About Waukegan
A lakefront city built to work.
Waukegan is Lake County's seat and Illinois' ninth-largest city — a port town with real industry, real culture, and enough room to build something new.
The city
Ninety thousand people. One shoreline. Every kind of business.
Waukegan has always been a place where things get made and moved. The harbor brought industry; industry brought people from everywhere; the result is a city with more range than its size suggests.
Today that means precision manufacturers and a regional health system alongside family bakeries, barbershops, law firms, and a downtown that is filling back in storefront by storefront.
Why it works
Reasons businesses choose to stay.
Lake Michigan lakefront
A working harbor, public beach, marina, and a redevelopment plan that opens the shoreline to residents and visitors.
Diversity
One of Illinois' most diverse cities, with a deeply multilingual workforce and a strong immigrant business community.
Culture
The restored Genesee Theatre, a public mural program, summer festivals, and a growing downtown dining scene.
Connectivity
Metra to downtown Chicago, I-94 access, freight rail, a deep-water port, and an executive airport.
Education
The College of Lake County's lakeshore campus and workforce programs built with local employers.
Green space
Ravine parks, the Waukegan Savanna, and miles of lakefront trail within the city limits.
“We looked at three counties. We stayed in Waukegan because the workforce was here and the Chamber picked up the phone.”
Grow Your Business. Strengthen Your Community.
Membership connects you to the people, resources, and visibility that move a Waukegan business forward.