Lyons Township is one of 29 townships in Cook County, Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 115,105, with its most populous municipalities including La Grange (pop. 15,550), Justice (pop. 12,926) and Summit (pop. 11,054). Lyons Township was established in 1850. The village of Lyons, almost all of which lies within the township, is often confused with it.
The township hall is located at 6404 S. Joliet Road in Countryside. Other township municipalities include Indian Head Park, Hodgkins and McCook, as well as major portions of Western Springs, Brookfield, Bridgeview, Burr Ridge and Willow Springs. Lyons Township's approximate borders are Harlem Avenue (Illinois Route 43) on the east, the line of 39th Street (Southview Avenue, Brewster Avenue) on the north, the DuPage County boundary (County Line Road) on the west, and the line of 87th Street on the south, except west of Willow Springs, where it follows the Des Plaines River to the DuPage county line. The Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, designated a National Historic District in 2011, passes through the township from southwest to northeast.
Geography
According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Lyons Township has a total area of , of which (or 98.47%) is land and (or 1.53%) is water.
Borders
Lyons Township is bordered on the north by Proviso and Riverside Townships, on the east by Stickney Township and the Chicago communities of Garfield Ridge and Clearing, on the south by Palos Township, and on the west by Downers Grove Township in DuPage County.
Cities, towns, villages
There are seventeen municipalities completely or partially within Lyons Township's thirty-seven square miles of territory:
Bedford Park (the half west of Harlem Avenue) Bridgeview (the half northwest of 87th Street and Harlem) Brookfield (the third south of Southview Avenue) Burr Ridge (the eastern half in Cook County) Countryside Hickory Hills (the small portion north of 87th Street) Hinsdale (the small portion in Cook County) Hodgkins Indian Head Park Justice La Grange Lyons (all but the small portion north of 39th Street) McCook Riverside (the small portion south of 39th Street) Summit Western Springs (all but the small portion north of 39th Street) Willow Springs (all but the area south of 87th Street and the Des Plaines River)
Unincorporated Towns
Gary at
La Grange Highlands at
Nottingham Park at
Extinct Towns
Argo at
Tiedtville at
Adjacent townships
Proviso Township (north) Riverside Township (north northeast) Berwyn Township (northeast) Stickney Township (east northeast and east southeast) Worth Township (southeast) Palos Township (south) Lemont Township (southwest) Downers Grove Township, DuPage County (west) York Township, DuPage County (northwest)
Cemeteries
The township contains these seven cemeteries: Archer Woods Memorial Park, Bethania, LaGrange, Lithuanian National, Resurrection, Saint Johns and Lyonsville.
Major highways
Interstate 55
Interstate 294
U.S. Route 12
U.S. Route 20
U.S. Route 34
U.S. Route 45
U.S. Route 66
Illinois Route 43
Illinois Route 171
Airports and landing strips
La Grange Memorial Hospital Heliport
Pielet Summit Heliport
Rivers
Des Plaines River
Landmarks
Arie Crown Forest Preserve
Buffalo Woods (Cook County Forest Preserves) Columbia Woods (Cook County Forest Preserves) Chicago Portage National Historic Site Emmanuel Episcopal Church First Congregational Church of Western Springs George E. Purple House Hofmann Tower La Grange Village Historic District Lyons Township Hall Robert Vial House Western Springs Water Tower
Demographics
As of the 2020 census there were 115,105 people, 40,149 households, and 28,034 families residing in the township. The population density was . There were 44,877 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the township was 68.77% White, 5.60% African American, 0.81% Native American, 2.71% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 10.41% from other races, and 11.68% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 24.66% of the population.
There were 40,149 households, out of which 34.20% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.67% were married couples living together, 11.49% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 30.18% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.40% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.35.