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Downtown Elgin aerial view, 2018
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ElginIL

A city of 114,934, settled in 1835. Healthier than 57% of U.S. towns.

10 bordering townsMap →
Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
114,934
+6.1% since 2010
Median home value
$273K
Census ACS
Household income
$90K
median
Median age
36.7
years
Jobs based here
53,387
Balanced

What makes Elgin stand out

The 3 things Elgin does most differently from other towns.

Picked automatically from the data
100 U.S. towns● Elgin
Health
Healthier than 57%
of U.S. towns on CDC estimates
Better than IL on 4 measures, worse on 10.
c. 1865 · Man pointing over field surrounded by s…
History
Settled in 1835
12 places on the National Register
Archive photos and papers going back 191 years.
Conserved land & trails
Outdoors
#220 most conserved land in IL
20 miles of trails across 76 parks and preserves
7.1% of the town is conserved land.
Man pointing over field surrounded by split rail fence that another man is plowing near Elgin.Alternate Title: Views of…
c. 1865 · Man pointing over field surrounded by split rail fence that another man is plowing near Elgin.Alternate Title: Views of… · Wikimedia Commons
Elgin’s story

191 years in pictures

6 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 12 places on the National Register.

1940 Census Enumeration District Maps - Illinois - Kane County - Elgin - ED 45-66 - ED 45-901950 Census Enumeration District Maps - Illinois (IL) - Kane County - Elgin - ED 45-106 to 156, 45-189Elgin, Kane Co., Illinois 1880
Explore the history →
College town

Elgin Community College calls Elgin home

2 colleges in town.

Elgin Community College8,241 students on campus
Admission
Open
Net price
$6,026
Graduate
41%
 Judson University958 students on campus
Admission
48%
Net price
$18,558
Graduate
60%
College Scorecard · IPEDS

Elgin’s report card

See the data ↓
HealthBHealthier than 57% of U.S. townsOutdoors20 mi#261 for trails in ILCommute14 miHalf of commuters travel lessClimate84°/15°Summer high · winter low · 32″ snowSafetyB−Less crime than 51% of U.S. townsHazards50/100Moderate risk of storm & flood damage

Now in Elgin

Be the first to start the conversation.

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Residents weigh in
Elgin is #3 of 820 in IL for “Closest to a top hospital”. Fair?
Your answer becomes a post in Elgin’s Town Square.
Start a conversation

Weather

Forecast →
64°
Sunny
H 64° · L 43°

Local news

All →

Upcoming events

Nothing on the calendar.

The data

Ordered by what stands out in Elgin. Another town gets a different order.

Health

Healthier than 57% of U.S. towns

Elgin beats the Illinois average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.

BHealth Grade
32 measures vs. Illinois
4 better18 too close to call10 worse
What stands outElginIL
Fewer adults who have had cancer6.3%7.6%
Fewer adults with arthritis21.6%24.2%
More uninsured adults16.8%9.9%
Saint Joseph Hospital-Elgin
0.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: mental health
49th
percentile among IL towns
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSAFull health report →
Housing

Homes in Elgin sell for about $368K

The median sale price was $368,000 in May 2026.

$368Kmedian sale price
Market temperature
Seller’s marketA seller's marketBuyer’sSeller’s
48
days on market
101.3%
sale-to-list price
110
homes sold in May
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →
Outdoors

7.1% of Elgin is conserved land

20 miles of trails across 76 parks and preserves.

#261for trails in IL
Map of Elgin: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Green: conserved land · dashed: trails · numbers: the places below
7.1%
conserved · 1,744 of 24,685 acres
20 mi
of trails · 0.5 per sq mi
#220
most conserved land in IL
#226
most walkable in IL
Biggest places to walkTrailsAcres
1. Bluff Spring Fen2.4 mi180
2. Lords Park1.2 mi79
3. Tyler Creek Forest Preserve1.1 mi47
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-USParks & trails →
Work & commute

About one in five working residents works right in Elgin

About one in 5 of Elgin’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Chicago (11%), Schaumburg (5%) and St. Charles (3%). Half commute less than 14 miles.

20%work in town

Where working residents work

In Elgin20%
Chicago11%
Schaumburg5%
St. Charles3%
South Elgin2%
14 mi
median commute distance
53,387
jobs based in Elgin
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACSCommute map →
Climate

Four seasons, pleasant summers

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.

32″snow a winter

Typical low → high °F

Winter18–33°
Spring37–59°
Summer60–82°
Fall41–62°
Oct 18
typical first frost
Apr 26
typical last frost
+1.2°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020Full climate →
Safety

Less crime per resident than 51% of U.S. towns

Elgin reports less crime per resident than 51% of the U.S. towns and cities we grade.

B−Safety Grade

Violent crime per 1,000 residents

Elgin2.2
Illinois2.6
U.S.3.3

Property crime per 1,000 residents

Elgin9.2
Illinois15.6
U.S.15.5
51st
percentile among U.S. towns we grade
37th
percentile among IL towns
249
violent crimes reported in 2025
1,052
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeFull safety report →
Natural hazards

Moderate risk, with inland flooding at the top

Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 50% of U.S. communities.

50risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
50Moderate riskLowerHigher
Inland floodingCold wavesTornadoes
115
paid flood claims since 1979
7
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMANatural hazards →
Man pointing over field surrounded by split rail fence that another man is plowing near Elgin.Alternate Title: Views of…c. 1865
From the archive · today’s picture

161 years ago in Elgin

Man pointing over field surrounded by split rail fence that another man is plowing near Elgin.Alternate Title: Views of…

Photo · Wikimedia Commons. A different picture from Elgin’s archive appears here every day.

See all 6 archive items →

Landmarks

12 places in Elgin on the National Register of Historic Places.

All landmarks →
Elgin AcademyBuilt 1839
Gifford-Davidson House
First Universalist Church
Ora Pelton House

About Elgin

City in Illinois, United States

Official town website ↗

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.

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

Established
1835
Population
114,797
Area
38 sq mi
Elevation
745 ft
ZIP code
60120, 60121, 60123
Area code
847 - 224

Elgin’s neighbors

10 towns share a border with Elgin.

Explore the map →
Campton HillsWest DundeeBartlettPingree GroveSouth ElginElginDundeeGilbertsPlatoHanoverCampton HillsWest DundeeBartlettPingree GroveSouth ElginElginDundeeGilbertsPlatoHanoverElgin
Campton Hills
SW
Visit
West Dundee
N
Visit
Bartlett
SE · 1% of Elgin workers commute here
Visit
Pingree Grove
NW
Visit
South Elgin
S · 2% of Elgin workers commute here
Visit
Elgin
SE
Visit
Dundee
N
Visit
Gilberts
NW
Visit
Plato
W
Visit
Hanover
E
Visit

More about Elgin

The handbookEverything you need to know about Elgin
Gail Borden Public Library District270 North Grove Avenue
PlacesBusinesses & favorite spots
Town HallMeetings, officials & offices
Still missing for Elgin:upcoming events

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Photo of Elgin

Elgin, IL · Photo: SounderBruce · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Source ↗