Franklin Park, Illinois

Franklin Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 18,467 at the 2020 census, up from 18,333 at the 2010 census. It was named for real estate broker Lesser Franklin who bought acres of the area when it was a majority of farming fields.

Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Franklin Park has a total area of 4.77 sqmi, all land.

History
The 1840s observed an influx of German farmers. By the middle of the 1870s, the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad (later the Chicago & Pacific Railroad, Milwaukee Road, Soo Line Railroad, Canadian Pacific Railway, and now Canadian Pacific Kansas City) established tracks and constructed a station on Elm Street. The Indiana Harbor Belt and the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie (Soo Line) Railroads came after.

Real estate agent Lesser Franklin acquired four farms aggregating 600 acres in the beginning of the 1890s. He constructed a community center at the railroads' intersection. He christened the community Franklin Park and organized parades through Chicago's LaSalle Street to lure in potential customers. He handed out free train rides to Franklin Park on Sundays. On Rose Street, a pavilion was erected where new customers could take part in tournaments, dance, listen to speeches, and enjoy free food and alcohol. Sales of the lot topped $1 million.

The town became an official entity in 1892. At the turn of the century, the initial industry was established. In 1900, Franklin gave property for an iron foundry, and in 1905, he granted the Siegel, Cooper Company another piece of land for the construction of a factory. Most of the workers and population were identified as Polish, Italian, and Slavic immigrants in records from the 1923 foundry and school rosters. The region welcomed Douglas Aircraft (later McDonnell Douglas) and Buick Motors as part of a national preparedness program during World War II. Forty manufacturing companies had established operations in Franklin Park by 1948. Over the following ten years, 155 additional businesses were added. Businesses have consistently received assistance from the Northwest Suburban Manufacturing Association and the Chamber of Commerce.

From 3,007 in 1940 to 18,322 in 1960, the population grew. The municipality's administration fostered the establishment of industries by implementing regulations regarding zoning that favored such endeavors. Heat and smoke detectors have been rendered obtainable for organizations and residences indiscriminately via a fire department central alarm. Large customers obtained millions of gallons of water every day from water reserves.

The community continues to seek for more space to expand its industry. Franklin Park was the fourth-largest industrial region in Illinois in 1990 after acquiring 65 acres. Hispanics constituted around 38% of the 19,434-person population in 2000. Blue-collar workers employed by a multitude of industries comprised a large portion of the population. Franklin Park serves as an appealing choice for industry due to its close proximity to major expressways, railroad freight terminals, O'Hare Airport cargo terminals, and spur tracks which enable accessibility to the rear of buildings.

The state of Illinois collaborated and orchestrated an extensive rail realignment plan in late 2006, with Canadian Pacific, Canadian National, and the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroads. The IHB grade crossings at Schiller Boulevard, Chestnut Avenue, Franklin Avenue, Edgington Street, and Grand Avenue were closed to traffic and razed as part of this project, and the CN grade crossing on Grand Avenue was removed and substituted with a brand-new green underpass bridge. Additionally, the IHB roadbed was amalgamated with the CN's at Richard Avenue in River Grove. Upon the consummation of the project, Martens Street displaced the original IHB right-of-way north of the railroad's Norpaul Yard. In September 2007, the Franklin Park symbolically inaugurated the bridge.

Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 18,467 people, 5,747 households, and 4,165 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,868.24 PD/sqmi. There were 6,604 housing units at an average density of 1,383.33 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 48.15% White, 1.68% African American, 2.04% Native American, 3.95% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 26.00% from other races, and 18.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 52.16% of the population.

There were 5,747 households, out of which 34.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.82% were married couples living together, 19.89% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.53% were non-families. 23.98% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.67 and the average family size was 3.09.

The village's age distribution consisted of 22.0% under the age of 18, 9.6% from 18 to 24, 29.2% from 25 to 44, 27% from 45 to 64, and 12.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $67,755, and the median income for a family was $82,361. Males had a median income of $44,973 versus $30,943 for females. The per capita income for the village was $26,547. About 11.7% of families and 12.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 21.3% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation
Franklin Park has three Metra stations: Belmont Avenue on Metra's North Central Service, which provides daily rail service between Antioch, Illinois and Chicago, Illinois (at Union Station); Franklin Park and Mannheim on the Milwaukee District West Line which connects Chicago to Elgin, Illinois. Franklin Park is in the close proximity of O'Hare International Airport; airplanes can be seen taking off and descending over the village. The village is served by three railroads: Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited (formerly Milwaukee Road and Canadian Pacific), Canadian National Railway (formerly Wisconsin Central), and the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Franklin Park to destinations across the region.

Businesses
Franklin Park is home to Grand Stand Pizza, in 2005 voted Best Thin Crust in Chicago by Fox News Chicago, A.M. Castle & Co, R&M Trucking Co. Aerospace Manufacturer, Chucking Machine Products, Sax-Tiedemann Funeral Home & Crematorium, Precision Steel Warehouse, Inc., and Ex-Cell Kaiser, manufacturers of waste and recycling products.

It was also home to Midway Manufacturing before the company relocated in 1991.

Education
Elementary school districts:
 * Franklin Park School District 84
 * Hester Junior High School
 * North Elementary School
 * Passow Elementary School
 * Pietrini Elementary School
 * East Early Childhood Center
 * Mannheim School District 83
 * Enger School, for disabled children, in Franklin Park
 * Scott Elementary School
 * Westdale Elementary School
 * Roy Elementary School
 * Mannheim Middle School
 * Schiller Park School District 81 includes a portion of Franklin Park.

High school districts:
 * Leyden High School District 212
 * East Leyden High School
 * West Leyden High School

Private Catholic schools in nearby River Grove (of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago):
 * St. Cyprian Catholic Elementary School
 * Guerin College Preparatory High School - Guerin will close permanently after Spring 2020.

Triton College is the area community college.

Notable people

 * Leo Bartoline, Illinois legislator and lawyer
 * Ned Colletti, baseball executive
 * Glen Grunwald, only four-time high school All-State basketball player in Illinois history; former GM of Toronto Raptors and New York Knicks
 * Mike Shanahan, head coach for the NFL's Los Angeles Raiders, Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos, and Washington Redskins