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Waukegan Illinois Map

Explore Waukegan, Illinois, with this interactive street and satellite map.

This page also offers TOPO MAPS — the official USGS topographic sheets — plus USGS aerial imagery, a labelled USNG grid overlay, a distance and bearing tool, and a GPS grid-reference readout. See How to Use This Map below.

Interactive Map of Waukegan, Illinois

How to Use This Waukegan, Illinois Map

This interactive map shows the street layout and satellite imagery for Waukegan, Illinois. Use the Map and Satellite buttons above to switch between street map and aerial imagery views. Use the + and − buttons to zoom in or out, or scroll your mouse wheel while holding the Control key to zoom. On a touchscreen, use a two-finger pinch gesture. Drag the map to pan to any area of Illinois or beyond.

Click ⛶ Fullscreen to expand the map to fill your screen. To return to the normal page view, press the Escape key, click the ✕ Exit Fullscreen button that appears above the map, or on a mobile device tap the back button (Android) or the close icon (iOS).

TOPO MAPS — NEW. Click the green 🔍 Search Maps button below the map to open a second map with a Base map row offering three choices. OSM is the standard OpenStreetMap street map. Topo shows the official USGS topographic maps from The National Map — contours, hydrography, land cover and shaded relief, the same mapping used for hiking, hunting and back-country navigation in the Adirondacks, the Catskills and the Finger Lakes. Imagery shows USGS aerial photography, mostly 1-metre NAIP. The search box finds any US town, county or landmark by name, so you are not limited to Waukegan.

Reading the map like a paper quad. Click Grid to overlay the U.S. National Grid (USNG), labelled along the edges exactly as a printed topographic sheet is — at normal zoom the squares are one kilometre across, so you can read a six-figure grid reference by eye and judge distance directly off the map. Click Measure, then tap two points, to get the distance between them together with the grid bearing in degrees and mils, the true bearing, and the magnetic bearing to set on a compass.

Click 📍 My position to take a single GPS reading from your device. It marks where you are and reports your position as a USNG grid reference as well as plain latitude and longitude — USNG being the format FEMA and US search and rescue teams work from — with a Copy position button so you can paste it straight into a text message. It takes one reading and stops, rather than tracking continuously, to conserve your battery. Note that map tiles need cell coverage, but a GPS reading does not — your coordinates stay correct even where the map itself cannot load.

City	Waukegan
State	Illinois (IL)
County	Lake County
Country	United States of America
Timezone	Central Time (America/Chicago)

Latitude	42.369447
Longitude	-87.870898
Population	89,321
Density	1423.6 /km²
Incorporated	Yes
ZIP Codes	60085, 60079, 60087, 60048
Area Code	312, 773
County Seat	Waukegan
School District	Waukegan Community Unit School District 60

🌦 Goto Waukegan Weather Page: Waukegan, Illinois — Weather Warnings, Forecast, Radar, Satellite & Current Conditions

About Waukegan, Illinois

Waukegan is a locality in Lake County, Illinois, United States. It has a population of 89,321. The population density is 1423.6 people per km². Waukegan is located at 42.3694°N, 87.8709°W. It observes the Central Time (America/Chicago) timezone. Waukegan is an incorporated locality. ZIP codes: 60085, 60079, 60087.

Waukegan occupies a commanding position upon the bluffs that overlook the vast, shifting expanse of Lake Michigan. It lies 2.6 miles north of North Chicago, IL (from North Chicago, IL: bearing 356°T), and is situated 3.0 miles east of Gurnee. The terrain here is shaped by the persistent meeting of land and water, where the air carries a sharp, saline clarity that clears the lungs and sharpens the senses. One can walk the length of the Mcclory Trail, a path that offers a quiet passage through the local landscape, following the contours of the earth as it moves toward the horizon. To the west, the topography rises toward the gentle elevation of Leahy Hill, while the Waukegan River carves its narrow, winding course through the ground, eventually finding its way toward the basin of Waukegan Harbor.

