Best Web Design in Downers Grove, IL (2026)

Web Design for Downers Grove, Illinois

Downers Grove is a historic village in DuPage County about 20 miles west of Chicago, founded in 1832 by pioneer Pierce Downer and named for his grove of old-growth bur oak trees. It was an abolitionist stronghold with several Underground Railroad stations, and today it holds one of the country's largest concentrations of Sears mail-order kit homes. Its walkable downtown, anchored by the 1928 Tivoli Theatre, draws crowds to more than 140 events a year.

AppWT works with Downers Grove, IL businesses from Livonia, Michigan, mostly online and travelling as needed.

About Downers Grove

Also known as. Apostrophe-free since 1873 (the village's own tongue-in-cheek tagline about its punctuation-free spelling). DG (common local shorthand).

History. The village was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, a New York-born pioneer, and named for the lush grove of old-growth bur oak trees that stood out from the surrounding savanna. Early settlers included the Blodgett, Curtiss, Blanchard, Stanley, Lyman and Carpenter families, mostly migrants from the Northeastern United States and Northern Europe. It was a strong abolitionist community: Pierce Downer, Israel Porter Blodgett, Samuel Curtiss, the Lymans and others operated Underground Railroad stations, with the Lyman Home (1839) and Blodgett House (1846) serving as documented stops. The village was incorporated in 1873. The population was 50,248 at the 2020 census.

Local economy. Duly Health and Care (formerly DuPage Medical Group) is the largest employer with about 4,549 employees, followed by Hearthside Food Solutions (about 3,600) and Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital (about 2,500). Midwestern University employs roughly 1,000, and Dover Corporation, Ambitech Engineering and Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurants each employ around 700. The village hosts corporate headquarters including FTD, Dover, Ambitech Engineering, HAVI Global Solutions and Heartland Food Corporation.

Culture and community. The Tivoli Theatre, built in 1928 with about 1,390 seats and an original Wurlitzer organ, was the first theatre in DuPage County to show 'talkies'; when it opened on Christmas Day 1928, about 4,000 people lined up to see the 'Wonder Theatre of suburban Chicago.' Downtown Downers Grove hosts more than 140 community events and festivals a year, earning a spot on the Chicago Tribune's 'Top 10 Downtowns' list. Recurring events include informal Friday-night classic-and-specialty car shows downtown all summer, a Saturday farmers market from June to October, a January ice-sculpture festival, and RotaryGrove Fest. Notable natives include actress Denise Richards, Olympic hockey gold medalist and Hall of Famer Cammi Granato, My Chemical Romance drummer Bob Bryar, comedian Emo Philips, and guitarist Muriel Anderson.

What makes Downers Grove distinct. The village leans into being 'Apostrophe-free since 1873,' referencing the missing apostrophe in 'Downers.' It became a hotbed for Sears catalog homes in the 1920s and 1930s largely because a rail head in town made it easy to deliver the houses, which shipped as thousands of numbered parts in boxcars. In April 1947 the Burlington Railroad's Twin Cities Zephyr wrecked after striking a tractor that had fallen from a freight train, killing three people including the engineer. Actress Denise Richards, a Bond girl in 'The World Is Not Enough,' was born in Downers Grove before her family moved to California when she was 15.

An established, highly educated western Chicago suburb in DuPage County, recognized repeatedly as a Tree City USA.

Downers Grove Landmarks and Local Life

• Tivoli Theatre - Historic 1928 movie palace with a Wurlitzer organ, one of the earliest U.S. theaters built for sound films
• Lyman Home - 1839 home built by an abolitionist family that served as an Underground Railroad stop
• Blodgett House - 1846 home that also served as an Underground Railroad station
• Lyman Woods - 150-acre nature preserve of oak savannas, prairies, and marshes with over 300 native species
• Hidden Lake Forest Preserve - 360-acre preserve with a glacier-dug pond and access to the DuPage River

Downers Grove at a Glance

U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2023.

• Median household income: About $119,649
• Adults with a bachelor degree or higher: About 58.8%
• Housing: About 75% of housing units are owner-occupied
• Housing: About 63% of housing units are single-family homes