Mount Prospect, IL

Mount Prospect is a small town located in Cook County, Illinois. The population of Mount Prospect was 34,898 as of the 2010 census. It is the most populous municipality in DuPage County and one of the most populous municipalities in Illinois.

The history of Mount Prospect can be traced back to 1837 when Joel Cook established a farm on what is now known as West Mount Prospect Avenue. In 1847, James Killeen purchased land from Joel Cook and began farming the area. Killeen built a sawmill and gristmill on the banks of the Des Plaines River which helped to spur development in the area. In 1871, John Dickson built a store on West Mount Prospect Avenue which became the first business in Mount Prospect. The town grew rapidly and by 1880 there were enough people living in Mount Prospect to form a village board. The village board consisted of five members who were elected by eligible voters.

In 1889, Mount Prospect incorporated as a city and it continued to grow rapidly due to its location close to major transportation routes such as Chicago Union Station and Route 66. By 1900, there were over 1,000 residents living in Mount Prospect and by 1910 it had reached its current population of 34,898. Today, Mount Prospect remains an important commercial center with several large businesses located within its boundaries including Sears Holdings Corporation (which operates Sears stores), JCPenney (which operates JCPenney stores), Target Corporation (which operates Target stores), Home Depot Incorporated (which operates Home Depot stores), Lowe's Companies Incorporated (which operates Lowe's stores), Kroger Company (which operates Kroger stores) and McDonald's Corporation (which operates McDonald's restaurants). Additionally, several colleges are located within or near Mtprospect including DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago and Wheaton College.