The majority of Frankfort lies within Illinois’s 1st congressional district, while a small portion of the village in Cook County falls under the 2nd congressional district.Frankfort is a village located in both Will County and Cook County within the the United States. Sit southern suburb of Chicago, Frankfort is about 28 miles (45 km) to the city’s south. According to the 2020 census, the population of Frankfort was recorded at 20,296.
The name “Frankfort” originated from Frankfort Township, which was designated by the governing board of Will County. The township was initially referred to as “Frankfort Station” following the opening of the Joliet & Northern Indiana Railroad in 1855, but the official plat of the community, dated March 1855, showed the name as “Frankfort”.
Originally settled by Native American tribes such as the Potawatomi and Sac and Fox, Frankfort served as a link between the Des Plaines and St. Joseph rivers. The region was initially part of the Virginia Territory until the French negotiated a treaty with Manitoqua, the Potawatomi leader, for land in the Prestwick vicinity. Early settlers arrived in Frankfort in the 1830s, traveling via the Des Plaines River from the southwest and by wagon from the east along the Sauk Trail, a route that remains in use today.
Frankfort can be found at the coordinates 41.498133° N and -87.849549° W.
The 2021 census gazetteer files indicate that Frankfort encompasses a total area of 15.79 square miles (40.90 km2), comprising entirely of land.
Frankfort is situated within the Chicago Metropolitan region, around 28 miles to the south of Chicago.
Frankfort Square is a recognized residential area located north of the village of Frankfort, situated within Frankfort Township, but not officially incorporated as a distinct municipality.
The village is surrounded by several neighboring communities, including Richton Park to the east, Tinley Park, Frankfort Square, and Matteson to the northeast, Mokena and New Lenox to the west, and Monee and University Park to the southeast.
The majority of Frankfort lies within Illinois’s 1st congressional district, while a small portion of the village in Cook County falls under the 2nd congressional district.
Frankfort is traversed by three significant roadways. US 45 (La Grange Road), a major north-south route, runs through the center of town and intersects with Lincoln Highway. US 30 (Lincoln Highway), a primary east-west route, also passes through Frankfort’s center. Additionally, CR 74 (Laraway Road), a county highway, traverses the southern part of Frankfort, running east-west.
Frankfort School District 157C and Summit Hill District 161 cater to the Frankfort community. In 2018, the middle school named “Hickory Creek” in the former district holds the 5th position in the state rankings.
Lincoln-Way East High School, located in Frankfort, has an impressive record of state championships in various sports, including football (2005, 2017, 2019), girls softball (2002), boys gymnastics (2006, 2011), girls track & field (2014, 2015, 2016), girls cheerleading (2014, 2015, 2017), summer league baseball, and marching band (2007, 2008). Additionally, Lincoln-Way North, also located in Frankfort, has won state championships in boys gymnastics (2011) and summer league baseball (2011).
Prominent individuals who have resided in the area include Nick Allegretti, who plays as a guard for the Kansas City Chiefs, Lou Boudreau, a legendary baseball player in the Hall of Fame, Dennis DeYoung, the former frontman of the rock band Styx, Jason Vander Laan, a football tight end for the Carolina Panthers, Erika Lauren, known for her appearance on MTV’s The Real World: D.C. and her past role as a radio personality on The Alan Cox Show WMMS (100.7 FM) in Cleveland, Ohio, and George E. Sangmeister, a former member of the United States House of Representatives from Illinois who spent his childhood in Frankfort, where his father served as mayor.