Illinois's 2nd Congressional District - History of District Boundaries

History of District Boundaries

The total number of representatives allotted to Illinois during each period follows the years in parentheses; boundaries went into effect beginning with the previous year's elections:

• 1833-1843 (3): The district included nineteen counties in eastern and southeastern Illinois: Clark, Clay, Coles, Crawford, Edgar, Edwards, Effingham, Fayette, Hamilton, Jasper, Jefferson, Lawrence, Marion, Montgomery, Shelby, Vermilion, Wabash, Wayne and White counties (several additional counties were later created within this area).
• 1843-1853 (7): The district was reduced in size and slightly shifted to take in fifteen counties in southeastern Illinois: Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Wabash, Wayne, White and Williamson counties.
• 1853-1863 (9): The district was relocated to cover seven counties stretching across the northern part of the state: Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Kane, Lee, Rock Island and Whiteside counties.
• 1863-1873 (14, including one elected at large): The district now included six counties to the north and west of Cook County: Boone, DeKalb, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Winnebago counties.
• 1873-1883 (19): The district now became a portion of Cook County, and included the part of Chicago's west side between the North Branch of the Chicago River and 16th Street; the city's western boundary was then Western Avenue from the river to North Avenue, and Crawford Avenue (now Pulaski Road) from North to 16th.
• 1883-1895 (20/22): The district now included parts of Chicago's west and southwest sides. On the west side, it included the area between 12th Street (now Roosevelt Road) on the north and the river and Illinois and Michigan Canal on the south, as well as a small area north of 12th Street near the river; the western boundary was still Crawford Avenue. South of the river and canal, the district included the area between 16th Street on the north, Clark Street on the east, 39th Street (now Pershing Road) on the south and Western Avenue on the west. Illinois gained two additional representatives following the 1890 Census, but they were elected on an at-large basis for the 1893-1895 term before redistricting occurred, and the previous decade's districting remained in effect.
• 1895-1903 (22): The district now included the twelve townships comprising western Cook County (Cicero, Elk Grove, Hanover, Lemont, Leyden, Lyons, Maine, Norwood Park, Palos, Proviso, Riverside, Schaumburg), as well as the part of Chicago's west side bordered on the east by Crawford Avenue from North Avenue to 12th Street, Wood Street from 12th to the canal, Western from the canal to 39th, and State Street from 39th to 63rd Streets; also included was the area north of 12th to Taylor Street between Campbell Avenue and Wood.
• 1903-1949 (initially 25; two of 27 elected at large from 1913–43, and one of 26 elected at large from 1943–49): The district began to take its modern form, and included the part of Chicago south of 43rd Street having as its western boundary State Street from 43rd to 99th Streets, Stewart Avenue from 99th to 103rd, Halsted Street from 103rd to 111th, Peoria Street from 111th to 115th, and Ashland Avenue from 115th to the city line. Illinois' districts were not redrawn until 1947, taking effect for the 1948 elections.
• 1949-1963 (26 from 1949–1953; 25 thereafter): The district was reduced in size, and now included that part of Chicago bounded on the north by Marquette Road (State Street to South Park Boulevard, later renamed King Drive), South Chicago Avenue (South Park to Cottage Grove Avenue) and Pershing Road (Cottage Grove to the lake), and on the west by State Street (Marquette to 73rd), Indiana Avenue (73rd to 83rd) and South Park (83rd to 95th Streets). The southern boundary was formed by 95th Street from South Park to the eastern boundary of the Burnside community, following that northwest to 87th Street, and then 87th to Jeffery Boulevard, South Chicago Avenue from Jeffery to 85th Street, 85th to Baltimore Avenue, following that south to 87th, and 87th Street to the lake. The same boundaries were maintained in the redistricting after 1950.
• 1963-1967 (24): The district was again expanded to the south, and included that part of Chicago south of 46th Street bounded on the west by Cottage Grove (46th to 65th), Stony Island Avenue (65th to 99th), State Street (99th to 111th), Wentworth Avenue (111th to 113th) and Halsted (113th to the city line).
• 1967-1973 (24): There was additional redistricting in Illinois which took effect for the 1967-1969 term. The 2nd District kept all of its previous territory except for a small area between 46th and 47th Streets near the lake, and added all of Calumet Township. It also added those portions of Thornton Township east of the Calumet Expressway as far south as 159th Street, and north of the Calumet River from 159th to the state line, as well as those parts of Dolton north of Sibley Boulevard bordered on the west by Lincoln Avenue from the Chicago city line to Irving Avenue and by Irving from there to Sibley.
• 1973-1983 (24): The district was pulled back within the Chicago city limits, and included: the communities of East Side, Hegewisch, Riverdale, South Chicago, South Deering and West Pullman; the part of South Shore bordered on the north by 75th Street (Stony Island to Jeffery), 73rd Street (Jeffery to Yates Boulevard) and 71st Street (Yates to the lake); those parts of Avalon Park and Calumet Heights east of Stony Island; those parts of Roseland and Pullman bordered on the north by 99th Street (Stewart Avenue to State Street) and 103rd Street (State to Stony Island); those parts of Beverly and Morgan Park east of Western Avenue; Washington Heights except for the portion northeast of 95th and Halsted; the part of Auburn Gresham west of Halsted; the part of Englewood southwest of 71st and Halsted; West Englewood except for the portion northeast of Marquette Road and Loomis Boulevard; the part of Chicago Lawn northeast of 63rd and California Avenue; and the part of Gage Park southeast of 55th and Western.
• 1983-1993 (22): The district was again extended into the suburbs. It now included the Chicago communities of East Side, Hegewisch, Riverdale, West Englewood and West Pullman, the part of South Shore southeast of 73rd and Yates, the parts of South Chicago and Calumet Heights east of Yates, South Deering except the portion northwest of 103rd and Yates, the parts of Roseland and Pullman south of 103rd, the eastern half of Morgan Park, the parts of Auburn Gresham and Washington Heights west of Halsted, almost all of Englewood west of Halsted, and the part of Chicago Lawn between 63rd and 69th Streets east of Western. The district included Calumet Township except for those parts of Blue Island and Calumet Park northwest of the railroad running from 123rd and Laflin to the western township line. The district also included the portion of Thornton Township bordered on the south by 167th Street from the western township line to the eastern edge of Hazel Crest, 171st Street from the Hazel Crest boundary to Halsted, 167th from Halsted to Indiana Avenue, Sibley Boulevard from Indiana Avenue to Torrence Avenue (with some minor variation in Calumet City), East State Street from Torrence to the railroad 1/4 mile east, 154th Street from the railroad to Freeland Avenue, and 155th Street from Freeland to the state line.
• 1993-2003 (20): The district now included the Chicago communities of Riverdale and West Pullman; the part of South Shore southeast of 71st and Yates; the parts of South Chicago and Calumet Heights east of Yates; the part of South Deering southwest of 103rd and Yates except for the portion east of the Calumet River, as well as the area between Yates and Torrence Avenue from 95th Street extended south to 116th Street; the part of Hegewisch west of the Calumet River; the parts of Roseland and Pullman south of 103rd Street; most of Morgan Park east of Longwood Drive; the part of Beverly southeast of 103rd and Prospect Avenue; the parts of Auburn Gresham and Washington Heights west of Halsted; the part of Englewood southwest of 63rd and Halsted; and the part of West Englewood south of 63rd Street. The district also included all of Calumet Township, as well as parts of Bloom, Bremen, Rich, Thornton and Worth Townships.
• 2003–present (19): See map and geography above. For a more detailed map, see the Census Bureau map linked below.