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Grayslake, Illinois

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Grayslake, Illinois
Village
Downtown Grayslake (2014)
Downtown Grayslake (2014)
Flag of Grayslake, Illinois
Flag
Official logo of Grayslake, Illinois
Logo
Location in Lake County and the state of Illinois
Location in Lake County and the state of Illinois
Coordinates: 42°20′26″N 88°01′27″W / 42.34056°N 88.02417°W / 42.34056; -88.02417[1]
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyLake County
Settled1840
Incorporated1895[2]
Government
 • MayorElizabeth Davies[3][4]
Area
[5]
 • Total
11.12 sq mi (28.81 km2)
 • Land10.90 sq mi (28.23 km2)
 • Water0.22 sq mi (0.58 km2)
Elevation
[1]
778 ft (237 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
21,248
 • Density1,949.3/sq mi (752.61/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
60030
Area code(s)847, 224
FIPS code17-31121
GNIS feature ID2398198[1]
Websitevillageofgrayslake.com

Grayslake is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The village's population at the 2020 census was 21,248.[6] It is located in the Chicago metropolitan area, about 40 miles (64 km) north of Chicago's downtown, 14 miles (23 km) west of Lake Michigan, and 15 miles (24 km) south of the Wisconsin border.

Grayslake is home to the College of Lake County, Grayslake North High School, Grayslake Central High School, the University Center of Lake County and the Lake County Fairgrounds. At the south end of Grayslake, there are plans for a 641-acre (259 ha) development containing light industry, office space and residential space.[7]

History

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Early history

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In 1840, Massachusetts-born William M. Gray settled along the then-unnamed Grays Lake. Other farmers trickled into the area in 1840s. Gray moved to Waukegan in 1845.[2]

In 1880, the Wisconsin Central Railroad built a line from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, to Chicago that passed by the east side of Grays Lake. In 1886, the railroad built a station there, naming it Grayslake. The village incorporated in 1895.[2]

Geography

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Grayslake is located in central Lake County. Neighboring communities include Libertyville, Mundelein, Round Lake Park, Hainesville, Round Lake Beach, Lindenhurst, Third Lake, Gages Lake and Wildwood. Grayslake is predominantly within the boundaries of Avon Township, with a small portion in Fremont Township.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Grayslake has a total area of 11.13 square miles (28.83 km2), of which 10.90 square miles (28.23 km2) (or 97.98%) is land and 0.23 square miles (0.60 km2) (or 2.02%) is water.[8]

Lakes

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Grays Lake is located in the center of the village and is bounded by Route 120, Lake Street, Harvey Avenue, and Alleghany Road.[9]

Portions of Highland Lake (Illinois) are located within Grayslake.

Major streets

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Demographics

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1900416—
191060345.0%
192073622.1%
19301,12052.2%
19401,1825.5%
19501,97066.7%
19603,76291.0%
19704,90730.4%
19805,2607.2%
19907,38840.5%
200018,506150.5%
201020,95713.2%
202021,2481.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[10]
2010[11] 2020[12]

As of the 2020 census[13] there were 21,248 people, 7,686 households, and 5,270 families residing in the village. The population density was 1,909.76 inhabitants per square mile (737.36/km2). There were 8,503 housing units at an average density of 764.25 per square mile (295.08/km2). The racial makeup of the village was 74.25% White, 4.53% African American, 0.42% Native American, 6.55% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 5.04% from other races, and 9.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.42% of the population.

There were 7,686 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.47% were married couples living together, 7.27% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.43% were non-families. 25.20% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.03% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.26 and the average family size was 2.65.

The village's age distribution consisted of 22.7% under the age of 18, 10.5% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.5 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $99,583, and the median income for a family was $121,577. Males had a median income of $65,965 versus $47,658 for females. The per capita income for the village was $46,346. About 4.8% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 10.2% of those age 65 or over.

