DeKalb ( ) is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. The population was 40,290 at the 2020 census. The city is named after decorated Franconian-French war hero Johann de Kalb, who died during the American Revolutionary War.

Founded in 1856, DeKalb became important in the development and manufacture of barbed wire, especially for agriculture and raising livestock. While agricultural-related industries remain a facet of the city, along with health and services, the city's largest employer in the 21st century is Northern Illinois University, founded in 1895. DeKalb is about from downtown Chicago.

History

thumb|left|[[Ellwood House, the home of entrepreneur Isaac L. Ellwood]]

DeKalb was originally called Huntley's Grove, and under the latter name was platted in 1853. The name is for Baron Johann de Kalb, a major general in the American Revolutionary War. The first church in DeKalb was organized in 1844. A post office has been in operation at DeKalb since 1849. The first railroad reached DeKalb in 1853.

Barbed wire was a key product in DeKalb's history. Joseph Glidden (1813–1906), a DeKalb resident since about 1850, received a patent in 1874 for inventing the conventional double-strand barbed wire that remains in common use around the world today.

On August 24, 2007, the Kishwaukee River at DeKalb crested at (all-time record ), causing major flooding. This was only the second time the river has risen above since the level of the river has been recorded.

Climate

DeKalb has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfa) typical of northern Illinois, with four distinct seasons. Summers can be hot, while winters are cold and snowy. Precipitation is somewhat uniform year-round, although it can be heavier in the spring and summer when the area is prone to strong thunderstorms.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, DeKalb had a population of 40,290. The population density was .

The median age was 27.7 years. 20.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 11.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 94.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.6 males age 18 and over.

There were 15,259 households and 7,804 families in DeKalb, of which 27.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 32.9% were married-couple households, 25.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 33.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 34.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. Other large employers include Northwestern Medicine, General Electric, Monsanto (originally as DeKalb Corn), the local school district, and a large retail district along Route 23 (shared with Sycamore).

DeKalb is also home to warehouses for several major companies, including Target, 3M, Nestlé, and Ferrara Candy Company, in part due to DeKalb's proximity to major highways such as I-88 and I-39. 3M's complex serves as the distribution hub for three of 3M's four business units and export operations to North America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America.

The town was the filming location for the 2012 film At Any Price.

In June, 2020, Meta announced it would construct an $800 million data center on the south side of DeKalb.

Arts and culture

thumb|DeKalb Theater

DeKalb is home to the annual Corn Fest, usually held in late August.

The Egyptian Theatre, built in 1929, is one of a handful of such theatres still extant in the United States. The Stage Coach Players, founded in 1947, have a theatre on 5th Street.

Parks and recreation

The DeKalb Park District is responsible for DeKalb's 44 parks and recreation facilities. Members of the League of Women Voters established the park district in 1935 to address the need for a public swimming pool. The City of DeKalb gave the first four parks to the District: Annie's Woods, Huntley Park, Liberty Park, and Hopkins Park.

In 2000 the district opened the Sports and Recreation Center, a multi-function facility that features an indoor field of over 1 acre, clear-span space with synthetic field turf. The park district provides year-round athletic and recreation programs including day camps, youth baseball and softball, adult softball leagues both indoors and outdoors, swimming lessons, golf lessons, karate, tennis, adult and youth basketball leagues, indoor soccer, fitness classes, and preschool.

The DeKalb Park District park system has 44 parks totaling over 700 acres: community parks, neighborhood parks, passive parks and linear parks. Notable parks and facilities include:

  • River Heights Golf Course
  • Buena Vista Golf Course
  • Hopkins Park Pool and Community Center
  • Nehring Center for Culture and Tourism
  • Ellwood House Museum and Park

Government

DeKalb has a council-manager government. Policy is developed by an elected city council and implemented by an appointed professional city manager. The DeKalb City Council is made up of a mayor, elected at-large, and seven alderpersons, elected by ward. Each serves a four-year term, with half the council elected every two years. Mayor Cohen Barnes is the current mayor and is in his second term. A city clerk is also elected every four years to serve as the city's official recordkeeper. City council meetings are held the second and fourth Mondays of every month.

