Romeoville, Illinois

Romeoville, Illinois
Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located southwest of Chicago on the Gateway Wetlands, directly west of the Des Plaines River. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,863. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near Interstate 55 and Interstate 355.
History
Romeoville was one of the last areas of Will County occupied by Native Americans. The village of Romeo was first settled on September 14, 1835, on Isle a La Cache, a small island in the Des Plaines River. Around this time, the first bridge was built to allow access to the island from the west bank of the river. In 1848, the I&M Canal was finished, drawing new residents to the area. On January 19, 1895, residents of Romeo voted to incorporate and changed the village's name to Romeoville. The community, along with nearby Joliet, became known as "Stone City" in reference to its prosperous limestone quarries. The Illinois State Capitol in Springfield was unveiled in 1888, and is constructed entirely of Romeoville limestone. Lewis University was established on the outskirts of town in 1934.
Romeoville is home to Citgo's Lemont Refinery. The refinery was constructed in 1922 across the river from the village. It was later the site of the 1984 Romeoville petroleum refinery disaster.
In 1950, Romeoville had approximately 46 homes and a population of 147. The village remained sparsely populated until 1957, when over of wetlands along IL-53 became the Hampton Park Subdivision. An additional were added in 1964, as Romeoville's population slowly grew. On October 5, 1990, the first interchange on I-55 and Weber Road was built, connecting the village to the rest of the Chicagoland area. Throughout the following decade, the area along Weber Road quickly became suburbanized as several new housing developments were completed. Romeoville was one of fastest-growing communities in Illinois throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The population grew rapidly, and the village experienced an influx of over 25,000 new residents in two decades.
On September 16–17, 2023, a family of four, consisting of two adults and two children, were killed in a mass shooting at their home in Romeoville; their three dogs were also killed. Police believed the killings were a targeted attack. The shooter, identified as 31-year-old Nathaniel Huey Jr., was tracked down with his fiancée at Catoosa, Oklahoma, on September 20. During an attempted traffic stop, Huey fled but eventually crashed his vehicle. Afterwards, he fatally shot his fiancée and then himself.
Geography
According to the 2010 census, Romeoville has a total area of , of which , comprising 98.3%, is land and , comprising 1.7%, is water. Romeoville borders the neighboring communities of Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Crystal Lawns, Crest Hill, Lockport and Lemont.
Climate
Romeoville is home to a National Weather Service forecast office, although bulletins issued by said office begin, "The National Weather Service in Chicago..."
Demographics
2020 census
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos can be of any race.
Economy
Romeoville is home to over 600 businesses. In 2013, the village won a Gold Medal from the International Economic Development Council and Atlas Integrated in the High Performance Economic Development category. They earned the award by creating 1,560 jobs during 2012–2013, which was the most for a town with a population between 25,001 and 100,000.
Top employers
According to the village website, the top employers in the village are:
Other major employers include Kehe Foods, FedEx Ground, and the Village of Romeoville.
Education
K–12 education
Romeoville residents attend the following schools:
Valley View School District 365U
Valley View Early Childhood Center
Beverly Skoff Elementary School
Irene King Elementary School
Kenneth L. Hermansen Elementary School
Robert C. Hill Elementary School
A. Vito Martinez Middle School
John J. Lukancic Middle School
Romeoville High School
St. Andrew the Apostle School
Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202
Eichelberger Elementary School
Creekside Elementary School
Lakewood Falls Elementary School
John F Kennedy Middle School
Indian Trails Middle School
Plainfield East High School
Lockport Township High School District 205
Lockport Township High School
Higher education
Joliet Junior College – Romeoville Campus
Rasmussen College – Romeoville Campus
Lewis University – Main Campus
Government
Mayors
Infrastructure
Transportation
Metra station on the Heritage Corridor line.
Lewis University Airport for basic aircraft to Boeing Business class.
Pace bus route 834.
Major highways
Major highways in Romeoville include:
Interstate Highways
Interstate 55
Interstate 355
US Highways
Historic US 66
Illinois Highways
Route 7
Route 53
Notable people
Gerald Coleman, played goalie for the Lake Erie Monsters and Tampa Bay Lightning.
Egotistico Fantastico, pro wrestler
Oliver Gibson, DT, played with the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals.
Antonio Morrison, LB, played with the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers.
Byron Stingily, OT, played with the Tennessee Titans and Pittsburgh Steelers.
References
External links
Villages in Will County, Illinois
Chicago metropolitan area
Villages in Illinois
Majority-minority cities and towns in Will County, Illinois