Welcome to the City of Crystal Lake, Illinois. The City of Crystal Lake is committed to continuing the high quality of life enjoyed by the citizens and businesses of the Crystal Lake community.

Crystal Lake is a city located in southeastern McHenry County in northeastern Illinois. It is named after Crystal Lake, a 230 acre lake 1.6 miles west-southwest of downtown. Crystal Lake is the biggest city in McHenry county.

Crystal Lake is located 50 miles northwest of Chicago, a short drive from O'Hare International Airport, near several major highways and interstates. The Union Pacific rail line provides easy access to Chicago. As a result, Crystal Lake residents enjoy the many employment, cultural and recreational opportunities of a major metro city, yet live in a pleasant, friendly, small-town atmosphere.

Crystal Lake is truly a great place to live and work and it's also a great place to play! One of Crystal Lake's greatest attractions is its public parks system. This includes over 1,600 acres of parks and open space as well as 230-acre Crystal Lake for fishing, boating, swimming, skating in the winter...it's truly year-round fun! The Crystal Lake Park District sponsors many of the recreational programs held throughout the City and maintains much of the open space.

Crystal Lake is a leader in the region in the areas of planning, growth management and municipal services. Crystal Lake offers residents a variety of excellent, high-quality programs and services at one of the lowest municipal tax rates in the area. Programs such as a fully staffed professional police department, three 24-hour fire/rescue stations, and aggressive street maintenance program and an annual leaf and brush pickup program. Crystal Lake also runs a comprehensive curbside recycling program. The City staff and elected officials are dedicated to continuing to make Crystal Lake one of the premier communities in northern Illinois.

From major chain stores and department stores located along Northwest Highway to a unique blend of shops found in the historic downtown Crystal Lake, retailers have everything from books, music and videos to clothing, shoes and crafts.

Dining out in Crystal Lake is sure to appease every appetite. From classic American food, to delicatessens, ethnic specialties and fast food to ice cream and pizza, independent restaurants to the classic franchise names, you’ll find them all right here.

Housing Cost

Estimated median house or condo value in 2007: $259,438

Mean prices in 2007: All housing units: $277,101; Detached houses: $297,924; Townhouses or other attached units: $238,361; In 2-unit structures: $264,553; In 3-to-4-unit structures: $176,796; In 5-or-more-unit structures: $121,612; Mobile homes: $63,240.

Demographics

Population in July 2008: 41,797. Crystal Lake covers 16.2 square miles. It sits at an elevation of 934 feet above sea level. Zip codes: 60012, 60014, 60039 - Area code: 815

Weather

Crystal Lake, IL climate is warm during summer when temperatures tend to be in the 70's and very cold during winter when temperatures tend to be in the 20's.

The warmest month of the year is July with an average maximum temperature of 82.30 degrees Fahrenheit, while the coldest month of the year is January with an average minimum temperature of 9.60 degrees Fahrenheit.

Temperature variations between night and day tend to be moderate during summer with a difference that can reach 20 degrees Fahrenheit, and fairly limited during winter with an average difference of 18 degrees Fahrenheit.

The annual average precipitation at Crystal Lake is 33.71 Inches. Rainfall in is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year. The wettest month of the year is June with an average rainfall of 4.09 Inches.

Information provided by idcide.com and city data.com