Minooka lies 44 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Incorporated on March 27, 1869 as a thriving town along the Rock Island Railroad, it was originally called "the summit" by railroad workers because it was the highest point in Illinois on the Rock Island line. It was named "Anoka" for a time, and renamed Minooka by early settler Dolly Smith, after a Potawatomi (Indian) word meaning "contentment of good land." She also named many of the streets in the old part of Minooka.
Minooka has a population of 3,971 (2000), and covers 4.3 square miles. The nearest towns include Channahon, Shorewood, Rockdale, Elwood, Crystal Lawns, Carbon Hill, Diamond, and Joliet, IL. Minooka is located both in Grundy and Will Counties. It has excellent highway, rail, waterway and air transportation options, and is located along Interstate 80.
In general, housing in Minooka is moderately priced; the median house value in 2000 was $176,400. In July, 2006, the following residential properties were listed for sale: A two-bedroom, one-bath condo selling for $170,990; a four-bedroom two-bath single-family home, listing for $239,000; and a four-bedroom, two-bath single-family home selling for $295,000. At the other end of the housing spectrum, an 8,000 square-foot six-bedroom, four-bath home on Jughandle Road was selling for $2,750,000.
Grundy County is one of the counties in which Minooka is located. It was named for Felix Grundy, a U.S. senator from Tennessee; the estimated population of the county for 2005 was 41,069. This was an increase of 9.42 percent from the 2000 U.S. census.
Grundy County offers plenty of recreational opportunities including golfing, fitness centers, swimming, boating, biking, tennis, skating, and bowling. Residents can also relax in numerous parks and lakes, and do some hiking, fishing, horseback riding, and canoeing. There are plentiful libraries, fairs, festivals and theatre performances to enjoy, and the city of Chicago, located one hour southwest of Grundy County, offers a wealth of professional and college sports, comedy clubs, theater, operas, concerts, and other leisure-time opportunities.
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Minooka lies 44 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. Incorporated on March 27, 1869 as a thriving town along the Rock Island Railroad, it was originally called "the summit" by railroad workers because it was the highest point in Illinois on the Rock Island line. It was named "Anoka" for a time, and renamed Minooka by early settler Dolly Smith, after a Potawatomi (Indian) word meaning "contentment of good land." She also named many of the streets in the old part of Minooka.
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