Crystal Lake, Illinois

Crystal Lake is a city located in southeastern McHenry County, Illinois and it is the largest city in the county. The city is named after Crystal Lake, which is a lake located 1.6 miles southwest of downtown Crystal Lake. Crystal Lake is about 45 miles northwest of Chicago. The population as of the 2010 census was 40,743.

The city covers 16.2 square miles. Zip codes in Crystal Lake are 60012, 60014 and 60039. Unemployment in Crystal Lake in the spring 2012 was 8.1 percent, compared to 8.9 percent statewide.

The racial makeup of the city is 86% white, 0.56% black, 0.16% Native American, 2% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos make up 7% of the population.

According to a federal census report, the median income for a household in Crystal Lake is $69,816 and $84,935 for a family of four. Only about 3% of families and 4% of the population are living below the poverty line in Crystal Lake.

Crystal Lake residents and business owners proudly point to the city's designation as an Illinois Premier Main Street Community. The Main Street program is an economic-development, preservation-based program to restore and revitalize historic downtown districts.

During the late 1800's and early 1900's, Crystal Lake became known for the manufacture of architectural terra cotta and TECO pottery. Downtown Crystal Lake has several buildings that have the locally produced terra cotta, including the recently renovated Raue Center for the Arts. The 750-seat center was built in 1929; it is a Spanish Mission style theatre that features local and national productions.

The largest shopping area for Crystal Lake is known as "the strip," a long stretch of road that runs along what once used to be Crystal Pointe Mall but is now a series of strip malls. The shopping area is located on Route 14 between Route 31 and Dole Avenue.

Crystal Lake's four high schools are run by Community High School District 155, which includes four high schools and one alternate education campus. All schools serve grades 9-12. Enrollment includes more than 7,000 students from Bull Valley, Burton's Bridge, Cary, Crystal Lake, Fox River Grove, Lake in the Hills, Lakewood, Oakwood Hills, Prairie Grove, and Ridgefield. The district covers 67.75 square miles.

District 47 oversees all middle schools and elementary schools in Crystal Lake; 9,000 students are enrolled in these schools. The district's mission statement is: "Educational excellence for all students is our passion and commitment." Students attend classes in 12 buildings, including nine elementary schools and three middle schools. The district also has an early childhood center adjacent to an elementary school that offers classes for approximately 275 special education preschool students.

Residents can commute to Chicago and to Kreisman Law Offices via the Metra Rail Union Pacific Northwest Line, which runs to Chicago's Union Station. Also serving Crystal Lake is the Pace Bus system, which is owned by the RTA (Regional Transit Authority). Crystal Lake is about a 45-minute drive from O'Hare International Airport.

According to the city's website, Crystal Lake traces its origin to the early 1800s. In 1835, a traveler named Ziba S. Beardsley came from Connecticut to the shores of the lake and commented that the "waters were as clear as crystal," thereby giving the lake its name. In February 1836, the first white settlers, Beman and Polly Crandall and six of their ten children came from New York State traveling to Crystal Lake in a covered wagon. Their original cabin was built in the vicinity of today's intersection of Virginia and Van Buren streets in Crystal Lake.

The town was first known as Crystal Ville. It was changed to Crystal Lake sometime before 1840. Much of the city's land was originally owned by two early settlers, Daniel Ellsworth and Simon S. Gates. Crystal Lake was first incorporated in 1874 and North Crystal Lake was annexed to the Village of Crystal Lake in 1914.

Kreisman Law Offices handles Illinois lawsuits for the entire Chicago metropolitan area, including Crystal Lake. Chicago's Kreisman Law Offices offers a wide range of legal services, including Illinois personal injury law, Illinois medical negligence cases, Illinois product defect/product liability law, Illinois wrongful death law, Illinois commercial litigation and Illinois workers compensation. The Chicago attorneys at Kreisman Law Offices have over 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 Crystal Lake residents. Directions to Kreisman Law Offices from Crystal Lake are as follows: take I-90E towards Chicago until Exit 51E/ Monroe St. Turn left onto West Monroe Street, traveling east to Dearborn Street. Kreisman Law Offices is located at the southwest corner of Dearborn Street and Monroe Street.