DeKalb remains Downtown DeKalbapart and maintains its own unique character as a thriving university community with both urban and rural roots.
DeKalb remains Downtown DeKalbapart and maintains its own unique character as a thriving university community with both urban and rural roots.
Population: 43.862
DeKalb is a city in DeKalb County, Illinois, United States. Rich in history, DeKalb captures the spirit of days gone by in a variety of ways while embracing the future.
From historic landmarks to new and remodeled facilities, there is much to explore and enjoy in this vibrant northern Illinois destination boasting historical architectural gems, national and local entertainment, as well as abundant shopping, dining and award-winning recreation.
DeKalb, located 104 miles west of Chicago, is a nice little college town with an affordable cost of living. DeKalb's past has been carefully preserved through historic homes.
Farming is a major industry in the area and visitors are invited to tour the industry with DeKalb Farm Tours, which makes stops at dairy, organic and horse farms, among others. Downtown DeKalb boasts numerous shops and restaurants that entertain guests throughout the day and into the evening.
DeKalb, Illinois has a humid continental climate with hot summers and no dry season. Over the course of a year, the temperature typically varies from -10°C to 28°C and is rarely below-17°C or above 31°C. On average, there are 195 sunny days per year.
The warm season lasts from May to September with an average daily high temperature above 22°C, with an average high of 28°C and low of 17°C.The cold season lasts from November to March with an average daily high temperature below3°C, with an average low of -10°C and high of -3°C.
While public transit options are not as plentiful as they are in larger areas, there are still several options from which residents, students, visitors, and workers have to choose from. The Voluntary Action Center provides door-to-door paratransit services for residents in DeKalb County, as well as routes serving DeKalb, Sycamore, and Kishwaukee College.
NIU students, staff, and faculty, as well as other residents are served by the Huskie bus line. The Elburn Train Station, about 15 miles from downtown DeKalb, provides frequent train service into downtown Chicago.
TRANS-VAC provides transportation to activities and businesses in DeKalb County and has two bus routes (the green line and blue line) that runs a regular hourly route Monday through Friday and some limited evening hours for individuals with special needs.
The NIU Huskie Bus Line serves NIU and the surrounding DeKalb area. It has the second largest ridership-per-mile of any bus system in Illinois.
Annual DeKalb Corn Fest: Mid-August. One of the few remaining free music festivals in Illinois. This festival features a carnival complete with rides and games, food booths, live music, craft show, kiddie korner with large inflatables, family entertainment and much more.
Harley-Davidson Museum: The Harley-Davidson Museum in DeKalb boasts an impressive collection of motorcycles, clothing and other artifacts. There are more that 65 antique and modern bikes on display. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm and Saturday from 9am to 3pm.
The Eqyptian Theatre: Home to more than 15 local performing groups, the Egyptian Theatre boasts a unique setting as a restored movie palace. Today the theater is on the National Registry of Historic Places.
Hopkins Park Aquatic Center: The Hopkins Park Aquatic Center is an outdoor recreational area with a kiddie pool, waterslides, a diving area and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. It is open daily from the end of May until the beginning of September.
Shabbona Lake State Park: There is a restaurant in the park. Views of the lake are beautiful and there is lots of camping in the woods. The camp store can furnish all your needs and the people are just so darn friendly.
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