Illinois Technology and Research Corridor

The Illinois Technology and Research Corridor in the Chicago metropolitan area

The Illinois Technology and Research Corridor is a region of commerce and industry located along Interstate 88 in the Chicago metropolitan area, primarily in DuPage, Kane, and DeKalb Counties. The corridor is home to the headquarters or regional centers for many Fortune 1000 companies (including many specializing in research, development, logistics, and technology), several office and industrial parks, colleges and universities, research and scientific institutions, medical centers, government centers, and abundant shopping, dining, lodging, and entertainment amenities. In addition to the I-90 Golden Corridor, the I-94 Lakeshore Corridor, and the I-55 Industrial Corridor, the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor is one of the principal economic centers in suburban Chicago.

Cities and villages

Cities and villages located partially or wholly within the scope of the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor include:

• Aurora
• Batavia
• Campton Hills
• Clarendon Hills
• Cortland
• DeKalb
• Downers Grove
• Elburn
• Elmhurst
• Geneva
• Glen Ellyn
• Hinsdale
• Kaneville
• Lisle
• Lombard
• Malta

• Maple Park
• Montgomery
• Naperville
• North Aurora
• Oak Brook
• Oakbrook Terrace
• St. Charles
• Sugar Grove
• Sycamore
• Villa Park
• Warrenville
• Westchester
• West Chicago
• Westmont
• Wheaton
• Winfield

Companies

The Oak Brook Terrace Tower, which contains nearly 800,000 square feet of office space and houses several companies, is the tallest building in suburban Chicago, standing at 418 feet (31 stories).

McDonald's Plaza, the headquarters of McDonald's, located in Oak Brook

Major companies with a strong presence in the Illinois Technology and Research Corridor include:

• Ace Hardware, a hardware store chain headquartered in Oak Brook
• Acxiom, located in Downers Grove, is a customer and data information management company
• Aldi, a grocery store chain with U.S. headquarters in Batavia
• APL Logistics, a freight transportation company with offices in Oak Brook
• Blistex, Incorporated, a personal care products company headquartered in Oak Brook
• BP, an international energy company with its North American chemicals headquarters and research facilities in Naperville
• Calamos, an asset management firm headquartered in Naperville
• Caterpillar, a construction equipment manufacturer with a plant in Montgomery
• ConAgra Foods, a packaged foods company with offices in Naperville
• Coskata, Inc., an energy research company headquartered in Warrenville
• Devry University, an international technical college headquartered in Downers Grove
• Dover Corporation, a manufacturer of specialized industrial products and equipment headquartered in Downers Grove
• Eby-Brown, a wholesale distributor headquartered in Naperville
• Farm Progress, an agricultural publication publisher headquartered in St. Charles
• First Alert, a safety products company headquartered in Aurora
• Hyundai, a motor vehicle company with regional offices in Aurora
• Joint Commission, health institution or program accreditation agency headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace
• McDonald's, a fast-food restaurant chain headquartered in Oak Brook
• MetLife, an insurance company with offices in Aurora
• Microsoft a computer technology company with offices in Downers Grove
• Mitutoyo, a company specializing in measuring instruments and meteorological technology with U.S. headquarters in Aurora
• Molex, an electronic components manufacturer headquartered in Lisle
• Nalco, a water treatment and chemical company headquartered in Naperville
• Navistar, an automotive manufacturer headquartered in Lisle
• Nicor, a gas utility company headquartered in Naperville
• Nissan Motors, an automotive manufacturer with offices in Aurora and Naperville
• Nokia, an international telecommunications company, with offices in Naperville and Lisle.
• Oberweis Dairy, a dairy products company headquartered in North Aurora
• OfficeMax, an office supplies chain headquartered in Naperville
• Portillo's Restaurants, a restaurant chain headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace
• Redbox a media rental company headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace
• Sanford L.P., a writing products manufacturer headquartered in Oak Brook
• SAP America, the Americas' subsidiary of SAP AG, the world's largest business software company with offices in Downers Grove.
• Sara Lee, a food company headquartered in Downers Grove
• Smithfield Foods, a meat products manufacturer with subsidiary Armour-Eckrich Meats headquartered in Lisle and a processing facility in St. Charles
• Sunshine Biscuits, a cracker, cookie, and cereal manufacturer headquartered in Elmhurst
• Tellabs, a telecommunications company headquartered in Naperville
• Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc., an automobile manufacturer with regional offices in Aurora and Naperville
• VVF, a personal care products manufacturer with a plant in Montgomery
• Westell, a modems manufacturer headquartered in Aurora

Educational Institutions

Altgeld Hall, a landmark building at DeKalb's Northern Illinois University, the second-largest institution of higher education in the state of Illinois

