59-667: Joliet Gateway Center is a multimodal mass transit center in downtown Joliet, Illinois . It opened in 2018, replacing the nearby Joliet Union Station as the commuter and passenger train station serving Joliet. The station is the terminus of the Metra Rock Island District and Heritage Corridor , and an intermediate stop for the Amtrak Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service trains. The station's bus terminal opened in 2021, and serves 10 Pace bus routes. The first passenger train services to Joliet began in 1852, and
118-695: A Harrah's hotel and casino downtown. Joliet is the only city in Illinois to have two casinos. The Louis Joliet Mall is located near the intersection of I-55 and U.S. Route 30 . The former Joliet Arsenal (now the site of both the Abraham Lincoln National Cemetery and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie ) is in nearby Elwood . Joliet is home to three high schools that bear its name: Joliet Central , Joliet West , and Joliet Catholic Academy (JCA), in addition to
177-650: A favorite haunt of Al Capone and filming location for scenes from Kevin Bacon's film Stir of Echoes , is on Chicago Street, downtown. Near the theatre, the Joliet Area Historical Museum commemorates the history of Joliet, especially its heritage as a stopping point on U.S. Route 66 . Among local landmarks are the Chicagoland Speedway ( NASCAR ) and the Route 66 Raceway ( NHRA ). The Auditorium Building
236-475: A freight connection. As of October 2021, a large project was nearing completion to replace a bridge passing over the future Wells Street Extension, and rebuild retaining walls on both lines between the 16th St. interlocking and the Chicago River. However, this section of the line has been inactive since May 2020 when the adjacent St. Charles Air Line Bascule Bridge crossing the river was elevated due to work on
295-410: A hot summer humid continental climate ( Köppen Dfa ) with hot, humid summers, and cold winters with moderate to heavy snowfall. As of the census of 2010, 147,433 people, 48,019 households, and 34,900 families were residing in the city. The population density was 2,288.3 inhabitants per square mile (883.5/km ). The 51,285 housing units averaged 796 per square mile (307.3/km ). The racial makeup of
354-681: A junction with Canadian National Railway at 16th Street interlocking (the CN line then continues towards the shore of Lake Michigan , where it turns south under McCormick Place , passing over and then paralleling the Metra Electric Line ). The line was chartered in 1852 as the Chicago, St. Charles and Mississippi Air Line Railroad , planned to run from Chicago west to the Mississippi River at Savanna via St. Charles . The Chicago depot would be at
413-861: A local quarry and was a principal stockholder in Will County National Bank. The mansion won the architecture award at the American Centennial Celebration in Philadelphia in 1876. The structure is a local landmark, part of the East Side National Register District and individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places . The Joliet Prison is located near Joliet's downtown district on Collins Street. The prison has been featured in both television shows and movies. One such television series filmed there
472-1569: A seven-acre dog park. Louis Joliet Mall located on Route 30 in Joliet hosts a large Cinemark theatre The Rock Run and Joliet Junction Trails are roughly north–south routes that begin at the Theodore Marsh in Crest Hill, Illinois, and have southern termini on the I&;M Canal State Trail . These three paths can be used as a 16-mile loop through western Joliet. The I and M Canal State Trail stretches about 60 miles to Peru . The Wauponsee Glacial Trail also begins close to town. As of 2009, almost all public-school students in Joliet attend schools in Joliet Public Schools District 86 , Joliet Township High School District 204 , Troy Community Consolidated School District 30-C, and Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 . School districts serving Joliet include Joliet Township High School District 204 , Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 , Oswego Community Unit School District 308 , and Minooka Community High School District 111 . Joliet area High Schools include Joliet Catholic Academy , Joliet Central High School , Joliet West High School and Joliet East High School (defunct) Elementary and middle school districts serving Joliet include: Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 Since
531-590: A time-consuming switchback into Union Station from its west end. The Chicago Region Environmental and Transportation Efficiency Program (CREATE) is in the preliminary design phase for the Grand Crossing Project. This project will reroute the passenger trains from St. Charles Air Line to Norfolk Southern 's Chicago Line in the Greater Grand Crossing neighborhood in Chicago. The CN also uses it as
590-592: A week, the Eagle continues on to Los Angeles . St. Charles Air Line The St. Charles Air Line is a rail line in Chicago, Illinois , partially owned by the BNSF Railway , Union Pacific Railroad (UP), and Canadian National Railway (CN). It is currently used by the Canadian National Railway for freight trains and by Amtrak passenger trains. The line runs east from south of Union Station to
649-458: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( / ˈ dʒ oʊ l i ɛ t , ˌ dʒ oʊ l i ˈ ɛ t / JOH -lee-et, - ET ) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois , 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Chicago . It is the county seat of Will County. It had a population of 150,362 at the 2020 census , making it
