Sandwich, Illinois

Sandwich, Illinois
City
Sandwich City Hall and Opera House
Sandwich City Hall and Opera House
Nickname: 
The Fair City
Location of Sandwich in DeKalb and Kendall Counties, Illinois.
Location of Sandwich in DeKalb and Kendall Counties, Illinois.
Coordinates: 41°38′39″N 88°37′44″W / 41.64417°N 88.62889°W / 41.64417; -88.62889[1]
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountiesDeKalb, Kendall
TownshipsSandwich, Somonauk, Little Rock
Incorporated (city)February 21, 1859 (1859-02-21)[2]
Founded byAlmon Gage
Area
[3]
 • Total
4.75 sq mi (12.31 km2)
 • Land4.74 sq mi (12.27 km2)
 • Water0.019 sq mi (0.05 km2)
Elevation
[1]
669 ft (204 m)
Population
 (2020)[4]
 • Total
7,221
 • Density1,520/sq mi (587/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP code
60548
Area codes815, 779
FIPS code17-67548
GNIS feature ID2396534[1]
Websitewww.sandwich.il.us

Sandwich is a city in DeKalb and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois.[5] Its population was 7,421 at the 2010 census and 7,221 at the 2020 census.[4]

History

The town's history is tied to politician John Wentworth and his efforts to move the Illinois border with Wisconsin from being even with the southernmost latitude of Lake Michigan to its present location. If those efforts had not been successful, the state line would reside along the LaSalle-DeKalb County border, placing the incorporated community in Wisconsin. The community was established when Almon Gage sought a railroad stop on the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad that ran through town.[6] Originally naming it Newark Station (not to be confused with the nearby village of Newark) he and Wentworth worked extensively to create the community and also to get the railroad stop created. In honor of his efforts, Wentworth was given the opportunity to name the town. He named it after his home of Sandwich, New Hampshire. The city's Wentworth Apartments and Wentworth Street are named after him.

Geography

As of 2021, Sandwich has a total area of 4.754 square miles (12.31 km2), of which 4.763 square miles (12.34 km2) (or 99.62%) is land and 0.018 square miles (0.05 km2) (or 0.38%) is water.[3]

Within the city limit of Sandwich, there is a network of creeks, which either connect to Somonauk Creek (Lake Holiday), Little Rock Creek, or to the Fox River. Lake Davis, which stretched from Veterans Memorial Park to what is now Gletty Road, was drained early in the 19th century to open up additional farmland. The Sandwich town site was built on a natural gradation due to a geological fault line known as the Sandwich Fault, so the city stands on a hillside. The southeast corner of the city is the lowest spot, roughly near the Harvey Creek Preserve, as well as near Little Rock Creek. The last earthquake along the Sandwich Fault was on July 15, 2024.[7]

Climate

Sandwich's climate is typified by large seasonal temperature variances, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. The Köppen Climate Classification subtype for this climate is "Dfa". (Hot Summer Continental Climate).[8]

Demographics

Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
1860952—
18701,84493.7%
18802,35227.5%
18902,5167.0%
19002,5200.2%
19102,5571.5%
19202,409−5.8%
19302,6118.4%
19402,608−0.1%
19503,02716.1%
19603,84226.9%
19705,05631.6%
19805,3565.9%
19905,5673.9%
20006,50916.9%
20107,42114.0%
20207,221−2.7%
U.S. Decennial Census[9]

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Sandwich had a population of 7,221. The median age was 39.8 years. 22.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 18.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.3 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 93.4 males age 18 and over.[10][11]

97.8% of residents lived in urban areas, while 2.2% lived in rural areas.[12]

There were 2,761 households in Sandwich, of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 49.3% were married-couple households, 18.0% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 25.0% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[10]

There were 2,891 housing units, of which 4.5% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 3.3%.[10]

Racial composition as of the 2020 census[11]
RaceNumberPercent
White6,05283.8%
Black or African American761.1%
American Indian and Alaska Native360.5%
Asian530.7%
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander10.0%
Some other race4716.5%
Two or more races5327.4%
Hispanic or Latino (of any race)1,06714.8%

Income and poverty

Von KleinSmid Mansion
Water tower

The median income for a household in the city was $70,563, and the median income for a family was $76,452. Males had a median income of $46,429 versus $26,841 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,619. About 5.3% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.

Economy

Businesses in Sandwich include:

  • Sahara-Pak heat-of-compression air dryer, in 1974.
  • Designed Stairs, manufacturer, designer and builder of custom hardwood luxury stairs moved to Sandwich in 1986.
  • Meadowvale, a dairy mix manufacturer that specializes in ice cream, frozen custard, and soft serve mixes that are distributed across the US.[13]

Arts and culture

The Sandwich Fair is an annual event founded in 1858 as a DeKalb County livestock show.[14] It is one of the oldest continuing county fairs in Illinois, drawing daily crowds of more than 100,000, with top attendance days reaching over 200,000.[15]

Education

The community is served by Sandwich Community Unit School District 430, which operates three elementary schools, an intermediate school, a junior high, and a high school. The schools are: Prairie View Elementary, Lynn G. Haskin Elementary, W.W. Woodbury Elementary, Herman E. Dummer School, Sandwich Middle School, and Sandwich Community High School.

Notable people

References

  1. 1 2 3 U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Sandwich, Illinois
  2. ↑ "Name Index to Illinois Local Governments". Illinois State Archives. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Gazetteer Files". Census.gov. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "QuickFacts Sandwich city, Illinois; United States". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  5. ↑ "City of Sandwich District Map" (PDF). City of Sandwich. December 30, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  6. ↑ Boies, Henry L. (1868). "The Village of Sandwich". History of De Kalb County, Illinois. Chicago: O.P. Bassett. pp. 518–520. OCLC 58671999. History of Dekalb County, Illinois.
  7. ↑ "Earthquake Illinois today: 3.4 magnitude earthquake in Somonauk, DeKalb County – NBC Chicago". www.nbcchicago.com. Retrieved August 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ Closest city on record to Sandwich, Illinois
  9. ↑ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  11. 1 2 "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  12. ↑ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved April 28, 2026.
  13. ↑ "Large Ice Cream Mix Manufacturer Meadowvale Inc. Moving to Sandwich".
  14. ↑ Sandwich City History
  15. ↑ "Sandwich Fair (100th Anniversary)". American Folklife Center. Retrieved July 8, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Lyell Carr". The Johnson Collection, LLC. Retrieved May 20, 2025.
Wikimedia Commons logo
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sandwich, Illinois.
This page is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.