Near North Side, Chicago

Near North Side
Near North Side
Community area
	Community Area 08 - Near North Side
	Near North Side skyline
	Streetmap
	Location within the city of Chicago
	Coordinates: 41°54′00″N 87°38′04″W / 41.90000°N 87.63444°W
Country	United States
State	Illinois
County	Cook
City	Chicago
Neighborhoods	List Goose Island; Old Town; Gold Coast; Cabrini–Green; Near North Side; Magnificent Mile; River North; Streeterville; Dearborn Parkway; State Parkway;
Area
• Total	2.72 sq mi (7.04 km2)
Elevation	587 ft (179 m)
Population (2020)
• Total	105,481
• Density	39,000/sq mi (15,000/km2)
	population up 44.9% from 2000
Demographics (2021)
• White	69.4%
• Black	6.8%
• Hispanic	6.2%
• Asian	13.9%
• Other	3.7%
Educational Attainment (2021)
• High School Diploma or Higher	98.3%
• Bachelor's Degree or Higher	84.3%
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes	60611, most of 60610, and parts of 60654 and 60642
Median household income (2021)	$114,790
	Source: U.S. Census, Record Information Services

The Near North Side is the eighth of Chicago's 77 community areas. It is the northernmost of the three areas that constitute central Chicago, the others being the Loop and the Near South Side. The community area is located north and east of the Chicago River. To its east is Lake Michigan, and its northern boundary is the early 19th-century city limit of Chicago, North Avenue. In 2020 the Near North Side had 105,481 residents, surpassing Lake View as the largest Chicago community area by population. It is also the most densely populated community area and has the second most skyscrapers, after the Loop. With the exception of Goose Island (which is undergoing development), the Near North Side is known for its extreme affluence, typified by the Gold Coast, Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier, and skyscrapers.

The Near North Side is the oldest part of Chicago. In the 1780s, in what is now the Near North Side, on the northern banks of the Chicago River near today's Michigan Avenue Bridge, Jean Baptiste Point du Sable built the first known permanent settlement in what was called "Eschecagou." Today, this is marked by Pioneer Court.

Especially in the vicinity of Rush and Erie streets, the Near North Side was once known as McCormickville; so named because it is here where many branches of the famous McCormick family of mechanical reaper fame built their mansions in the late 1800s and early 1900s.^[3]

^ ^a ^b "Near North Side". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. January 7, 1998.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Community Data Snapshot Near North Side" (PDF). Retrieved November 17, 2023.
^ Patton, Lindsey Howald (November 16, 2011). "You Asked: What is McCormickville?". Museum Blog. Driehaus Museum. Retrieved March 15, 2015.

[gnis98-1] "Near North Side". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior. January 7, 1998.

[cmap-2] "Community Data Snapshot Near North Side" (PDF). Retrieved November 17, 2023.

[3] Patton, Lindsey Howald (November 16, 2011). "You Asked: What is McCormickville?". Museum Blog. Driehaus Museum. Retrieved March 15, 2015.

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