Waukegan, Illinois

About Waukegan

Waukegan, IL is a thriving city located in northeastern Illinois with an estimated population of 88,570. It ranks as the 10th largest city in Illinois.

Officially, Waukegan is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 24.26 square miles, giving it a compact, walkable footprint at roughly 3,651 residents per square mile.

📰 Waukegan News Today

• 3 shot outside apartment complex in Waukegan, Illinois CBS News · Sep 24
• Alvar Luis Velez Obituary (2026) - Waukegan, IL - Peterson & Patch Funeral Home Legacy | Obituary · Oct 10
• Waukegan shooting: Koron Gibson ID'd as man shot, killed on Lincoln Avenue Monday; police say 4 in custody after car chase ABC7 Chicago · Sep 24
• Man fatally shot in Waukegan, several subjects taken into custody after hour-long police pursuit through Lake County Lake and McHenry County Scanner · Sep 22
• Waukegan, IL Weather Forecast – Hourly & 15-Day SpaceRef · Sep 18

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

📰 Local News

Read the latest Illinois headlines on our news site, Bless News Daily.

What Makes Waukegan Unique

• A top-25 city in Illinois by population (#10 of 1,294 incorporated places).
• The only place in America named Waukegan — a truly one-of-a-kind name among 32,000+ US communities.
• Positioned in northeastern Illinois, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.

Why People Love It Here

• The sweet spot: real amenities without big-city congestion.
• Local businesses and schools anchored by a stable resident base of 88,570.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 4 miles.

🍽️ Where to Eat in Waukegan

• Dockside Ice Cream — ice cream
• Papa Marcos Grill And Kabob — middle eastern
• Post Marketplace Cafe — coffee shop (café)
• Quonset — pizza
• Starbucks — coffee shop (café)
• Waukegan Yacht Club — grill
• Bob & Anne's
• China Garden Restaurant — chinese
• Dockside Deli — sandwich
• Dockside Dogs — hot dog

Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · click a restaurant to read or write reviews.

🎡 Fun Things to Do

• The African American Museum at the England Manor · Museum
• Waukegan History Museum · Museum
• Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie · Museum
• Dandelion Art Gallery · Art gallery
• The People's Choice Family Fun Center · Arcade

Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Waukegan

• Lyons Woods Forest Preserve · Nature reserve reviews ★
• Amstutz Park reviews ★
• Armory Park reviews ★
• Art Park reviews ★
• Beach Park reviews ★
• Bedrosian Park reviews ★
• Ben Diamond Memorial Park reviews ★
• Besley Park reviews ★
• Bowen Formal Garden · Garden reviews ★
• Bowen Park reviews ★
• Christine Thompson Park reviews ★
• Clearview Park reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Waukegan

• Andrew Cooke Magnet Elem School
• Carman-Buckner Elem School
• Clearview Elem School
• Edith M Smith Middle School
• Glen Flora Elem School
• Glenwood Elementary School
• Greenwood Elem School
• H R McCall Elem School
• Hyde Park Elem School
• Jack Benny Middle School
• John S Clark Elem School
• LEARN John Kathy Schreiber Chrtr
• Miguel Juarez Middle School
• Robert E Abbott Middle School

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare

• Vista Medical Center East ★★ (2/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
• Lake Behavioral Hospital · Psychiatric

Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.

⚡ Quick Facts

🌤️ Current Weather

Full forecast →

Source: National Weather Service

🗺️ Map of Waukegan

🏘️ Nearby Communities