Life in Lemont
Located 23.2 miles southeast of Chicago, the village of Lemont is a great place to work and raise a family while enjoying the benefits of one of America’s major cities.
Long before Lemont was settled by laborers working on the Illinois-Michigan canal, it was called Keepataw by Native Americans. In 1833, the name of the city became Athens, Illinois. It was also called Palmyra for a short time before the name Lemont (adapted from the French word for “the mount”) became official in 1850. Today, the village of Lemont spans 8.35 square miles and is home to over 17,600 people.
Lemont Real Estate and Landmarks
In Lemont, 82% of residents own their homes. With the median home value at $363,000, residents are enjoying the nice real estate and are likely settled in to stay for many years. Because of this, many homeowners in Lemont take good care of their homes so that they continue to last and look nice.
Since most of the housing stock was built between 1980-1999, the structural elements of the roof will likely last for many more years, as long as they are properly maintained. A smaller portion of the community has older housing stock, built between 1960-1979. These homes are typically lower cost. However, homeowners can increase the longevity of their roofing investment by purchasing longer lasting roofing materials and hiring a roofing contractor with a reputation for high-quality installation.
Beyond that, the majority of homes are low-density, single family homes with similar styles, meaning that the general population of Lemont suburbs isn’t as diverse as it could be. But the city is working to create more diverse home styles to attract new, younger home buyers to the area.
In addition to the 22 different parks, the village of Lemont is also home to 3 Blue Ribbon schools. These are schools that are nationally awarded for their academic excellence each year. Lemont High School is one of these Blue Ribbon schools, and has been the main high school in the community for more than 130 years.
Residents also enjoy close access to other attractions, including:
- Argonne National Laboratory
- The Rocky Glenn man-made waterfall
- The Forge: Lemont Quarries Adventure Park
- The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago
- SS Cyril and Methodist Church (a Polish-style cathedral).
Lemont Weather
While Lemont has a similar climate to the rest of Northeastern Illinois and the Midwest, it is also no stranger to harsh weather. In 1976, an F-4 tornado ripped through the town, damaging at least 82 homes and completely destroying 87 of them. Then, in 1991, the town was hit with an F-3 tornado, although the damage was considerably less dramatic.
But while tornadoes aren’t always a big concern in Lemont, high winds are much more common. If not properly installed, high winds can rip shingles directly off of your roof and sometimes create small cracks that can turn into leaks over time.
Heat and humidity tend to pick up the most between June and August, which can quickly cause shingles to warp if any materials are damaged or missing granules.
January and December may feature some days where the temperature remains below freezing. Snowfall typically continues for about 4.3 months, with February showing the highest average snowfall (4.2 inches). During this time, it’s important for homeowners to regularly inspect for hail damage and take action to prevent ice dams from building up.
