Romeoville is a village in Will County, Illinois, United States. The village is located 26 mi southwest of Chicago on the Gateway Wetlands, directly west of the Des Plaines River. Per the 2020 census, the population was 39,863. It is located in the southwest suburban area of Chicago near Interstate 55 and Interstate 355.

History

Romeoville was one of the last areas of Will County occupied by Native Americans. The village of Romeo was first settled on September 14, 1835, on Isle a La Cache, a small island in the Des Plaines River. Around this time, the first bridge was built to allow access to the island from the west bank of the river. In 1848, the I&M Canal was finished, drawing new residents to the area. On January 19, 1895, residents of Romeo voted to incorporate and changed the village's name to Romeoville. The community, along with nearby Joliet, became known as "Stone City" in reference to its prosperous limestone quarries. The Illinois State Capitol in Springfield was unveiled in 1888, and is constructed entirely of Romeoville limestone. Lewis University was established on the outskirts of town in 1934. Romeoville is home to Citgo's Lemont Refinery. The refinery was constructed in 1922 across the river from the village. It was later the site of the 1984 Romeoville petroleum refinery disaster. In 1950, Romeoville had approximately 46 homes and a population of 147. The village remained sparsely populated until 1957, when over 600 acre of wetlands along IL-53 became the Hampton Park Subdivision. An additional 400 acre were added in 1964, as Romeoville's population slowly grew. On October 5, 1990, the first interchange on I-55 and Weber Road was built, connecting the village to the rest of Chicagoland. Throughout the following decade, the area along Weber Road quickly became suburbanized as several new housing developments were completed. Romeoville was one of fastest-growing communities in Illinois throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The population grew rapidly, and the village experienced an influx of over 25,000 new residents in two decades. On September 16–17, 2023, a family of four, consisting of two adults and two children, were killed in a mass shooting at their home in Romeoville; their three dogs were also killed. Police believed the killings were a targeted attack. The shooter, identified as 31-year-old Nathaniel Huey Jr., was tracked down with his fiancée at Catoosa, Oklahoma, on September 20. During an attempted traffic stop, Huey fled but eventually crashed his vehicle. Afterwards, he fatally shot his fiancée and then himself.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Romeoville has a total area of 18.759 sqmi, of which 18.44 sqmi, comprising 98.3%, is land and 0.319 sqmi, comprising 1.7%, is water. Romeoville borders the neighboring communities of Bolingbrook, Plainfield, Crystal Lawns, Crest Hill, Lockport and Lemont.

Climate

Romeoville is home to a National Weather Service forecast office, although bulletins issued by said office begin, "The National Weather Service in Chicago..."

Demographics

2020 census

Economy

Romeoville is home to over 600 businesses. In 2013, the village won a Gold Medal from the International Economic Development Council and Atlas Integrated in the High Performance Economic Development category. They earned the award by creating 1,560 jobs during 2012–2013, which was the most for a town with a population between 25,001 and 100,000.

Top employers

According to the village website, the top employers in the village are: Other major employers include Kehe Foods, FedEx Ground, and the Village of Romeoville.

Education

K–12 education

Romeoville residents attend the following schools: Valley View School District 365U Plainfield Community Consolidated School District 202 Lockport Township High School District 205

Higher education

Government

Mayors

Infrastructure

Transportation

Major highways

Major highways in Romeoville include: Interstate Highways Interstate 55 Interstate 355 US Highways Historic US 66 Illinois Highways Route 7 Route 53

Notable people