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Minooka, IL
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Minooka, IL

Grundy and Will Counties, 44 miles SW of the Loop. Minooka incorporated in 1869 as a thriving town along the Rock Island Railroad. Originally called “the summit” by railroad workers because it represented the highest point along the Rock Island line, Minooka was renamed by early settler Dolly Smith, after a Potawatomi word purportedly meaning “good land” or “high place.” In the late twentieth century, Minooka boomed thanks to proximity to Interstate 80 and chemical, oil, and power industry jobs opportunities along the Des Plaines River.


Minooka, IL (inc. 1869)
Year Total
(and by category) 		  Foreign Born Native with foreign parentage Males per 100 females
1900 424   — — —
1930 346   — — —
1960 539   — — —
1990 2,561   1.4% — 106
  2,529 White (98.8%)      
  12 American Indian (0.5%)      
  22 Other race (0.9%)      
  34 Hispanic Origin* (1.3%)      
2000 3,971   1.9% — 99
  3,893 White alone (98.0%)      
  10 Black or African American alone (0.3%)      
  8 American Indian and Alaska Native alone (0.2%)      
  12 Asian alone (0.3%)      
  21 Some other race alone (0.5%)      
  27 Two or more races (0.7%)      
  113 Hispanic or Latino* (2.8%)      

Erik Gellman
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