to the 2000 Census there were 1,974,181 households, out of which 30.9% had children under
8662-426: The city of Chicago. The Brookfield Zoo (managed by the Chicago Zoological Society) and the Chicago Botanic Garden (managed by the Chicago Horticultural Society) are located in the forest preserves. Cook County is the fifth-largest employer in Chicago. In March 2008, the County Board increased the sales tax by one percent to 1.75 percent. This followed a quarter-cent increase in mass transit taxes. In Chicago,
8784-626: The city, drove the number of people in Arlington Heights—expanded by a series of annexations —up to 64,884 by 1970. By then virtually all the available land had been taken up, and the formerly isolated depot stop found itself part of a continuous built-up area stretching from Lake Michigan to the Fox River . Arlington Heights is located at 42°05′42″N 87°58′51″W / 42.094976°N 87.980873°W / 42.094976; -87.980873 (42.094976, −87.980873). According to
8906-491: The community are operated by Township High School District 214 . There is one public high school in the city, John Hersey High School . Other District 214 high schools serving sections of the city are: Buffalo Grove , Prospect , Rolling Meadows , and Wheeling . Portions of the city are also served by Palatine High School (Palatine, Illinois) in Township High School District 211 . During peak enrollment from
9028-421: The commuter services the company directly operates in Chicago (see above). On June 28, 2004, a UP train collided with an idle BNSF train in a San Antonio suburb . In the course of the derailment, a 90-ton tank car carrying liquified chlorine was punctured. As the chlorine vaporized, a toxic "yellow cloud" formed, killing three and causing 43 hospitalizations. The costs of cleanup and property damaged during
9150-429: The county was $ 23,227. About 10.6% of families and 13.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 18.9% of those under age 18 and 10.3% of those age 65 or over. As of the fourth quarter of 2021, the median home value in Cook County was $ 299,571, an increase of 11.7% from the prior year. According to Census Bureau estimates, the county's population grew by 5.3% from 1990 to 2000, decreased by 3.4% between
9272-502: The county, Cook County became the first county in American history where a candidate received one million votes. The Cook County Democratic Party represents Democratic voters in 50 wards in the city of Chicago and 30 suburban townships of Cook County. The organization has dominated County, city , and state politics since the 1930s. The last Republican mayor of Chicago was William Hale "Big Bill" Thompson , who left office in 1931 with
9394-445: The county. Mexicans are the most common Latino group. Cook County's 925,000 Mexican Americans make up 17.5% of its population. Roughly 127,000 Puerto Ricans live in the county, while over 12,200 Cubans reside in the county. There are some 140,000 Hispanics and Latinos of other nationalities living in Cook County (i.e. Colombian , Bolivian , etc.), and they collectively make up 2.6% of the county's population. In 2010 statistics,
9516-701: The eastern terminal was moved to a location where the Union Pacific could link up with the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad in Iowa. Following the Act's passage, commissioners appointed by Congress began selling stock in the federally chartered Union Pacific Railroad Company. By 1863, Durant had organized the purchase of 2,000 shares, the prerequisite amount of stock sold in order to begin the railroad's construction. The resulting track ran westward from Council Bluffs, Iowa , to meet in Utah
9638-565: The extent that the FRA, in a letter to UP's CEO, said "safety of railroad operations is paramount ... decisions that comprise that fundamental ... are unacceptable. You must ensure that highly trained and experienced personnel perform critical inspections and repairs .... Your railroad (layoffs) are far outpacing any of your Class 1 peers." In 2024 the railway celebrated 150 years of having its headquarters in Omaha. The railway's Big Boy #4014,
9760-600: The first cabins in what was then known as Deer Grove, registered three land claims for himself and two sons in the land in the west of Wheeling Township . In 1845, Asa's eldest son, William Dunton, married Almeda Wood and brought her to the house he built beside the Potawatomi trail which then became known as Dunton's Road (and is now known as Arlington Heights Road). West Wheeling then became known as Dunton. The town's name changed several times before it officially became known as Arlington Heights in 1874. William Dunton persuaded
9882-405: The first half of the 20th century it had the absolute majority of Illinois's population. There are more than 800 local governmental units and nearly 130 municipalities located wholly or partially within Cook County, the largest of which is Chicago. The city is home to approximately 54 percent of the entire county's population. The part of the county outside of the Chicago and Evanston city limits
