Far North Suburbs (Illinois)

The Far North Suburbs region is an area of greater Chicagoland encompassing many portions of Lake County. The anchor of region is Waukegan, the Lake County seat, though many other communities make the area distinct.

Cities

 * &mdash; Home to numerous attractions such as Six Flags Great America, Gurnee Mills and Great Wolf Lodge, Gurnee is one of the economic and entertainment centers of the region.
 * &mdash; An upscale suburb, Libertyville is renowned for its downtown area.
 * &mdash; A second retail center of the area, Vernon Hills is home to Hawthorn Mall.
 * &mdash; The county seat, Waukegan is the largest city in the region and home to the famous Genesee Theater.

Understand
The history of the Far North Suburbs is invariably linked to the growth of Waukegan as well as the transportation routes that traveled through the area. Waukegan, founded due to its place on Lake Michigan, became an economic engine and spurred initial growth in the area. As the roads between Chicago and Milwaukee transformed into rail lines and, eventually, interstates, Waukegan declined in central importance and the other communities quickly grew.

Roads
The Far North Suburbs can be accessed by any of the following routes:
 * I-94 (tolled): I-94 is the primary north-south connection route through the region.
 * US 41 (Skokie Highway): This north-south route runs parallel to I-94 and connects the eastern portions of the region. It meets I-94 at the Wisconsin border.
 * US 45: The western north-south route runs parallel to I-94.
 * IL 120: The primary east-west route is open freeway between Waukegan and Grayslake.
 * Grand Avenue: The primary east-west route through Gurnee, it connects all Gurnee attractions to Waukegan's downtown.