The town of Cicero is one of the oldest municipalities in Cook County, Illinois, tracing its history back to 1857. Bordered on the north and east by Chicago, Cicero is the suburb nearest to downtown Chicago. The population of Cicero was 83,891 at the 2010 census. As of 2013, the town had a population of 84,103, making it the tenth largest city in Illinois. Cicero is named for the town of Cicero, N.Y., which in turn was named for Marcus Tullius Cicero, the Roman statesman and orator.
At the 2010 census, there were 22,101 households; 57.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.3% were headed by married couples living together, 17.6% had a female head of household, and 19.7% were non-families. Also, 15.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.5% were households where someone was living alone who was 65 years or older. The average household size was 3.79, and the average family size was 4.19.
The median income for a household in Cicero was $39,557, and the median income for a family was $42,235. Male full-time workers had a median income of $31,603; females had a median income of $31,117. About 15.6% of families and 18.3% of the population was below the poverty line.
In Cicero, 52.5% of occupied housing units are owned properties, and 47.5% are rentals. The average age of home properties was greater than 66 years.
In Cicero, 51.9% of the population is white, 3.8% is African American, 0.8% is Native American, 6% is Asian, 0.1% is Pacific Islander, 39.3% is some other race, and 3.5% from two or more races. Also, 80.2% of the population of Cicero is of Mexican descent.
Cicero is a factory town. As of 1999, there were more than 150 factories in 1.75 miles, producing communications and electronic equipment, printing presses, steel castings, tool and die makers' supplies, forging and rubber goods.
Cicero is served by two major railroad lines -- the BNSF Railroad and the Belt Line Railroad. Public transportation is provided by the Metra line between Aurora and Chicago’s downtown Union Station. There is a stop near Cicero Avenue and 26th Street. The Chicago Transit Authority’s Pink Line provides daily service from 54th Avenue Terminal to the Chicago Loop. There is also a stop at Cicero-49th Avenue.
Cicero is served by Cicero School District 99, which comprises 17 schools, making it one of the largest public school districts outside of Chicago. Elementary students attend: Burnham (K-5), Cicero East (4-6), Cicero West (K-3), Columbus East (4-6), Columbus West (K-6), Drexel (K-6), Goodwin (K-6), Liberty (K-3), Lincoln (K-6), McKinley (K-3), Roosevelt (3-6), Sherlock (K-3), Warren Park (K-3), Wilson (K-6), Woodbine (K-3), and Unity Junior High (7-8), which was previously separated into East/West sections. High school students entering their freshman year attend the Freshman Center and then continue into high school at Morton East, which is part of District 201.
While there is no hospital within Cicero city limits, Cicero residents can choose from nearby MacNeal Hospital in Berwyn, St. Anthony Hospital in Chicago, or Mt. Sinai Hospital in Chicago. Cicero residents can also receive medical care at Alivio Medical Center's clinics.
In the early 20th century, Cicero's position at the edge of Chicago attracted criminal elements who were attempting to evade Chicago's police department. In the mid to late 1920s, the gangster Al Capone established his headquarters in Cicero.
Racial tensions surfaced in Cicero throughout the 1950s and 1960s when residents opposed African Americans moving into their community. At the end of the 20th century, although Cicero had virtually no black residents, people of Hispanic or Asian ancestry contributed to its mixture of ethnic cultures.
Kreisman Law Offices handles Illinois lawsuits for the entire Chicago metropolitan area, including Cicero. Chicago's Kreisman Law Offices offers a wide range of legal services, including Illinois personal injury law, Illinois medical negligence cases, Illinois birth injury cases, Illinois product defect/product liability law, Illinois wrongful death law, and Illinois commercial litigation. The Chicago attorneys at Kreisman Law Offices have more than 40 years of trial experience. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online.
Our Chicago loop law office is in a convenient location for Cicero residents. Directions to Kreisman Law Offices from Cicero are as follows: take I–290E towards Chicago until it becomes Congress Parkway. Exit onto S. Wacker Dr. Turn right onto West Monroe Street, heading east to Dearborn Street. Kreisman Law Offices is located at the southwest corner of Dearborn St. and Monroe St.