Named the second best place to live in America by Money magazine in 2006 and pulling in the No. 3 spot in 2008, Naperville has grown into one of Illinois’ largest cities while retaining much of its small-town charm. The accolades from Money capped national tributes bestowed on Naperville for everything from its school system to its library and marked the culmination of 30 years of vigorous and deliberate development, investment and expansion in and by the city.
The Naperville of today is a far cry from 1978 when Tim Gaikowski moved his young family there. At the time, it was a "sleepy village that rolled up the sidewalks at 9 p.m.," with a population of about 35,000, says Gaikowski.
It took nearly 150 years to reach that size from its start in 1831 when Joseph Naper settled there to farm along the DuPage River. The town’s beginnings are commemorated at Naper Settlement, which features re-creations of a one-room schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and other examples of 19th Century life.
Even 30 years ago, though, the essence of what still attracts so many to Naperville was already in place: a focus on families, with excellent schools and park district programs, and an abundant supply of affordable housing. As the city annexed farm after farm beginning in the 1980s, developers built thousands of single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums. The migration to Naperville, located 28 miles west of Chicago, steadily picked up steam. With a population of 142,075, Naperville now sprawls nearly 40 square miles, roughly two-thirds of which is in DuPage County and one-third in Will County.
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