The Community
Northern Illinois University is located in DeKalb, Illinois, with a population of over 43,000, located 65 miles west of Chicago. Founded in 1837, DeKalb remained a small community until the arrival of the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad in 1853. DeKalb received its charter in 1856. Agriculture was the primary economic activity until the 1873-4 when a local farmer developed barbed wire and began commercial mass production of his new invention. The founding of Northern Illinois State Normal School in 1895 added education to DeKalb's landscape. Professor Jeffrey Chown in the Communications Department has documented early DeKalb history in an award-winning film titled Barbed Wire Pioneers: Inventing a Community (1998).
Today DeKalb is an urban community within a rural setting. As such, it enjoys a quiet country atmosphere within an hour's drive from one of the largest urban areas in the United States. Yet in spite of its proximity to the Chicago region, DeKalb remains apart, maintaining its own unique character as a rapidly growing university community. NIU serves as its cultural anchor, offering regular performances by such groups as the internationally acclaimed Vermeer Quartet, the NIU Jazz Ensemble, long considered one of the best college jazz bands in the world, and the NIU School of Theatre and Dance.
Many of its older neighborhoods have brick paved streets and well-kept historic homes while the edge of the city bustles with new residential and commercial developments. The residents of DeKalb enjoy the benefits that come with the proximity to an international city like Chicago and from a major state university, including museums, sports, speakers, libraries, recreational facilities and more.
DeKalb also benefits from a rock solid economy that has resisted the kinds of economic ups and downs experienced by most other communities. In 2006 the Progressive Farmer placed DeKalb 102nd among the 200 Best Places to Live, citing the quality of the city’s schools, the local economy, health care, cultural activities, low crime rate, and its climate.
In short, DeKalb is a city with a plethora of possibilities for residential and professional life.
For more information, see the following sites:
http://www.dekalb.org/pdf/DeKalb_demographics.pdf
http://www.cityofdekalb.com/Downloads/ComDev/Site%20Data8x11.pdf
http://www.cityofdekalb.com/Downloads/City%20Manager/demographic%20info.pdf
