Gardner, Illinois

Gardner is a village in Grundy County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,366 at the 2020 census.^[3]

Gardner
Village
Location of Gardner in Grundy County, Illinois.
Location of Illinois in the United States
Coordinates: 41°11′35″N 88°18′52″W[1]
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Grundy
Government
• Mayor	Mike Serena (as of 2023[update])
Area [2]
• Total	2.94 sq mi (7.62 km2)
• Land	2.91 sq mi (7.54 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation [1]	577 ft (176 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	1,366
• Density	469.09/sq mi (181.11/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP Code(s)	60424
Area code	815
FIPS code	17-28638
GNIS feature ID	2398944[1]
Wikimedia Commons	Gardner, Illinois

History

Mayor Serena in Gardner's historic two-celled jail (May 2024)

Gardner is named for its founder, Henry C. Gardner.^[4] In 2023, Mike Serena was reelected as mayor of Gardner.^[5]

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Gardner has a total area of 2.94 square miles (7.61 km²), of which 2.91 square miles (7.54 km²) (or 99.01%) is land and 0.03 square miles (0.08 km²) (or 0.99%) is water.^[6]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1870	940		—
1880	786		−16.4%
1890	1,094		39.2%
1900	1,036		−5.3%
1910	946		−8.7%
1920	937		−1.0%
1930	869		−7.3%
1940	864		−0.6%
1950	981		13.5%
1960	1,041		6.1%
1970	1,212		16.4%
1980	1,322		9.1%
1990	1,237		−6.4%
2000	1,406		13.7%
2010	1,463		4.1%
2020	1,366		−6.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[7]

As of the 2020 census^[3] there were 1,366 people, 569 households, and 413 families residing in the village. The population density was 464.47 inhabitants per square mile (179.33/km²). There were 619 housing units at an average density of 210.47 per square mile (81.26/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 91.80% White, 0.51% African American, 0.59% Native American, 0.59% Asian, 0.00% Pacific Islander, 1.61% from other races, and 4.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.52% of the population.

There were 569 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.91% were married couples living together, 4.75% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.42% were non-families. 20.56% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.27% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.96 and the average family size was 2.51.

The village's age distribution consisted of 15.1% under the age of 18, 12.7% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 15.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.9 years. For every 100 females, there were 110.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 120.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $67,441, and the median income for a family was $71,544. Males had a median income of $56,250 versus $40,383 for females. The per capita income for the village was $35,716. About 5.1% of families and 6.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.3% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.

Education

It is in the Gardner Community Consolidated School District 72C and the Gardner-South Wilmington Township High School District.^[8]

Notable people

• Charles L. Phillips – U.S. Army brigadier general (1856–1937)^[9]
• Robert C. Underwood – American jurist (1915–1988)^[10]