Mettawa is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 533. The village maintains trails for pedestrian, bicycle and equestrian usage. Five forest preserves of the Lake County Forest Preserve District are located within village boundaries.
History
The name of the town derived from Potawatomi chief Mettaywah, who lived in the area before signing the 1833 Treaty of Chicago and being displaced to Kansas. The traveler Colbee reported visiting the chief's village near the Des Plaines River and eating pork, cakes fried in pork fat, and a corn and bean dish. Many Potawatomi returned to Illinois annually until the end of the nineteenth century to visit their burial grounds. Stevenson's Mettawa estate on the Des Plaines River is a designated Illinois Historic Site and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Conservation and recreation
Mettawa was founded by conservationist landowners and continues to be a center of land conservation and restoration activities. The village also supports a rural, equestrian-friendly lifestyle. Some residents maintain small farming operations, and there are eight horse stables within the village's borders.
The Mettawa Open Lands Association (MOLA) is a non-profit organization that promotes quality open space within the village and encourages the protection of public and private open lands. MOLA supports Mettawa-area residents and open lands (including unincorporated housing developments that are surrounded by village land) with public workdays and educational programs, and provides quality open space management on village properties. In celebration of Mettawa's 50th anniversary in 2010, MOLA distributed complimentary wildflower seed packets to all village residents and to many residents in neighboring areas, and suggested that recipients plant the seeds along roadsides to help beautify the area.
MOLA maintains the Whippoorwill Farm Preserve, an open lands area owned by the village (just west of I-94 at the northwest corner of IL-60/Townline Road and Riverwoods Boulevard). Whippoorwill Farm is currently undergoing restoration to a native prairie/wetland habitat.
thumb|upright=0.9|Stevenson's home in [[Mettawa, IL]]
The Lake County Forest Preserve District maintains five forest preserves within village boundaries, including Old School, Grainger Woods, McArthur Woods, Captain Daniel Wright Woods and Adlai Stevenson Historic Home.
Mettawa also includes nine areas designated as Illinois Nature Preserves, one area within the Libertyville Township Open Space District, and the Covington Charitable Trust area (maintained by the Lake Forest Open Lands Association).
The Des Plaines River Trail runs through the western edge of Mettawa and connects with the village's own Mettawa Trail system, which is used by pedestrians, cyclists and equestrians.
Commercial development
Commercial development has occurred within and adjacent to Mettawa in recent years, despite resistance by residents and the Village Board). However, an unusually high percentage of the commercial structures are green buildings which have achieved high Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) ratings. Tax revenues from businesses in Mettawa provide income to the village, which in turn provides eligible residents with a tax rebate.
HSBC completed construction of its North American headquarters in Mettawa in 2008. Although no longer corporate headquarters, the building remains partially occupied by HSBC. This building achieved LEED Gold Certification and in March 2009 was named Green Development of the Year by the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties (NAIOP).
The W. W. Grainger company's headquarters is located on unincorporated land enclosed within Mettawa's borders. In 2008 this building was updated to achieve its 2009 Gold LEED certification. Through the 1980s and 1990s, many residents of Mettawa opposed Grainger's plans for office development, fearing it would compromise the village's pastoral character. This issue was a source of significant contention during the tenure of Mayor Edward FitzSimons, who argued that fighting Grainger outright rather than negotiating could lead to unfavorable outcomes for the village. He was succeeded by Julius Abler, a staunch opponent of Grainger's development plans. conservation community, Mettawa's largest () PUD, includes of restored open lands managed by the Lake Forest Open Lands Association, and also sponsors community workdays and nature education events. In 2006 it was named Development of the Year by the Lake County Stormwater Management Association for its innovative hydrology management based on wetland restoration.
Other PUDs within Mettawa include Sanctuary Estates and Mettawa Woods.
Government
Mettawa is governed by an elected Mayor and a six-member Board of Trustees.
;Mayor
- Casey Urlacher
;Board of Trustees
- Carol Armstrong
- Denis Bohm
- Wendie Clark
- Jan Pink
- John Maier
- Tim Towne
Mettawa lacks a dedicated Village Hall and has few paid administrative staff. Village meetings are held in a local hotel, and the Village contracts with an engineer, attorney, Mettawa Open Lands Association, and various consultants for operational services. In January 2009, the Village Board established its website which serves as a virtual Village Hall, providing official information including Village contacts, official documents and maps, meeting agendas and the Comprehensive Plan.
Notable people
- Matt Forte, former American football player with the NFL's Chicago Bears and New York Jets
- Bill Kurtis, News caster and American crime documentary narrator
- Brian Urlacher, former American football player with the NFL's Chicago Bears
- Casey Urlacher, Mayor of Mettawa, brother of Brian
- Adlai Stevenson II, 31st Governor of Illinois
Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Mettawa has a total area of , of which (or 98.61%) is land and (or 1.39%) is water.