Gurnee, Illinois
| Village of Gurnee | |
| Village | |
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| Motto: Community of Opportunity | |
| Country | United States |
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| State | Illinois |
| County | Lake |
| Coordinates | 42°22′N 87°56′W / 42.367°N 87.933°WCoordinates: 42°22′N 87°56′W / 42.367°N 87.933°W |
| Area | 13.57 sq mi (35 km2) |
| - land | 13.50 sq mi (35 km2) |
| - water | 0.08 sq mi (0 km2) |
| Population | 31,295 (2010) |
| Density | 2,318.7/sq mi (895/km2) |
| Founded | 1928 |
| Mayor | Kristina Kovarik |
| Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
| - summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
| Postal code | 60031, 60032 |
| Area code | 224, 847 |
   Location of Gurnee within Illinois
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Website: www |
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Gurnee is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Its population was 31,295 as of the 2010 census. It borders the city of Waukegan and is considered a part of the Chicago metropolitan area. It is best known for being the location of Six Flags Great America and Gurnee Mills, together drawing over 26 million visitors annually.
Early settlers in the Gurnee area came by foot horseback and by "Prairie Schooners" drawn by oxen or via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. They came from the town of Warren, New York, which was named in honor of Major General Joseph Warren, killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren Township, formed in 1850, was also named after him. The first settlement of Warren Township commenced in 1835 in the vicinity of the Aux Plaines River (now the Des Plaines River).
In 1835-36, a land company from New York State erected a Community House (site of the old Gurnee Grade School) to accommodate families while they were locating and getting government land grants to their farms. Near the Community House, there was a ford used by the Potowatomi Indians for crossing the river. A floating log bridge was built there in 1842. Later, a stationary wooden bridge was constructed, and still later an iron bridge was erected.
With the erection of a permanent bridge, roads were established, and this area became the hub of the township. It was at this junction that the Milwaukee Road crossed the river from west to east, and then continued north to eventually connect Chicago to Milwaukee. This road was "laid out" in 1836 by three early settlers: Thomas McClure, Mark Noble, and Richard Steele. The east-west road, now known as Grand Avenue, was a main route from McHenry County to the port of Waukegan. Stage coaches ran on this route as late as 1870.
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