Grayslake village, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) Pop 2000[14] Pop. 2010[11] Pop. 2020[12] % 2000 % 2010 % 2020
White alone (NH) 16,283 16,578 15,180 88.04% 79.10% 71.44%
Black or African American alone (NH) 288 667 920 1.56% 3.18% 4.33%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) 29 35 21 0.16% 0.17% 0.10%
Asian alone (NH) 781 1,406 1,381 4.22% 6.71% 6.50%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander alone (NH) 4 3 4 0.02% 0.01% 0.02%
Other race alone (NH) 15 34 86 0.08% 0.16% 0.40%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) 176 381 805 0.95% 1.82% 3.79%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 920 1,853 2,851 4.97% 8.84% 13.42%
Total 18,506 20,957 21,248 100.00% 100.00% 100.00%

Transportation

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Grayslake has two Metra lines providing rail service to downtown Chicago. A station in south Grayslake is used by the Milwaukee District North Line which provides service between Fox Lake and Union Station by way of Libertyville. Another station on Washington Street in north Grayslake is on the North Central Service which provides weekday service between Antioch and Union Station with a stop at O'Hare International Airport. Bus service is mainly served by Pace route 570 and the Round Lake On Demand service, although routes 565, 572, and 574 briefly enter the town to terminate at the College of Lake County campus in east Grayslake.

Four main traffic routes pass through Grayslake (Rte 120, Rte 45, Rte 83 and Washington Street) contributing to heavy traffic congestion during morning and afternoon rush hours.

Campbell Airport is a small, privately owned facility southwest of town.

For many years, there has been discussion about extending the Illinois Route 53 expressway north to Grayslake. It would end at another proposed expressway, the Illinois Route 120 bypass that would go from Gurnee to Volo. In a county-wide referendum in April 2009, 76% of voters voted in support of the extension.

Public services

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Police department

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The Grayslake Police Department employs 31 full-time sworn police officers, seven part-time sworn police officers, and three non-sworn staff members that provide service to the residents of Grayslake and Hainesville. The Grayslake Police Department is fully accredited by the National Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.[15] All police dispatch is handed by the Public Safety Dispatch Center in Glenview, Illinois.[16]

Fire protection district

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The Grayslake Fire Protection District currently serves 25 square miles (65 km2) in central Lake County, including the villages of Grayslake, Third Lake, Round Lake Park, and Round Lake Beach; Fremont Township; the unincorporated communities of Wildwood and Highland Lake; and the Census-designated place Gages Lake.[17] The fire district has three fire stations, with the headquarters station located in downtown Grayslake. There are 39 career members and 20 part-time members. Career members include 27 firefighter-paramedics, three battalion chiefs, and nine lieutenants.[18] The fire district is a member of Illinois's Mutual Aid Box Alarm System Division 4 serving Lake and McHenry Counties.[19] Communications are handled through the Glenview Public Safety Dispatch Center offering Enhanced 911 service.[16]

Finances

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According to an April 2021 article in Forbes Magazine,[20] Grayslake Village Manager Michael J. Ellis is the third highest-paid village or city manager in the state of Illinois, with an annual salary of $294,980.

Drinking water supply

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The village's water supply comes from the Central Lake County Joint Action Water Agency (CLCJAWA) in Lake Bluff. CLCJAWA purifies water from Lake Michigan.

Politics

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State officials

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U.S. officials

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Education

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Colleges
High schools
Elementary schools
  • Grayslake Middle School
  • Park Campus K–8
  • Frederick
  • Meadowview
  • Prairieview
  • Avon
  • Woodview
  • Westlake Christian Academy K–12
  • St. Gilbert (Catholic) School PK–8
  • Prairie Crossing Charter School K–8

Sports teams

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Grayslake is home to AYSO region 396, a national soccer organization. The youth football team is the Colts. Grayslake Youth Lacrosse Association is the local youth lacrosse program. Central High School's teams are the Rams, and North High School's teams are the Knights. The high school ice hockey club is called Lakers Hockey (this club is a joint venture consisting of Grayslake Central, Grayslake North, Lakes, Antioch, and Grant).

Grayslake Youth Baseball Association (GYBA) is a volunteer organization in Lake County. It has girls' and boys' T-ball and baseball included. In 2008, the Grayslake Park District opened a new sports complex on Alleghany Road across from Campbell Airport. The facility includes five baseball/softball fields, tennis courts, a small recreational pond, numerous soccer fields and a concession stand.

Recreation and amenities

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Grayslake provides fishing, swimming, and boating opportunities in the summer and ice fishing, skating, and hockey in the winter. There are two public golf courses in Grayslake: Carillon, a nine-hole facility run by the Park District, and Brae Loch, a Lake County Forest Preserve course. There are numerous tennis courts run by the Park District, and both high schools feature over eight courts each, open to the public. Most neighborhoods have their own parks with recreational equipment.

