Bridgeview, Illinois

**Bridgeview** is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It is located approximately 13 miles (21 km) southwest of the Chicago Loop. As of the 2010 census, the village population was 16,446. Bridgeview is home to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.

## Geography

Bridgeview is located at 41.7424,-87.8068.

According to the 2010 census, Bridgeview has a total area of 4.15 square miles (10.75 km2), all land.

The village has a roughly rectangular shape; its borders running north and south stagger between 8200 West and 6800 West, but can generally be defined as between Roberts Road and Harlem Avenue. The southern border of the town is 103rd Street between 76th Avenue and Harlem. The northern border is staggered between 6700 South on the west side of the rail tracks and 6900 South on the east side of the rail tracks.

Bridgeview borders the following communities: Bedford Park, Nottingham Park (unincorporated Cook County, often considered part of Chicago due to its 60638 ZIP code[*Citation needed*]), Burbank, Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills and Justice.

Bridgeview is 16 miles (26 km) southwest of the Chicago Loop.

## Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 15,335 people, 5,631 households, and 3,812 families residing in the village. The population density was 3,716.5 people per square mile (1,433.6/km²). There were 5,825 housing units at an average density of 1,411.7 per square mile (544.6/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 87.42% White, 0.82% African American, 0.30% Native American, 2.22% Asian, 3.97% from other races, and 5.26% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.42% of the population, including 7.7% of Mexican descent.

The top five non-Hispanic ancestries reported in Bridgeview as of the 2000 census were Polish (25.7%), Irish (17.2%), German (15.1%), Italian (9.0%) and Arab (7.2%).

There were 5,631 households out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.6% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 27.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.65 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the village, the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 22.1% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.4 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $42,073, and the median income for a family was $52,490. Males had a median income of $38,843 versus $25,881 for females. The per capita income for the village was $18,802. About 5.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.

## Government and infrastructure

Bridgeview is in Illinois' 3rd congressional district.

The U.S. Postal Service operates the Bridgeview Post Office.

## History

The earliest settlement in Bridgeview occurred in the 1830s, when the area was still populated by Native American groups. By the 1870s German and Italian settlers began moving into the area for farming purposes. Dutch migrated to the area by the 1920s, at which time farming began to decline; real estate and industry began to develop the area considerably. After Lake Michigan water became available to the area, the population grew significantly. The Bridgeview Community Club was founded in 1938 and became the center of local activities.

Bridgeview was incorporated in 1947 with an initial population of approximately 500 residents. Local residents chose the name "Bridgeview" by one vote over "Oketo", which remains a street name in the village today. The term "Bridgeview" connotes views of the area from the Harlem Avenue bridge, 79th Street bridge and 87th Street bridge.

Arab Americans are a growing presence, making up 7 percent of the population in 2000. In 1981, an Islamic social club was established and by 1984 it had become a mosque. Two Islamic schools in Bridgeview educate hundreds of students from K-12.

Bridgeview's motto is "A Well Balanced Community", as the village's zoning is divided equally into residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Its proximity to Chicago's Midway Airport and downtown, along with access to major highways, has made it a crossroads of the inner southwest suburbs.

The Fifth District Circuit Court of Cook County is located in Bridgeview near 103rd Street and 76th Avenue.

 File:Halloween in Bridgeview, Illinois.jpg
## Education

Public elementary school districts serving Bridgeview include:

* Indian Springs School District 109
	+ Two Indian Springs schools are in the city limits: Bridgeview Elementary School and Lyle Elementary School.
* Cook County School District 104
* North Palos School District 117
	+ Residential areas of the North Palos School District section are zoned to Dorn Elementary School, Glen Oaks Elementary School, and Conrady Middle School; all three schools are in Hickory Hills.
* Ridgeland School District 122
	+ Residents are zoned to Lieb Elementary in Bridgeview and Simmons Middle School in Oak Lawn.

