URBANA, ILLINOIS

'Urbana' (pronounced ) is the county seat of Champaign County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2005 population estimates, the population was 38,463. The city was named after Urbana, Ohio. The current mayor is Laurel Lunt Prussing.

Contents

Geography

Demographics

Transportation

Culture

Urbana Free Library

Lincoln Hotel

Points of interest

Urbana in film

Urbana in literature

Student Population

Education

Urbana High School

University Laboratory High School

Urbana Elementary Schools

Urbana Middle School

Test scores

Parks

Media

FM Radio

AM Radio

Analog Television

Digital Television (DTV)

Print

Famous Urbanites

External links

Geography

Urbana is located at (40.109665, -88.204247).
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 27.2 km² (10.5 mi²), of which 0.10% is water body.
Urbana shares a border with the neighboring town of Champaign. Together the two cities are often referred to as ''Urbana-Champaign'', ''Champaign-Urbana'', or ''Chambana''. The joint cities are the site of the main campus of the University of Illinois. Urbana, Champaign, and the nearby village of Savoy form the Champaign-Urbana Metropolitan Area.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 36,395 people, 14,327 households, and 6,217 families residing in the city. The official 2000 Census population used is 37,362, however, because of an enumeration error during the original population count. The population density was 1,339.6/km² (3,468.3/mi²). There were 15,311 housing units at an average density of 563.5/km² (1,459.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 67.01% White, 14.34% African American, 0.18% Native American, 14.24% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 1.76% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.54% of the population.
There were 14,327 households out of which 20.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% were married couples living together, 8.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 56.6% were non-families. 36.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.14 and the average family size was 2.83.
In the city the population was spread out with 14.9% under the age of 18, 36.2% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 13.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 25 years. For every 100 females there were 111.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 111.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $27,819 , and the median income for a family was $42,655. Males had a median income of $32,827 versus $26,349 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,969. About 13.3% of families and 27.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.5% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Transportation

Downtown Urbana is located southwest of the intersection of its two busiest streets: U.S. Highway 150 (University Avenue) and U.S. Highway 45 (Vine Street/Cunningham Avenue). US 150 runs west to Champaign and east to St. Joseph. US 45 runs north to Rantoul, and south to Tuscola and Arcola.
Most of Urbana lies south of I-74. There are three exits (from west to east): Lincoln, Cunningham and University. The Lincoln exit is closest to the University of Illinois, while the Cunningham exit goes to downtown Urbana. The University exit goes to downtown Urbana as well as Illinois Route 130 to Philo.
The Norfolk Southern operates an east to west line through Urbana. The NS line connects industries in eastern Urbana to the Norfolk Southern main line at Mansfield, Illinois, west of Champaign. The line now operated by Norfolk Southern is the former Peoria & Eastern Railway, later operated as part of the Big Four (Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway), New York Central, Penn Central, and Conrail systems, being sold by Conrail to Norfolk Southern in 1996. Construction of the line was begun by the Danville, Urbana, Bloomington and Pekin Railroad. This short-lived entity became part of the Indianapolis, Bloomington and Western Railway before the railroad was completed. A branch line of the Norfolk and Western Railway used to connect Urbana with the main line from Danville to Decatur at Sidney, Illinois, but this was first rerouted and later closed.

Culture

Urbana Free Library

The Urbana Free Library is located in the downtown area. The library is one of the first public libraries in Illinois and was founded in 1874. The library houses historical archives of Champaign County which can be used for genealogical research. The historic building which houses the library was built in 1918. A major new addition was opened in 2005.
Their web site can be found at urbanafreelibrary.org
The library is publicly funded and receives additional support from about 600 people who have joined "The Friends of the Urbana Free Library".

Lincoln Hotel

The Lincoln Hotel is connected to Lincoln Square Mall, an indoor walking mall, in the center of Urbana. The hotel was built in 1924 in a mixture of classic European styles. It was completely remodeled in 1977, and a number of new rooms were added to the top floor.

