Woodstock, Illinois

Geobox|Settlement
name = Woodstock
native_name =
other_name =
category = City
etymology =
official_name =
motto =
nickname =


image_caption =


symbol =
country = United States
state = Illinois
region = McHenry
region_type = County
district =
district_type = Township
municipality =
location =
elevation_imperial =
prominence_imperial =
lat_d = 42
lat_m = 19
lat_s = 3
lat_NS = N
long_d = 88
long_m = 26
long_s = 46
long_EW = W
coordinates_no_title =
highest_lat_s =
highest_lat_NS =
highest_long_d =
highest_long_m =
highest_long_s =
highest_long_EW =
lowest =
lowest_location =
lowest_region =
lowest_state =
lowest_elevation_imperial =
lowest_lat_d =
lowest_lat_m =
lowest_lat_s =
lowest_lat_NS =
lowest_long_d =
lowest_long_m =
lowest_long_s =
lowest_long_EW =
length_imperial =
length_orientation =
area_imperial = 10.7
area_land_imperial = 10.7
area_water_imperial =
area_urban_imperial =
area_metro_imperial =
population =
population_date = 2000
population_urban =
population_metro =
population_density =
population_density_imperial = 1891.1
population_density_urban_imperial =
population_density_metro_imperial =
established =
date =
government =
government_location =
government_region =
government_state =
government_elevation_imperial =
government_lat_d =
government_lat_m =
government_lat_s =
government_lat_NS =
government_long_d =
government_long_m =
government_long_s =
government_long_EW =
mayor =
leader =
leader_type = Mayor
timezone = CST
utc_offset = -6
timezone_DST = CDT
utc_offset_DST = -5
postal_code = 60098
area_code = 815
code =
whs_name =
whs_year =
whs_number =
whs_region =
whs_criteria =
iucn_category =


map_caption = Location of Woodstock within Illinois
map_background = Illinois - background map.png map_locator = Illinois2
commons = Woodstock, Illinois
statistics =
website =
footnotes =

Woodstock is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. The population was 20,151 at the 2000 census, and estimated to be 23,241 as of 2006. It is the county seat of McHenry CountyGR|6.

Woodstock is the home of the historic Woodstock Opera House and Old McHenry County Courthouse. The city was named in 2007 as one of the nation's Dozen Distinctive Destinations 2007 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. [ [http://www.nationaltrust.org/dozen_distinctive_destinations/2007/2007/03/twelve.html Oops! ] ]

Demographics

of any race were 19.01% of the population.

There were 7,273 households out of which 37.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.7% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.4% were non-families. 27.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.68 and the average family size was 3.30.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.9% under the age of 18, 10.2% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 100.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $47,871, and the median income for a family was $54,408. Males had a median income of $40,137 versus $27,264 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,210. About 5.3% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 3.0% of those age 65 or over.

23% of Woodstock residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

Culture

Movies

Woodstock was a primary filming location for the 1993 movie "Groundhog Day" (although the fictional events of the movie take place in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania). Outdoor and streetfront scenes were filmed at Woodstock Square, and signs from other stores and businesses are visible throughout the movie. .

Several scenes in "Planes, Trains, and Automobiles" were also filmed in Woodstock including the scene in which the car is towed in front of a building (the old Courthouse) and Steve Martin enters the truck driven by John Candy.

In addition, Woodstock can claim an important role in the creative development of Orson Welles. Welles attended the Todd School for Boys in Woodstock. At Todd, Welles came under the positive influence and guidance of Roger Hill, a teacher who later became Todd's headmaster. Hill provided Welles with an ad hoc educational environment that proved invaluable to his creative experience, allowing Welles to concentrate on subjects that interested him. Welles performed and staged his first theatrical experiments and productions at Todd School, he also performed at the Opera House.

Music

Woodstock has become an important destination for live music in McHenry County and the region with venues featuring local, national, and international artists.

A number of organizations support and promote live music in Woodstock:
* Jazz on the Square [http://www.jazzonthesquare.net]
* Masthouse
* Off Square Music
* Opera Woodstock
* RIFF Productions
* Woodstock Folk Festival

Annual traditions

*Dick Tracy Days
**Every summer, Woodstock hosts "Dick Tracy Days" to celebrate the work of one of its most famous residents, Chester Gould, the artist who created for the Chicago Tribune and its syndication business, possibly the most famous newspaper cartoon series ever created.

