3 Interesting Facts About Chicagoland You Probably Didn’t Know

Whether you’re a long-time resident or new to the area there’s always something new to learn about the Chicagoland area. The following three facts in particular have been proven to inspire conversation and even spark a bit of debate, so be sure to keep them in your memory bank the next time you want to educate a visitor or show off your knowledge to fellow locals.

It almost sounds too cute to be true, but it is a fact: when the community that people know as Romeoville was established in 1837, it was called Romeo—so named to create a memorable link with next-door neighbor Juliet.

But like Shakespeare's doomed lovers, this municipal union severed, too. It happened in 1845, when Juliet changed its name to Joliet to honor explorer Louis Jolliet. Rather than sit around and sulk over being jilted, Romeo changed its name to Romeoville.

Ray Kroc opened the first McDonald's franchise in Des Plaines on April 15, 1955, selling hamburgers for 15 cents, cheeseburgers for 19 cents and “malt shakes” for 20 cents.

The original Chicago area restaurant was razed in 1984 to make way for a museum, where visitors chew on many interesting facts, including how quickly McDonald's caught on. Within 12 years of opening in the Chicago area, there were 700 McDonald's spread across the United States.

There's no argument that Chicago wouldn't be the resplendent city it is without the beauty of Lake Michigan. But the river that runs through it—the Chicago River—enjoys a distinction all its own: it’s the only river in the world that flows backward, thanks to engineering prowess that dates back to 1900.

Up until then, the river flowed into the lake, but then, so did all of the city's sewage. Since the lake was as a primary source of drinking water, waterborne diseases such as typhoid became commonplace, so something had to be done to stem the problem.  The solution: reversing the flow so that the river—and its grungy contents—would flow elsewhere.

Do you know any other interesting facts about the Chicagoland area? We’d love to hear them in the comments!