Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, in the United States. It is the county seat and the home of McLean College. In terms of population, Bloomington is the second-largest city in the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area. It is next to the town of Normal. People who live in Bloomington are about 135 miles (217 km) southwest of Chicago and about 162 miles (261 km) northeast of St. Louis, so it's not far from both cities. There were 78,680 people living in the city at the time of the 2020 Census. This made it the 13th-most populated city in Illinois, and the fifth-most populated city in the state outside of the Chicago area. About 130,000 people live in the twin cities, which are called Normal and Twin Cities. The Bloomington area is home to Illinois Wesleyan University and Illinois State University, both of which are in the state. It also serves as the headquarters for State Farm Insurance and Country Financial, two companies that make insurance.
A county seat was created when McLean County was formed. It was suggested that Bloomington "would be located later." yet, in the law it was. It was announced that James Allin, one of the proponents of the new county, had volunteered to give his property to the new town. As a result of the acceptance of his proposition, the layout of Bloomington was completed. On the 4th of July in 1831, its lots were auctioned off in front of a large crowd to much fanfare. Rich soils lured more farmers to the newly constituted county at this time, bringing commerce to the newly formed county.
People from all over came to the town's center, which is now called Downtown Bloomington, to trade and do business. Abraham Lincoln, who was working as a lawyer in Springfield, Illinois, was one of the people who came to the center. When Lincoln and Douglas debated in 1854, a well-known Bloomington resident named Jesse W. Fell came up with the idea and helped push Lincoln to run for President.
A Bloomington, IL real estate company called Denbesten Real Estate was started in 1977 by Ray and Irene Denbesten. Today, Cathy Denbesten is in charge. They can help you buy or sell your house: (309) 6662-4228. They can also help you with that.
The city has 76,610 residents and 30,454 homes according to the 2010 census. There were 2,814.8 people per square mile (1,099.5/km2) in the city. At an average density of 1,261.5 per square mile (492.8/km2), there were 34,339 dwelling units. The city's racial composition was 77.5 percent White, 10.1 percent African American, 0.3 percent Native American, 7.0 percent Asian, 1.42 percent other races, and 2.9 percent mixed races. 5.6 percent of the population was Hispanic or Latino of any race.
The City of Bloomington and McLean County make up the fastest-growing area in Illinois. The population of the area has grown 28% from 1990 to 2006. When the US Census Bureau did a special census of Bloomington in February 2006, it found that the city had grown by 15.7 percent in less than six years. This is where the fastest growth has been taking place.
In 2010, there were 34,339 households, 28.8% of which had children under the age of 18, 46.7 percent were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder without a husband present, and 41.1 percent were not-family households. Only 32.6% of all homes had people living alone. 9.2% had someone who was 65 or older living alone. The average size of a household was 2.41, and the average size of the average family was 3.12.
27.3 percent of the city's population was under the age of 20, 9.0 percent between the ages of 18 and 24, 29.8 percent between the ages of 25 and 45, and 23.8 percent between the ages of 45 and 64. The median age was 33 years old. There were 95.4 men for every 100 women.
A previous home of the Central Hockey League's PrairieThunder and Blaze, the Grossinger Motors Arena (originally the U.S. Cellular Coliseum) opened in 2006 in southwest Downtown Bloomington. There are also games by Illinois State University's club hockey team and youth hockey programs held there. For exceptional occasions, the Coliseum can accommodate up to 8,000 people in its 180,000 square foot (17,000 m2) of area. Intimate seating for 2,500-5,000 people is possible with the facility's movable curtain. In addition to concerts and family activities, the Coliseum has held racing events and trade exhibits.
Citizens for a New Public Library forms a Friends of the Library organization in 1976 to lobby for bond approval to fund a new public library. The effort was successful, and the library reopened as "Bloomington Public Library." in 1977, at its present location at 205 East Olive Street. The library now provides a variety of public events, including a Bookmobile that distributes to local areas, which was initially introduced in 1926 as Library on Wheels.
A group called the Bloomington Parks & Recreation Department is made up of four parts: Parks, Recreation, Golf and the Miller Park Zoo. 44 parks and three golf courses make up the Department's 1,100 acres (4.5 km2) of land. They include: Airport Park, Atwood Wayside, Angler's Lake Nature Preserve, Bittner Park and Brookridge Park. They also include: Ewing Park 1, Ewing Park 2, EwingPark 3 and Fell AvenuePark. The Department also runs Lincoln Leisure Center and the Lincoln Recreation Center. The Department also runs the Lincoln Recreation Center and the Lincoln Recreation Center.
Miller Park Zoo has a lot of different animals and zookeepers to meet. There are a Sumatran tiger, an Amur leopard, sun bears, reindeer, sea lions, red pandas, lemus, bald eagles, pallas cats and red wolves in the zoo. Wallaby WalkAbout and ZooLab are two of the many things you can see at the zoo. There is also a Children's Zoo, Animals of Asia, and the Katthoefer Animal Building. New to the Zoo is the Tropical America Rainforest, which is a new area.
Running, walking, bicycling and rollerblading are just some of the activities that may be done on the Bloomington-Normal Constitution Trail. When crossing the main streets, bridges and tunnels are utilized to segregate the route from traffic. Kerrick Road in Normal to Grove Street in Bloomington are two points on the north–south leg of the path.
East–west intersects north at Normal City Hall Annex and continues east to Towanda-Barnes Road. Beginning at Commerce Drive and ending at the Old Farm Lakes Subdivision, the Liberty Branch is Lincoln Street serves as the starting point of the Freedom Branch, which finishes at Route 9 West. There are many adjacent parking lots in the vicinity where you may park. Wheelchair and other non-motorized users are welcome on the path. The trail is available to walkers, runners and other non-motorized users. Skiers may use it if the snow isn't too deep and the weather cooperates throughout the winter months.
