The 7th Congressional District of Illinois:

The 7th Congressional District in Illinois is one of the most exciting, interesting, diverse and dynamic places to live and work in the nation. It is a community with unlimited potential.  It is also a district with great disparities and challenges.

The 7th District is wholly within Cook County and bordered on the east by Lake Michigan and extends to the western border of Cook County. The district is generally south of Armitage Avenue and has one arm which extends as far south as 57th Street. (click for map)  It includes much of the West Side of Chicago and parts of the suburban communities of Bellwood (all), Berkeley, Broadview, Forest Park, Hillside, Maywood, Oak Park (all), River Forest (all) and Westchester.  In Chicago, the 7th District includes all or part of the community areas of Austin, Armour Square, Douglas, East Garfield Park, Englewood, Fuller Square, Grand Boulevard, Humboldt Park, Kenwood, Loop, Near North Side, Near South Side, Near West Side, North Lawndale, Oakland, Washington Park, West Englewood, West Garfield Park and West Town.

Zip codes (all or part) in the district are: 60104, 60130, 60141, 60153-55, 60162-63, 60301-05, 60546, 60601-12, 60614-16, 60621-24, 60636-37, 60639, 60644, 60651, 60653-54, 60661, 60663-65, 60667-75, 60678-81, 60683-88, 60690-91, 60693-97, 60707, 60804.

The 7th District is home to a host of world class cultural and higher education institutions.   It is home to the architecture of Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright. It is home to the Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Blackhawks and Chicago Fire. It is home to some of the best known and most colorful neighborhoods in Illinois including Chinatown and Greektown. The District's suburban communities have long, rich histories and have amassed proud traditions.

The District includes downtown Chicago, home of Chicago's financial exchanges (the Chicago Board of Trade, the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, the Chicago Board of Options Exchange, the Chicago Stock Exchange and is one of the world's great international financial centers. The District also includes two-thirds of Chicago's public housing (managed by the Chicago Housing Authority) which encompass nine of the fifteen poorest census tracts in America.

The District includes twenty-one hospitals, dozens of clinics and many world class research institutions and medical schools - but it also includes some of the most medically underserved communities in America with some communities on Chicago's Westside experiencing infant mortality rates comparable to third world countries.

According to the latest census information the 7th Congressional District had a population of 592,000. The population was 47% male and 53% female; 34% White, 59% Black, 4% Asian, 7% Hispanic. 10% were age 65 and over; 23% age 45 to 64; 31% age age 25 to 44; 9% age 18 to 24; and 26% under age 18.  There are 22,085 veterans living in the 7th District.

82% of persons 25 years of age and older were high school graduates -- 34% had a Bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income was $38,585; 22% were receiving Social Security with an average Social Security payment of $11,956.  24% of families and 44% of children under 18 lived below the poverty level.

23% of workers in the District are employed in Education, health and social services; 16% in professional and business services; 12% in finance, real estate and rental/leasing; 10% in retail trade; 9% in manufacturing; 8% in leisure and hospitality; 5% in construction; 4% in wholesale trade and 2% in information.

There are 238,000 housing units in the 7th District.  Average household size is 2.5 persons; married couples 29%; other families 26%; people living alone 39% and other non-family 7%.  49% are owner occupied and 51% are renter occupied.  50% of owners with mortgages, 31% of owners without mortgages and 54% of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing.

The people who live or work here are justly proud of the community they have built . . . and they are committed to developing and growing this community for all its residents. If you are looking for a place to live, to work, to invest or to vacation please know you are welcome . . . you will love what you find in the 7th District of Illinois.

For those who would like to explore further, a list of links to sites of related interest can be found at the bottom of this page.

Cultural Institutions in the 7th District:

Polish Museum of America

984 North Milwaukee Avenue

Chicago, Illinois

773-384-3352

Quinn Chapel

2401 South Wabash

Chicago, Illinois

312-791-1846

John G. Shedd Aquarium
1200 South Lake Shore Drive
Chicago, Illinois
312-939-2438

Shubert Theater

22 West Monroe

Chicago, Illinois

312-977-1701

Spertus Museum
618 South Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
312-322-1747

Steppenwolf Theatre Company

1650 North Halsted

Chicago, Illinois

312-335-1650
 

Terra Museum of American Art
664 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
312-664-3939

Ukrainian National Museum of Chicago

721 North Oakley

Chicago, Illinois

312-421-8020

Harold Washington Library Center
400 South State Street
Chicago, Illinois
312-747-4300

Higher Educational Institutions in the 7th District:

Chicago-Kent College of Law