Illinois' 4th congressional district
| Illinois's 4th congressional district | |
|---|---|
Illinois's 4th congressional district - since January 3, 2013.
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| Current Representative | Luis Gutiérrez (D–Chicago) |
| Area | 52 sq mi (130 km2) |
| Distribution |
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| Population (2011 est.) | 737,025 |
| Median income | 39,744 |
| Ethnicity |
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| Cook PVI | D+29 |
The 4th Congressional District of Illinois includes part of Cook County, and has been represented by Democrat Luis Gutiérrez since January 1993.
It was featured by The Economist as one of the most strangely drawn and gerrymandered congressional districts in the country and has been nicknamed "earmuffs" due to its shape. It was created to pack two majority Hispanic parts of Chicago into one district, thereby creating a majority Hispanic district.
This district covers two strips running east-west across the city of Chicago, Illinois, on the west side continuing into smaller portions of some suburban areas in Cook County, surrounding Illinois' 7th congressional district. The northern portion is largely Puerto Rican, while the southern portion is heavily Mexican. The two sections are on opposite sides of the city and are only connected by a piece of Interstate 294 to the west; the highway is in the district while the surrounding areas are not. It is the smallest congressional district in area outside of New York City and San Francisco.
The district covers parts of Cook County, as of the 2011 redistricting which followed the 2010 census. All or parts of Berwyn, Brookfield, Chicago, Cicero, Lyons and Melrose Park are included. The representatives for these districts were elected in the 2012 primary and general elections, and the boundaries became effective on January 3, 2013.
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