Palos Township, Illinois

Palos Township
Lake Katherine, Palos Heights
Lake Katherine, Palos Heights
Official seal of Palos Township
Location in Cook County
Location in Cook County
Cook County's location in Illinois
Cook County's location in Illinois
Coordinates: 41°41′05″N 87°51′11″W / 41.68472°N 87.85306°W / 41.68472; -87.85306
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyCook
Area
 • Total
35.39 sq mi (91.7 km2)
 • Land33.74 sq mi (87.4 km2)
 • Water1.65 sq mi (4.3 km2)  4.66%
Elevation591 ft (180 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
56,836
 • Density1,600/sq mi (620/km2)
Time zoneUTC-6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-5 (CDT)
ZIP codes
60457, 60462, 60463, 60464, 60465, 60480, 60482
FIPS code17-031-57355
Websitewww.palostownship.org

Palos Township is one of 29 townships in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 56,836,[2] with its most populous municipality being Palos Hills (pop. 17,484). The vast majority of the township's population resides in its eastern half; the half west of La Grange Road consists of the Palos Forest Preserves, a section of the Cook County Forest Preserves. In 1850 the small town of Trenton, Illinois changed its name to Palos; this recommendation was made by M.S. Powell, the local postmaster, whose ancestor supposedly sailed with Christopher Columbus from Palos de la Frontera. When it incorporated as a village in 1914, Palos officially became Palos Park. Nearby communities incorporated later: Hickory Hills, in 1951, and Palos Hills, in 1958. All three municipalities lie completely or substantially within Palos Township. Palos Heights, partially in Worth Township, incorporated in 1959.

Township offices are located at 10802 S. Roberts Road in Palos Hills. The municipalities of Worth and Bridgeview also lie partially in the township. Palos Township's approximate borders are Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43) on the east, 135th Street on the south, Will-Cook Road extended to the DuPage County line on the west, and 87th Street on the north; in the northwest, the township border follows the Des Plaines River from 87th Street to DuPage County's southeast corner. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, designated a National Historic District in 2011, passes through the township just south of the river, and the Cal-Sag Channel roughly bisects the township from east to west.

  1. ^ U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Palos Township, Illinois
  2. ^ "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Palos township, Cook County, Illinois". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 10, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2013.