Cook County

Cook County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is the second-most populous county in the United States after Los Angeles County, California. The county seat is Chicago, the largest city in Illinois and the third-most populous city in the United States.

History[edit | edit source]

Cook County was created on January 15, 1831, out of Putnam County by an act of the Illinois General Assembly. It was named after Daniel Pope Cook, one of the earliest and youngest statesmen in Illinois history. He served as the U.S. Representative from Illinois and was the state's first Attorney General.

Geography[edit | edit source]

Cook County covers an area of 1,635 square miles, of which 945 square miles is land and 690 square miles (42.2%) is water. The northern border of the county is Lake Michigan, one of the five Great Lakes.

Government[edit | edit source]

The government of Cook County is primarily composed of the Board of Commissioners, other elected officials such as the Sheriff, State's Attorney, Treasurer, Board of Review, Clerk, Assessor, Recorder, Circuit Court Judges, and Circuit Court Clerk, as well as numerous other officers and entities.

Demographics[edit | edit source]

As of the 2010 census, there were 5,194,675 people, 1,921,819 households, and 1,269,039 families residing in the county. The population density was 5,507.9 inhabitants per square mile.

Economy[edit | edit source]

Cook County's economy is one of the most diverse in the nation, with no single industry employing more than 14% of the workforce. This diversity is a major component of the county's economic stability.

Education[edit | edit source]

Cook County is home to many colleges and universities, including the University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and Loyola University Chicago.

Transportation[edit | edit source]

Cook County has a well-developed transportation infrastructure, including several major interstate highways, numerous railroad lines, and one of the busiest airports in the world, O'Hare International Airport.