French explorers and fur traders first recognized the strategic value of this shoreline, establishing a post that would eventually evolve into a bustling center of commerce and transport. Waukegan grew from these early foundations as a vital port, drawing laborers and dreamers who saw promise in the intersection of the prairie and the great inland waterway. Throughout the decades, the settlement matured into a place defined by its industrial grit and the steady, rhythmic labor of those who built its docks and warehouses. The architectural remnants of these formative years remain visible in the sturdy brickwork of the older quarters, standing as a quiet witness to the generations that labored to secure the prosperity of Waukegan.

Economic life in Waukegan has long been tethered to the industrious spirit of manufacturing and the logistical advantages of its proximity to major transit corridors. While the landscape is marked by the presence of modern infrastructure, the regional economy continues to benefit from its historical identity as a hub for production and trade. Students seeking higher education often look toward the nearby College of Lake County, which provides a foundation for the professional workforce that keeps the gears of the region turning. The infrastructure here is designed for movement and utility, supporting a network of roads and rail lines that link the local industry to the broader, humming machinery of the Midwest.

Cultural life in Waukegan manifests in the vibrant, diverse expressions of its people, who gather for annual festivals that animate the streets with music and shared tradition. The influence of the lake remains a constant, with residents often gravitating toward the water for recreation, finding a strange, meditative beauty in the way the light catches the gray waves at dusk. Famous individuals such as the writer Ray Bradbury drew profound inspiration from the atmosphere of his youth here, capturing the specific, lingering mood of the Midwestern seasons in his prose. Whether through the seasonal festivals that bring the neighborhood together or the quiet solitude of the local trails, Waukegan maintains a distinct character that balances the weight of its industrial heritage with the open, restless energy of the shoreline.

Nearby Outdoor Places

Hinkston Park (Local Park) — 0.1 mi, 337° NW
Orlin Trapp Auditorium (Theatre) — 0.6 mi, 129° SE
Village Of Gurnee Open Space (Local Conservation Area) — 0.8 mi, 247° SW
Mcclory Trail (Local Park) — 1.3 mi, 089° E
Greenbelt Forest Preserve (Local Conservation Area) — 1.4 mi, 174° S
Edison Court Station on the North Shore Line (Monument) — 1.4 mi, 119° SE
Bonnie Brook Golf Course (Local Recreation) — 1.7 mi, 017° N
Ray Bradbury (Monument) — 1.8 mi, 109° E
Veterans Memorial Plaza (Monument) — 1.9 mi, 112° E
Abraham Lincoln (Public Artwork) — 2.0 mi, 108° E
Dandelion Art Gallery (Gallery) — 2.2 mi, 111° E
Waukegan History Museum at the Carnegie (Museum) — 2.2 mi, 107° E
Goodfellow Hall (Theatre) — 2.4 mi, 059° NE
Jack Benny Center For The Arts (Arts Centre) — 2.4 mi, 059° NE
Adeline Jay Geo-Karis Illinois Beach State Park (State Park) — 3.1 mi, 054° NE
Sprocket Rockets (Attraction) — 3.1 mi, 267° W
3 Point Challenge (Attraction) — 3.3 mi, 268° W
Legacy Museum (Museum) — 3.3 mi, 271° W
Liberty Ladder Climb (Attraction) — 3.3 mi, 268° W
Wac-A-Mole (Attraction) — 3.3 mi, 268° W
Lake Carina Forest Preserve (Nature Reserve) — 3.4 mi, 244° SW
Sedge Meadow Forest Preserve (Nature Reserve) — 3.7 mi, 309° NW
Expression Gallery of Fine Art (Gallery) — 8.2 mi, 169° S
Perkowitz Art Studio (Gallery) — 8.5 mi, 257° W
Chain O'Lakes State Park (State Park) — 14.9 mi, 294° NW

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