10004-471: The former U.S. president and Illinois resident. It is likely that Arlington Heights would have been the county seat. This northwest suburban region of Cook was at the time moderately conservative and has a population over 500,000. Local legislators, led by State Senator Dave Regnar, went so far as to propose it as official legislation in the Illinois House . The legislation died, however, before coming to
10126-579: The general election ballot, but the idea was not met with success. In arguing against the Lincoln County proposal, others noted several of the cities involved had power structures, law enforcement, or de facto "mayors for life" often accused in the press, or civilly or criminally charged with, political corruption , cronyism , and nepotism , and themselves being the main factor in their depressed economies rather than anyone in Cook County government. The opposition decried that their true reason for joining
10248-470: The largest county in Illinois, of which 945 square miles (2,447.5 km ) is land and 690 square miles (1,787.1 km ) (42.16%) is water. Land-use in Cook County is mostly urban and densely populated. Within Cook County, the state of Illinois took advantage of its Lake Michigan access and the Chicago Portage , beginning with the construction of the Illinois and Michigan Canal in 1848. This helped make
10370-668: The largest religious group in Cook County was the Archdiocese of Chicago , with 1,947,223 Catholics worshipping at 371 parishes, followed by 209,195 non-denominational adherents with 486 congregations, an estimated 201,152 Muslims with 62 congregations, 68,865 NBC Baptists with 99 congregations, 49,925 ELCA Lutherans with 145 congregations, 49,909 SBC Baptists with 181 congregations, 45,979 LCMS Lutherans with 120 congregations, 39,866 UCC Christians with 101 congregations, 33,584 UMC Methodists with 121 congregations, and 32,646 AG Pentecostals with 64 congregations. Altogether, 59.6% of
10492-581: The late 1700s and early 1800s, the Potawatomi expanded southwards from their territory in Green Bay and westward from their holdings near Detroit, until they controlled in an L-shaped swath of territory from Green Bay to the Illinois River, and from the Mississippi River to the Maumee River. Throughout the 1830s, the Potawatomi maintained a camp in modern-day Arlington Heights that was used for six weeks out of
10614-721: The library has eight computers with software to improve English skills, conversation programs and adult basic reading books. The library also offers free literacy and ESL classes in cooperation with Township High School District 214. One Book, One Village is an annual community reading project which features a selected title an author each year, with book discussions, Meet the Author and related programs. Arlington Heights has two stations ( Arlington Heights and Arlington Park ) on Metra 's Union Pacific Northwest Line , which provides daily rail service between Harvard, Illinois and Ogilvie Transportation Center . Other nearby rail service includes
10736-607: The library received a 5-star rating in Library Journal's national rating of public libraries, making it one of 21 libraries in the United States to earn five stars for the past seven years. The library has books, magazines, CDs, DVDs and books on CD in 17 different languages. The Arlington Heights Memorial Library maintains the Arlington Heights Community Information web site. Computers are available for public use, and library card holders can also check out
10858-431: The local authorities. According to UP's 2007 Annual Report to Investors, at the end of 2007 it had more than 50,000 employees, 8,721 locomotives, and 94,284 freight cars. Broken down by specific type of car, owned and leased: In addition, it owns 6,950 different pieces of maintenance of way work equipment. At the end of 2007, the average age of UP's locomotive fleet was 14.8 years, the freight car fleet 28 years. UP
10980-541: The locomotive body is painted Armour Yellow , a color used by Armour and Company on the packaging of its meat products. A thin band of Signal Red divides this from the Harbor Mist Gray (a light gray) used for the body and roof above that point. There is also a thin band of Signal Red along the bottom of the locomotive body, but this color has gradually become yellow as new Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) regulations for reflectorized tape came into effect in 2005;
11102-482: The namesake of the city of Durant, Iowa , the first rails were laid in Omaha . The two lines were joined at Promontory Summit, Utah , 53 miles (85 km) west of Ogden on May 10, 1869, hence creating the first transcontinental railroad in North America. Leland Stanford, founder of the Central Pacific Railroad which itself eventually was merged with Union Pacific, himself drove the golden spike , inscribed with
