Normal

Normal is a town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town's population was 52,736. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the BloomingtonNormal metropolitan area. The main campus of Illinois' oldest public university, Illinois State University, is in Normal, as is Heartland Community College. The town was laid out with the name North Bloomington on June 7, 1854 by Joseph Parkinson. The name Normal was taken from Illinois State Normal University, a normal school (teacher-training institution) located there. When mentioned together with Bloomington, Normal is known as the "Twin Cities", "Bloomington-Normal", "BN", or "BloNo" Normal is located near 40°3044N 88°5919W (40.512189, 88.988701). According to the 2010 census, Normal has a total area of 18.412 square miles (47.69 km²) (or 99.66%) is land and 0.062 sq miles (0.16 km²), (or 0.34%) is water. In 2007 the town council voted to name the downtown area "Uptown Normal", and, as of 2011, it is home to the Children's Discovery Museum, Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Hyatt Place Hotel, Uptown Station and Town Hall. On August 31, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a mobile home park in Normal that left three people dead and three more injured. The gunman was killed by Normal Police Officers.

History

Normal is the primary city name, but also Merna are acceptable city names or spellings, College Hills Mall on the other hand no longer accepted or obsolete and are no longer used as a designation. The official name is Normal, Illinois. The town was laid out with the name North Bloomington on June 7, 1854 by Joseph Parkinson. The town was renamed Normal in February 1865 and officially incorporated on February 25, 1867. Normal is adjacent to Bloomington, Illinois, and when mentioned together they are known as the "Twin Cities", "Bloomington-Normal", "BN", or "BloNo" In 2007, the town council voted to name the downtown area "Uptown Normal", and, as of 2011, it is home to the Children's Discovery Museum, Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, Hyatt Place Hotel, Uptown Station and Town Hall. On August 31, 2021, a mass shooting occurred at a mobile home park in Normal that left three people dead and three more injured. The deceased were two women and a man, the latter being the gunman. He was killed by Normal Police Officers. The name Normal was taken from Illinois State Normal University, a normal school (teacher-training institution) located there. The school has since been renamed Illinois State University after becoming a general four-year university. The district is also home to a restored Art Deco theater owned by the Town of Normal that runs classic and independent films. It is located on the banks of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, which would later become the Chicago-Illinois Central Railroad and the Illinois Central Railroad. Most of the original town lies south of these tracks, with Beaufort Street as its northern limit, and some blocks west of Illinois Central and north of the tracks.

Awards

November 19, 2014: Bronze Level Bicycle Friendly Community Award, League of American Bicyclists. 2014: First in State for Most Minutes Read, 2014 Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge, Scholastically Corp. - Received by Glenn Elementary School. 2014; 2014: Chamber of the Year, Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE) - received by the McLean County Chamber of commerce. 2013: Honorable Mention - Mayor's Climate Protection Awards, United States Conference of Mayors - Received by Mayor Chris Koos. 2011: National Award for Smart Growth Achievement - Civic Places, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Received  by Glenn Elementary School - Received by Mayor Chris Koos -  2011: National award for Smart growth achievement - Civic Places, United States Environmental Protection Agency  -  Received by Mayor Chris Koos  -  2010: National award for Smart Growth Award, Arbor Day Foundation -  received by Mayor Koos -   2009: award for Smart Growth Achievement,  Arbor Day Foundation - received by mayor  Mayor Koos-  2013: Tree Cities USA community Award, Arbor Day Foundation - received  Mayor Chris Kooz-   2012: award for smart growth achievement, Tree Cities USA Community Award - Arbor Cities USA.

Geography

Normal is located near 40°3044N 88°5919W (40.512189, 88.988701). According to the 2010 census, Normal has a total area of 18.412 square miles (47.69 km²) of which 18.35 square miles of land (or 99.66%) is land and 0.062 sq miles of water (or 0.34%) is water. Normal is located at 40.3044 N 88.5919 W, with an average daily rainfall of 2.7mm (0.1in) The town has a population of 1,071. It has an average yearly rainfall of 1.8mm (1.0in) and an average annual temperature of 2°C (1°F) It is located in the eastern part of the state of Wyoming. The town is located on the U.S. West Coast and has a latitude of 40.3°N and a longitude of 88.5°W. The city has a daily average rainfall of 0.7cm (1in), or 0.2 inches (1mm) The city's average yearly temperature is 2.6°C. The average annual rainfall is 1.6 mm (2.0 inches) and the town's average annual temperatures are 1.7 mm(1.8 inches) The area has a dry climate (Köppen: Dfc) and a wet climate (Cfb).

