Wheeling is a village in Cook and Lake counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is part of Wheeling and Vernon townships. Wheeling is a suburb of Chicago, it is primarily in Cook County, approximately northwest of downtown Chicago. The population was 39,137 at the 2020 census. Wheeling is named after Wheeling, West Virginia.

History

Prior to incorporation The land that is now Wheeling, Illinois, 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 the late 1700s and early 1800s, the Potawatomi expanded southwards from their territory in Green Bay and westward from their holdings in 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.Margot Stimley, The Indians of Northern Illinois, 1992. Article collected in Miscellaneous Arlington Heights History, ed. Fran Boyd and Joan Huff, 2005. The descendants of the Potawatomi who once inhabited the land that is now Wheeling currently live on a reservation in Mayette, Kansas.

The first cabin in Wheeling Township was built by a Mr. Sweet in March of 1833. He became the first settler and was able to live peacefully alongside the neighboring Native Americans. The following September, Mr. Sweet sold the cabin to George Strong for $60, making Mr. Strong the first permanent resident in Wheeling Township. In 1834, Mr. Strong purchased 160 acres of land from the government for $200. Today, Strong Street is named after him.

In 1834, Joseph Filkins opened the first tavern-hotel in the township at the intersection of Dundee Road and Milwaukee Avenue. Joseph Filkins was also the owner of a 720 acre farm in Wheeling and he spent 15 years living in Wheeling.  He laid down roads and served as postmaster, supervisor of Wheeling Township, and as the Justice of Peace. He worked alongside George Strong to help settle land claim disputes. By 1835, there were 18 cabins in the township, and a post office was established in Filkins' Tavern.

In 1837, Russell Wheeler and Charles Daniels opened a general store and trading post next to Filkins' Tavern. The settlers who migrated to that area formed the Village of East Wheeling, which later became known as simply Wheeling.Stimley, Margot (1997). Chronicle of a Prairie Town: Arlington Heights, Illinois. Arlington Heights Historical Society. In 1845, Wheeling built its first ever school and was named The Wheeling School. Due to a growing population in Wheeling, a new school was built in 1861 which burned and was destroyed in 1870. In 1850, Napoleon Periolat built Wheeling’s first ever industry, a brewery which lasted until 1910.

In 1886, Wheeling built its first railroad station. The railroad station wasn't part of Wheeling until the land was purchased by residents in the area. The Old Wheeling Station was part of the Soo Line and only freight trains travelled through. This forced Wheeling residents to hop on milk trains to get to Chicago and back.

Incorporation and post-incorporation On June 18, 1894, Wheeling was incorporated as a village through a special election held at the Union Hotel. Forty-three people voted in favor and three voted against. On July 18, 1894, another election was held to officially elect a Village President, six trustees, a Police Magistrate, and a Village Clerk. Incorporation was needed to enforce existing ordinances and control illegal activities. Wheeling was struggling to control railroad workers who would go to taverns and drink. By incorporating, they were able to arrest them until they sobered up.

In 1894, the first Village Hall was built. It contained two jail cells and was used by both the Chief of Police and Chief Magistrate. it also served as the only polling place in the village and was where the Village Board met on the first Monday of each month. The original Village Hall is now the Wheeling Historical Museum located in Chamber Park.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Wheeling had dairy farms like the Buffalo Creek Farm, which supplied milk to restaurants and residents of Wheeling. There was truck farms where vegetables were grown and later sold to markets in Chicago. Spanish-speaking migrants from Texas and Mexico would come and work on the truck farms in Wheeling during the Spring and Summer seasons. Many would go back to their homes when the farming season was over, but some decided to stay year round.

In 1970, the Village of Wheeling became a Council-Manager type of government. Currently, Wheeling has a Village President, six trustees, a Village Clerk, and a Village Manager. The Village is a home-rule community, which allows the Village to make its own laws and carry out its responsibilities. In 2025, Wheeling introduced a new flag design to mark a new chapter in the village. The previous flag design was used from 1972 to 2025. Geography According to the 2010 census, the village has a total area of , of which (or 97.26%) is land and (or 2.74%) is water.

Climate The climate in Wheeling can be classified as temperate. Winters are usually very cold and snowy. Summers are often hot and humid, but can be pleasantly warm as well. Precipitation is uniformly distributed throughout the year.

Demographics

Racial and ethnic composition +Wheeling village, Illinois – Racial and ethnic compositionRace / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)Pop 2000Pop 2010% 2000% 2010White alone (NH)22,89219,70117,80566.36%52.33%45.49%Black or African American alone (NH)7998068852.32%2.14%2.26%Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)3539220.10%0.10%0.06%Asian alone (NH)3,1834,8266,5069.23%12.82%16.62%Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH)18260.05%0.01%0.02%Other race alone (NH)43541720.12%0.14%0.44%Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)3914626941.13%1.23%1.77%Hispanic or Latino (any race)7,13511,75813,04720.68%31.23%33.34%Total34,49637,64839,137100.00%100.00%100.00%

2020 census As of the 2020 census, Wheeling had a population of 39,137. The population density was . The median age was 39.4 years; 19.3% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.3% were 65 years of age or older.