*Diversity Day Festival
*Fair Diddley
*Farmers market
*Festival of Lights
*Groundhog Days
**The town celebrates "Groundhog Days" at the beginning of every February, including tours of famous filming sites from the 1993 movie. The town now even has its own groundhog named "Woodstock Willie", who essentially performs the same tasks as "Punxsutawney Phil" at the site of the original Groundhog Day festival. Every year on the weekend of Groundhog Day, the Classic Cinemas Woodstock Theater shows "Groundhog Day" for free. Woodstock's Groundhog day festival also includes a traditional groundhog lighting.
*HarvestFest
* [http://www.mchenrycountyfair.com McHenry County Fair]
*Summer band concerts
*Woodstock Challenge
*Woodstock CABA Days
*Woodstock Folk Festival
*Woodstock Jazz on the Square Festival

Education

In March 2007 the names for three new Woodstock schools were announced. The schools are as follows; Creekside Middle School, Woodstock North High School and Prariewood Elementary.Because of the growth of the town in population, these schools will help to balance enrollment numbers throughout Woodstock Community Unit School District 200.

Woodstock is currently served by two secondary education institutions, Woodstock High School and Marian Central Catholic High School, as well as a number of primary schools such as Northwood Middle School, Clay Street Elementary, Dean Street Elemenatary, and St. Mary Catholic grade school. Residents pursuing an associate's degree normally do so at McHenry County College in neighboring Crystal Lake.

Parks

Transportation

Woodstock's railroad station is the second-to-the-last-stop on Metra's Union/Pacific Northwest Line, which originates in Chicago's Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago.

U.S. Route 14 curves around Woodstock's southwest border, intersecting with Illinois Route 47 at Woodstock's southeast edge. Illinois Route 120 meets Route 47 approximately 1/4 mile northwest of Woodstock's Public Square.

Notable Residents

*Chester Gould (1900–1985)
*Orson Welles (1915–1985)
*Emma Goldman- Anarchist and political activist.
*Alexander Berkman- Anarchist and political activist.
* [http://www.lauracaldwell.com/ Laura Caldwell] , popular author of several novels including "A Clean Slate" and "The Rome Affair".
* [http://www.divorcebusting.com/about_michele.htm Michele Weiner-Davis] , renowned psychologist and author of the bestselling books "Divorce Busting" and "The Sex-Starved Marriage".
*John Hegner - Musician and composer.
* Lynn Stewart - cofounder of Hooters Restaurant

References

External links

Woodstock
* [http://www.woodstockil.gov/ Woodstock official website]
* [http://www.woodstockilchamber.com/ Woodstock Chamber of Commerce]
* [http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1380.html History of Woodstock]
* [http://public.fotki.com/Cosmo1976/geography/woodstock_illinois/ Photographs of Woodstock, Illinois]
* [http://www.gwba.org/ Woodstock Baseball Programs]
* [http://www.nationaltrust.org/dozen_distinctive_destinations/2007/2007/03/twelve.html National Trust for Historic Preservation.]
* [http://www.woodstockil.gov/library/ Woodstock Public Library]

Woodstock Schools

*Marian Central Catholic High School
** [http://www.marian.com Marian Central Catholic High School website]
*Woodstock High School
** [http://www.d200.mchenry.k12.il.us/whs/ Woodstock High School website]
* [http://www.clayelementary.org/Home.asp Clay Elementary School]
* [http://www.d200.mchenry.k12.il.us/schools/dean_street.htm Dean Street Elementary School]
* [http://www.d200greenwood.org/ Greenwood Elementary School]
* [http://www.d200.mchenry.k12.il.us/schools/westwood.htm Westwood Elementary School]
*Northwood Middle School
** [http://www.stans.net/northwood/ Northwood Middle School]
* [http://www.stans.com/olson Olson Middle School]
* [http://www.clms.org Crystal Lake Montessori School]

Woodstock Area

[http://www.mchenrycountyfair.com McHenry County Fair]

McHenry County