Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,480 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Chicago metropolitan area. Its nicknames include "The Crossroads of the Nation", "The Heights", and “The Hill”.

Chicago Heights lies on the high land of the Tinley Moraine, with the higher and older Valparaiso Moraine lying just to the south of the city.

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Chicago Heights has a total area of 10.30 square miles (26.68 km), of which 10.28 square miles (26.63 km) (or 99.87%) is land and 0.01 square miles (0.03 km) (or 0.13%) is water.

The city's major crossroads are at Dixie Highway (Illinois Route 1) and Lincoln Highway (U.S. Route 30).

Chicago Heights is about 30 miles (48 km) south of the Chicago Loop.

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1900	5,100		—
1910	14,525		184.8%
1920	19,653		35.3%
1930	22,321		13.6%
1940	22,461		0.6%
1950	24,551		9.3%
1960	34,331		39.8%
1970	40,900		19.1%
1980	37,026		−9.5%
1990	33,072		−10.7%
2000	32,776		−0.9%
2010	30,276		−7.6%
2020	27,480		−9.2%
U.S. Decennial Census 2010 2020

As of the 2020 census there were 27,480 people, 9,736 households, and 6,708 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,669.00 inhabitants per square mile (1,030.51/km). There were 10,663 housing units at an average density of 1,035.64 per square mile (399.86/km). The racial makeup of the city was 42.50% African American, 21.05% White, 1.27% Native American, 0.30% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 23.35% from other races, and 11.41% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 38.99% of the population.

There were 9,736 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.53% were married couples living together, 20.75% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.10% were non-families. 28.29% of all households were made up of individuals, and 14.07% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.67 and the average family size was 2.96.

The city's age distribution consisted of 26.9% under the age of 18, 10.7% from 18 to 24, 24.2% from 25 to 44, 23.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35.4 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $49,880, and the median income for a family was $59,536. Males had a median income of $35,142 versus $26,790 for females. The per capita income for the city was $21,948. About 18.6% of families and 24.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.0% of those under age 18 and 22.7% of those age 65 or over.

Chicago Heights city, Illinois – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.

Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic)	Pop 2000	Pop 2010	Pop 2020	% 2000	% 2010	% 2020
White alone (NH)	12,062	7,062	4,438	36.80%	23.33%	16.15%
Black or African American alone (NH)	12,305	12,370	11,487	37.54%	40.86%	41.80%
Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH)	48	44	30	0.15%	0.15%	0.11%
Asian alone (NH)	138	87	74	0.42%	0.29%	0.27%
Pacific Islander alone (NH)	4	8	23	0.01%	0.03%	0.08%
Other race alone (NH)	39	51	103	0.12%	0.17%	0.37%
Mixed race or Multiracial (NH)	390	400	611	1.19%	1.32%	2.22%
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	7,790	10,254	10,714	23.77%	33.87%	38.99%
Total	32,776	30,276	27,480	100.00%	100.00%	100.00%

Chicago Heights School District 170 operates twelve schools, with a student population of 3,600. Highland is the district's preschool for children aged three and four; Garfield, Grant, Greenbriar, Jefferson, Kennedy, Lincoln, Roosevelt, Washington-McKinley, and Wilson are neighborhood schools that serve students from kindergarten through fifth grade. After elementary school/5th grade, students attend Chicago Heights Middle School for grades 6-8.

Chicago Heights is home to Bloom High School, which all students of District 170 attend after 8th grade, and Bloom Trail High School, which shares its athletic programs with Bloom. Many students from neighboring communities including Steger, South Chicago Heights, Ford Heights, Sauk Village and Glenwood attend high school at Bloom.

Parts of Chicago Heights are included in Flossmoor School District 161 which includes Serena Hills Elementary School in Chicago Heights. After Serena, students attend Parker Jr. High School—also a part of Flossmoor School District 161. Only some students who complete middle school at Parker Jr. High School move on to Homewood-Flossmoor High School; the remainder attend Bloom High School.

Parts of Chicago Heights are also served by Park Forest – Chicago Heights School District 163, and Beacon Hill Primary Center is located in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. After Beaker, students attend Michelle Obama School of Arts and Technology for middle school (6-8). Students from this neighborhood attend Rich Township High School, part of Rich Township High School District 227.

Marian Catholic High School, affiliated with the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, is a private high school located in the city.

Prairie State College is a community college located in Chicago Heights.

Many elementary schools operate at church locations.

On May 20, 1901, many Chicago Heights residents signed a petition asking for the mayor and aldermen to select a board of directors that would be responsible for founding and running a free public library in Chicago Heights. On June 28, 1901, the first library board members were sworn in, including Sam W. Lea, F.W. Schact, W.E. Canady, James Bowie, David Wallace, Joseph Caldwell, C.W. Salisbury, A.J. Sorensen, and A.W. McEldowney. The library was opened in a small room in the new city building on February 20, 1902. That month, the library board wrote to industrialist Andrew Carnegie seeking funds to build a library building in Chicago Heights. In July, the board was notified that Carnegie had proposed $15,000 toward the cost of a library building as long as the city could provide a free site for the building and if the council could promise $1,500 a year to keep the library running. The Carnegie Library in Chicago Heights was designed by Richard E. Schmidt. The library was located at 1627 Halsted Street and opened on September 11, 1903, with a staff of two and 1,643 volumes. A bigger library was eventually needed, and on August 5, 1972, the present building at 15th Street and Chicago Road was opened. The Chicago Heights Free Public Library was a million-dollar building that opened with 60,000 books, records, and other materials.

Chicago Heights was once home to several major industrial concerns, including the Thrall Car Manufacturing Company, a manufacturer of freight cars, run for many years by chief executive officer Richard L. Duchossois. The city was also the original home of the Inland Steel Company.

Ford Motor Company operates a metal stamping plant located along Lincoln Highway in Chicago Heights. This facility produces automobile body panels that are shipped to Ford's Chicago Assembly plant approximately 15 miles (24 km) to the north in the Hegewisch community area of Chicago.

Chicago Heights is served by six Pace bus routes and the Pace Chicago Heights Terminal.

There was a Well Group Clinic (part of St. James) located on Dixie Highway. Well Group was previously known as Suburban Heights Medical Center. There are also two Aunt Martha's health centers in Chicago Heights.

In September 2018, St. James Hospital closed after more than 100 years.

Chicago Heights has four sister cities. They are:

• Asuogyaman District, Ghana
• Cedral, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
• Wadowice, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland
• San Benedetto del Tronto, Ascoli Piceno, Marche, Italy

Chicago portal

• Kenneth J. Schoon, Calumet Beginnings, 2003, p. 115–117

• City of Chicago Heights official website