Fox Valley Communities
The area known as the Fox Valley extends from southern Wisconsin through Northern Illinois and includes several beautiful communities situated along the banks of the Fox River. The communities that make up this region were mostly all founded in the mid-1800’s and played an important role in early area transportation. The Fox River happens to lie approximately a day’s stagecoach ride from the City of Chicago. Early travelers would often spend the night in the shelter of the river valley before making the sometimes difficult crossing the following day. Along the river, often where the geography provided for a safer crossing, small communities sprung up. Many of these early communities catered to travelers by providing food, lodging and other services. Many others used the abundant river energy to power mills or planted crops in the fertile valley soil.
Today, many of these communities have developed into centers of industry full of prime residential areas. If you are unfamiliar with the area, you may learn more about the beautiful cities that make up the Fox Valley by reading the following short descriptions:
Located along both sides of the Fox River just south of the cities of Batavia and North Aurora and just south of the communities of Montgomery and Oswego, Aurora is the second-largest city in Illinois behind Chicago and a major economic and residential center in the western suburbs. Although it is considered part of the Chicago Suburban Area, the City of Aurora is definately a stand-alone municipality with an estimated population of over 150,000 residents.
Naperville is sometimes considered part of the Fox Valley, yet it lies along another river – a spur of the DuPage River that runs through the downtown portion of this city. Consistently ranking in the top 10 cities in the United States to live according to Money Magazine, Naperville has built an incredible reputation around the country for having a great combination of top-ranked schools, a solid economic foundation and prime residential housing.
Located on the Fox River at a major intersection of several major thoroughfares, the City of Oswego has maintained itself “under the radar” of the much larger nearby communities of Aurora and Naperville. Lately, though, the cat has largely been let out of the bag and home buyers have been flocking to the area for the low prices, good schools and quiet, small-town atmosphere. Oswego remains one of the fastest growing communities in the State of Illinois and has helped contribute to Kendall County being recognized as one of the fastest growing areas in the United States right