Braidwood, Illinois

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Vending machine shaped like a gas pump at the Polk-A-Dot Drive-In in Braidwood.

Braidwood is a city in Will County, Illinois, United States. The population was 5,203 at the 2000 census.

A major nuclear power plant, currently owned by Exelon Corporation, is in Braidwood. It provides a great deal of the electricity used in Chicagoland. It also provides a great deal of the tritiated water found in local groundwater. Source: [1], [2]

Braidwood is also the hometown of the Homecoming Queen of Illinois 2004, Samantha Keca.

A scene from the John Hughes comedy film Planes, Trains, and Automobiles was filmed in Braidwood at the former Braidwood Inn (now the Sun Motel) just off of I-55.

[edit] Geography

Braidwood is located at 41°16′19″N, 88°13′6″W (41.271982, -88.218221)^GR1.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 12.3 km² (4.8 mi²). 12.0 km² (4.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (2.73%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 5,203 people, 1,843 households, and 1,422 families residing in the city. The population density was 433.9/km² (1,124.0/mi²). There were 2,305 housing units at an average density of 192.2/km² (497.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.48% White, 0.27% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.33% Asian, 0.79% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.83% of the population.

There were 1,843 households out of which 39.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% were married couples living together, 9.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 22.8% were non-families. 18.5% of all households were made up of individuals and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.81 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city the population was spread out with 29.5% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 101.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.4 males.