Tinley Park (formerly Bremen) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States (with a small portion in Will County), and is a suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 55,971,[3] and it is among the fastest-growing suburbs southwest of Chicago. In 2009, BusinessWeek named Tinley Park the "best place in America" to raise a family.[4]
History
19th century
Modern habitation of the area which, today, comprises Tinley Park began in the 1820s with emigrants from Europe and the eastern United States. By the 1840s, Germans and German-Americans had become such a prominent group in the area that, when the Village was formed in 1853, it was given the name of Bremen. Additionally, Irish, English, Scottish, Canadian and other groups of settlers also moved to the region.[5]
In the late 19th century, railroads had expanded across America at a rapid pace, and the Village happened to be located on the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad line. The influence of this new form of transport was so great on Bremen that, in 1890, its name was changed to Tinley Park, in honor of the village's first railroad station agent, Samuel Tinley, Sr. Even the village's official incorporation took place at the train depot, on June 27, 1892, when local citizens voted 34-24[6] to continue as the Village of Tinley Park; Henry Vogt would be the Village's first mayor.[6]
20th century
With the railways came industry and commerce; 1905 saw the Diamond Spiral Washing Machine Company open a Tinley Park factory, the company's first. Local businessmen established an electric utility in 1909. A bottling facility for soda operated in Tinley Park until the 1950s. Inventor John Rauhoff developed and manufactured a waterproofing additive for cement called ironite, later used in the construction of the Hoover Dam. In 1956, a building was erected for the new Tinley Park Public Library. In the latter half of the 20th century, Tinley Park was, and remains to be, an area of rapid suburban expansion to the west and south of the original site, with over 11,000 housing units constructed between 1970 and 1994.[7]
Today
After its centennial (in 1992), Tinley Park has focused on the renovation of its historic downtown district, which encompasses the Village's original 1892 boundaries. In this district, landowners are encouraged to maintain the sites' historic edifices, or to create new, but "historically-friendly", facades for otherwise modern buildings built in the last 30 years.[citation needed]
Downtown renovation projects have included the opening of a park near the Oak Park Avenue Metra train station, as well as the recent South Street Project, a multimillion-dollar project that will create more than 220 apartments and 40,000 square feet (4,000 m2) of commercial retail space.[citation needed]
Since its opening in 1990, the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (formerly World Music Theater, Tweeter Center Chicago and First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre)[8] has been a major outdoor music venue, accommodating around 28,000 people. The amphitheater, which has hosted numerous musicians and festivals over its 30+ years in operation, features an overhead-covered seated section with open sides, and a large, sloping grass lawn area at the back.[9]
On February 2, 2008, a mass shooting occurred at Lane Bryant in Brookside Marketplace on the Will County side of the village. The store closed after the shooting.
The North American Reptile Breeders Conference (NARBC)[10] is among the largest reptile and amphibian shows in the country, with locations in four cities, including Tinley Park. The twice-annual[10] convention features dozens of kiosks, with breeders and vendors showing and selling their animals, as well as interesting gifts, pet supplies and more. The popular event is held in the spring and fall[10] at Tinley Park Convention Center.
Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Tinley Park has a total area of 16.13 square miles (41.78 km2), of which 16.12 square miles (41.75 km2) (or 99.93%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km2) (or 0.07%) is water.[11]
As of the 2020 census[15] there were 55,971 people, 21,871 households, and 14,760 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,469.56 inhabitants per square mile (1,339.60/km2). There were 22,751 housing units at an average density of 1,410.30 per square mile (544.52/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 80.56% White, 6.41% African American, 0.14% Native American, 4.21% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 2.31% from other races, and 6.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 8.39% of the population.
There were 21,871 households, out of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.68% were married couples living together, 10.01% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.51% were non-families. 29.01% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.67% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.21 and the average family size was 2.56.
The village's age distribution consisted of 21.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 25.9% from 25 to 44, 27.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.1 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $82,163, and the median income for a family was $103,902. Males had a median income of $61,179 versus $41,084 for females. The per capita income for the village was $40,955. About 4.2% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 7.8% of those under age 18 and 5.8% of those age 65 or over.
Tinley Park village, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Tinley Park includes four public school districts – Kirby School District 140 (contains 5 grade schools, and 2 middle schools: Prairie View Middle School, and Virgil I. Grissom Middle School), Community Consolidated School District 146 (contains 4 grade schools, and Central Middle School), Summit Hill School District 161,[17] (contains 5 grade schools, and Summit Hill Junior High School) and School District 159[18] (contains 4 grade schools, and Colin Powell Middle School).
The town also includes three parochial Pre-K through 8 elementary schools: St. George, which is Catholic; Trinity Lutheran, affiliated with the LCMS; and Southwest Chicago Christian School of Tinley Park.[19]