11224-517: The nation. Some border towns in particular had been outraged, as people can take their business across the county border (paying, for instance, 7% in Lake County instead of Palatine's 9.5%). The secession issue eventually died down from the nominal tax increase. In 2011, two downstate Republican state representatives, Bill Mitchell of the 87th district and Adam Brown of the 101st district, proposed statehood for Cook County. Mitchell said that Chicago
11346-415: The nation. Three hospitals are part of this system: John H. Stroger, Jr. Hospital of Cook County , Provident Hospital , and Oak Forest Hospital of Cook County , along with over 30 clinics. The Cook County Department of Transportation is responsible for the design and maintenance of roadways in the county. These thoroughfares are composed mostly of major and minor arterials, with a few local roads. Although
11468-640: The origins of its citizens. The first churches were Presbyterian (1856) and Methodist (1858), with St. Peter Lutheran Church, a German Lutheran church, following in 1860. Today, the village has many Roman Catholics , boasting three very large churches: St. James (founded 1902—now home to 4,600 registered families), St. Edna (2,800 registered families), and Our Lady of the Wayside (3,100 registered households), in addition to several large Lutheran churches, Evangelicals and several other Protestant churches, including two United Churches of Christ , an Episcopal Church and
11590-406: The population (1.8% Indian, 1.2% Filipino, 1.2% Chinese, 0.7% Korean, 0.3% Vietnamese, 0.2% Japanese, 0.8% Other). Pacific Islander Americans made up less than 0.1% of the population. People from other races made up 10.6% of the population; people from two or more races made up 2.5% of the county's population. Hispanics and Latinos (of any race) made up 24.0% of Cook County's population. As of
11712-452: The population was claimed as members by religious congregations, although members of historically African-American denominations were underrepresented due to incomplete information. In 2014, Cook County had 2,001 religious organizations, second only to Los Angeles County out of all US counties. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 1,635 square miles (4,230 km ), of which 945 square miles (2,450 km )
11834-691: The population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 9.1% were of Polish, 8.1% German, 7.9% Irish and 5.7% Italian ancestry. 17.63% reported speaking Spanish at home; 3.13% speak Polish . Whites (Hispanic and non-Hispanic) number roughly 2,793,500. There are about 2,372,500 non-Hispanic whites residing in Cook County. Sizeable non-Hispanic white populations are those of German (11.4%), Irish (10.3%), Polish (9.7%), Italian (6.1%), and British (4.1%) descent. There are also significant groups of Swedish (1.5%), Russian (1.5%), French (1.3%), Greek (1.2%), Czech (1.0%), Dutch (1.0%), Lithuanian (0.9%), and Norwegian (0.8%) descent. Black Americans are
11956-484: The rate increased to 10.25 percent, the steepest nominal rate of any major metropolitan area in America. In Evanston , sales tax reached 10 percent and Oak Lawn residents pay 9.5 percent. On July 22, 2008, the Cook County board voted against Cook County Commissioner's proposal to repeal the tax increase. In 2016, Cook County joined Chicago in adopting a $ 13 hourly minimum wage. Cook County Board chairman John Daley called
12078-504: The region a central transit hub for the nation. Chicago, with its location on the Great Lakes and via the St. Lawrence Seaway , is a global port city, giving Cook County an international shipping port. Cook County's population is larger than that of 28 U.S. states and territories , and larger than the population of 11 of the 13 Canadian provinces and territories . Cook County is at the center of
12200-1131: The region. The Pace Headquarters is located in Arlington Heights. Arlington Heights Road is a main street running north–south through all of central Arlington Heights. Running to the south it passes through Elk Grove Village , and its southern terminus is in Itasca of DuPage County . Running north it passes through Buffalo Grove , and its northern terminus is in Long Grove of Lake County . Northwest Highway ( U.S. Route 14 ) runs northwest–southeast through central Arlington Heights, from Chicago to Crystal Lake of McHenry County . Other major streets/roads include Rand Road ( U.S. Route 12 ), Golf Road ( Illinois Route 58 ), Algonquin Road ( Illinois Route 62 ), Dundee Road ( Illinois Route 68 ), Palatine Road, Central Road, Hintz Road, Euclid Avenue, Dunton Avenue, Campbell Street, White Oak Street, Thomas Street, Olive Street, Oakton Street, Kennicott Avenue, Ridge Avenue, Dryden Avenue and Windsor Drive. Cook County, Illinois Cook County