Demographics

As of the 2000 census, there were 45,386 people, 15,157 households, and 8,184 families residing in the town. There were 15,683 housing units at an average density of 1,151.6 per square mile (444.6/km²) The racial makeup of the town was 87.57% White, 7.71% African American, 0.15% Native American, 2.21% Asian, 0,04% Pacific Islander, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.56% of the population. The median income for a household in the city was $40,379, and $60,644 for a family. About 5.6% of families and 19.3% of residents were below the poverty line, including 9.4% of those under age 18 and 3.9% ofThose age 65 or over. The town is located on the U.S. Turnpike, which runs from New Hampshire to Maine. It is the state's second-largest city, after New Hampshire, and is home to the New Hampshire Medical Examiner's Office and the New Jersey Department of Health and Human Services. The city's population has grown to more than 45,000 since the 1970s. It has a population density of 3,332.6 inhabitants per squaremile (1,286.7/ km²). The town's population is expected to grow to 50,000 by the end of 2015.

Transportation

Normal is served by I-39, I-55, Interstate 74, one railroad line, the Central Illinois Regional Airport (BMI) in neighboring Bloomington, and Connect Transit. The Bloomington-Normal Amtrak station is in Normal at 11 Uptown Circle. It is Illinois' second busiest Amtrak station after Chicago, servicing a quarter million passengers in fiscal year 2011. A record 559,481 passengers flew to or from CIRA in 2010. Normal is the southern terminus of Interstate 39. Historic Route 66 runs through the town. Connect Transit has 11 color-coded fixed routes in the area; a lift-assisted paratransit service called NiteRide, which operates when Illinois State University is in session; and a campus shuttle for ISU called Redbird Express. The town is located on the Illinois Turnpike, which runs from Chicago to St. Louis. It also runs from Illinois to Indiana, Indiana, and Illinois to Missouri. The Chicago area is the only state in which the Chicago area has its own turnpike. It runs between Chicago and the city of Chicago, and the Chicago suburb of Carbondale, Illinois. The city is also home to the Chicago Cubs baseball team, which plays in the Chicago Bears' home stadium. The team's home field is Soldier Field, which is located in the town of Normal. The Cubs play their home game against the Chicago White Sox on Sunday, July 17, 2013. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. (EST) and end at 9 p.M. (GMT).

Attractions

Normal has 24 parks, facilities and trails operated by the Town of Normal. The Constitution Trail is a 24-mile jogging, walking, cycling, and rollerblading trail that has become a hit with the community. The Illinois State University Planetarium offers a variety of science and astronomy programs for children from preschool to high-school. The Challenger Learning Center promotes leadership, communication, problem-solving and critical thinking skills while offering an interactive, simulated space and science experience. The Normal Public Library first began as a Reading Room sponsored by the Community Council with Margaret Hanna overseeing the collection of three hundred books in 1938. As of 2018, the library's collection has grown to nearly 200,000 materials. Ironwood Golf Course is a championship course that includes four water hazards and four sets of tees that range from 5,580 to 6,960 yards. In 2005, Golf Digest ranked Bloomington-Normal as the Fifth Best American City for Golf in their "Best in America" Metro Golf Digest Rankings's largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas's largest Statistical Areas on four different criteria: access to golf, weather, value of golf, and quality of golf. The city is home to the National Museum of Natural History, which is open to the public on weekends and during special events. It is located in the heart of the city and is open from 9am to 5pm on weekdays and from 8am to 11pm on weekends. The museum has three floors of exhibits including a two-story mesh climber for children to climb to the third floor and a 2,000-square-foot agriculture exhibit called AgMazing.

