Naperville (, ) is a city in DuPage and Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a city southwest of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 census, its population was 149,540, making it the state's fourth-most populous city.
Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was established by the banks of the DuPage River and was originally known as Naper's Settlement. By 1832, over 100 residents lived in Naper's Settlement. In 1839, after DuPage County was split from Cook County, Naperville became the county seat, which it remained until 1868. Beginning in the 1960s, Naperville experienced a significant population increase as a result of Chicago's urban sprawl.
Naperville is home to Moser Tower and Millennium Carillon, one of the world's four largest carillons. It is also home to an extensive parks and forest preserve network, including Centennial Beach. The city has two school districts, 203 and 204. Naperville's largest employer is Edward Hospital with 4,500 employees. Naperville has a train station served by Amtrak and Metra.
History
thumb|right|The Martin-Mitchell Mansion, within the [[Naper Settlement outdoor museum, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.]]
Before any settlement, Naperville was home to Native American tribes. In 1641, the first European contact with Native Americans in Illinois was made with members of the Iliniwek tribe. The Iliniwek was the predominant tribe throughout Illinois at the time. They were later forced off the land by the Potawatomi tribe. The Potawatomi inhabited Naperville when the first settlers arrived. There was a major Potawatomi village at the present site of downtown Naperville, reached from Chicago by a trail that became Ogden Avenue. A minor village was near where Bailey Hobson later built his mill in 1834. Bailey Hobson is credited as the first white settler in Naperville; he built a cabin across the DuPage River's West Branch from the mill in 1830, and built his home there in 1835.
In 1831, Joseph Naper arrived at the west bank of the DuPage River with his family and friends to found what would be known as Naper's Settlement. Among those original settlers were Naper's wife, his brother and his wife, his sister and her husband John Murray, and his mother. Their arrival followed a nearly two-month voyage from Ashtabula County, Ohio, in the Naper brothers' schooner, the Telegraph. By 1832, over 100 settlers had arrived at Naper's Settlement. After the news of the Indian Creek massacre during the Black Hawk War, these settlers were temporarily displaced to Fort Dearborn for protection from an anticipated attack by the Sauk tribe. Fort Payne was built at Naper's Settlement, the settlers returned and the attack never materialized. The Pre-Emption House was constructed in 1834, as the Settlement became a stagecoach stop on the road from Chicago to Galena. The Pre-Emption House was the first hotel in DuPage county. After DuPage County was split from Cook County in 1839, Naper's Settlement became the DuPage county seat. In 1855, Sybil Dunbar came to Naperville as its first recorded black female resident; she died in 1868 and was buried in Naperville Cemetery.
Naper's Settlement was incorporated as the Village of Naperville in 1857, with a population of 2,000. The county seat distinction was lost in 1868 to Wheaton.
thumb|The former Kroehler Furniture Factory, in 2021
In 1887, Peter Edward Kroehler established the Kroehler Manufacturing Company's factory in Naperville along the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy tracks. In 1890, reincorporation as a city occurred. In 1908, the Chicago YMCA stated that Naperville was too small for its own YMCA building, but Peter Kroehler led a campaign to build one. The YMCA was opened on March 26, 1911, and included the first swimming pool in DuPage County. In February 1920, Edward Sanatorium burned to the ground and cost $500,000 to rebuild.
On April 25, 1946, Naperville was the site of a train disaster. Two Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad trains collided "head to tail" on a single track just west of the Loomis Street grade crossing. The accident killed 45 and injured approximately 127 passengers and/or crew members. In the 1950s, the city limits were about six square miles, but by 1960, the city had its single largest year in geographical expansion in Naperville's history with over 1,500 acres annexed. In 1996, Naperville was the site of a flood that also affected the majority of northeastern Illinois. Naperville received 14 inches of rain in less than 24 hours, and DuPage County was declared a disaster zone. The estimated damages were over $30 million. The YMCA in Downtown Naperville was announced to close in May 2020 after 109 years of operation, due to economic difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Geography
thumb|Downtown Naperville in January 2022, with measurable snowfall on the ground
Naperville is a suburb of the city of Chicago, located in the northeastern region of Illinois. It exists in six townships and two counties. In DuPage County, the northwest portion is in Winfield Township, the northeast portion in Milton Township, the west-central portion in Naperville Township, and the east-central portion in Lisle Township. In Will County, the southwest portion is in Wheatland Township, and the southeast portion in DuPage Township. The largest number of Naperville residents live in Lisle Township, followed by Naperville Township. Parts of Naperville drain to the West Branch of the DuPage River in DuPage County. The DuPage River Trail runs along this river and accommodates both bicycles and pedestrians. Naperville was primarily flat prairie before settlement. Naperville has experienced two major floods, one in 1996 and another in 2013.
Climate
Naperville has a typical Midwestern humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). There are four distinct seasons: winters are cold and snowy, springs are humid, summers are hot, and falls are cool. The highest recorded temperature was 105 °F, and the coldest was -29 °F. Like all Chicago suburbs, Naperville lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 5b.