Woodridge is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, with small portions in Will and Cook counties, and a southwestern suburb of Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 34,158.
The village is just north of the I-55 junction with IL-53. Woodridge was incorporated on August 24, 1959, with less than 500 residents. It is named for its location in a wooded area above a steep hillside, locally known as "The Ridge," which overlooks the DuPage River's East Branch and the Des Plaines Valley.
Woodridge is a young community with the vast majority of its homes, businesses, and churches constructed after the 1950s. Woodridge was founded by a housing developer, Albert Kaufman, who was largely responsible for the creation of the village.
In July 2007, Woodridge was ranked No. 61 on Money magazine's "100 Best Places to Live". It uses the 630 and 331 area codes. Woodridge is the home of the Home Run Inn pizzeria chain and was the home of Pabst Brewing Company from 2006 to 2011.
Geography
Woodridge is located at (41.744582, −88.043869).
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Woodridge has a total area of , of which (or 98.37%) is land and (or 1.63%) is water.
Woodridge is bordered by Naperville to the west, Downers Grove to the northeast, Darien to the east, Lemont to the south, Bolingbrook to the southwest, and Lisle to the northwest.
Transportation
Two interstates run through Woodridge: the Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) and the Stevenson Expressway (I-55). The Veterans Memorial Tollway allows access to a variety of western and northwestern Chicago suburbs, while I-55 gives direct access to Chicago to the north and Joliet and downstate Illinois to the south. Other important routes are 75th Street and Illinois Route 53.
An industrial spur for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad serves International Center, a large industrial area in the far south section. Commuter passenger rail service between Chicago and Aurora can be accessed in nearby Lisle or Downers Grove.
Bus service is provided by Pace, under the coordination of the Regional Transportation Authority.
Major highways
Major highways in Woodridge include:
Interstate Highways
Interstate 55
Interstate 355
US Highways
Historic US 66
Illinois Highways
Route 53
Government
The village's government is overseen by the Mayor and a board of trustees elected at large. the mayor is Gina Cunningham-Picek. The Village Clerk is Joseph Kagann and the Village Trustees are Greg Abbott, Mary Anne Blair, Cameron Hendricks, Mike Krucek, Magin "Mike" Martinez, and Kaleshia "Kay" Page. Village departments include Finance, Administration, Police, Building and Zoning, Community Development, and Public Works.
The Police Department is a full-service force of 51 officers, a records department and a resource center. The Woodridge Police Department contracts with DuPage Public Safety Communications to provide dispatch services. Woodridge was one of the first communities nationwide to adopt aggressive legislation against underage tobacco use, and the Woodridge Police Department was one of the first to conduct regular "sting" operations using young teens hired by the department to check compliance for tobacco and alcohol sales.
The Building and Zoning department monitors construction permits, land use, up keep, and other considerations.
Public Works is responsible for the streets and other village infrastructure, including the water supply. Woodridge receives its water from Lake Michigan.
The Village Hall is located in Town Center at Five Plaza Drive. Town Center also includes the Police/Public Works building (One Plaza Drive), the Woodridge Public Library (Three Plaza Drive), and the United States post office (Two Plaza Drive).
Woodridge lies within three fire protection districts, the boundaries of which were drawn before the incorporation of the village. As a result, Woodridge does not maintain a village fire department. The fire departments serving the residents are the Lisle-Woodridge Fire District, the Darien-Woodridge Fire District, and the Lemont Fire District. Lisle-Woodridge is top rated as "ISO 1" by the Insurance Services Office.