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#1732851304805708-553: Is also designated East-West. The north track is Track 1, and the south track is Track 2. ... The bridge is controlled by CSX Bridge Tender." In 2019, CN begin a track realignment program to the east of the St. Charles Air Line Bridge. The realignment changed a double-track section to single track in an east-west corridor running north of 16th St., which originally consisted of four elevated lines laid over two parallel series of viaducts that cross five streets and two alleys. Replacement of
767-732: Is an intermediate stop on the Amtrak Texas Eagle from Chicago Union to San Antonio and Los Angeles , and on the Lincoln Service from Chicago to St. Louis and Kansas City . As of 2018, Joliet is the 51st busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 996 weekday boardings. As of the November 2023 timetable, Joliet is served by 42 Rock Island District trains (21 in each direction) on weekdays, 21 trains (ten inbound, eleven outbound) on Saturdays, and 16 trains (eight in each direction) on Sundays and holidays. On weekdays,
826-448: Is home to over 640 acres (260 ha) of land that provide a habitat for abundant wildlife and outdoor recreation. Pilcher Park also contains Native American Indian remains and was the site of a Potowatami Indian village. A burial mound is just south of the entrance on Gougar Road, on the south side of the bridge, and a marked burial plot is inside the park grounds. Hammel Woods is also located in Joliet with miles of hiking trails and even
885-470: Is located at the northeast corner of Chicago and Clinton Streets. Designed by G. Julian Barnes and built of limestone in 1891, it was controversial as one of the first buildings to combine religious, civic, and commercial uses. Nonetheless, people such Theodore Roosevelt visited and spoke at the building. The building was originally built for the Universalist Unitarian Church of Joliet , but
944-524: The Black Hawk War , Charles Reed built a cabin along the west side of the Des Plaines River . Across the river in 1834, James B. Campbell, treasurer of the canal commissioners, laid out the village of "Juliet", a corruption of "Joliet" that was also in use at the time. Just before the economic depression of 1837, Juliet incorporated as a village, but to cut tax expenses, Juliet residents soon petitioned
1003-626: The Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) and Mid-States Football Association (MSFA). Joliet also is home to a minor-league baseball team, the Joliet Slammers of the independent Frontier League . Since the beginning of the 2011 season, they have played their home games at Duly Health and Care Field . The Slammers replace the former Joliet JackHammers of the Northern League . The Joliet Slammers won
1062-575: The Harrah's Casino , Joliet Slammers baseball ( Duly Health and Care Field ), Hollywood Casino, and the Rialto Square Theatre , also known as the 'Jewel of Joliet', and has been called one of the world's 10 most beautiful theaters. The 1999 film Stir of Echoes starring Kevin Bacon had scenes shot on at the Rialto Square Theatre (the hypnotism scenes in which James saw the word "Dig" on
1121-821: The Heritage Corridor route from Chicago Union Station and the Rock Island District route from LaSalle Street Station . A third line, the STAR Line , would have also terminated at the station, but the project was shelved as of 2012. Pace provides local bus service six days a week (no service on Sundays) with buses leaving from a terminal in downtown Joliet once an hour. Amtrak serves Joliet Union Station daily via its Lincoln Service and Texas Eagle routes. Service consists of four Lincoln Service round-trips between Chicago and St. Louis , and one Texas Eagle round-trip between San Antonio and Chicago. Three days
1180-788: The Illinois and Michigan Canal . The Chicago & Rock Island Railroad and Michigan Central came through in the 1850s, and the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway and Chicago & Alton Railroad soon followed, with the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway and Milwaukee Road lines built around the turn of the century. U.S. Highways 6 (the Grand Army of the Republic Highway), 30 (the Lincoln Highway), 45 , 52 , and 66 (Route 66) all ran through
1239-648: The Michigan Central Railroad ) on Lake Michigan , near 14th Street, west along the original alignment to Western Avenue . From there a connection was built north to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad , finished January 1, 1856. (The west end of the jointly owned line was, and still is, the west bank of the Chicago River .) On March 30, the G&;CU and Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad began using it to access
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#17328513048051298-553: The Rock Island District . It is the only Metra station outside of its Chicago stations where two lines terminate. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Joliet is in zone 4 on both lines. Amtrak announced a proposal to improve its Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service trains in 2022. The Amtrak trains, along with the Metra Heritage Corridor, currently use the CN Joliet Subdivision from Joliet to Chicago. Train traffic on
