 Waukegan is a city in Lake County, Illinois, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 87,901. It is the 9th largest city in Illinois by population.
Waukegan was established as a French trading post in the late 17th century. The town became the county seat in 1841, replacing Libertyville. The Chicago North Western Railway reached the town in 1855. The town was incorporated as a city on February 23, 1859. Waukegan is considered the hometown of comedian Jack Benny (1894-1974), though he was born in Chicago; a Waukegan middle school is named for him, and a statue of him stands in the downtown. Waukegan is the birthplace of writer Ray Bradbury (born 1920), whose great-grandfather was mayor of the city in 1882. |
