Kankakee is a city in Kankakee County, Illinois, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 27,491. It is the county seat of Kankakee County. It is included in the Combined Statistical Area for Chicago. Library service is provided by the Kankakee Public Library.

Geography

Kankakee is located at (41.116982, -87.863866).

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.8 square miles (33.0 km²), of which, 12.3 square miles (31.8 km²) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.2 km²) of it (3.76%) is water.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 27,491 people, 10,020 households and 6,272 families residing within the city. The population density was 2,239.8 people per square mile (865.1/km²). There were 10,965 housing units at an average density of 893.4/sq mi (345.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 50.92% White, 41.07% African American, 0.27% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 5.50% from other races, and 1.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.25% of the population.

There were 10,020 households out of which 34.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.4% were married couples living together, 21.2% have a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.28.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $30,469, and the median income for a family was $36,428. Males had a median income of $30,894 versus $22,928 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,479. About 18.1% of families and 21.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.3% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.

Rail Transportation

Amtrak, the national passenger rail service, provides service to Kankakee. Amtrak Train 59, the southbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Kankakee at 9:23pm daily with service to Champaign-Urbana, Mattoon, Effingham, Centralia, Carbondale, Fulton, Newbern-Dyersburg, Memphis, Greenwood, Yazoo City, Jackson, Hazlehurst, Brookhaven, McComb, Hammond, and New Orleans. Amtrak Train 58, the northbound City of New Orleans, is scheduled to depart Kankakee at 7:13am daily with service to Homewood and Chicago. Kankakee is also served by Amtrak Train 390/391, the Saluki, daily in the morning, and Amtrak Train 392/393, the Illini, daily in the afternoon/evening. Both the Saluki and the Illini operate between Chicago and Carbondale.

High Schools

Kankakee is home to 4 high schools, Kankakee High School, Bishop Martin D. McNamara, Grace Baptist Academy and Kankakee Trinity Academy. Kankakee High School is the public high school for the city and is the most populated school in Kankakee. Bishop McNamara, Kankakee Trinity Academy and Grace Baptist Academy are private high schools. Bishop McNamara is a Catholic high school, Kankakee Trinity Academy is a Inter-Denominational Christian School while Grace Baptist is Independent Baptist.

Sports

Kankakee is home to one professional franchise:

Notable people from Kankakee

• Kankakee has produced 3 Illinois Governors (Len Small, Samuel H. Shapiro, and George Ryan).
• Three Major League Baseball players were born in Kankakee, Terry Wells (1963), Tom Prince (1964), and Billy Petrick (1984).
• Jack Sikma, seven-time NBA All-Star basketball player.
• Tyjuan Hagler, Indianapolis Colts linebacker and special teams player, who played high school football at Bishop McNamara.
• Fred MacMurray, film and television actor.
• Jordan Black, actor.
• Harold Gray, creator of Little Orphan Annie.
• Kalisha Buckhanon, award-winning novelist (Upstate and Conception).

Rick Shelley (1947-2001) Science fiction writer and novelist.

See also

• Kankakee River
• Kankakee Outwash Plain

References

External links

• Official City page