Waukegan
Links of Interest
Distance to Downtown Chicago
34 Miles
Average Drive Times
62 Minutes to Chicago Loop
48 Minutes to O'Hare Airport
73 Minutes to Midway Airport
Waukegan is a diverse and cultural lakeside community, situated 34 miles north of Chicago and 60 miles south of Milwaukee. The community is blessed with a diverse ethnic population, adding substantive variety to its arts and entertainment offerings. The Jack Benny Center for the arts is home to the Waukegan Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, The Bowen Park Opera Company and the Community Players. A number of art galleries and studios have sprung up along historic Genesee Street, attracting art enthusiasts to the community. The Waukegan Public Library recently underwent expansion, making it the biggest library in Lake County.
Waukegan offers easy access to both Chicago and Milwaukee for the working commuters, but many residents choose to take jobs right in the area. Some employment choices include: Abbott Laboratories, Baxter Healthcare, Cherry Electrical Products Corporation, Community Unit School District 60, Great Lakes Naval Base, Kemper Insurance, Outboard Marine Corp. / Johnson Outboards, Provena St. Therese Medical Center, the Veterans Administration Hospital and Victory Memorial Hospital.
Aesthetically, little can top the beauty of Waukegan's one-half mile of white sand on Lake Michigan. Swimming, sunbathing and wind surfing are just a few of the popular activities drawing sun lovers to its shores. Fishing and boating attract people further down the beach. Waukegan offers two outdoor swimming pools, one in Bowen Park and the other at Belvidere Park. The Lake County family YMCA houses an indoor pool, racquetball courts, a gymnasium, a fitness center and an indoor track.
Waukegan is known for its large (38 sites), well-organized and varied park district which offers classes and programs for toddlers to seniors. Reasonably priced classes for children and adolescents include everything from Parent-Tot Funtime to tennis and volleyball workshops and baby-sitting clinics.
Schools
The 22 schools (including a pre-school) of Community Unit School district 60 serve Waukegan's more than 12,000 public school students. The schools have been noted for their wide variety of special programs. In fact, two of the 15 elementary schools are known for their strong emphasis on arts programs.
Special needs assistance, as well as gifted courses, computer labs and after-school tutoring programs are available in all subjects and at all levels. Bilingual classes are a strong focus, catering to Waukegan's diverse ethnic population.
There are five junior high schools. Teenagers attend Waukegan High School which offers its students college preparatory courses as well as vocational training.
Residents do not need to leave their community to receive a post high school education. Waukegan is home to the fast-growing Lake Shore Campus of the College of Lake County, where students may earn Associate of Arts and Associate of Applied Science degrees.
Transportation
The drive to Chicago or Milwaukee takes less than one hour. The drive time to the Loop is 45 minutes, the drive to O'Hare takes about 45 minutes and the drive time to Milwaukee's Mitchell Field takes approximately 45 minutes. A Metra train ride into Chicago from Waukegan takes about 70 minutes.
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