Collar counties

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the suburban counties outside Chicago. For the four suburban Philadelphia counties (Delaware, Montgomery, Bucks, and Chester) also known as "the collar counties"[1][2][3], see Delaware Valley.

Collar Counties
Region of Illinois
Clockwise from top left: Rialto Square Theater (Joliet), Downtown Crystal Lake, Moser Tower (Naperville), Old DuPage County Courthouse (Wheaton), Great Lakes Naval Training Station (North Chicago) and Downtown Aurora.
Clockwise from top left: Rialto Square Theater (Joliet), Downtown Crystal Lake, Moser Tower (Naperville), Old DuPage County Courthouse (Wheaton), Great Lakes Naval Training Station (North Chicago) and Downtown Aurora.
Collar Counties.png
Country United States
State Illinois
CountiesDuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will.
Settled1770s
Named forTheir mutual proximity to and surrounding of Cook County.
Population
 (2012 Estimate)
 • Total3,143,257
Time zoneUTC−06:00 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−05:00 (CDT)
Area code(s)224, 331, 630, 779, 815, 847

Collar counties is a colloquialism for DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry, and Will counties, the five counties of Illinois that border Cook County, which is home to Chicago. The collar counties are part of the Chicago metropolitan area and comprise many of the area's suburbs. After Cook County, the collar counties are also the next five most populous counties in Illinois. According to the Encyclopedia of Chicago, there is no specifically known origin of the phrase, but it has been commonly used among policy makers, urban planners, and in the media.[4]

In 1950, the Census Bureau defined the Chicago metropolitan statistical area as comprising Cook County, four of the five collar counties (excluding McHenry), and Lake County in Indiana. In 2010, reflecting urban growth, the Bureau redefined the area as comprising several additional counties in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.[5]

As of 2010, there are 3,143,257 people residing in the collar counties, nearly 25% of the population of Illinois. Cook County and the collar counties combined are home to approximately 65% of Illinois's population.

Use in political discussions[]

While it is not its exclusive use, the term is often employed in political discussions.[6][7] Like many other suburban areas in the United States, the collar counties have somewhat different political leanings from the core city. Chicago has long been a Democratic stronghold, while the collar counties historically tilted Republican. In recent elections, however, the collar counties have voted for Democrats, but with lower margins than Cook County.[8] Because Cook County consistently votes in large proportions for Democrats, and downstate Illinois consistently votes overwhelmingly Republican, the collar counties are routinely cited as being the key to any statewide election.[9][10][11] However, that conventional wisdom was challenged in 2010 as Democrat Pat Quinn won election as governor while only winning Cook, St. Clair, Jackson and Alexander counties.[12] All five collar counties went Republican, so the key to winning that gubernatorial election was simply winning Cook County, but by a wide enough margin to overwhelm the rest of the state.[13]

Barack Obama used the term in his speech before the Democratic National Convention in 2004.[14]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Field, Nick; October 25, Pennsylvania Capital-Star; 2019 (October 25, 2019). "How the Pa. electorate has changed since 2016 and what that means for 2020 | Analysis". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved September 22, 2020.CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Otterbein, Holly. "Pennsylvania suburbs revolt against Trump". POLITICO. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  3. ^ Bond, Michaelle. "The Philadelphia suburbs turned blue in a big way. What do Democrats plan to do with their new power?". inquirer.com. Retrieved September 22, 2020.
  4. ^ Mariner, Richard D. (2005), "Collar Counties", Encyclopedia of Chicago, Chicago: Chicago History Museum and the Newberry Library, retrieved March 11, 2021
  5. ^ "Combined statistical area population and estimated components of change: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2016 (CSA-EST2016-alldata)". U.S. Census. Retrieved July 27, 2017.
  6. ^ Mount, Charles (May 30, 1989). "Collar Counties Cutting Court Backlogs". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  7. ^ "Collar County Homepage". socqrl.niu.edu. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  8. ^ "Illinois primary live results". CNN. March 17, 2020. Retrieved March 11, 2021.
  9. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 19, 2013. Retrieved February 13, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. ^ "'Quinn-Brady race may be decided in collar counties". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 19, 2010. Retrieved February 13, 2011.
  11. ^ "Why the Collar Counties are Trending GOP". NBC Chicago. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
  12. ^ "Error Display". elections.il.gov. Archived from the original on September 21, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2012.
  13. ^ Illinois gubernatorial election, 2010
  14. ^ "Barack Obama's Keynote Address at the 2004 Democratic National Convention". July 27, 2004.
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