For the 150th anniversary of Illinois State University, the Ewing Cultural Center dedicated the Genevieve Green Gardens in 2007. The gardens were designed by a number of architects and landscape designers, including the late Bruce V. Green, an ardent gardener who generously donated $5.2 million to get the project off the ground. An expanded pathway and more flora have been included in the grounds, which feature a formal plaza that leads guests to the manor's main entrance, grass terrace, and theater walk.
It is the centerpiece of Bloomington's new Cultural District, which also includes the McLean County of the Arts Center, a festival park, and a center for the arts in education that will open in 2017. Over twenty local performing arts groups call the facility home. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts more than 400 performances and community activities each year.
An arts center in central Illinois has been around for more than 130 years. The McLean County Arts Center is one of the oldest arts groups in the Midwest. Each year there are 12 art shows, like the Holiday Treasurers exposition and sale and the annual Amateur Competition and Exhibition, which has been going on for more than 70 years. The Arts Center also helps out with a lot of community events, like the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in Uptown Normal and the Spring Bloom Arts Festival in Bloomington, which are both in the area.
Towanda Avenue and Robinhood Lane in Towanda are home to one of the oldest community theaters entirely run by volunteers. Since its inception in 1923, the theater has run for a total of 88 seasons.
As a 1,000-seat theater built by Balaban & Katz, the original creators of the traditional movie palace, the Castle Theatre debuted in 1916. For decades, the resort functioned as one of the area's most sought-after locations. With a $1.5 million refurbishment, the Castle has been returned to its previous grandeur. Live music, corporate, public, and private events may be found at the Castle nowadays.
The Jerome Mirza Theatre in McPherson Hall is home to the Illinois Wesleyan University School of Theatre Arts. Featuring plays ranging from Shakespeare to musicals, four major stage plays are staged yearly. Construction of McPherson Hall began in 1963 and includes a 300-seat theatre, a scene shop and classrooms.
It marks the 21st anniversary of USA Ballet. There are three performances a year in the McPherson Theatre on the campus of Illinois Wesleyan University.
Currently in its 92nd season, American Passion Play is the United States' longest-running Passion Play. The Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts hosts the annual Passion Play, which depicts the life of Jesus Christ from beginning to end.
A Civil War reenactment, traditional craft displays, children's activities, musical performances, presentations, and tours are all part of the Lincoln's Bloomington Festival each July in Downtown Bloomington.
Each March, the McLean County Arts Center hosts the Spring Bloom Arts Festival. This indoor fine art festival features over 100 artists working in woodworking, glass, sculpture, paintings, prints, photographs, and jewelry.
Miller Park Pavilion is located at Miller Park, Chicago, Illinois.
In 1977, the Miller Park Pavilion & War Memorial was repaired, and in May 1988, it was re-dedicated. Red walkways surround the black granite monument, which display the names of Central Illinois people killed or missing in action during the Korean and Vietnam wars.
Montefiore Synagogue was one of the oldest synagogues in the United States and one of the few in Illinois built in the Moorish Revival style
And it reminds us of the importance of Illinois in American history during Abraham Lincoln's presidency. A Tea Ladies Inc. program at the mansion can be arranged as well.
From the McLean County Museum of History: Lincoln's Bloomington and Normal, Illinois. The audio tour features President Abraham Lincoln as a returning guest, discussing his travels and their significance. The audio tour covers Jesse Fell's legal office, Asahel Gridley's residence, the Miller-Davis Building, where Lincoln practiced law, and 14 other sights.
Twin City Excursions are monthly tours of Bloomington and Normal offered by the Bloomington-Normal Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. The McLean County Museum of History serves as the starting point for tours.
Bloomington's major retail mall, Eastland Mall, is located in the city center. Eastland Mall offers a range of retailers, as well as a number of recreational activities, including Aeropostale, American Eagle Outfitters, Applebee's, Buckle, Finish Line, Limited, Old Navy, Rogers & Hollands, Talbot's, and more. However, the mall has been in decline in recent years, following the national trend of declining commercial malls.
On the south side of town is a big artist's colony with a variety of specialized retail stores and related services. There are several restaurants and a busy nightlife. Tour de Chocolat, Farmers' Market, Tour de Metro, Pub Crawl, and Once Upon a Holiday are just a few of the district's notable events. Local, state, and federal government buildings are located downtown Bloomington, as are important companies like State Farm Insurance.
There is only one town in Illinois where Beer Nuts Brand Snacks are made. There are two Beer Nuts Company Stores in Bloomington. Each store has a video tour of the plant in Bloomington and a history of the snacks.
With two public school districts, Bloomington has a wide range of educational options. One high school, Bloomington High School, a junior high school, Bloomington Junior High School, six elementary schools, and a pre-school are all operated by Bloomington Public Schools District 87 on the city's inner outskirts. Sarah Raymond Pre-school serves the city's youngest residents (named for the first female superintendent for Bloomington).
The city's expansion has pushed it into a second district, McLean County Unit District No. 5. Despite the fact that Unit Five used to serve mostly suburban regions, including Normal, the bulk of its students now come from Bloomington. Unit Five is responsible for two high schools (Normal Community High School and Normal Community West High School), as well as four junior high schools and a number of elementary schools. Unit Five was in the process of building its fourth junior high school, George Evans Junior High School, or EJHS, as of 2010. In addition to the high school, Unit 5 built two new primary schools in Bloomington and anticipates the need for another high school.