Naperville

Sister cities

• Nitra
• Cancun
• Pátzcuaro

History

Before any settlement, Naperville was home to Native American tribes. In 1641, the first European contact with Native Americans in Illinois was made with members of the Iliniwek tribe. The Iliniwek was the predominant tribe throughout Illinois at the time. They were later forced off the land by the Potawatomi tribe. The Potawatomi inhabited Naperville when the first settlers arrived. There was a major Potawatomi village at the present site of downtown Naperville, reached from Chicago by a trail that became Ogden Avenue. A minor village was near where Bailey Hobson later built his mill in 1834. Bailey Hobson is credited as the first white settler in Naperville; he built a cabin across the DuPage River's West Branch from the mill in 1830, and built his home there in 1835. In 1831, Joseph Naper arrived at the west bank of the DuPage River with his family and friends to found what would be known as Naper's Settlement. Among those original settlers were Naper's wife, his brother and his wife, his sister and her husband John Murray, and his mother. Their arrival followed a nearly two-month voyage from Ashtabula County, Ohio, in the Naper brothers' schooner, the Telegraph. By 1832, over 100 settlers had arrived at Naper's Settlement. After the news of the Indian Creek massacre during the Black Hawk War, these settlers were temporarily displaced to Fort Dearborn for protection from an anticipated attack by the Sauk tribe. Fort Payne was built at Naper's Settlement, the settlers returned and the attack never materialized. The Pre-Emption House was constructed in 1834, as the Settlement became a stagecoach stop on the road from Chicago to Galena. The Pre-Emption House was the first hotel in DuPage county. After DuPage County was split from Cook County in 1839, Naper's…

Geography

Naperville is a suburb of the city of Chicago, located in the northeastern region of Illinois. It exists in six townships and two counties. In DuPage County, the northwest portion is in Winfield Township, the northeast portion in Milton Township, the west-central portion in Naperville Township, and the east-central portion in Lisle Township. In Will County, the southwest portion is in Wheatland Township, and the southeast portion in DuPage Township. The largest number of Naperville residents live in Lisle Township, followed by Naperville Township. Parts of Naperville drain to the West Branch of the DuPage River in DuPage County. The DuPage River Trail runs along this river and accommodates both bicycles and pedestrians. Naperville was primarily flat prairie before settlement. Naperville has experienced two major floods, one in 1996 and another in 2013. Naperville has a typical Midwestern humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). There are four distinct seasons: winters are cold and snowy, springs are humid, summers are hot, and falls are cool. The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F, and the coldest was -29 °F. Like all Chicago suburbs, Naperville lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 5b.

Race & ethnicity

Largest nearby schools

• Waubonsie Valley High School
  High · Aurora · 2,766 students · 16.2:1 ratio
• Metea Valley High School
  High · Aurora · 2,715 students · 14.2:1 ratio
• Comm H S Dist 99 - South High Sch
  High · Downers Grove · 2,637 students · 14.7:1 ratio
• Naperville North High School
  High · Naperville · 2,553 students · 14:1 ratio
• Naperville Central High School
  High · Naperville · 2,551 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Comm H S Dist 99 - North H S
  High · Downers Grove · 2,138 students · 14:1 ratio
• West Chicago Comm High School
  High · West Chicago · 2,076 students · 15:1 ratio
• Wheaton North High School
  High · Wheaton · 1,871 students · 14.2:1 ratio