A town of 23,996, settled in 1853. Healthier than 94% of U.S. towns.
The 3 things Kankakee does most differently from other towns.
Fred MacMurray
1869 · Bird's eye view of the city of Kankakee…11 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 10 places on the National Register.
Be the first to start the conversation.
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in Kankakee. Another town gets a different order.
The median sale price was $146,000 in May 2026.
Kankakee beats the Illinois average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 23.
| What stands out | Kankakee | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.6% | 7.6% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 22.6% | 10.3% |
About one in 4 of Kankakee’s working residents works in town. The top destinations are Chicago (9%), Bradley (7%) and Bourbonnais (5%). Half commute less than 23 miles.
5.2 miles of trails across 25 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Small Memorial Park | 1.2 mi | 26 |
| 2. Bird Park | 0.6 mi | 31 |
| 3. River Road Park | 0.5 mi | 251 |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 80% of U.S. communities.
Kankakee has chilly winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 85°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 21 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
27,537 people in 2010; 23,996 today.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 · ACS
10 places in Kankakee on the National Register of Historic Places.
46 notable people were born in Kankakee.
City in Illinois, United States
Kankakee ( KANG-kə-KEE) is a city in and the county seat of Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. Located on the Kankakee River, as of 2020, the city's population was 24,052. Kankakee is a principal city of the Kankakee-Bourbonnais-Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area. It serves as an anchor city in the rural plains outside Chicago.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Kankakee.
