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Gurnee is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 28,834 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 30,772 in 2005.Geography

Gurnee is located at 42°22′25″N, 87°56′4″W (42.373682, -87.934407)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 34.8 km˛ (13.4 mi˛). 34.7 km˛ (13.4 mi˛) of it is land and 0.07% is water. Gurnee is located on the banks of the Des Plaines River and is split by Interstate 94 which divides the village into East (old) and west (new) sides.Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 28,834 people, 10,629 households, and 7,716 families residing in the village. The population density was 830.8/km˛ (2,151.6/mi˛). There were 10,929 housing units at an average density of 314.9/km˛ (815.5/mi˛). The racial makeup of the village was 82.12% White, 5.06% African American, 0.18% Native American, 8.20% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 2.15% from other races, and 2.23% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.03% of the population.

There were 10,629 households out of which 42.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.6% were married couples living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.4% were non-families. 22.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.25.

In the village the population was spread out with 30.3% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 37.2% from 25 to 44, 19.9% from 45 to 64, and 7.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.2 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $75,742, and the median income for a family was $88,932. Males had a median income of $60,274 versus $38,713 for females. The per capita income for the village was $31,517. About 2.0% of families and 3.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.3% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

History

Early settlers in the Gurnee area came by foot horseback and by "Prairie Schooners" drawn by oxen or via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. They came from the town of Warren, New York, which was named in honor of Major General Joseph Warren, killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren Township, formed in 1850, was also named after him. The first settlement of Warren Township commenced in 1835 in the vicinity of the Aux Plaines River (now the Des Plaines River).

In 1835-36, a land company from New York State erected a Community House (site of the old Gurnee Grade School) to accommodate families while they were locating and getting government land grants to their farms. Near the Community House there was a ford used by the Potowatomi Indians for crossing the river. A floating log bridge was built there in about 1842. Later a stationary wooden bridge was constructed, and still later an iron bridge was erected.

With the erection of a permanent bridge, roads were established and this area became the hub of the township. It was at this junction that the Milwaukee Road crossed the river from west to east and then continued in a northeasterly direction to eventually join Chicago to Milwaukee. This road was "laid out" in 1836 by three early settlers, Thomas McClure, Mark Noble, and Richard Steele. The east-west road, now known as Grand Avenue, was a main route from McHenry County to the port of Waukegan. Stage coaches ran on this route as late as 1890.

The village is named after former Chicago Mayor Walter S. Gurnee.

Just east of the bridge, at the junction of Milwaukee Road and Grand Avenue, was the Mutaw Tavern, earlier known as "Marm Rudd's Tavern" and more recently as the Mother Rudd House. This was a stage coach stop between Chicago and Milwaukee and was a stopover for farmers from the west traveling to Little Fort (Waukegan) to barter their crops for supplies and to ship out from the ports. This building was acquired by the Village of Gurnee in 1984, has been restored, and now houses the Warren Township Historical Society.

In May 2004 Gurnee received major rainfall, causing the worst flooding in eighteen years. The flood caused major bulding damage and flooded roads that overpassed the Des Plaines River. At the intersection near Viking Middle School (Grand Avenue and O'Plaine Road), people were seen getting away from their houses in canoes. ^{[citation needed]}

Warren Township High School in Gurnee failed to meet the minimum requirements of the No Child Left Behind Law in 2003, 2004, and 2005. In 2005, overall averages on state tests were below the state average. Four subgroups failed as well. As a result, Gurnee's only high school was placed on the state's Academic Early Warning List. The school was classified as "Choice" by the federal government.[1] This "Choice" status was intended to give the parents of affected students the right to transfer them to schools with acceptable ratings.

All four of the village's grade schools are part of Gurnee School District #56. In sharp contrast to the high school, this district is passing, both overall and for each subgroup. [2]