Kankakee, Illinois
Kankakee is a city of 23,996 people in Kankakee County, Illinois, founded in 1853.
Why visit Kankakee
Townapedia lists 17 museums and landmarks, 42 parks and trails, 16 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Majestic Theatre, Meadowview Theater, Riverview Historic District and B. Harley Bradley House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 16°F, and about 21 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Kankakee
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Kankakee
Kankakee is a city in and the county seat of Kankakee County, Illinois, United States. Located on the Kankakee River, as of 2020, the city's population was 24,052. Kankakee is a principal city of the Kankakee-Bourbonnais-Bradley Metropolitan Statistical Area. It serves as an anchor city in the rural plains outside Chicago.
From the Wikipedia article Kankakee, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Olivet Nazarene University
School · 3.7 mi
University in Bourbonnais, Illinois
Paramount Theatre
Cinema and theater · 1.4 mi
213 North Schuyler Avenue, Kankakee
Museums and landmarks17
Riverview Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Listed on the NRHP in Illinois
B. Harley Bradley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Charles E. Swannell House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Hunter–Hattenburg House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Kankakee
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Amtrak station in the Illinois city
Kankakee County Courthouse
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Local government building in the United States
Kankakee Downtown Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic district in Kankakee, Illinois
Lemuel Milk Carriage House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Historic building in Kankakee, Illinois
Pope Brace Company Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Industrial building in Kankakee, Illinois
Warren Hickox House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.7 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Durham–Perry Farmstead
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
5 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds42
30 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes16
Burgers & Beer
Restaurant · Burger, Chicken, Sandwich, Grill · 2.9 mi
Founded in 2013, Burgers & Beer has become a culinary staple in Bradley, IL, that serves the wider Kankakee County with a hearty array...
180 S Kennedy Dr, Bradley
Su 11:00-21:00, Mo closed, Tu-Th 11:00-21:00, Fr-Sa 11:00-21:30
Captain Fresh Fish & Chicken
Restaurant · Seafood · 1.6 mi
1633 East Court Street, Kankakee
Su-Th 11:00-22:00
Dunkin'
Fast food · Donut, Coffee Shop · 1.6 mi
454 Riverstone Parkway, Kankakee
Mo-Sa 04:00-20:00; Su 05:00-20:00
McDonald's
Fast food · Burger · 1.7 mi
1780 East Court Street, Kankakee
Mo-Su 04:45-22:00 "Restaurant"; Su-Th 04:45-24:00 "Drive Thru";...
4 more on the map.
History
The city's name is probably derived from a corrupted version of the Miami-Illinois word teeyaahkiki, meaning "open country/exposed land/land in open/land exposed to view", in reference to the area's prior status as a marsh. Kankakee was founded in 1854.
On March 10, 2026, a high-end EF3 tornado struck the south side of Kankakee, with winds up to 160 miles per hour.
From the History section of Kankakee, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship47
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging9
Schools, colleges and libraries43
Bradley-Bourbonnais Community High School
School · 3.3 mi
700 West North Street, Bradley
Healthcare6
Map of Kankakee
195 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 16°F | 2.4 in | 8.1 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 20°F | 1.9 in | 3.4 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 29°F | 2.5 in | 3.0 in |
| Apr | 61°F | 39°F | 3.9 in | 0.3 in |
| May | 72°F | 51°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 82°F | 61°F | 5.2 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 65°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 63°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 78°F | 55°F | 3.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 43°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 32°F | 2.8 in | 0.6 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 22°F | 2.4 in | 5.3 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Kankakee Metro Wastewater (3 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Kankakee County has had 5 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2005-09-07: Hurricane Katrina Evacuation (Hurricane)
- 2004-04-23: Severe Storms And Tornadoes (Severe Storm)
- 2001-01-17: Illinois Winter Snow Storms (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Greater Kankakee Airport (IKK) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 2 miles away.
- Bradley 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Bourbonnais 6 mi north, about 9 min by car
- Frankfort 28 mi north, about 45 min by car
- Chicago Heights 31 mi northeast, about 49 min by car
- Channahon 31 mi northwest, about 49 min by car
- Joliet 32 mi northwest, about 52 min by car
- Country Club Hills 33 mi north, about 53 min by car
- Homewood 33 mi north, about 54 min by car
- Hazel Crest 34 mi north, about 54 min by car
- Homer Glen 35 mi north, about 56 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Kankakee County Courthouse, MrHarman at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Riverview Historic District, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- P1010052 Kankakee County Courthouse, Chris Light, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Kankakee Illinois Central Railroad Depot, Michael, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Warren Hickox House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hunter-Hattenburg House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lemuel Milk Carriage House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- B. Harley Bradley House and Stable, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Charles E. Swannell House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Durham-Perry Farmstead, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
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