For every 100 females there were 97.7 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 95.6 males age 18 and over. 100.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 0.0% lived in rural areas.

There were 15,312 households, 9,673 families, and 16,190 housing units, with an average housing-unit density of . Of the housing units, 5.4% were vacant. Of all households, 28.3% had children under the age of 18 living in them, 48.5% were married-couple households, 19.6% had a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 26.0% had a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.4% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.6%.

Income and poverty The median income for a household in the village was $71,966, and the median income for a family was $83,406. Males had a median income of $45,470 versus $36,478 for females. The per capita income for the village was $36,999. About 5.6% of families and 8.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 12.0% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over. Economy As of the 2020 Census, Wheeling's economy employs 21,671 people in many different industry sectors. Wheeling was home to video game company Jaleco USA and to the American branch of Taito.

A famous hotel called the Union Hotel used to be located on Milwaukee Avenue. It was built in 1856 and reconstructed following a fire in 1925. Over the years, the building evolved into several restaurants. Billy and Company, a restaurant, was the last occupant of the building, which was torn down in 1996 to make way for Union Commons condominiums."Village Views", November/December 2000

Camp Ramah, a Jewish day camp, is located in Wheeling.

The Korean Cultural Center of Chicago is located in Wheeling.Selvam, Ashok. "Asian population booming in suburbs." Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, Illinois). March 6, 2011. Retrieved on June 19, 2013.

Top employers + Wheeling+Top employers # Employer # of Employees 1SG360646 2Durable Packaging International500 3Reynolds Consumer Products337 4Viant286 5Argon Medical Devices283 6Richelieu Foods230 7Hidden Valley Manufacturing225 8Greek American Rehabilitation & Care Center186 9Walmart183 10Engis Corporation177

Employment by industry + Wheeling+Employment by industry Industry Employment Percentage Educational services, and health care and social assistance 4,026 18.6% Manufacturing 3,404 15.7% Professional, scientific, and management, and administrative and waste management services 2,772 12.8% Arts, entertainment, and recreation, and accommodation and food services 2,277 10.5% Retail trade 2,274 10.5% Transportation and warehousing, and utilities 1,721 7.9% Finance and insurance, and real estate and rental and leasing 1,202 5.5% Construction 1,192 5.5% Other services, except public administration 1,154 5.3% Wholesale trade 991 4.6% Public administration 387 1.8% Information 230 1.1% Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining 41 0.2% Total 21,671 100% Parks and Recreation Wheeling's multiple parks and facilities are owned and managed by the Wheeling Park District.

Parks

Avalon Sienna Park Chamber Park Childerly Park Denoyer Park Heritage Park Horizon Park Husky Park Malibu Park Mark Twain Park Meadowbrook Park Northside Park Pleasant Run Park

Facilities

Chamber Park Historic Museum Chevy Chase County Club & Golf Course Community Recreation Center Family Aquatic Center Outdoor Pool Health and Fitness Center Sports Complex

Arts and culture Wheeling has a historical museum located in Chamber Park, and is a cooperative effort with the Village of Wheeling, Wheeling Park District, Indian Trails Public Library.

Libraries The Indian Trails Public Library District is located in the Village of Wheeling and it serves the majority of its residents. The Indian Trails Public Library District also serves different portions of Buffalo Grove, Prospect Heights, and Arlington Heights. The library also operates a small branch in Prospect Heights.

The Prospect Heights Public Library District serves a part of the Village of Wheeling.

Annual events The Wheeling International Festival is a cultural event hosted at the Heritage Park Performance Pavilion. The festival takes place during the summer and it features music, dance, and cultural booths to celebrate the diversity in the community.

The Wheeling Health Fair is an event designed for businesses and organizations to share information. Families are able to walk around, explore, and learn about recourses found in the community. NWSRA, Hands Off Wheeling, Link Together Coalition, OMNI, and the Wheeling Police Department were some of the organizations present.

Rock N Run the Runway is a summer event hosted at the Chicago Executive Airport which features a 5k run, entertainment, food, and ends with a firework show.

Lights Around Wheeling is a Christmas lighting celebration hosted at Friendship Park. The celebration marks the beginning of the holiday season in the community.

Lollipop Lane is an event hosted in Chamber Park every December. The community center, which used to be a church, is decorated to match the Christmas theme. Homemade cookies are sold during the event and kids are able to take a picture with Santa.

Government

Structure