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Joliet, Illinois
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Downtown
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| Etymology: Louis Jolliet | |
Location of Joliet in Will and Kendall counties in Illinois
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| Coordinates: 41°31′47″N 88°04′22″W[1] | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Illinois |
| Counties | Will, Kendall |
| Townships | Joliet, Troy, Plainfield, Lockport, New Lenox, Jackson, Channahon, Seward, Na-Au-Say |
| Settled | 1833 |
| Incorporated | 1852 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Council–manager |
| • Mayor | Terry D’Arcy (Independent) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 65.82 sq mi (170.48 km2) |
| • Land | 65.08 sq mi (168.56 km2) |
| • Water | 0.74 sq mi (1.92 km2) |
| Elevation | 610 ft (190 m) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 150,362 |
| • Rank | US: 178th |
| • Density | 2,310.31/sq mi (892.02/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−5 (CDT) |
| ZIP codes |
60431–60436, 60441, 60586
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| Area code(s) | 815, 779 |
| FIPS code | 17-38570 |
| Airport | Joliet Regional Airport |
| GNIS feature ID | 2395477[1] |
| Demonym | Jolietan |
| Wikimedia Commons | Joliet, Illinois |
| Website | www |
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Joliet (/ˈdʒoʊliɛt, dʒoʊliˈɛt/ JOH-lee-et, joh-lee-ET) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, 35 miles (56 km) southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. It had a population of 150,362 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Illinois.[4][5]
History
In 1673, Louis Jolliet, along with Father Jacques Marquette, paddled up the Des Plaines River and camped on a huge earthwork mound, a few miles south of present-day Joliet.[6] Maps from Jolliet’s exploration of the area[citation needed] showed a large hill or mound down river from Chicago, labeled Mont Joliet.[7] The mound has since been flattened due to mining.
In 1833, following the Black Hawk War, Charles Reed built a cabin along the west side of the Des Plaines River. Across the river in 1834, James B. Campbell, treasurer of the canal commissioners, laid out the village of “Juliet”, a corruption of “Joliet” that was also in use at the time. Just before the economic depression of 1837, Juliet incorporated as a village, but to cut tax expenses, Juliet residents soon petitioned the state to rescind that incorporation.
In 1845, local residents changed the community’s name from “Juliet” to “Joliet”, reflecting the original name. Joliet was reincorporated as a city in 1852. Cornelius Covenhoven Van Horne was active in getting the city its first charter, and because of this, he was elected Joliet’s first mayor. When the city later built a new bridge, it was named the Van Horne Bridge.[8]