Elgin ( EL-jin) is a city in Cook and Kane counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is located 35 mi (56 km) northwest of Chicago along the Fox River. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 114,797, making it the sixth-most populous city in the state.

Official town website ↗

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)

How Elgin ranks

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Town numbers

ZIP code60120, 60121, 60123

Area code847 - 224

Living in Elgin

Housing in Elgin

$340K▲ 4.4% in a year Typical home value · Zillow

The typical Elgin home is worth about $340,000, up 4.4% in a year, 14% above the Illinois typical home.

Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Work & commute in Elgin

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Most working residents leave Elgin for work: only 19% work in town. The top destinations are Elgin (21%), Chicago (9%) and Schaumburg (4%). Half commute less than 14 miles.

Elgin

21%

Chicago

Schaumburg

St. Charles

19%Work in townlive and work in Elgin 14 miWhere do people commute?the commute map 40,781Jobs based herebalanced

Census LEHD 2023 · ACSWork & commute in Elgin →

Health in Elgin

Health Grade B

Healthier than 57% of U.S. towns on seven CDC estimates.

Compared with Illinois

2better than IL·1worse

of 32 measures CDC estimates. The other 29 are too close to call.

Conditions 2▲ 10 close Habits all close Care 1▼ 6 close Mind all close Everyday needs all close

BetterToo close to callWorse

What stands out

2.9%Fewer adults who have had a strokeIL 3.3% · better 5.6%Fewer adults with COPDIL 6.3% · better 12.1%More uninsured adultsIL 9.9% · worse

Care nearby

Saint Joseph Hospital-ElginElgin · 0.8 mi · ER

Association for Individual Development - Bowes RoadElgin · 1.4 mi · sliding-scale fees

2 hospitals · 2 health centers in Elgin →

Primary careNo shortage

DentalNo shortage

Mental healthShortage · county-wide

CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · ZIP codes 60123, 60124, 60177 · CMS · HRSAHealth in Elgin →

Natural hazards in Elgin

Moderate

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 48% of U.S. communities.

🌊 Inland flooding🥶 Cold waves🌪️ Tornadoes

140Does Elgin flood?paid flood claims since 1978 3Disasters that paid out herefederal disasters sent FEMA money to Elgin MapElgin vs. its neighborsnearby towns shaded by rating

FEMA National Risk Index December 2025 · OpenFEMANatural hazards in Elgin →

Climate in Elgin

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Elgin has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 15°, and about 32 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.

33° / 18°Winter

59° / 37°Spring

82° / 60°Summer

62° / 41°Fall

How much snow does Elgin get?About 32 inches a winter.Rain & snow →When is the first frost?Around Oct 18, with the last in spring around Apr 26.Frost dates →Is it warmer than it used to be?+1.2° vs. the 20th century.Then & now →

NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Climate in Elgin →

Schools in Elgin

All Elgin schools →

C⁺

School Grade C+

The public schools Elgin’s kids attend, from kindergarten through graduation, trail 65% of Illinois’s districts on state tests and graduation. Among towns with similar incomes, they rank near the bottom.

See how Elgin’s schools compare in IL →

DistrictSD U-46Schools38

Coleman Elem School C-Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 641 students Highland Elem School D-Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 616 students Clinton Elem School B-Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 596 students Fox Meadow Elementary School C+Elementary · Grades PK–6 · 577 students Century Oaks Elem School CElementary · Grades PK–6 · 542 students Hillcrest Elem School CElementary · Grades PK–6 · 509 students

School data from the U.S. Department of Education (NCES, EDFacts). The School Grade is our own summary of state test results and graduation rates, graded within IL. Ratings are from neighbors.