Chicago Southland

This article is about the region south of Chicago. For the southern part of Chicago, see South Side, Chicago.

Chicago Southland
Region
Orland Square in Orland Park, Illinois
Largest City	Orland Park
Population	2.5 million

The Chicago Southland is a region comprising the south and southwest suburbs of the City of Chicago in the U.S. state of Illinois. Home to roughly 2.5 million residents, this region has been known as the Southland by the local populace and regional media for over 20 years.^[1] Despite this relatively recent term, some older native Southlanders and current local advertisements colloquially refer to the Southland as the Southside, meaning on the southern side/border of Chicago as extended into the suburbs since some of them previously lived on Chicago's Southside but moved to the suburbs during post WWII white flight.

There is great racial and economic diversity in the Southland, with low and middle income areas to the north and higher income areas farther south and west.^{[citation needed]}

The southland is home to much of the region's Black suburban population, with the overwhelming majority residing along Interstate 57, east to the Bishop Ford Expressway and the Indiana state border.^[2] The south suburbs are also home to the highest black homeownership rates in the country, with five of its communities ranked in the top ten in 2018.^[3]

The region is also home to a high Polish, Lithuanian, Palestinian, Irish, Dutch, German, and Mexican population.^{[citation needed]}

Municipalities

Cook County

• Alsip
• Bedford Park
• Blue Island
• Bridgeview
• Burbank
• Burnham
• Calumet City
• Calumet Park
• Chicago Heights
• Chicago Ridge
• Country Club Hills
• Crestwood
• Dixmoor
• Dolton
• East Hazel Crest
• Evergreen Park
• Flossmoor
• Ford Heights
• Forest View
• Glenwood
• Harvey
• Hazel Crest
• Hickory Hills
• Hometown
• Homewood
• Justice
• Lansing
• Lemont
• Lynwood
• Markham
• Matteson
• Merrionette Park
• Midlothian
• Oak Forest
• Oak Lawn
• Olympia Fields
• Orland Hills
• Orland Park (vast majority)
• Palos Heights
• Palos Hills
• Palos Park
• Park Forest (vast majority)
• Phoenix
• Posen
• Richton Park
• Riverdale
• Robbins
• Sauk Village (vast majority)
• South Chicago Heights
• South Holland
• Steger (partially)
• Summit
• Thornton
• Tinley Park (vast majority)
• Worth

Will County

• Beecher
• Crete
• Frankfort (vast majority)
• Homer Glen
• Mokena
• Monee
• New Lenox
• Peotone
• University Park (vast majority)

Transportation

Air transit

The possibility of an airport in Peotone has been discussed since 1968, with official planning beginning in 1984. However, due to concerns that this would negatively impact the environment, the project has yet to be completed. As late as 2014, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn expressed intention to continue with the project, despite slowdown from the FAA.^[4]

Mass transit

Metra Electric Train at Ivanhoe station in Riverdale, Illinois

• The Metra Electric District, Rock Island District and Southwest Service Metra lines serve Chicago Southland commuters.
• Pace also operates several bus lines in the Chicago Southland, with operating divisions in Markham and a major facility in South Holland.

Interstate highways

• Interstate 55
• Interstate 57
• Interstate 80
• Interstate 94
• Interstate 294
• Interstate 355

Crime

Generally, crime in the Southland tends to be slightly higher than the other suburban regions of Chicago. Most of the violent crime occurs in the south suburbs, such as Harvey, which in 2019, recorded 23 homicides, the most of any suburb in Cook County.^[5]

Shopping centers/Malls

• Chicago Ridge Mall (Chicago Ridge, Illinois)
• Orland Park Place (Orland Park, Illinois)
• Orland Square Mall (Orland Park, Illinois)
• River Oaks Center (Calumet City, Illinois)

Attractions

• SeatGeek Stadium (Bridgeview, Illinois)
• Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre (Tinley Park, Illinois)
• Thornton Quarry (Thornton, Illinois)
• Lincoln Oasis (South Holland, Illinois)

Post-secondary education

There are a variety of community colleges and universities in the Chicago Southland including:

• Governors State University (University Park, Illinois)
• Moraine Valley Community College (Palos Hills, Illinois)
• Prairie State College (Chicago Heights, Illinois)
• South Suburban College (South Holland, Illinois)
• Trinity Christian College (Palos Heights, Illinois)

References

1. "Community - Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce". Chicago Southland Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on 3 March 2018. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
2. Little, Darnell (2 July 2011). "Black Chicagoans Fuel Growth of South Suburbs". The New York Times.
3. "Where Black Homeownership is the Norm".
4. "Battle over Peotone Airport Still Going - Chicagotalks | Chicagotalks". Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2011-07-09. Battle Over Peotone Airport Still Going
5. "Glenwood man fatally shot in Harvey becomes city's 23rd homicide victim this year - Chicago Tribune". Chicago Tribune.

External links

• Chicago Southland Convention & Visitors Bureau
• South Suburban Mayors and Managers Association and Chicago Southland Economic Development Corporation
• Southwest Conference of Mayors