Situated on the North Shore between Milwaukee and Chicago, Waukegan serves as the seat of Lake County.
Fast Facts
- 10th largest city in Illinois
- Nearly 90,000 residents (2020 Census)
- Median age 34.6 in 2023 (ACS 5-Year Estimates)
- $50+ million in recent and upcoming downtown investments
- Over 2,300 daily visitors to downtown, not including employees (Placer.ai, 2024)
Business in Waukegan
The City of Waukegan is nestled in northeast Lake County, Illinois, which is home to 11 Fortune 500 companies, including Abbott Laboratories, AbbVie, Baxter, Discover, W.W. Grainger, and Walgreens. Other major employers in the area include Naval Station Great Lakes, Rosalind Franklin University, Takeda, and many more.
The City of Waukegan is a regional employment hub with a concentration of employers in the manufacturing, transportation and warehousing, and administration and support sectors (LEHD). The City is home to over 2,000 businesses which employ over 30,000 employees (Esri, 2024). Recent years have demonstrated growth in the information, transportation, and warehousing sectors. Service and retail related businesses comprise the greatest share of Waukegan businesses, at 44.2% and 20.4%, respectively.
In recent years, Lake County has become home to the third largest life science industry in the United States, and the largest in the Midwest. Due to its prime geographic location situated between Chicago and Milwaukee, more than 6 million people live within 35 miles of Waukegan.
Business in Lake County
The Chicagoland area has one of the largest labor forces in the United States, with a diverse industry base and a high proportion of highly skilled workers. The region is home to over 500 higher education programs which produced over 147,000 graduates across all disciplines in 2021 (World Business Chicago).
Due to its prime geographic location, situated between Chicago and Milwaukee, there are more than 5 million people within a commute radius of Waukegan. Chicagoland is the top destination for Big Ten university graduates.
Parks & Open Space
The City of Waukegan maintains the year-round beach with approximately one mile of shoreline and two piers. The City is also maintains the Waukegan Dunes, which are some of the only remaining natural dunes in the area. The Waukegan Dunes are home to various species of ducks, shorebirds, gulls, herons, falcons, as well as the City’s official bird, the piping plover. The trail network throughout the Waukegan Dunes are popular spots for beachgoers and nature-lovers alike.
Throughout the City, there are 51 park sites. The nearly 750 acres of Park District land include 34 playgrounds, two golf courses, a skate park, a BMX track, a disc golf course, five outdoor fitness areas, and four recreational facilities. Waukegan’s award-winning Park District recently finished the restoration of the Carnegie Library in Downtown Waukegan into a history museum.
Downtown Waukegan
Downtown Waukegan is home to a multitude of cultural and institutional assets including the Genesee Theater, the Waukegan Public Library, the Lake County Courthouse, and the Waukegan Arts District. Additionally, the College of Lake County Lakeshore (CLC Lakeshore) campus is in Downtown Waukegan. CLC Lakeshore has recently invested over $50 million in Downtown Waukegan with a new student center and classroom facility, and an upcoming urban farm facility.
Downtown Waukegan offers convenient transit connections to nearby communities along the North Shore and Downtown Chicago. The Waukegan Transfer Center, located in Downtown Waukegan, is a PACE transit hub which connects Waukegan residents to jobs in 11 nearby communities such as Gurnee, Grayslake, Zion and North Chicago. In addition to PACE bus service, the Metra Union Pacific North Line connects Downtown Waukegan to Chicago, the North Shore, and Kenosha by rail.
Waukegan’s historic downtown is at a pivotal moment, ready to build on a history of being a vibrant, walkable, and economically thriving urban center. Rich in culture and architectural character, Downtown has economic anchors and physical characteristics attractive to residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
Downtown Arts Community
Downtown Waukegan is home to a popular arts community. Events are hosted every month at the Art Park and engage the local restaurants and bars, art galleries and studios, and theatre spaces. Events feature live music, art shows, vendors, and more!
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