The DeKalb Police Department is the primary law enforcement agency in DeKalb. It was founded in 1885 and has 65 sworn officers. The current chief of police is David Byrd.

Education

thumb|Altgeld Hall is the oldest building on the campus of [[Northern Illinois University.]]

There are 11 public schools, one private school, one university and one public library.

Primary and secondary

DeKalb is served by both public and private school systems. DeKalb Community Unit School District 428 operates eight elementary schools (Grades K–5), Clinton Rosette and Huntley Middle Schools (Grades 6–8), and DeKalb High School (Grades 9–12), which is the home of the Barbs.

Colleges and universities

Northern Illinois University (NIU) was founded in DeKalb as the Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1895. NIU is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with total enrollment around 20,000, which makes NIU the third largest campus in Illinois. In May 2023, the initial key facts of the feasibility study were published, which showed that an extension to Dekalb was feasible based on commuter and daily ridership estimates. In 2024, Dekalb backed a regional feasibility study by federal officials to revive Amtrak service that ran as the Twin Cities Zephyr, the service was discontinued in the 1970s.

Road

The transcontinental Lincoln Highway was established through DeKalb in 1913. The first "seedling mile" of concrete pavement was built in 1914 at Malta, six miles west of DeKalb. The rest of Lincoln Highway across DeKalb County was paved in 1920. Routes extend through the university, the city, and Sycamore with extensions west to Kishwaukee College and east to the passenger rail station at Elburn. Schedules on the main routes vary depending on whether the university is in session. The system began in 1971 as the Huskie Bus Line under contract to the NIU Student Association. By 1982 the system served 3 million riders per year, second only in Illinois to the Chicago Transit Authority. In 2018, it merged with a smaller City of DeKalb bus system, which had been operated by the local Voluntary Action Center (VAC). Paratransit operations were added in 2021, also by transfer from VAC. VAC continues to serve a wider surrounding area with on-demand transportation for people with special needs and to out-of-town medical appointments.

Airport

DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport (DTMA) , serving the general aviation community, is on the east side of the city at 3232 Pleasant Street. The airport opened in 1944 in association with a factory making Interstate TDR assault drone aircraft. The city took ownership in 1948. There is no commercial service directly to DeKalb, but the city center is 43 miles from O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, making commercial air access relatively easy.

Notable people

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  • George Franklin Barber, architect was born in DeKalb.
  • A. J. Bramlett, basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
  • Dennis J. Collins, Illinois lawyer and state legislator
  • Cindy Crawford, model and actress was born and raised in DeKalb.
  • Joseph B. Ebbesen, Illinois state legislator.
  • Isaac L. Ellwood, rancher, businessman and barbed wire entrepreneur.
  • Philip Ewell, American professor of music theory
  • Fred Eychaner, media mogul and philanthropist, raised in DeKalb.
  • Joseph Glidden, farmer who patented barbed wire in 1874.
  • Mike Heimerdinger, assistant coach for several NFL teams. He was born and raised in DeKalb.
  • Richard Jenkins, actor, nominated for the Academy Award, born and raised in DeKalb.
  • Mel Kenyon, racing driver
  • Alan and Dale Klapmeier, co-founders of the Cirrus Design Corporation and 2014 inductees into the National Aviation Hall of Fame.
  • Doug Mallory, former coach of the Atlanta Falcons.
  • Karl Nelson, offensive tackle for the New York Giants.
  • Mel Owens, linebacker for the Los Angeles Rams from 1981 to 1989.
  • Richard Powers, author of The Echo Maker.
  • Hellah Sidibe, former professional soccer player
  • Jeffrey Trail, U.S. Navy lieutenant and murder victim, born in DeKalb
  • Weekend Nachos, powerviolence punk band, formed in DeKalb.
  • Sue Vicory, writer, film producer and filmmaker
  • W. Willard Wirtz, United States Secretary of Labor born and raised in DeKalb.

See also

  • Haish Memorial Library
  • Kishwaukee River
  • Northern Illinois University
  • Northern Illinois University shooting

References

  • Official website
  • DeKalb Chamber of Commerce