Lombard, Illinois

Lombard's Maple Street Chapel, built in 1870, served as the village's first town hall and library.

Originally part of Potawatomi Native American landscape, the Lombard area was first settled by Americans of European descent in the 1830s. Lombard shares its early history with Glen Ellyn. Brothers Ralph and Morgan Babcock settled in a grove of trees along the DuPage River. In what was known as Babcock's Grove,[3] Lombard developed to the east and Glen Ellyn to the west. In 1837, Babcock's Grove was connected to Chicago by a stagecoach line which stopped at Stacy's Tavern at Geneva and St. Charles Roads. Fertile land, the DuPage River, and plentiful timber drew farmers to the area.

Sheldon and Harriet Peck moved from Onondaga, New York, to this area in 1837 to farm 80 acres (320,000 m²) of land. In addition, Peck was an artist and primitive portrait painter who traveled to clients across northeastern Illinois. The Peck house also served as the area's first school and has been restored by the Lombard Historical Society.[4] In 2011, the Peck House was inducted into the National Park Service's Network to Freedom[5]—a list of verified Underground Railroad locations.[6]

The 1848 arrival of the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad provided local farmers and merchants rail access to Chicago, and commercial buildings soon sprang up around the train station. Lombard was officially incorporated in 1869, named after Chicago banker and real estate developer Josia Lewis Lombard.[3]

Since 1930, Lombard has hosted an annual Lilac Festival and parade in May.[12] "Lilac Time in Lombard," is a 16-day festival ending in mid-May. It starts with the Lilac Queen coronation and her court. Many lilac themed events take place, including a formal ball, concerts, wine and beer tasting in the park, a Mothers' Day Brunch, an arts and crafts fair, and tours of the park. The grand finale is Lombard's Lilac Festival Parade.[13] The first Lilac Princess in 1930 was Adeline Fleege.[14]

There is a farmers market held in downtown Lombard once a week from May to October every year. [15]

There is a food cooperative slated to open sometime in 2024 in town. [16]

Lombard's high schools (9-12) belong to Glenbard Township High School District 87.[17] They are shared with the neighboring town of Glen Ellyn, thus the creation of the portmanteau word "Glenbard". Lombard's elementary and middle schools (K-8) belong to Lombard School District 44[18] or DuPage School District 45.[19]

• High Schools
  • Glenbard East High School (located in Lombard)
    • Serves the majority of Lombard.
  • Glenbard South High School (located in Glen Ellyn)
    • Serves the far southwest part of Lombard.
  • Glenbard West High School (located in Glen Ellyn)
    • Serves the far northwest part of Lombard.
  • Willowbrook High School (located in Villa Park)
    • Serves the southeast and far northeast part of Lombard.
  • Addison Trail High School (located in Addison)
    • Serves parts of unincorporated Lombard.
• Private Schools
  • Montini Catholic High School
  • College Preparatory School of America

The Village of Lombard is a non-home rule community. It has a council–manager form of government. Each elective office is held for a four-year term.[20]

• Village President: Keith Giagnorio
• Village Clerk: Liz Brezinski
• Trustee, District 1: Brian LaVaque
• Trustee, District 2: Anthony Puccio
• Trustee, District 3: Bernie Dudek
• Trustee, District 4: Andrew Honig
• Trustee, District 5: Daniel Militello
• Trustee, District 6: Bob Bachner

Lombard is located at 41°52′34″N 88°0′54″W (41.875979, -88.015060).[21]

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Lombard has a total area of 10.41 square miles (26.96 km²), of which 10.22 square miles (26.47 km²) (or 98.21%) is land and 0.19 square miles (0.49 km²) (or 1.79%) is water.[22]

Lombard's Masjid Darussalam, an Islamic center built in 2013

As of the 2020 census[24] there were 44,476 people, 17,030 households, and 10,914 families residing in the village. The population density was 4,274.07 inhabitants per square mile (1,650.23/km²). There were 19,150 housing units at an average density of 1,840.28 per square mile (710.54/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 70.83% White, 4.62% African American, 0.35% Native American, 13.15% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 3.82% from other races, and 7.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 10.17% of the population.

There were 17,030 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.20% were married couples living together, 9.82% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.91% were non-families. 29.47% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.30% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.23 and the average family size was 2.54.

The village's age distribution consisted of 20.4% under the age of 18, 9.0% from 18 to 24, 29% from 25 to 44, 25.8% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37.7 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.7 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $86,167, and the median income for a family was $100,420. Males had a median income of $58,398 versus $40,411 for females. The per capita income for the village was $41,154. About 3.5% of families and 5.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.5% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

According to Lombard's 2020 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report,[25] the top employers in the city are:

The former train station for the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad at Main Street, pictured in 1902

Lombard is served by Metra's Union Pacific West Line, which runs from the Ogilvie Transportation Center out to Elburn, Illinois over the old Chicago and Northwestern Railway trackage. Lombard's also served by I-88 / Illinois 110 and I-355 as well as Illinois Routes 38, 53, 56, and 64.

Formerly, it was also served by trains of the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad (with commuter stops at Stewart Ave, Main St, Brewster Ave and Westmore/Meyers Road) and the Chicago Great Western Railway. These former railroads have been preserved as multiple use recreational trails (Illinois Prairie Path and Great Western Trail).

• Winifred Bonfils, newspaper journalist and columnist
• Dallas Frueh, racing driver
• Russ Gamester, racing driver
• Harold Gray, cartoonist and creator of Little Orphan Annie
• Tom Higgenson, founder of Plain White T's, grew up in Lombard
• Ted Kaczynski, American terrorist, also known as the Unabomber
• James Marcello, reputed Mafia leader
• Ellen Annette Martin, first woman to vote in Illinois in 1891
• Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, actor
• Sheldon Peck, folk artist and abolitionist
• Mary Doria Russell, author of five novels including The Sparrow and Children of God
• Bob Schacht, racing driver
• Daniel M. Tani, NASA astronaut
• Charles Tilly, scholar
• Doug Walker, film critic and comedian
• Timothy Zahn, science-fiction author

• Budd, Lillian (1977). Footsteps on the Tall Grass Prairie: A History of Lombard, Illinois. Lombard, Ill.: Lombard Historical Society. OCLC 3742261.
• Fruehe, Margot (1985). "Lombard". In Thompson, Richard A (ed.). DuPage Roots. Wheaton, Ill.: DuPage County Historical Society. OCLC 11964167.
• Knoblauch, Marion (1948). DuPage County: A Descriptive and Historical Guide, 1831-1839. American guide series. Federal Writers' Project (Ill.). Edwards Bros. hdl:2027/mdp.39015059490584. OCLC 296635972.

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Lombard.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lombard, Illinois.

• Official Website
• National University of Health Sciences
• The Lombardian, "A Lombard Newspaper for Lombard People"
• The Lombard Spectator
• The Maple Street Chapel Preservation Society
• The Lombard Historical Society
• Lombard Masonic Lodge No.1098 AF&AM