Waukegan, Illinois, USA
Municipality
Location overview
Waukegan is the county seat of Lake County on the shore of Lake Michigan, about 40 miles north of Chicago and 55 miles south of Milwaukee. A natural harbor, lakefront bluffs and ravines give the city a strong maritime setting. Known early as Little Fort, the community became the county seat in 1841, took the name Waukegan in 1849 and later grew as a shipping and manufacturing center. The city had about 87,900 residents in 2025. Its present-day character combines manufacturing, health care, retail and transportation with a working harbor, marina, arts district and the restored Genesee Theatre.