On the north side of town is Rollins Savannah, a county forest preserve of 1,200 acres (4.9 km2) with a bird observation deck, trails and walkways through wetlands. Immediately east of the old downtown district is Central Park, which contains many recreational facilities, including:

  • The Esper A. Petersen Foundation Family Aquatic Center, opened in 2000. It features two water slides, recreational and lap swimming facilities.
  • The Daniel Barry Skate park is located across from the aquatic facility and next to a community garden.
  • Grayslake Library was moved to a brand new building in 1997. This larger facility, in addition to a book collection, features meeting rooms and computer/internet resources.
  • Central Park has baseball and softball fields and a football/soccer/lacrosse field with lights for night games, a concession stand, a band shell, a playground with a water feature for small children. There is a bocce court and shuffleboard court, and there is a disc golf course in the woods throughout the entire park. This is all within a walking distance of the Grayslake Senior Center.

Festivals and events

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Grayslake Days

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Grayslake Days generally takes place in mid-August for two days (Friday and Saturday) in the Municipal Parking Lot off Center Street in downtown Grayslake. This family music festival consists of music and fun activities for the whole family. The booths at the festival range from carnival games, to arts and crafts, beer and local food vendors. In addition, Grayslake days hosts the annual Bike and Pet Parade on the Saturday of the festival, usually from mid-morning to early afternoon. Children will decorate their bikes, and families will put their pets in their best costumes and parade them throughout the downtown area. The festival also hosts the "Grayslake's Got Talent" contest. The final parade of the festival, the Summer Days Parade, generally kicks off on Saturday evening.[21]

Taste of Grayslake

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Similar to Grayslake Days, Taste of Grayslake is held in late June (usually the weekend prior to Independence Day) in Grayslake's Central Park. This festival's primary purpose is to showcase all of the local food vendors Grayslake has to offer. In addition, Taste of Grayslake features live entertainment throughout the whole day of the festival. The festival also offers many kid friendly activities for the family including, but not limited to: face painting, balloon animals, various obstacle and climbing courses. The Taste closes with a fireworks show around dusk.[21]

Grayslake Arts Festival

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Grayslake's annual Arts Festival has been held for nearly two decades. Taking place in downtown Grayslake on Center Street every June, Grayslake offers arts and crafts from over 70 juried artists, and an art exhibit from the local high schools. The festival provides entertainment throughout the day, various local food vendors and activities for children.[22]

Notable people

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Bands

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Grayslake, Illinois
  2. ^ a b c Pfannkuche, Craig L. "Grayslake, IL - Encyclopedia of Chicago". Chicago Historical Society. Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  3. ^ "Mayor Davies". Village of Grayslake. Retrieved August 18, 2025.
  4. ^ "2025 Election Night Reporting". Retrieved May 28, 2025.
  5. ^ "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 15, 2022.
  6. ^ "Grayslake village, Illinois". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  7. ^ Graham, Doug T. (June 13, 2017). "Eight years later, Cornerstone project moving forward in Grayslake". Daily Herald. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
  8. ^ US Census Bureau. "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  9. ^ Information about Gray's Lake Retrieved August 12, 2009.
  10. ^ "Decennial Census of Population and Housing by Decades". US Census Bureau.
  11. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Grayslake village, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  12. ^ a b "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) – Grayslake village, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  13. ^ "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
  14. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Grayslake village, Illinois". United States Census Bureau.
  15. ^ "Grayslake Police Department". Village of Grayslake. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  16. ^ a b "Emergency Dispatch". Village of Glenview Illinois. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  17. ^ "Home page". Grayslake Fire District. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  18. ^ "About Us". Grayslake Fire District. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  19. ^ "Members of the MABAS Divisions 4 & 5 Specialized Response Teams". MABAS Divisions 4 & 5 Specialized Response Teams. Retrieved August 22, 2025.
  20. ^ Andrzejewski, Adam. "Why Illinois Is In Trouble – 122,258 Public Employees Earned $100,000+ Costing Taxpayers $15.8 Billion Despite Pandemic". Forbes.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  21. ^ a b "Autumn FTW! Achieve Squash Goals in Lake County, IL". Visitlakecounty.org. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  22. ^ "Grayslake Chamber of Commerce - Home". Grayslakechamber.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  23. ^ Fortnite star Ninja is 1st professional gamer to make ESPN cover. abc7chicago.com. Retrieved July 24, 2022.
  24. ^ "Jim McMillen Stats". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
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