12322-407: The secession effort was to start with a 'clean slate' with a new county government by design less willing to enforce responsibility against their abuses of power. Talk of secession from Cook County amongst some outlying communities again heated up in mid-2008 in response to a highly controversial 1% sales tax hike which has pushed the tax rates across the county communities up amongst the highest in
12444-561: The second half of 2005 to the summer of 2006, UP unveiled a new set of six EMD SD70ACe locomotives in "Heritage Colors", painted in schemes reminiscent of railroads acquired by the Union Pacific Corporation since the 1980s. The engine numbers match the year that the predecessor railroad became part of the Union Pacific system. The locomotives commemorate the Missouri Pacific with UP 1982 , the Western Pacific with UP 1983 ,
12566-450: The second largest racial group. Black Americans form over one-quarter (25.4%) of Cook County's population. Blacks of non-Hispanic origin form 25.2% of the population; black Hispanics make up the remaining 0.2% of the populace. There are roughly 1,341,000 African Americans of both Hispanic and non-Hispanic origin living in Cook County; 1,328,000 are non-Hispanic blacks. Roughly 52,500 people were of Sub-Saharan African ancestry, making up 1.0% of
12688-458: The south suburbs are often shunned by the city (although Chicago is not bound or required to do anything for other municipalities) and he blamed the Chicago-centric policies of Cook County for failing to jumpstart the somewhat-depressed south suburban local economy. Pending sufficient interest from local communities, Peloquin planned a petition drive to place a question regarding the secession on
12810-635: The stability of the Union throughout the American Civil War , but construction did not complete until after the conflict's conclusion. Under the original bill that formed the basis of the 1862 Pacific Railroad Act , the Union Pacific Railroad was to be built from the Nevada–Utah border in the west to the Colorado–Kansas border in the east. However, due to intense lobbying by Dr. Thomas Clark Durant ,
12932-412: The state's first attorney general . In 1839, DuPage County was carved out of Cook County. The shape of Cook County and the neighboring counties has remained the same since DuPage County was formed. The population in each county and the split of agriculture compared to residential and industrial activity has changed dramatically over the intervening decades to 2020. The county began with 10,201 people in
13054-602: The terminal in San Antonio that opened in 2009 or the one in Santa Teresa, New Mexico , that opened in 2014. In 2006, Union Pacific had 11 major active hump yards : In the late 2010s, Union Pacific began deactivating hump yards in favor of flat switching. In this, Union Pacific followed the industry-wide trend towards Precision Scheduled Railroading (PSR); railway executive Hunter Harrison explained that under PSR, few yards receive enough variegated traffic to necessitate
13176-465: The total population. Approximately 10,300 residents of Cook County are of Native American ancestry. They consist of Cherokee , Chippewa , Navajo , and Sioux . Native Americans of Hispanic origin represent a sizeable portion of the Native American population. Nearly 6,000 Native Americans are of non-Hispanic origin, and some 4,300 are of Hispanic origin. Over 40% of the Native American racial group
13298-473: The trucks (painted Aluminum from 1955 to 1982), underframe, fuel tanks and everything else beneath that line are also Harbor Mist Gray. Lettering and numbering are in Signal Red, with black outlines. Most locomotives have white-outlined blue "wings" on the nose, on either side of the renowned shield featuring white lettering on a blue background and, below it, red and white vertical stripes. Beginning in early 2002,
13420-406: The village was 78.95% White , 10.77% Asian , 1.63% African American , 0.22% Native American , 0.03% Pacific Islander , 2.64% from other races , and 5.76% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.94% of the population. There were 30,672 households, out of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.72% were married couples living together, 5.95% had
13542-400: The wage hike "the moral and right thing to do." In June 2017, however, nearly 75 home rule municipalities passed measures opting themselves out of the increase. The county has more Democratic Party members than any other Illinois county and it is one of the most Democratic counties in the United States. Since 1932, the majority of its voters have only supported a Republican candidate in
13664-551: The west. To compete, UP merged with Southern Pacific , thereby incorporating D&RGW and Cotton Belt , and forming a duopoly in the West. The merged railroad took the Union Pacific name. As of 1999, the UP had 33,705 miles (54,243 km) of track, about 33,000 employees, nearly 7,000 locomotives and over 155,000 rail cars. In March 2024 Union Pacific layoffs caused concern at the Federal Railroad Administration to
