Crystal Lake, Illinois

19 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1925 and the latest in 1992. It stands in Nunda Township. It lies in ZIP code area 60014. The Survey maps it on the Crystal Lake quadrangle. 40,269 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 942 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Crystal Lake within McHenry County

On record in Crystal Lake

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 1 record

Col. Gustavius A. Palmer Houselisted 1985

Population over time

2 figures

Crystal Lake fell from 40,743 to 40,269 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	40,743
2020	40,269	-474 (-1%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

10 surveys from 19 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1925 USGS Elgin quadrangle1:62500, 4 printings
1940 USGS Elgin quadrangle1:62500
1954 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000
1955 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000
1958 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000, 4 printings
1962 USGS Crystal Lake quadrangle1:24000, 4 printings
1962 USGS Elgin quadrangle1:62500
1963 USGS Rockford quadrangle1:250000
1981 USGS Elgin quadrangle1:100000
1992 USGS Crystal Lake quadrangle1:24000

What happened here

An account from the chapter on Nunda township. The inset identifies its exact source book and publication year.

From History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885 - Nunda Township

Wolf Scalps

A few years prior to 1850 the county gave a bounty of $15 for each wolf's scalp that had been taken within the limits of the county. This was a bonanza for the hunters, and not only was this county scoured in search of the valuable prey, but adjoining counties robbed of wolves, which were brought alive across the line into this county where they were killed and bounty claimed on the scalps.

Read the rest of this passage

In the county-history sources

24,929 words on this township

History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885 names this settlement in its chapter on Nunda Township. These are the passages that mention it, exactly as the scans read.

The first church building erected in the township was built at Crystal Lake, and afterward moved to Nunda Tillage. The first school was taught by Miss A. McOmber, in 1839, in a log schoolhouse, which William Halcomb and C. Goff erected on section 18. They paid the teacher $1.25 per week to teach a school of five scholars. This log school-house was moved two years later to the southwest quarter of section 17. The seats in this building were placed near the wall and ran in a single row clear around the room. The children were compelled to sit facing the wall.

Passage source: History of McHenry County, Illinois : Together with Sketches of Its Cities, Villages and Towns : Educational, Religious, Civil, Military, and Political History : Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Representative Citizens, Also a Condensed History of Illinois .., published 1885.

Th first saw-mill in the township was erected about the year 1845, by James and Samuel McMillen, on section 22. It served as a saw- mill till 1863, when it was at an expense of several thousand dollars converted into a grist-mill and is still in good running order. A. carding-mill was built in 1846, by Mr. Truesdell, in the northern part of the township. It was abandoned at the expiration of two years on account of not being a paying institution. The first grist-mill was built at Barreville, by T. J. Ferguson, at a cost of about $6,000. It is doing a good business also.

The land comprising this burying ground was donated by Henry Keller in 1861, it being a portion of his farm. Edwin Keller, son of Henry Keller, who died at the age of six years on the 9th of October, 1861, was the first person buried here. The following spring other bodies were brought from the old graveyard and placed here. The grounds were laid out by John Brink and trustees appointed. The grounds are kept in a manner that reflects much credit upon those who have friends buried here.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Nunda Township - it names this place 16 more 16 times.

Fires near this place

1 since 2009

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 1 fire within 5 miles of Crystal Lake in 2009, burning about 3 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
17 February 2009	Missing data/not specified/undetermined	3.0 acres	Illinois Division of Forestry Resources	D

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in McHenry County

Mines and quarries near this place

8 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Crystal Lake: 4 producers, 3 past producers, 1 plant. 5 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Site	Commodity	Status
Algonquin Pit #5	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Algonquin Sand & Gravel	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Cary Plant & Portable Mill	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Crystal Lake Sand & Gravel Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
D & Z Pit & Mill	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Plant
Island Lake Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Producer
Unnamed Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer
Woodstock Pit	Sand and Gravel, Construction	Past Producer

