| Wilmington, Illinois | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Nickname: | The Island City |
| Mapsize: | 260px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Type2: | Counties |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Name1: | Illinois |
| Subdivision Name2: | Will |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Ben Dietz[1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 37.61 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 5664 |
| Timezone: | CST |
| Utc Offset: | -6 |
| Timezone Dst: | CDT |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 60481 |
| Area Code: | 815 |
| Elevation Ft: | 528 |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -5 |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Established Date: | 1836 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1854 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 17-82101 [2] |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 2397328 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 410.35 |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population Density Km2: | 158.44 |
| Area Footnotes: | [3] |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 14.52 |
| Area Land Km2: | 35.75 |
| Area Water Km2: | 1.86 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 13.80 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.72 |
Wilmington is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States. Located on Illinois Route 53 and Historic U.S. Route 66 along the east bank of the Kankakee River, it is approximately south-west from downtown Chicago. The population was 5,664 at the 2020 census. Wilmington is just south of Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie, which is home to the largest bison herd in the state.[4]
Thomas Cox purchased land near Alden's Island in 1834 and built a sawmill, corn cracker, gristmill, and a carding machine facility all of which were powered by water wheels situated on a mill right off of the Kankakee River which runs through Wilmington.[5]
The city is home to the historic Eagle Hotel located on the northwest corner of state Rt 53 (Rt 66) and Water street (Rt 102). It later became famous as a stop on U.S. Route 66, which followed the route of modern-day Illinois Route 53. A notable attraction for travelers along this route is the Gemini Giant, a muffler man-type statue. Countless photos of travelers, both domestic and foreign, standing at the base of the Gemini Giant are taken each year.[6]
Wilmington is also home to Cinder Ridge Golf Course, located off of I-55. Wilmington was the scene of the brutal murder of Riley Fox.
A mural depicting historic Downtown Wilmington was installed facing the Eagle Hotel in October 2023, in anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the establishment of Route 66 coming up in 2026.[7]
Wilmington is located at 41.3075°N -88.1461°W.[8] It is located on the banks of the Kankakee River, approximately 50miles southwest of Chicago and 15miles south of Joliet.
One of Wilmington's most notable geographical features is a large island in the Kankakee River, much of which is occupied by a city park. This island divides the river into a large channel and a smaller one which was used as a natural mill race during the early years of the city. The island is the source of the city's nickname, "The Island City."[5]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.5sqmi, of which 4.2sqmi is land and 0.3sqmi (6.86%) is water.
As of the 2020 census,[9] there were 5,664 people and 2,330 households residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 90.18% White, 1.4% African American, 0.4% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 1.71% from other races, and 5.79% from two or more races.
The median income for a household in the city was $66,538. Males had a median income of $52,633 versus $32,783 for females. About 10.3% of the population were below the poverty line.