Retail

The town's major retail center is on Veterans Parkway on the east side of town. It includes The Shoppes at College Hills, an outdoor mall on the site of the former College Hills Mall. The Constitution Trail Center on the corner of N. Main Street and Raab Road contains a variety of stores, restaurants and entertainment venues including Schnucks, AMC CLASSIC Normal 14, Bronze Giraffe Antiques, Pet Supplies Plus and Anytime Fitness. As of April 2011, the town has a population of 2,816. The town's largest employer is the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. The city's unemployment rate is 3.7%. The town has the highest rate of crime in the state, with the rate of violent crime at 4.8%. The city has a high rate of obesity, with a rate of 7.8 percent. The rate of diabetes is 4.7 percent. It is the second highest rate in the county, after the city of Baltimore, behind the town of Doylestown. It has a low rate of unemployment, at 2.4 percent. the lowest rate of poverty in the city. The county's highest rate is 2.3 percent, compared to the U.S. average of 2.6 percent. In 2010, the city had the highest unemployment rate, at 1.7 per cent. The highest rate was 2.8 per cent in 2010. The lowest rate was 1.6 per cent, in 2010, in Doyestown.

Sports

Champion Fields at Maxwell Park has a seating capacity of 2,300 and 10 lighted softball fields. The Corn Crib is a multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of 7,000 patrons. Hancock Stadium is home to the Illinois State Redbirds football team, while also playing host to several annual events such as the State of Illinois Invitational High School Marching Band Championship and the Special Olympics State Summer Games. The newly renovated stadium includes 7 luxury boxes and 500 club seats, all of which provide access to the 5,500 square foot Hancock Stadium Club. The stadium is also highlighted by the addition of a 26 ft x 47 ft Daktronics 15HD LED Video Display in the north endzone. The Redbird Arena is a 10,200-seat sports arena at Illinois State University. It is the home to men's and women's basketball and volleyball teams. It also hosts the Illinois High School Association Girls Volleyball State Finals, Gamma Phi Circus, concerts, tournaments, conferences, job fairs, and other events. It has played host to state, national and world softball events since 1996 including the NJCAA Division II Softball National Championship, Amateur Softball Association (ASA) Girls 18-Under Fastpitch National Tournament, and the State Farm Illinois Collegiate Softball Championship. In addition, the arena also plays host to a variety of events outside football games, including receptions, banquets, weddings, and private events. There is also a minor league football team @ Hancock Stadium of the MFL and MLFA.

Education

The Town of Normal is in the McLean County Unit District No. 5. Normal is home to two centers of higher learning: Illinois State University and Heartland Community College. The town is also home to a Japanese weekend school and a school of Radiography. It is the home of the Midwest College of Cosmetology, which offers cosmetology and nails training courses. It also has a trade school, Paul Mitchell, which teaches business skills to people who work in the beauty industry. The city is also the home to the University of Illinois at Bloomington, which was the first public university in the state, and is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the Midwest. There are also two schools in Normal that are operated by Illinois State College: University High School and Thomas Metcalf Elementary School. There is also a private Christian school, Cornerstone Christian Academy, on the SE side of the area, which is a pre-K through 12th grade school in Bloomington. It was founded in 1857 and is a Roman Catholic primary and middle school in Normal. It has a separate office in Normal and a Japanese Saturday school, Burminton Nmaru Hosh Jugy K, in the town of Bloomington/Normal, which started in 1986 and has an office in the same building as the Thomas Met calf School. The Town of normal is in McLean county Unit District 5, which includes the towns of Normal, Bloomington and Bloomington-Normal.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Normal, McLean County, Illinois = 86.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 40. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 100. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Normal = 3.7 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 52,736 individuals with a median age of 25.1 age the population grows by 15.66% in Normal, McLean County, Illinois population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,939.25 residents per square mile of area (1,134.85/km²). There are average 2.39 people per household in the 18,235 households with an average household income of $46,828 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.40% of the available work force and has dropped -3.13% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 26.04%. The number of physicians in Normal per 100,000 population = 196.4.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Normal = 36.5 inches and the annual snowfall = 20.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 104. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 193. 88 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 15.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 40, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Normal, McLean County, Illinois which are owned by the occupant = 53.57%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 26 years with median home cost = $84,640 and home appreciation of -1.30%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $18.71 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $4,817 per student. There are 16.4 students for each teacher in the school, 615 students for each Librarian and 1220 students for each Counselor. 5.94% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 28.75% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 13.55% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).