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Waukegan

A city of 89,076 people in Illinois
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Map of Waukegan: conserved land, trails and the top places to walk
Conserved land16%2,414 of 15,607 acres
Trails5.9 mi0.2 mi per sq mi
Parks & preserves4427 conserved acres per 1,000 residents

Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US

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About Waukegan

City in Illinois, United States
1859Established
89,321Population
24.4 sq miArea
653 ftElevation

Waukegan ( wə-KEE-ghən) is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States, and its county seat. Located 36 miles (58 km) north of Chicago, Waukegan is a satellite city within the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Its population was 89,321 at the 2020 census. Waukegan is the most populous city in Lake County, the seventh-most populous city within the Chicago metropolitan area, and the 10th-most populous city in Illinois. Waukegan has historically been more industrial in comparison to neighboring wealthy North Shore suburbs; it has long been classified by the Illinois state government as "socioeconomically distressed" despite having some middle class inhabitants.

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

Town numbers

ZIP code60079, 60085, 60087
Living in Waukegan

Housing in Waukegan

$260K Median sale price · Redfin, May 2026

The median sale price was $260,000 in May 2026.

A seller's market

Buyer’sBalancedSeller’s
Days on market49
Sale-to-list99.4%
Sold in May38
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data CenterHousing market →

Safety in Waukegan

C

Safety Grade C

Waukegan reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 71% report less.

Violent crime per 1,000
Waukegan 3.7
Illinois 2.6
U.S. 3.3
Property crime per 1,000
Waukegan 15.4
Illinois 15.6
U.S. 15.5
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to policeCrime & safety →
Famous people from WaukeganWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Waukegan.Meet them →

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Waukegan

Illinois · IL
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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01