Points of interest

★ University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

★ University of Illinois Arboretum

★ University of Illinois Conservatory and Plant Collection

★ Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

★ Krannert Art Museum

Urbana in film

In the 1968 film, '', Urbana was named as the location where the malfunctioning HAL 9000 computer of the ill fated Discovery Mission to Jupiter was programmed. The 1959 comedy ''Some Like it Hot'' also mentions Urbana. Near the beginning of this film, Jack Lemmon's character, an unemployed bass player, suggests to Tony Curtis, a saxophone player, that the two visit Urbana to play at the University of Illinois. Instead, the two musicians elected to join a women's band in Florida.
Urbana provides the setting for Bert I. Gordon's 1957 science fiction film, ''The Beginning of the End''. Parodied on the television program, Mystery Science Theater 3000, this movie features the unintentional creation of dangerous, giant grasshoppers as a result of agricultural research gone awry.

Urbana in literature

Spanish writer Javier Cercas uses Urbana as the geographical background of two of his novels ("La velocidad de la luz" (2005) and "El inquilino" (1989)).

Student Population

Urbana also houses a substantial number of college students most of whom attend the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Education

In addition to the UIUC campus, Urbana has two high schools, one of which is part of the Urbana School District.

Urbana High School

Urbana High School's original building was built in 1914. It was designed by architect Joseph Royer who also designed many other area buildings such as the Urbana Free Library and the Champaign County Court House. The architecture is of the Tudor style defined primarily by the towers over the main entrance and flattened point arches over the doors.

An addition was built in 1916, which included a gymnasium and swimming pool. Due to increasing enrollment, other additions were built in 1955 and in 1965. In 1988, an enclosed athletic area was added and the old gymnasium/pool wing was converted into classrooms. The entire building was also renovated to meet safety codes. The Urbana Park District Indoor Aquatic Center was built in 2003, adjoining Urbana High School and bringing the building to its current visage.
Film critic and Urbana native Roger Ebert is a graduate of Urbana High School. During his senior year he was co-editor of the school newspaper, the ''Echo''.

University Laboratory High School

Not part of the Urbana School District, University Laboratory High School is a publicly funded laboratory school located on the campus of the University of Illinois in Urbana.

Urbana Elementary Schools

The Elementary schools in Urbana are: Leal, King, Prairie, Thomas Paine, Wiley, and Yankee Ridge.

Urbana Middle School

Urbana Middle School was first used as Urbana Junior High School in 1953. Since then, the school has been renovated for space in 2003. The school currently serves 1047 students from grades 6 to 8. The school is renowned for its band program, which went to the Illinois State Band Competition (Superstate) twelve years in a row from 1994-2006.

Test scores

While all the elementary schools and the Middle School in the Urbana School District passed their Adequate Yearly Progress in the 2005-2006 school year, determined by scores in the Illinois Standards Achievement Test , the High School (by way of the Prairie State Achievement Examination) did not. University Laboratory High School students do not take these tests because it is not a public school.

Parks

Meadowbrook Park is located southeast of the Race Street and Windsor Road intersection. It has a sculpture garden with about twenty sculptures from local artists. Around the prairie restoration center of the park loops a wide concrete path suitable for walking, running, and bicycling. Several small hills make it unsuitable for inexperienced rollerbladers. The park has two entrances: one on Race Street and one on Windsor Road. A playground and shelter are located near the Windsor Road entrance. A community garden, a herbal garden, and a shelter are located near the Race Street entrance. The park also contains many streams which are among the first tributaries of the Embarras River.
Carle Park, established in 1909, is located at Indiana and Garfield in Central Urbana. The Urbana High School is immediately to the east across Race St. Measuring 8.3 acres, it contains the Lincoln the Lawyer statue by Lorado Taft and more than 50 well-established trees that are part of the Hickman Tree Walk.

The Urbana Park District operates two swimming pools: one outside pool and one inside pool (a shared resource with the Urbana School District). The Urbana Dog Park, located on East Perkins Road, is a place to walk one's dog without a leash.