1357-552: The SCCA World Challenge , Atlantic Championship , and Star Mazda Championship races since 2009. Three golf courses are located in the city of Joliet: Inwood Golf Course, Woodruff Golf Course, and Wedgewood Golf Course. Disc golf courses are available at Highland Park and West Park. The Pilcher Park Nature Center, located in Pilcher Park, hosts many youth and educational programs. Pilcher Park, one of Joliet's oldest parks,
1416-437: The median income for a household in the city was $ 60,976, and for a family was $ 69,386. Full-time, year-round working males had a median income of $ 51,082 versus $ 39,235 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 24,374. About 10.4% of families and 12.2% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.2% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over. From April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2011, Joliet
1475-478: The third-most populous city in Illinois . In 1673, Louis Jolliet , along with Father Jacques Marquette , paddled up the Des Plaines River and camped on a huge earthwork mound, a few miles south of present-day Joliet. Maps from Jolliet's exploration of the area showed a large hill or mound down river from Chicago, labeled Mont Joliet. The mound has since been flattened due to mining . In 1833, following
1534-611: The 2010 census, Joliet has a total area of 62.768 square miles (162.57 km ), of which 62.11 square miles (160.86 km ) (or 98.95%) are land and 0.658 square miles (1.70 km ) (or 1.05%) is covered by water. It has a sprawling, irregular shape that extends into nine different townships, more than any other Illinois city. They are: Joliet, Plainfield, Troy, New Lenox, Jackson, Channahon, and Lockport in Will County, and Na-Au-Say and Seward in Kendall County. Joliet developed along
1593-624: The 2011 Frontier League Championship in their first season as a team. Chicagoland Speedway held events from NASCAR . During major races, the large influx of fans means that the number of people in the city is double that of the official figure. Next door to the Speedway, the Route 66 Raceway features National Hot Rod Association events on its drag strip. Joliet Central has become actively involved in Route 66 by building an alternative fuel vehicle . Autobahn Country Club , also located in Joliet, has held
1652-465: The Des Plaines River, and its downtown is located in the river valley. Joliet has a "west side" and " east side ", referring to areas in relation to the river. With the construction of highways and suburban development to the west, many businesses moved from the downtown area to the expanding areas west of the river. Many stores relocated to the west side in new strip malls and shopping centers with more parking and easier access. These changes resulted in
1711-673: The Illinois Central's Central Station . [1] The planned alignment west of Western Avenue was later used by the Chicago and Northern Pacific Railroad , and piers in the Fox River at St. Charles had influenced predecessors of the Chicago Great Western Railway to build their line through that town. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad also built a line into Chicago, intersecting the Air Line at Western Avenue. Eventually,
1770-687: The Joliet Subdivision causes frequent delays to Amtrak trains, and Amtrak proposed to reroute the Texas Eagle and Lincoln Service over the Rock Island District. Metra owns and manages the Rock Island District, and it sees little freight traffic, making it an attractive route for Amtrak. To operate Amtrak trains over the Rock Island District, modifications would be required in Joliet and Chicago. A third platform would need to be constructed at Joliet Gateway Center, and Amtrak would need to improve
1829-605: The Joliet area by providing some of the area's finest examples of Romanesque, Gothic, Byzantine, and Renaissance architecture. The spiritual community in Joliet welcomes newcomers with open arms, offering regular worship services and religious education. Joliet holds a very large Catholic population, and many Catholic institutions, including Joliet Catholic Academy and the University of St Francis . Like many Midwestern and East Coast cities dependent on manufacturing industries, Joliet has experienced past economic troubles. As of 2013 ,
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1888-680: The St. Charles Air Line. The CB&Q has since become part of the BNSF Railway , and the C&;NW is now part of the Union Pacific Railroad , each of which still owns a 1/4 share. The MCRR has sold its share to the Illinois Central Railroad , now owned by the Canadian National Railway . As of 2011 , the St. Charles Air Line hosted six Amtrak trains and about four to five CN freight trains per day. Amtrak 's City of New Orleans , Illini , and Saluki utilize this line with
1947-425: The church sold the building in 1993, and it is no longer home to the congregation. The Jacob A. Henry Mansion, 20 South Eastern Avenue, is a three-story, red-brick, Second Empire/Italian Renaissance-style structure built on a Joliet limestone foundation in 1873 (completed in 1876). The structure is set on bedrock and the entire basement floor is made of Joliet limestone from the building owner's quarry. The walls of
2006-410: The city quickly grew into a railroad hub. A railroad improvement project began in 1909, which removed grade crossings and constructed a new union station to replace multiple stations in Joliet. Joliet Union Station opened in 1912, and at its peak served over 100 trains per day. Passenger train traffic to Union Station declined in the late 20th century, but freight traffic increased, and Union Station
