Elwood

History

Elwood was founded in 1854 and incorporated as a village in 1869. The completion of the Joliet–Bloomington railroad, now part of the Union Pacific system, played a major role in the founding of Elwood. By 1900, Elwood was a small farming community with a population of about 400. In the late 1930s, the federal government acquired nearby land for military training and weapons production, on which site the Joliet Arsenal was built and commenced operation in 1940. Arsenal construction played an important role in the development of Elwood and brought about 175 people into the area. In 1942, a massive explosion at the arsenal killed 42 workers and caused widespread damage. In 1954, the village celebrated its centennial, and 20,000 people gathered to watch the parade. By 1970, Elwood had a population of about 750. On May 8, 1988, a tornado touched down about three miles (5 km) north of the village, uprooting large trees and heavily damaging some homes and pole buildings. In 1990, the village began to experience more rapid growth. By 1996, Elwood's population rose to nearly 1,423, with development accelerated due to the construction of the CenterPoint Intermodal Center facility. The village's population peaked at 2,279, according to the 2010 US census, decreasing to 2,229, according to the 2020 US census. The Northern Illinois Planning Commission had projected that Elwood would have a population of nearly 20,000 by 2030, which given the 2.2. percent population contraction noted in the 2020 census, is not likely to be realized. The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, a prairie reserve operated by the United States Forest Service is located on the site of the former Joliet Army Ammunition Plant near Elwood, and was established by federal law in 1996. In 1999, the…

Geography

The nearest major highways are Interstate 80 to the north and Interstate 55 to the west. The former U.S. 66 highway passes through the village on the east side. According to the 2010 census, Elwood has a total area of , all land.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  7,818
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,949
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  6,556
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  6,513
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  5,059
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,942
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,686
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  4,593

Largest nearby schools

• Joliet West High School
  High · Joliet · 3,541 students · 21.1:1 ratio
• Joliet Central High School
  High · Joliet · 3,377 students · 18.4:1 ratio
• Lincoln Way West
  High · New Lenox · 1,994 students · 19.5:1 ratio
• Hufford Junior High School
  Middle · Joliet · 1,151 students · 15.8:1 ratio
• Washington Jr High & Academy Prgm
  Middle · Joliet · 774 students · 14.1:1 ratio
• Wilson Creek Elem Sch
  Elementary · Manhattan · 732 students · 16.3:1 ratio
• Gompers Junior High School
  Middle · Joliet · 649 students · 10.8:1 ratio
• Troy Cronin Elem School
  Elementary · Shorewood · 648 students · 14.4:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-07-08
  21 km ENE of Kenilworth, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2025-03-15
  6 km W of Dwight, Illinois
• M 3.1 — 2024-07-15
  2 km WNW of Somonauk, Illinois
• M 3.6 — 2023-11-15
  1 km SSW of Standard, Illinois
• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois
• M 3.2 — 2013-11-04
  1 km SSW of Lyons, Illinois