Live, Work, Learn

McHenry – The Heart of the Fox River

The City of McHenry, situated along the Fox River and 10 miles from the Wisconsin border, is a vibrant community of 27,135 people.

McHenry is fortunate in that it has three distinct downtown areas which are rich in history – Main Street, Green Street and Riverside Drive. All three areas consist of quaint specialty retail shops, as well as service-oriented businesses. Each of the downtown districts has its own identity and affords tremendous opportunities for redevelopment. State Route 120 and State Route 31 traverse the downtown districts with average daily traffic counts of 30,000 and 22,000 vehicles respectively.

The McHenry City Council is committed to the ongoing success and redevelopment of the downtown areas. In 2002, the City established a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District encompassing the Riverside Drive and Green Street downtown areas; and in 2003 the City adopted a Downtown Master Plan to further promote redevelopment and investment. In 2004, the City Council passed a Downtown Overlay District, along with Design Guidelines to further the goals and objectives of the Downtown Plan. A Facade Improvement Grant program, sponsored by the City, offers funds for improvements to commercial buildings on the main commercial corridor downtown and on specific areas of Route 120 and South Route 31. McHenry’s commitment to its downtown has resulted in in numerous redevelopment projects.

The City of McHenry’s downtown is going through an exciting time and we are ready to help you to become a part of it!