Homer Glen is a village, located 32 mi southwest of downtown Chicago, in Will County, Illinois, United States, with a small portion in Cook County. Per the 2020 census, the population was 24,543. The village was incorporated on April 17, 2001. The area that is now Homer Glen was formerly known as "Goodings Grove".

Geography

Homer Glen is located at 41°37′22″N 87°56′29″W (41.6228,-87.9416). The boundaries of the village of Homer Glen are one half-mile block south of 131st Street to the north (along the Cook County border); 183rd Street to the south; Will-Cook Road to the east; and Gougar Road to the west. The village shares its boundaries with the village of Lemont (in Lemont Township, Cook County) to the north, the village of Orland Park (in Orland Township, Cook County) to the east, the village of New Lenox (in New Lenox Township, Will County) to the south and the city of Lockport (in Lockport Township, Will County) to the west. The three major roads in Homer Glen are Bell Road, which runs North-South, 143rd Street, and 159th Street, which both run East-West.

Demographics

Homer Glen first appeared as a village in the 2010 U.S. Census.

2020 census

2010 Census

As of the 2010 census, there were 24,220 residents. The racial composition of the city was: Homer Glen has a Hispanic or Latino population of 4.9%. Homer Glen has a significant Polish and Lithuanian population. There are many Polish delis, grocery stores, and other businesses throughout the Homer Glen and the nearby areas. There is also a population of Serbians living in the Homer Glen area.

Government

The current mayor is Christina Neitzke-Troike.

Education

There are two grade school districts and one high-school district serving the village. Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C serves most of the community, and Will County School District 92 serves the rest. Lockport Township High School, District 205, is the public high school serving the village.

Recreation

Homer Glen has many parks and athletic clubs, including the Homer Athletic Club, Homer Stallions Football and Lacrosse, Homer Heat Baseball, Illinois Crush Baseball, Lockport Homer Swim Club, and Homer Hawks soccer. The Village finished construction of its first trail system, the Homer Glen Heroes Trail, in late 2011. The trail is dedicated to local heroes and individuals that have made a positive impact on the community. The first event to take place on the Trail was the Mike Hike 5k, which honored local resident PFC Michael C. Olivieri, who lost his life while serving in Iraq in June 2011.

Religion

Homer Glen is the location of Annunciation of the Mother of God Ruthenian Greek Catholic Church. This church has been awarded for its "green" initiatives, specifically its 10 acre of landscaping that focuses on native plant life and water retention / management. Annunciation is notably one of the few new parishes of the Byzantine Catholic Metropolitan Church of Pittsburgh. Homer Glen is home to St. Bernard's Parish and Our Mother of Good Counsel Parish, both Roman Catholic churches. It is also home to 15 other churches of the Christian faith. Homer Glen is also home to the St. John Serbian Orthodox Church. Homer Glen is the site of the Sri Ramakrishna Universal Temple, a branch of the Vivekananda Vedanta Society of Chicago.

Media

Homer Glen is part of the Chicago metropolitan area media market for television, radio, and newspaper coverage. The Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Sun-Times, and also the Joliet Herald are widely available. The news of Homer Glen itself was primarily covered by The Homer Horizon newspaper which had a circulation of approximately 13,400 homes and businesses in Homer Glen and neighboring Lockport. The Homer Horizon was focused solely on the coverage of Homer Township and was a publication of 22nd Century Media, which was based in Orland Park.

Transportation

Pace provides bus service on Route 832 connecting Homer Glen to downtown Joliet and other destinations.