2065-519: The city was 67.48% White, 15.98% African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.93% Asian, 11.34% from other races, and 2.95% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 27.84% of the population. Of the 48,019 households, 30.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 14% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.3% were not families. About 22.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.5% had someone living alone who
2124-541: The city. In the 1960s, Interstate 55 and Interstate 80 made their way through Joliet, linking up near Channahon just west of the city limits. The phrase "Crossroads of Mid-America", found on the Joliet seal, is an allusion to the intersection of I-80 and I-55 (and, historically, the intersection between the Lincoln Highway and Route 66). Joliet Transportation Center is the final stop on the Metra rail lines from Chicago for
2183-576: The closed Joliet East, each of which has sports programs. JCA has been a major football powerhouse for many years and has won more state football titles than any other team in the state, with 15 as of 2023. Joliet is the home of the University of St Francis athletics, nicknamed the Fighting Saints. The Fighting Saints participate in 20 intercollegiate varsity sports as a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in
2242-447: The connection between the Rock Island District and Chicago Union Station. The current connection from the Rock Island District to Union Station via the St. Charles Air Line sees occasional use during maintenance and emergencies, but it limits trains to a maximum speed of 5 mph (8 km/h) and requires trains to reverse into Union Station. This Illinois train station-related article
2301-506: The decline of the downtown shopping district, which is still felt today. Today, Joliet has a "west side" and a "far west side" (which includes all city limits in Kendall County). This has given rise to a newly referenced "Central Joliet" portion of the city, which essentially is all land west of the Des Plaines River and east of Interstate 55 . This new reference may soon change the current meaning of "west side" to west of I-55. Joliet has
2360-590: The early 1980s, the Job Corps of the U.S. Department of Labor has operated the Joliet Job Corps Center on the campus of the former Joliet East High School . Situated about 40 miles (64 km) southwest of central Chicago, Joliet has long been a significant transportation hub. It lies on both sides of the Des Plaines River, a major waterway in Northern Illinois , and was one of the principal ports on
2419-510: The front entry gate. The stone is 9×22×20 ft. In 1885, an immense Byzantine dome was added to the south façade. The interior of the Jacob A. Henry Mansion has elaborate polished-walnut woodwork, massive, carved pocket doors, original wood mantles, and a solid-walnut staircase. The original owner, Mr. Henry, was a railroad magnate, building railroads in Indiana, Ohio, and Illinois. He had ownership in
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2478-399: The line came under equal control of the four companies that used it: the Illinois Central Railroad , Michigan Central Railroad , Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad and Chicago and North Western Railway (successor to the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad ). The Air Line's track was originally on ground level with numerous street crossings. In the late 1890s, work was begun to raise
2537-460: The line onto fill and replace the grade crossings with overpasses. As originally constructed, the east end of the Air Line connected with the IC with connections that curved to the north to serve both Central Station and the yards and warehouses through downtown up to the Chicago River. There was a shorter, steeper ramp down for passenger trains to get into Central Station while a longer, less severe incline
2596-594: The movie screen), at the corner of Scott Street and Washington, and at the old Menards that took over the Wieboldt's building at Jefferson Square Mall. The Illinois Youth Center Joliet, a juvenile correctional facility of the Illinois Department of Juvenile Justice , opened in April 1959. According to the city's 2017 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the largest employers in the city are: The Rialto Square Theatre,
2655-502: The northeast corner of Stewart Avenue and 16th Street. This line would compete with the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad , which thus opposed the project, and chartered the Dixon Air Line Railroad from St. Charles west to Dixon, Illinois . Eventually the St. Charles Air Line , an unincorporated jointly owned line, was formed as a reorganization of the project. It only built from the Illinois Central Railroad (also used by
2714-708: The northern connections were removed. This coincided with the gradual elimination of yards to the north (this area is the Illinois Center office, hotel, and retail complex today). Central Station closed in 1972 and was razed in 1974. Now the South Leg is the only connection from the IC mainline to the Air Line. In the 1980s and 1990s, Chicago city planners wanted to tear down the St. Charles Air Line as part of initiatives to redevelop Chicago's Near South Side neighborhood. Chicago has since reversed its position, adopting plans to run more transit and intercity passenger trains on
