Building on the Past

Drawing settlers with its natural beauty, the Woodridge area continues to attract residents with its hometown character.

The first residents of this area were the Potawatomi Indians, who moved out of the area in the early 1800s with the arrival of settlers, including farmers named Goodrich, Greene, Kohley, and Nadelhoffer who purchased land at $1.25 an acre.

Deriving its name from the heavy stand of lumber overlooking the East Branch of the DuPage River, Woodridge was incorporated as a Village on August 24, 1959, with a population of about 459 residents. Leon Werch was the first Mayor, and Al Kaufman developed the first homes south of 75th Street. The Village grew as land annexations in 1963 and 1970 allowed the Winston Muss Corporation to develop four Winston Hills Units. A dirt road connected Winston Hills to 75th Street until a major expansion occurred in 1972 when numerous farms along 71st Street were annexed and developed as Woodridge Center.

The Village leaders developed a master plan in 1985 to guide the development and plan for future growth. In the Master Plan, planners envisioned a Town Centre to house the Village Hall, Police and Public Works Facility, Woodridge Public Library, and Woodridge Post Office. The new Village Hall was dedicated in August of 1998.

In 1977, Wilton Industries, the first corporation to locate its headquarters in the Village, became Woodridge’s largest employer. Woodgrove Festival located at 75th Street and Lemont Road was the Village’s first real shopping center. The annexation of a 725-acre tract of real estate located south of I-55, west of Lemont Road, east of Joliet Road, and north of Bluff Road now showcases Internationale Centre, an award-winning business center.

The Seven Bridges development began in 1989 with the rebuilding of a historical golf course and is now a premier development of upscale residential homes, townhomes, restaurants, office buildings, a health and fitness center, movie theatre, and ice rink.

Since 1959, Woodridge’s population has grown from 459 residents to nearly 31,000 residents who live in 11,382 households within nine square miles that also boast about 1,000 acres of commercial development. Based on a long-range, comprehensive plan and boundary agreements with neighboring communities, the Village of Woodridge anticipates expanding to approximately 12.25 square miles in area.

The Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission predicts that by the year 2020, Woodridge will accommodate 41,600 residents in 15,500 households and that the businesses located here will employ 24,500 people.

The Village of Woodridge partners with its businesses, Chamber of Commerce, and network of community-minded residents to preserve the area’s natural beauty and to continue to build a dynamic economic climate that will support a favorable future for residents and businesses alike.

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