How do you define Chicagoland?

[Revive 755]

For I-55 I would say Arsenal Rd For I-57 it would be Sauk Trail and for I-65 US 231.

The overpass where Arsenal used to cross I-55 or the location where the actual ramps to Arsenal Road are now located?

[Super Mateo]

I disagree with the western border, given the amount of growth west of IL 59.  If I wanted to define the western border based on a road, I would go with around the Randall Road/Orchard Road corridor or a US 12/IL 31/IL 120/IL 47/IL 71/IL 126/Ridge Road line.

For entering Chicagoland via I-55, I generally think of the fuzzy boundary being around the IL 113 interchange since this is where there seems to be a decent increase in residential development.  For I-57, I would say around the Monee Exit (Exit 335).  Via I-94 or the Indiana Toll Road I would say the interchange connecting I-94 to the Toll Road.

I'll give you the western border. I said IL 59, but with all the growth along the Fox River, I didn't put it far enough west.

Monee was one of the US 30 exceptions I had in mind, but I can't agree with IL 113 being in Chicagoland. I don't put Wilmington, Braidwood, Coal City, Morris, etc. in Chicagoland.  They're more than an hour from downtown Chicago and there isn't much development surrounding those areas. I'd be willing to consider Channahon and Minooka a distant extension, but once you go through areas that have never been developed, you're out of Chicagoland.

We didn't consider NW Indiana as part of Chicagoland. As somone else stated above, a lot of that came from car commercials.


"....so head on down to your Chicagoland and/or Northwest Indiana (Chevy/Ford/Dodge/Toyota/Honda) dealer now!!!!" (some would say and, some would say or, but all would mention the 2 locales as separate entities).

That's exactly where I heard that! I always wondered why they did it that way, especially when it was faster for us to get to Indiana than Chicago.

[Brandon]

I disagree with the western border, given the amount of growth west of IL 59.  If I wanted to define the western border based on a road, I would go with around the Randall Road/Orchard Road corridor or a US 12/IL 31/IL 120/IL 47/IL 71/IL 126/Ridge Road line.

For entering Chicagoland via I-55, I generally think of the fuzzy boundary being around the IL 113 interchange since this is where there seems to be a decent increase in residential development.  For I-57, I would say around the Monee Exit (Exit 335).  Via I-94 or the Indiana Toll Road I would say the interchange connecting I-94 to the Toll Road.

I'll give you the western border. I said IL 59, but with all the growth along the Fox River, I didn't put it far enough west.

Monee was one of the US 30 exceptions I had in mind, but I can't agree with IL 113 being in Chicagoland. I don't put Wilmington, Braidwood, Coal City, Morris, etc. in Chicagoland.  They're more than an hour from downtown Chicago and there isn't much development surrounding those areas. I'd be willing to consider Channahon and Minooka a distant extension, but once you go through areas that have never been developed, you're out of Chicagoland.

That's because there never can be any development between Arsenal Road and the Kankakee River.  It's the Des Plaines State Fish & Wildlife Area and the Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie.  Once you get to Lorenzo Road, the development starts up again.

[dvferyance]

For I-55 I would say Arsenal Rd For I-57 it would be Sauk Trail and for I-65 US 231.

The overpass where Arsenal used to cross I-55 or the location where the actual ramps to Arsenal Road are now located?

The difference is at most a mile so I don't know why it's worth a debate. I would just say where the current interchange is to keep it simple.

[kphoger]

In my mind...

The Indiana Dunes limit the eastern end:  Burns Harbor is Chicagoland, but neither Michigan City nor Valpo.

Richton Park used to be the southern end, but Monee and Manhattan should count nowadays (I remember when Laraway Road was gravel).

Joliet is still pretty much the end of Chicagoland, but Minooka counts as well:  Morris is out.

For the western end, Plano and Elburn didn't use to count, but they're in Chicagoland now:  Sandwich and DeKalb are still out.

I could go either way on Harvard or Woodstock for the northwestern end:  Metra goes to Harvard, but it retains its own town-hood.

The northern limit is the Wisconsin state line except for Kenosha, which counts.

[dvferyance]

I would sum it up this way Cook, Lake, Mc Henry, Kane , Kendall, Grundy (barely) and Will in Illinois. De Kalb and Kankakee are sometimes included I would not. Lake, Porter and La Porte in Indiana sometimes Newton and Jasper are included but I say no. Kenosha in Wisconsin I will keep Walworth out for now but could see it getting added after 2030 or so.

[I-39]

If I had to give an honest definition, I'd say the entire area inside the following boundaries. I-80 to the south, IL-47 to the west, the Wisconsin border to the north, and the Indiana border to the east.

[hbelkins]

I'd definitely include Michigan City.