Community Demographic Profile

The City of McHenry is located in east-central McHenry County, 55 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop and 35 miles from O’Hare International Airport. The City is centered on two major State highways –Illinois Route 31, and, Illinois Route 120,. In addition, the Fox River runs north/south on the east side of the City. The City consists of approximately 15 square miles of land area.

McHenry’s current population is approximately 28,117, including 11,228 total households, an average household size of 2.5, and a median household income of $83,651.  The median resident age is 41.3, 92.0 % of the population are high school graduates or higher (of those 25 years or older) and 26.9 % have bachelor’s degrees or higher (of those 25 years or older).

McHenry has solid manufacturing, industrial and service industries with more than seventy companies in numerous business parks throughout the City.  Major employers include Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, First Brands/Brake Parts, Medela, Follett, Fabrik Molded Plastics, Superior Felt and Filtration and Aptar with numerous additional companies providing a diverse array of manufacturing and trade services.

The City is also home to many retail, office and other service-oriented uses located along Elm Street (Illinois Route 120), Richmond Road (Illinois Route 31 north) and Front Street (Illinois Route 31 south).   The north Richmond Road corridor has become a destination for shoppers in the northern and southern Wisconsin areas with numerous brand retailers and smaller national chains.