• Aurora University is a private liberal arts college located in Aurora
• Benedictine University a private university located in Lisle
• The College of DuPage is a community college that primarily serves DuPage County, located in Glen Ellyn
• DePaul University is a private Chicago-based university with a campus in Naperville
• DeVry University, headquartered in Oakbrook Terrace, offers numerous technical degrees at its eight Chicago area campuses.
• Elmhurst College is a private liberal arts college located in Elmhurst
• Illinois Institute of Technology, with a campus in Wheaton, offers three degree programs in Information Technology and Management.
• Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy, a three-year magnet high school for the State of Illinois in Aurora. Many of its students participate research internships elsewhere in the ITRC.
• Kishwaukee College is a community college that primarily serves DeKalb County, located in Malta
• Midwestern University, a private graduate and professional school of health sciences located in Downers Grove
• National-Louis University is a private Chicago-based university with a campus in Lisle
• North Central College is a private liberal arts college located in Naperville
• Northern Illinois University, is a public university and research institution located in DeKalb. It is the second largest institution of higher education in the state of Illinois in terms of enrollment. A satellite campus is located in Naperville.
• Waubonsee Community College is a community college that primarily serves central & southern Kane County and northern Kendall County, located in Sugar Grove
• Wheaton College is a private liberal arts college located in Wheaton

Research Institutions

Fermilab, located in Batavia

• Argonne National Laboratory, located on 1,700 acres (7 km²) in Lemont, is the oldest national research institution in the United States, chartered in 1946. The only multipurpose national laboratory in the Midwest, Argonne manages and operates a range of scientific user facilities, including the Advanced Photon Source, the Center for Nanoscale Materials and the Argonne Leadership Computing Facility. Argonne's annual budget is $650 million and employs 3,500 people. It is owned by the Department of Energy and operated by the UChicago Argonne, LLc..
• Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, located on 6,800 acres (28 km²) in Batavia, was commissioned on November 21, 1967 by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission. It is home to the world's former highest energy particle accelerator, Tevatron. The accelerator was built in 1983 at a cost of $120 million, and was upgraded in 1994 at a cost of $290 million. It employs 2,100 people.

Medical centers

Rush-Copley Medical Center in Aurora

• Adventist Hinsdale Hospital, located in Hinsdale
• Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital, located in Downers Grove
• Central DuPage Hospital, located in Winfield
• Delnor Community Hospital, located in Geneva
• Edward Hospital, located in Naperville
• Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, located in Elmhurst
• Kishwaukee Community Hospital, located in DeKalb
• Provena Mercy Medical Center, located in Aurora
• Rush-Copley Medical Center, located in Aurora

The DeKalb County Courthouse, located in Sycamore

Government centers

• DeKalb County Government Center and Courthouse, located in Sycamore
• DuPage County Government Center, Judicial Center, and Fairgrounds, located in Wheaton
• Kane County Government Center and Courthouse, located in Geneva
• Kane County Judicial Center and Fairgrounds, located in St. Charles

Shopping centers

Westfield Fox Valley, a regional enclosed shopping mall in Aurora.

• Cantera, an open-air shopping, dining, and entertainment complex located in Warrenville
• Chicago Premium Outlets, an outlet mall located in Aurora
• Geneva Commons, an upscale, open-air lifestyle center located in Geneva
• Oakbrook Center, a regional upscale, open-air shopping mall located in Oak Brook. It is the largest open-air shopping center in the contiguous United States.
• Town Square Wheaton, an upscale open-air shopping center located in Wheaton
• Westfield Fox Valley, a regional enclosed shopping mall located in Aurora
• Yorktown Center, a regional enclosed shopping mall located in Lombard

Points of interest

The Arcada Theater building in downtown St. Charles

A view of the Naperville Riverwalk area and Moser Tower in downtown Naperville

• The Air Classics Museum, an aviation museum located at Aurora Municipal Airport in Sugar Grove
• The Arcada Theater, an historic theater in downtown St. Charles
• Blackberry Farm, an historical farmstead located in Aurora
• Cantigny, a large park with historical museums and gardens, located in Wheaton
• The Convocation Center, a 10,000-seat arena located on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb
• Drury Lane Theatre, a theater and dining center located in Oakbrook Terrace
• The DuPage Children's Museum, a museum and interactive learning center in downtown Naperville
• The Egyptian Theatre, an historic theater in downtown DeKalb
• Elfstrom Stadium, a minor league ballpark, home to the Kane County Cougars, located in Geneva
• The Ellwood House, a historical museum located in DeKalb
• The Glidden House, a historical museum located in DeKalb
• The Grand Theatre, an historical theater located in downtown Wheaton
• The Gurler House, a historical museum located in DeKalb
• Hollywood Casino, a casino located in downtown Aurora
• Huskie Stadium, a 30,000-seat football stadium located on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb
• Morton Arboretum, a botanical garden located in Lisle
• The Naperville Riverwalk, a riverwalk and park located in downtown Naperville along the DuPage River. The area is also home to the Centennial Beach recreational area and the iconic Moser Tower
• Oakbrook Terrace Tower, a 31-story office building located in Oakbrook Terrace. It is the tallest building in suburban Chicago.
• The Paramount Theatre, an historic theater located in downtown Aurora
• Pheasant Run and the Q Center, convention centers located in St. Charles
• Phillips Park Zoo, a zoological park featuring native species located in Aurora
• The Tivoli Theatre, an historic theater in downtown Downers Grove
• Two Brothers Roundhouse, an historic roundhouse, museum, and dining center located in downtown Aurora

See also

• Golden Corridor
• List of technology centers
• List of edge cities