Every working recorded in McHenry County

Storms near this place

60 of 70 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Crystal Lake in 70 storm reports between 1993 and 2025: 32 thunderstorm wind, 26 hail, 5 flood, 4 flash flood. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	$200,000	Extensive tree damage was reported across Crystal Lake. Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down. One home on Crystal Beach Avenue was deemed uninhabitable because of tree damage.
June 2009	Lightning	Crystal Lake	$50,000	Lightning struck a house along Canterbury Drive and started a fire in the bathroom. The house was declared uninhabitable.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	$30,000	An 80 foot tall tree was blown down near Everett Avenue. The tree severely damaged a garage with minor damage to its contents, including two motorcycles and a pickup truck. Numerous tree limbs were blown down across Crystal Lake.
July 2006	Lightning	Crystal Lake	$20,000	A home on Sadle Ridge Road was struck by lightning, which started a fire in the attic.
April 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	$10,000	Numerous trees, tree limbs, utility poles and power lines were blown down in many areas of Crystal Lake.
May 2011	Hail	Crystal Lake	$5,000	Walnut size hail was reported at the intersection of Main Street and Route 14 causing damage to cars.
July 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	$1,000	Winds estimated to more than 70 mph lasted for two to three minutes causing 1-foot diameter trees and large branches to blow over as well as power outages. Large limbs fell through the windshield of a car at an intersection on Dole Avenue.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	$1,000	Tree limbs and power lines were blown down.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	$1,000	Trees and power lines were blown down at Route 176 and Walkup Avenue.
July 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	$1,000	Two large trees were snapped off about 15 feet above ground. One of the trees fell onto a tree house, which was destroyed.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Trees, tree limbs, and power lines were blown down around Crystal Lake.
June 2025	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	A light pole was blown down at Teckler Blvd and Rt 14. Several 3 to 4 inch tree limbs were blown down and one 8 inch diameter tree was uprooted.
June 2024	Flash Flood	Crystal Lake	-	A video shared via social media showed over a foot of standing water in the intersection of US Rt 14 and Devonshire Ln in Crystal Lake.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Trees and tree limbs were blown down near Edgebrook Drive.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Roads were blocked due to trees and power lines that were blown down.
August 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Photos shared via social media showed large tree limbs down around Crystal Lake.
March 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	A wind gust to 59 mph was measured.
July 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Numerous large trees were snapped and many other trees were uprooted in Crystal Lake. Hundreds of tree limbs were blown down, as well as many power lines that were blown down.
November 2022	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	About a dozen reports of wind damage were received from the Crystal Lake area, including at least one large tree that fell onto a garage.
July 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Multiple reports of trees blown down were received.
August 2021	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Numerous trees, tree limbs and power lines were blown down in Crystal Lake including near Route 31.
August 2020	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	A large tree limb was blown down blocking Ellsworth Street.
July 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Trees were blown down.
July 2019	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	A tree was blown down onto a house.
July 2017	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	A three foot diameter tree was blown down.
June 2017	Flood	Crystal Lake	-	Standing water estimated to be 5 inches deep was reported near US14 and Keith Avenue.
June 2017	Flood	Crystal Lake	-	Two to two and half feet of standing water was reported near Route 176 and Terra Cotta Road.
June 2017	Flood	Crystal Lake	-	Several roads were flooded with 3 to 4 inches of water with a few roads closed.
July 2016	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Trees down just west of downtown Crystal Lake.
April 2014	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	Hail up to the size of golf balls fell over Crystal Lake covering the ground.
June 2013	Flash Flood	Crystal Lake	-	Route 176 was flooded and closed at Knaack Boulevard.
March 2011	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	Nickel to quarter size hail fell for about five minutes.
May 2011	Flood	Crystal Lake	-	The intersection of Main Street and Berkshire Road was flooded after heavy rains fell across the area. A spotter in Lake in the Hills reported 2.45 inches fell in 90 minutes.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Trees were blown down.
June 2009	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	Quarter size hail was reported near Route 176 and Route 14.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Trees were blown down.
June 2008	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	A large tree was blown down.
September 2008	Flash Flood	Crystal Lake	-	Roads were closed in Algonquin because Woods Creek overflowed. Flooding was also reported in Lake in The Hills.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Tree limbs blown down, estimated gust to 60 mph.
July 2007	Flood	Crystal Lake	-	Over a foot of water covered the intersection of Keith Avenue, Devonshire Lane and Route 14.
July 2007	Heavy Rain	Crystal Lake	-	Storm total rainfall 2.40 inches with minor ponding of water on roads.
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Trees were blown down.
June 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Several small tree limbs were blown down.
March 2005	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Large tree limbs were reported down on side streets.
May 2005	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	Golfball size hail was reported covering the ground.
May 2004	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	Reported at the intersection of Amberwood Road and Bennington Drive.
May 2004	Flash Flood	Crystal Lake	-	Extensive street and low-land flooding occurred after 1.5 inches of rain fell in 45 minutes.
May 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Crystal Lake	-	Power lines were blown down in the northwest section of the community.
April 2015	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
September 2015	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
August 2015	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
April 2013	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
March 2011	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
May 2011	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
April 2010	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
May 2009	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
June 2008	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
July 2008	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
June 2007	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed
April 2006	Hail	Crystal Lake	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in McHenry County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Crystal Manor	1.8 miles	19
Lakewood	2.2 miles	19
North Shore	2.4 miles	19
Terra Cotta	2.9 miles	17
Crystal Vista	2.9 miles	19
Ridgefield	3.0 miles	17
Crystal Gardens	3.4 miles	18
Holcombville Corners	3.5 miles	17

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Crystal Lake	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q577478	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 406868. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.