2021 Chicago Public Libraries by Zip Codes
The libraries are more concentrated near schools, especially on the north side of Chicago.
According to data from U.S. Census Bureau, 85.1% of people over 25 years old in Chicago are high school graduates or higher, while 30.5% of them have a bachelor degree or higher. As a city that has a more educated population, Chicago contributes a lot to education. There are over 450 elementary schools and 150 high schools in the city, which hire 39,732 employees and will spend $3,745 million in 2021.
The number of libraries can reflect the cultural level of a city. Until September 28, 2020, there were 81 public libraries built in the city of Chicago.
By viewing the entire map, Chicago has a dense distribution of public libraries. With zip codes 60623, 60608, and 60616 as the boundary, the north side of Chicago contains more public libraries than the south side. There are 45 libraries on the north side of Chicago, nine more than the south side. This is because schools are more concentrated in north Chicago. Most well-known universities of Chicago, such as Loyola University, Depaul University, and UIC are all located on the north side, whereas only The University of Chicago locates on the south of Chicago. Moreover, the top 5 high schools of Chicago are all from the north side.
An example to prove that libraries were built near universities is that 60607, as one of the smallest areas in Chicago, has two public libraries, whereas many bigger areas only contain one library. The reason for such a small area containing two libraries is that 60607 is the area UIC students study and live in.
There is only one zip code, 60666, the location of the O’Hare International Airport, has no library at all, which is because no school or university locates there.
