Skokie, Illinois Niles Center, Illinois |
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Village | |
Village of Skokie | |
Location in Cook County and the state of Illinois. |
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Location of Illinois in the United States |
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Coordinates: 42°2′0″N 87°44′34″W / 42.03333°N 87.74278°WCoordinates: 42°2′0″N 87°44′34″W / 42.03333°N 87.74278°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Illinois |
County | Cook |
Township | Niles |
Incorporated | 1888 |
Government | |
• Type | Council-manager |
• Mayor | George Van Dusen |
Area | |
• Total | 10.06 sq mi (26.1 km2) |
• Land | 10.06 sq mi (26.1 km2) |
• Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.0 km2) 0% |
Population (2010) | |
• Total | 64,784 |
• Density | 6,400/sq mi (2,500/km2) |
Up 2.27% from 2000 | |
Standard of living (2011) | |
• Per capita income | $29,398 |
• Median home value | $280,900 |
ZIP code(s) | 60076, 60077, 60203 |
Area code(s) | 847 & 224 |
Geocode | 70122 |
Website | skokie |
Demographics (2010) | |||
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White | Black | Asian | |
60.3% | 7.3% | 25.5% | |
Islander | Native | Other | Hispanic (any race) |
0.02% | 0.2% | 6.7% | 8.8% |
Skokie (/ˈskoʊki/; formerly Niles Center) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Its name comes from a Potawatomi word for "marsh". A Chicago suburb, for many years Skokie promoted itself as "The World's Largest Village". Its population, according to the 2010 census, was 64,784. Skokie's streets, like that of many suburbs, are largely a continuation of the Chicago street grid, and the village is served by the Chicago Transit Authority, further cementing its connection to the city.
Skokie was originally a German-Luxembourger farming community, but was later settled by a sizeable Jewish population, especially after World War II. At its peak in the mid-1960s, 58% of the population was Jewish, the largest percentage of any Chicago suburb. In recent years, several synagogues and Jewish schools have closed. However, Skokie still has a very large Jewish population. It is home to the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, which opened in northwest Skokie in 2009.
Skokie has received national attention twice for court cases decided by the United States Supreme Court. In the mid-1970s, it was at the center of a case concerning the First Amendment right to assemble and the National Socialist Party of America, a neo-Nazi group. Skokie ultimately lost that case. In 2001, although Skokie was not a direct party to the case, a decision by the village regarding land use led the court to reduce the power of the United States Environmental Protection Agency.