Quick Facts

VILLAGE OF NORRIDGE ILLINOIS STATISTICS

Norridge is on a ridge, at Overhill Avenue, that divides the Chicago River valley and the Des Plaines River valley.

Altitude 645 - 649 Feet (Des Plaines River 640 Ft. Chicago River 595 FT.)
Latitude 41 Degrees, 57 Minutes, 45 Seconds
Longitude 87 Degrees, 49 Minutes, 30 Seconds

Area - 1.81 square miles
Miles of streets - approximately 39.02 miles
Miles of sidewalks - 55 miles
Homes in the Village - approx. 4,734
Hardness of water 8 grains / 135 PPM
Miles of sewers - Storm 31.9, Sanitary 31.4, Combined 4.75
Miles of water mains - 46.25  
Drainage inlets & catch basins - Approx. 1,000

Incorporated - 12/04/48
Harlem on the East, Montrose on the North, Ozanam on the West and Irving Park Pk. on the South. This was approx. 80 Acres.
Population, 1675.
The first meeting was held in February 1949 at the Norwood Park Volunteer Fire House at 4348 N. Ottawa Ave.
In 1949 the official Villages business was conducted at the home of the Village Clerk Harold Dierkes at 4321 N. Ozanam Ave.
Municipal code adopted February 1949
Physical improvements were started 1952
First annexation North of Montrose Ave 1954
Became Home Rule Community by referendum 5/1/73.

First President, Karl Kuchar. 1949 resigned 1951.
Trustee Joseph Sieb was appointed to fill the President's Vacancy 11/14/51.
President Joseph Sieb elected for a full term 1953.
Elected 12 consecutive times.
Became the longest serving Head of a Municipality 10/17/97
On the day of his death, 6/23/98, he had served 46 years & 222 days.
Trustee Earl Field was appointed to fill the President's vacancy on 7/8/98 until the General Election in April 1999. At that time he was elected President of the Norridge Village Board of Trustees.

Regular Police Department - 39 Officers.
Marshals, Part time Officers - 16
Crossing Guards - 8

Enhanced 911 emergency communications, 1/2/1993. The Police Dispatcher knows where the call is coming from and may have additional medical information on file concerning high risk individuals living at that address.
Norwood Park Fire Protection District. Staff 31. Fire fighting equipment 8. Paramedic Service with 3 Ambulances.

Population Census:

1940 - Unincorporated
12/4/48 Incorporated 1675
1950 - 3,428
1960 - 14,087
1970 - 17, 113
1971 - 18,043 Special Census paid for by Norridge.
1980 - 16,483
1990 - 14,459
2000 - 14,600

Last annexation to Norridge, Northwest area, Leyden Township section West of Cumberland.

Village Hall, Original built 1954 with 3 rooms and a 2 truck attached garage at 4020 N. Olcott Ave.
Addition added & dedicated Jan 1958
New Village Hall built at 4000 N. Olcott Ave. dedicated 10/20/90. The site originally was a gas station that blew up several years earlier.

Police Department, Shared facilities in the Original Village Hall. The structure was refurbished at 4020 N. Olcott to a modern Police facility 1990.

Joe Sieb Center, was originally a Feed & Grain supply building. This was used as a front for a gambling operation. Later the Norridge Post #1263 of the American Legion bought the building 1959. The Village of Norridge bought the structure from the American Legion 1966. It is now used by the American Legion, the Norridge Youth Activities and the Scouting Organizations.

Estelle Sieb Community Center at 7774 W. Irving park Rd. was established May 1994 and was dedicated to Estelle Sieb who was known in the early period of Norridge's growth as "The Day Time Mayor". The original buildings were used by a bank and cleaning service. The property was bought from the cleaning service.

Montrose Ave. Was widened in 1993 to improve traffic flow, eliminate ditches along the side of the road and improve drainage. Norridge took over the responsibility for the maintenance of the road from the County.

Montrose / Thatcher Retention Basin, this is a large basin to hold excess run off water during heavy rains until the drainage system can handle it. Then it is pumped to the storm sewer. This was installed by Norridge in 1981-1983. It has the capacity of 3,000,000 gallons of water.

Lawrence Avenue Storm Sewer, this is a six (6) foot diameter sewer that was installed in 1962.

Norridge Youth Activities, established by a proclamation of the Norridge Village Board June 23, 1954

The land stretching north to south from Foster Avenue to Addison Street and east to west from East River Road to River Road was known as the Chief Robinson Land Grant.  This area (1280 acres) is adjacent to the tract of land deeded to Chief Alexander Robinson (Chee Chee Pinquay) who helped the survivors of the Fort Dearborn massacre during the War of 1812. His family grave site is located in the Robinson Forest Preserve at Lawrence and East River Road. In the early nineteen hundreds the area that is now Norridge had many small truck farms and in the late thirties had many riding stables because of the proximity to the Forest Preserves. All of these were displaced in the mid forties and early fifties when the land was developed for homes and some light industries.

NOTE: These statistics are not final and are subject to corrections. Your help in this effort is appreciated.