Thornton Township, Cook County, Illinois

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Thornton Township
Township
Official seal of Thornton Township
Seal
Location in Cook County
Location in Cook County
Cook County's location in Illinois
Cook County's location in Illinois
Coordinates: 41°35′00″N 87°37′00″W / 41.58333°N 87.61667°W / 41.58333; -87.61667
CountryUnited States United States
StateIllinois Illinois
CountyCook
Established1850
Government
 • TypeTownship
 • BodyTownship Board
 • SupervisorNapoleon Harris (Democrat)
 • TrusteeStephanie Wiedeman
 • TrusteeDarlene Gray Everett
 • TrusteeChristopher D. Gonzalez
 • TrusteeCarmen Carlisle
 • ClerkLoretta C. Wells
Area
 • Total
122.8 km2 (47.42 sq mi)
 • Land121.5 km2 (46.93 sq mi)
 • Water1.3 km2 (0.49 sq mi)
Elevation
189 m (620 ft)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
157,865
 • Density1,299/km2 (3,364/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
60406, 60409, 60419, 60425, 60426, 60429, 60430, 60438, 60469, 60473, 60476, 60633, 60827
Area code708
FIPS code17-031-75198
GNIS feature ID0422238
Websitethorntontownship.com

Thornton Township is one of 29 townships in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 157,865.[1]

Incorporated in 1850, it is located immediately south of the city of Chicago. It is the second most populous township in Illinois as of the 2020 census, after Rockford Township (pop. 170,478) in Winnebago County.[1]

The village of South Holland serves as the governmental seat of Thornton Township. The township is named after the village of Thornton, located in the south central portion of the township. Many parts of the township carry names inspired by the village's name, including the three high schools of Thornton Township District 205: Thornton Township High School in Harvey; Thornwood High School in South Holland; Thornridge High School in Dolton; Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing; Thornton Fractional North High School in Calumet City and Thornton Fractional Center for Academics and Technology also in Calumet City.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Thornton Township covers an area of 47.42 square miles (122.81 km2); of this, 46.93 square miles (121.54 km2) is land and 0.49 square miles (1.27 km2) (1.03 percent) is water.[1]

Boundaries

Thornton Township is bordered by Western Avenue on the west, 138th Street on the north, the Indiana state line on the east, and 183rd/186th Street on the south.

Cities and villages

Unincorporated Towns

Adjacent townships

Cemeteries

The township contains these 11 cemeteries: Berger, First Reformed of Lansing, Glen Oak, Hazelwood, Holy Cross Catholic, Homewood Memorial Gardens, Mount Forest, Oak Lawn, Oak Ridge, Oakland and Washington Memory Gardens.

Major highways

Airports and landing strips

Lakes

  • Green Lake
  • Homewood Lake
  • Izaak Walton Lake
  • Lake Cottage Grove
  • Powder Horn Lake
  • Spring Lake
  • Swets Lake
  • Wampum Lake

Forest Preserves

The following are all part of the Cook County Forest Preserves:

  • Brownell Woods
  • Burnham Woods
  • Calumet Woods
  • Green Lake Woods
  • Kickapoo Meadows
  • Shabbona Woods
  • Wampum Lake Woods
  • Wentworth Woods

Colleges

Demographics

Thornton Township, 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.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[2] Pop 2010[3] Pop 2020[4] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 60,828 31,955 19,176 33.64% 18.87% 12.15%
Black or African American alone (NH) 103,545 115,259 109,534 57.27% 68.07% 69.38%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 210 264 188 0.12% 0.16% 0.12%
Asian alone (NH) 1,010 825 884 0.56% 0.49% 0.56%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 50 31 28 0.04% 0.02% 0.02%
Other race alone (NH) 184 182 692 0.10% 0.11% 0.44%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 2,077 2,098 3,391 1.15% 1.24% 2.15%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 12,898 18,712 23,972 7.13% 11.05% 15.19%
Total 180,802 169,326 157,865 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
193050,650—
194056,39511.3%
195076,81936.2%
1960138,44480.2%
1970188,06735.8%
1980191,3591.8%
1990175,896−8.1%
2000180,7172.7%
2010169,326−6.3%
2020157,865−6.8%
http://censusviewer.com/city/IL/Thornton

As of the 2020 census[5] there were 157,865 people, 60,889 households, and 38,705 families residing in the township. The population density was 3,331.75 inhabitants per square mile (1,286.40/km2). There were 66,938 housing units at an average density of 1,412.73 per square mile (545.46/km2). The racial makeup of the township was 14.11% White, 69.94% African American, 0.52% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 8.67% from other races, and 6.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 15.19% of the population.

There were 60,889 households, out of which 32.00% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 29.69% were married couples living together, 27.76% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 36.43% were non-families. 33.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.47.

The township's age distribution consisted of 25.1% under the age of 18, 9.8% from 18 to 24, 24.3% from 25 to 44, 26.5% from 45 to 64, and 14.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 79.8 males.

The median income for a household in the township was $50,245, and the median income for a family was $58,329. Males had a median income of $36,909 versus $31,320 for females. The per capita income for the township was $23,853. About 16.3% of families and 20.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 32.5% of those under age 18 and 11.5% of those age 65 or over.

Political districts

See also

References