Media

FM Radio

★ 88.1 W201CK (Translates 90.7 KHRI) "Air 1", Christian CHR

★ 88.7 WPCD, College Radio

★ 89.3 WGNJ, Religious

★ 90.1 WEFT, Variety

★ 90.9 WILL, Classical music (RDS)

★ 91.7 WBGL, Christian AC (RDS)

★ 92.5 WCFF "92.5 The Chief", Adult Hits (RDS - Artist/Title)

★ 93.5 WEBX "93.5/95.3 The Rock" Alternative (RDS)

★ 94.5 WLRW "Mix 94.5" Hot AC (RDS - Artist/Title) (HD Radio)

★ 95.3 WEVX "93.5/95.3 The Rock" Alternative (RDS)

★ 96.1 WQQB "Q 96", CHR/Pop (RDS)

★ 97.5 WHMS "Lite Rock 97.5" Adult Contemporary

★ 99.1 WXTT "Extra 99.1" Rock (RDS - Artist/Title)

★ 100.3 WIXY "WIXY 100.3" Country (RDS - Artist/Title)

★ 100.9 WHPO "100.9 WHPO" Country

★ 101.1 W266AF (Translates 90.9 WILL), Classical music

★ 102.5 WGNN, Religious

★ 103.9 W280DE (Translates 102.5 WGNN), Religious

★ 104.5 WRFU "Radio Free Urbana", Community/Political Activism [1]

★ 105.5 WCZQ "Blazin Hip Hop and R&B

★ 105.9 WCKG, Classic Rock (RDS)

★ 107.1 WPGU, "No Rules Radio" Alternative

AM Radio

★ 580 WILL, Public Radio

★ 1400 WDWS, News/Talk (AM Stereo)

★ 1460 WJCI, Hispanic

★ 1580 WBCP, Urban Adult Contemporary

★ 1660 Latino Radio Service Latino [2]

Analog Television

★ 3 WCIA, CBS

★ 7 W07DD, Three Angels Network

★ 12 WILL, PBS

★ 15 WICD "NewsChannel 15", ABC

★ 17 WAND, NBC

★ 23 WBUI, The CW

★ 27 WCCU "Fox 55/27"

★ 34 W33AY, Trinity Broadcast Network

★ 44 WBXC-CA, MTV 2

★ 49 WCFN "My WCFN TV", My Network TV

★ 51 WEIU, PBS

Digital Television (DTV)

★ 9 WILL-DT, PBS

★ 18 WAND-DT, NBC

★ 22 WBUI-DT, WB

★ 26 WCCU-DT, Fox

★ 41 WICD-DT, ABC

★ 48 WCIA-DT, CBS

★ 50 WEIU-DT, PBS

Print

★ The News-Gazette, daily local newspaper

★ Daily Illini

★ Buzz Weekly

★ The Booze News

Famous Urbanites

★ Roger Ebert - movie critic

★ Jennie Garth - actress (''What I Like About You'', ''Beverly Hills, 90210'')

★ HAL 9000, who, upon "dying" in the film claims he was made operational in Urbana.

★ Erika Harold - Miss Illinois 2002 and Miss America 2003

★ Robert W. Holley, was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1968 for describing the structure of alanine transfer RNA, linking DNA and protein synthesis.

★ Edwin G. Krebs, awarded the 1992 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for discovering the mechanism behind reversible protein phosphorylation. Graduate of Urbana High School (class of 1936; Robert W. Holley would graduate from there two years later, in the class of 1938), University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine. At the Urbana High School, there can be seen two plaques, honoring Holley and Krebs, on each side of a bust of Abraham Lincoln in a glass display at the head of the school's main entrance.

★ Sir Anthony James Leggett - was awarded the 2003 Nobel Prize in Physics.

★ Patrick Norton - technology host (formerly of The Screen Savers)

★ Mark Roberts - Writer-Producer for ''Two and a Half Men'' on CBS

★ Chic Sale, author

★ Brian Wansink -- Cornell University Professor and author of ''

★ Carl Woese, who identified Archaea as a kingdom of life.

★ George Will, conservative columnist and panelist for ABC's This Week (USA)

★ Braj Kachru - linguist

External links

★ City of Urbana (official website)

★ Urbana Free Library

★ Urbana Park District

★ Eye On Urbana

★ Lincoln Square Mall

★ Historic Lincoln Hotel

★ Boardman's Art Theatre

★ Urbana School District

★ University Laboratory High School

★ Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network (CUWiN)

★ OJC Technologies

★ Early History of Urbana