2773-436: The rate of unemployment in Joliet was around 8.6%. The city is evolving from a steel and manufacturing suburb to a commuter suburb in the Chicago metropolitan area . Some new migrants to the Chicago area are working in bordering Cook County (the nation's second-most populous county) and living in Joliet. The downtown area of Joliet has slowly attracted new businesses to the area. The main attractions in Joliet's city center are
2832-455: The state of Illinois, BNSF, and the city of Joliet. Union Station closed in September 2014, replaced by temporary facilities. Groundbreaking for the new replacement station took place late in 2016, with construction beginning shortly afterward. After several delays, the station building officially opened on April 11, 2018. The original plans for Joliet Gateway Center included a bus terminal, which
2891-491: The state to rescind that incorporation. In 1845, local residents changed the community's name from "Juliet" to "Joliet", reflecting the original name. Joliet was reincorporated as a city in 1852. Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne was active in getting the city its first charter , and because of this, he was elected Joliet's first mayor . When the city later built a new bridge, it was named the Van Horne Bridge. According to
2950-485: The station is also served by three inbound Heritage Corridor trains in the morning and three outbound trains in the evening. For Amtrak, as of 2024, Joliet is served by eight Lincoln Service trains (four in each direction) and two Texas Eagle trains (one in each direction), every day. The Joliet Gateway Center is 37.2 miles (59.9 km) from Chicago Union Station on Metra's Heritage Corridor , and 40 miles (64.4 km) from Chicago's LaSalle Street Station on
3009-454: The structure are constructed of red Illinois sandstone and deep red brick specially fired in Ohio (wrapped individually and shipped by barge to Joliet). A commanding three-story tower is the focal point of the structure. The structure has steel trim with slate shingles on a mansard roof. The front and side porches are single slabs of limestone. The largest stone ever quarried lies in the sidewalk under
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#17328513048053068-428: The viaduct bridges was finished in 2020, and the entire project was completed in 2021 after the placement of about 4,000 feet (1,200 m) of track. In 2022, Amtrak began seeking grants to build a direct connection between the St. Charles Air Line and Union Station to avoid the switchback maneuver. Amtrak might also try to lease or buy the St. Charles Air Line to relieve congestion for its passenger trains. As part of
3127-620: The west side of the river. The Canadian National Railway 's employee timetable dated July 2011 states: "St. Charles Air Line is a connection between Metra 16th St. Interlocking and BNSF Union Ave. BNSF and UP jointly own the line between Union Ave. and a point 70 feet west of the Bascule Bridge over the South Branch of the Chicago River. CN owns the line from that point to 16th St. ... Both tracks are designated Non-Main Track, CN Rule 520 applies, and
3186-404: Was Prison Break . The prison was also used for the opening scenes in the 1980 movie, The Blues Brothers , which starred John Belushi as "Joliet" Jake Blues and Dan Aykroyd as Elwood Blues. The first Dairy Queen store opened in Joliet. The location is now occupied by Universal Church. Two casinos originated as riverboat casino in Joliet: the Hollywood Casino near Channahon and
3245-423: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.01, and the average family size was 3.56. In the city, the population is 30.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 31.6% from 25 to 44, 20.1% from 45 to 64, and 8.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males. For 2015,
3304-442: Was omitted from the project following cost overruns. Pace committed additional funding for the construction of the bus station, and construction began in early 2021, over 10 years since the project's proposal. The bus terminal opened in December 2021. Joliet Gateway Center is the terminus of the Metra Rock Island District and Heritage Corridor lines, to Chicago LaSalle Street Station and Chicago Union Station respectively. It
3363-413: Was operationally deficient after the tunnels connecting its platforms to the station building were filled in. Following the revisions, freight trains on the north-south tracks through the station were required to stop while passenger trains boarded, which led to conflicts. The city of Joliet applied for a TIGER grant to improve its passenger station facilities in 2009, and received additional funding from
3422-464: Was the fastest-growing city in the Midwestern United States and the 18th-fastest growing city in the United States among incorporated places with more than 100,000 people. According to the official website for the city of Joliet: Joliet's diverse faith community represents over 60 denominations and offers residents services at more than 150 churches, synagogues, and houses of worship. Along with their spiritual offerings, these houses of worship enrich
3481-460: Was used by freight trains. In 1968, a southward-facing connection was built, generally known as the South Leg because together with the original lines a wye was formed which was occasionally used to turn passenger trains around. The South Leg enables trains using the Air Line to travel directly to and from the south. After the coming of Amtrak in May 1971, the remaining passenger trains were gradually shifted from Central Station to Union Station and
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