13786-754: The words "to span the continent and wed the oceans." Subsequently, the UP purchased three Mormon -built roads: the Utah Central Railroad extending south from Ogden to Salt Lake City , the Utah Southern Railroad extending south from Salt Lake City into the Utah Valley , and the Utah Northern Railroad extending north from Ogden into Idaho . The original UP was entangled in the Crédit Mobilier scandal , exposed in 1872. As detailed by
13908-524: The world's largest operating steam locomotive, will visit 14 states in middle America in 2024. Twenty-five locomotives of Big Boy's size were fabricated during World War II, but only Big Boy survives. Its "Heartland of America" tour begins in August 2024 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, and visits Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas through October. Another locomotive, UP No. 4141,
14030-583: The year as the Potawatomi migrated from their summer encampments to their winter encampments. In 1833, the Potawatomi signed the 1833 Treaty of Chicago with the United States Government. As a result of the Treaty, the United States was granted control of all land west of Lake Michigan and east of Lake Winnebago in exchange for a tract of land west of the Mississippi. The land that is now Arlington Heights
14152-603: Was Charles H. Percy in 1978 . To establish more localized government control and policies which reflect the often different values and needs of large suburban sections of the sprawling county, secession movements have been made over the years which called for certain townships or municipalities to form their own independent counties. In the late 1970s, a movement started which proposed a separation of six northwest suburban townships, Cook County's panhandle ( Barrington , Hanover , Palatine , Wheeling , Schaumburg , and Elk Grove ) from Cook to form Lincoln County, in honor of
14274-416: Was 43.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.8 males. The median income for a household in the village was $ 100,221, and the median income for a family was $ 126,753. Males had a median income of $ 71,416 versus $ 51,319 for females. The per capita income for the village was $ 51,340. About 2.6% of families and 4.2% of the population were below
14396-548: Was ceded to the U.S. in this treaty, which sparked mass white immigration to the Northern Illinois area. The U.S. Government purchased the land for about 15 cents per acre, and then resold it to white settlers for 1.25 dollars per acre. The Potawatomi would occasionally return to their holdings in Northern Illinois to honor their buried ancestors, but these return visits ended as old villages and burial sites were destroyed by settlers to make way for farming. The descendants of
14518-463: Was developed from a Native trail that ran from what was once called Naper Settlement (now Naperville ) to what was once called Indian Creek (now Half Day ). Around the same time, a trading post was established in the Southwest corner of the township by Frederick T. Miner, the cabins established near Miner's trading post came to be known as West Wheeling. In 1837, Asa Dunton, a settler who built one of
14640-537: Was donated to the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum on November 8, 2019. On March 31, 2010, UP dedicated a specially painted GE ES44AC locomotive commemorating the centennial of the Boy Scouts of America . On September 28, 2010, UP dedicated a specially painted GE ES44AC locomotive, as a tribute to Susan G. Komen for the Cure . On October 19, 2017, Union Pacific unveiled SD70AH 1943, "The Spirit of
14762-433: Was ranked 134th on the 2019 Fortune 500 list of the largest United States corporations by revenue and had 41,967 employees. The Chief Executive Officer of Union Pacific since August 14, 2023, is Jim Vena , the President is Beth Whited, and the chairman of the board is Mike McCarthy. In 2019, Union Pacific has been rated the worst company to work for by 247wallst.com, citing Past CEO Lance Fritz's 12% approval rating and
14884-707: Was sold in 1964. Despite the fact that the M-10000 and its successors were among the first diesel locomotives, Union Pacific completed dieselization relatively late. In 1944, UP finally received delivery of its last steam locomotive: Union Pacific 844 . As the 20th century waned, Union Pacific recognized—like most railroads—that remaining a regional railroad would only lead to bankruptcy. On December 31, 1925, UP and its subsidiaries operated 9,834 miles (15,826 km) routes and 15,265 miles (24,567 km) tracks; in 1980, these numbers had remained roughly constant (9,266 route-miles and 15,647 track-miles). But in 1982, UP acquired
#127872