High school districts:

* Argo Community High School (District 217)
* Oak Lawn Community High School (District 229)
* Consolidated High School District 230
	+ Amos Alonzo Stagg High School serves the section of Bridgeview in District 230

Private schools in Bridgeview:

* Aqsa School (Islamic K-12)
* Universal School (Islamic K-12)

K-8 private schools in the surrounding area:

* St. Albert the Great School (Burbank)
* St. Louis DeMontfort School (Oak Lawn)
* St. Patricia School (Hickory Hills)
* Zion Lutheran School (Summit)

Moraine Valley Community College serves area residents.

The Bridgeview Public Library serves residents of the village.

## Professional sports

Bridgeview has become the home of the Chicago Fire professional Major League Soccer team, whose stadium was funded by the village of Bridgeview and is operated by the village. Toyota Park is home to not only the Fire, but also the Fire Reserves, Bridgeview Fire Premier, and the Chicago Red Stars of the National Women's Soccer League. Toyota Park hosted the 2006 Major League Soccer All-Star Game, and continues to be a premier venue for important concerts. The village has developed a plan to have a mixed commercial and residential zone near the stadium to give the town a commercial and residential hub near the stadium. Development has not yet been approved.

The village of Bridgeview also has an indoor football team called the Bridgeview Red Devils. The team joined the United States Indoor Football League for the 2009 season.

 File:Mosque Foundation 1.jpg
## Harlem Avenue

Numerous self-owned businesses create an atmosphere similar to that of some Arab diaspora communities across the world. Businesses include ethnic grocery stores (containing imported groceries and appliances used to cook regional dishes, cultural souvenirs, and calling cards used specifically for customers to use when speaking to relatives overseas), hookah lounges, and Middle Eastern sweet shops.

## Notable people

* Brent Bowers, player for the Baltimore Orioles
* Matthew Jursich, local snake wrangler and co-host of National Geographic's *Snake Wranglers* television show

## References

1. ↑ 2016 U.S. Gazetteer Files. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on Jun 29, 2017.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Population and Housing Unit Estimates. Retrieved on June 9, 2017.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Bridgeview village, Illinois. U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Retrieved on February 15, 2013.
4. ↑ G001 - Geographic Identifiers - 2010 Census Summary File 1. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2015-08-02.
5. ↑ Michaels, Marguerite (2005-06-11). The Model School, Islamic Style. *Time*. Retrieved on 2017-01-18.
6. ↑ Census of Population and Housing. Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved on June 4, 2015.
7. ↑ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
8. ↑ Profile of General Demographic Characteristics, Bridgeview, Illinois. (39.0 KiB). U.S. Census Bureau. Accessed 2007-03-30.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Public Services." Village of Brigeview. Retrieved on January 19, 2017.
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 "Schools." Village of Bridgeview. Retrieved on January 18, 2017.
11. ↑ Home. Bridgeview Elementary School. Retrieved on January 18, 2017. "7800 South Thomas
Bridgeview, IL 60455"
12. ↑ Home. Lyle Elementary School. Retrieved on January 18, 2017. "7801 West 75th Street, Bridgeview, IL 60455"
13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 "Zoning Map." Village of Bridgeview. Retrieved on January 19, 2017.
14. ↑ "Boundary Information." North Palos School District 117. Retrieved on January 19, 2017. Map of entire district and of Conrady Middle, Map of Dorn and Glen Oaks boundary
15. ↑ "Boundaries." Ridgeland School District 122. Retrieved on January 19, 2017.
16. ↑ "Attendance Areas." Consolidated High School District 230. Retrieved on January 19, 2017.
17. ↑  http://www.themediaoasis.com/profiles/ArabOverview3-9-05.htm
18. ↑ Brent Bowers Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Retrieved 2017-02-18.
19. ↑ National Geographic Snake Wranglers. On February 10, 2013, Jurisch was recognized as the top in his field by a peer review, being honored on the "fan cam" of the NHL's Predators vs. Blackhawks game.. National Geographic. Retrieved on 9 August 2012.