Crystal Lake is the largest city located in McHenry County, Illinois. Earning its name after a lake 1.6 miles south from its downtown, Crystal Lake is located 45 miles northwest of the city of Chicago. The population is currently around 40,000. Living in Crystal Lake is an experience of its own, with its unique charm and friendly community. We have gathered some of the best reasons to move to Crystal Lake, and what you will be receiving when becoming a resident of this tight-knit community:
- Neighborhoods
As the largest city in McHenry County, Crystal Lake has many separate neighborhoods, each offering a feel of its own. Moving to Crystal Lake, you will have many options to choose from, and at least one neighborhood is bound to meet your needs and expectations. Some of the popular neighborhoods include downtown Crystal Lake, where Crystal Lake Central High School is located. The houses in this neighborhood range in age and size, and it is possibly the most diverse neighborhood in the entire city. South of downtown, you will find the Coventry neighborhood, with multiple schooling options and a lot of housing options to choose from. Gorgeous single-family homes and townhouses can be easily found in Wedgewood, and the neighborhood with the best, unbeatable breathtaking views is hands down The Village. You will surely find a neighborhood that checks all the boxes for you, as each offers something unique and special.
- Climate
There are people who don’t mind the cold climate of Crystal Lake. However, this city experiences hot summers and cold winters, and i s a bit colder than its large neighboring city of Chicago. During the summer months, you will experience temperatures that are comparable to the ones in Chicago, while the winters can be colder due to the lack of the urban heat island effect. The hottest month of the year is July, with the average temperature of 86 degrees, often exceeding 100 degrees, while the coldest month of the year is January, with an average temperature of 23 degrees.
- The Crystal Lake Park District
One of the best features when living in Crystal Lake, is the Crystal Lake Park District. It offers more than 40 parks that span out over 2,000 acres, and offer abundant recreation areas and opportunities. Some of the most popular parks in the area include the large 140-acre Veteran Acres Park and Lippold Park, which is the largest park in the district, covering 305 acres. Lippold Park has been the host to the McHenry County Youth Sports Association Summer International 15-year-old Baseball Championships for the past 22 years, welcoming teams from across the nation and Puerto Rico as well as from Japan, Brazil, and other countries.
- Culture and sites of interest
Crystal Lake boasts a large number of cultural institutions, and also shares a lot of cultural opportunities with Chicago and other neighboring communities that offer easy access to Crystal Lake and vice versa. The only daily newspaper published in McHenry County, the Northwest Herald, calls Crystal Lake home. There are a lot of churches within the city, hosting a lot of annual events. Downtown Crystal Lake, which was reconstructed not long ago, is now home to an abundance of small local shops and businesses, and is considered to be a shopping district. The Raue Center for the Arts is also located in the downtown district, hosting concerts every year. The city is also home to the Crystal Lake Strikers, Crystal Lake Community Band, McHenry County Music Center and Voices in Harmony.
- Education
The high schools in the city of Crystal Lake are in a separate school district, as opposed to the elementary and middle schools. High schools in the city are run by Community High School District 155, while Crystal Lake Community Consolidated School District 47 runs all middle schools and elementary schools. The city of Crystal Lake has five high schools: Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Prairie Ridge High School, Cary-Grove High School and Woodstock High School. The public schools in Crystal Lake offer their students with education that is above average, which means that your children will be receiving great educational opportunities.
- Economy
As the economy of Crystal Lake is considered to be decentralized, there are no larger employers in the city. However, around the city you will find a lot of job opportunities in small, specialized, local shops and restaurants as well as larger national chains. There are a few industrial parks in Crystal Lake, that are packed with businesses in various industries, which means that you will easily find an opportunity for yourself. Crystal Lake also offers easy access to other surrounding cities, which is a benefit when working somewhere out of the city.