Town guide

Cortland, Illinois

Cortland is a town in DeKalb County, Illinois, home to about 4,564 people across 3.6 square miles. Its ZIP code is 60112, and parts of 60151 are in Cortland too.

Homes sold for a median of $183 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a balanced market.

Population4,5641,250 per sq mi
Median home value$233,200Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$183Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking38%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Cortland

2 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Cortland. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Cortland’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Cortland

Distances

Nearest major airportChicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)39 miles away
Closer regional airportChicago Rockford International Airport (RFD)29 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Chicago, IL51 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Cortland; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Cortland

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Cortland had 4,398 residents in the 2020 census, up 113% since 2000.

It’s the 348th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.

DeKalb County grew from 31,756 residents in 1900 to 100,420 in 2020.

Cortland population by census2000: 2,066, 2010: 4,270, 2020: 4,3982,06620004,27020104,3982020

DeKalb County, 1900–2020

DeKalb County population, 1900 to 20201900: 31,756, 1910: 33,457, 1920: 31,339, 1930: 32,644, 1940: 34,388, 1950: 40,781, 1960: 51,714, 1970: 71,654, 1980: 74,624, 1990: 77,932, 2000: 88,969, 2010: 105,160, 2020: 100,42032K’00’1031K’20’3034K’40’5052K’60’7075K’80’9089K’00’10100K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 83°F in summer, and winter lows average 13°F. About 37.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 33 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near CortlandJan: high 28°F, low 13°F, 1.7 in; Feb: high 33°F, low 17°F, 1.7 in; Mar: high 45°F, low 27°F, 2.2 in; Apr: high 59°F, low 37°F, 3.6 in; May: high 70°F, low 49°F, 4.8 in; Jun: high 80°F, low 60°F, 4.6 in; Jul: high 83°F, low 63°F, 4 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 61°F, 4.1 in; Sep: high 75°F, low 53°F, 3.3 in; Oct: high 62°F, low 41°F, 3 in; Nov: high 46°F, low 30°F, 2.3 in; Dec: high 34°F, low 19°F, 2 in28°13°Jan1.733°17°Feb1.745°27°Mar2.259°37°Apr3.670°49°May4.880°60°Jun4.683°63°Jul4.081°61°Aug4.175°53°Sep3.362°41°Oct3.046°30°Nov2.334°19°Dec2.0Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, De Kalb, IL weather station (6 miles away).

Jobs in DeKalb County

29,129 jobs at 1,975 businesses in DeKalb County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in DeKalb CountyHealth care and social assistance: 5,031 jobs; Retail trade: 4,613 jobs; Manufacturing: 4,287 jobs; Transportation and warehousing: 3,304 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 3,279 jobs; Construction: 1,751 jobs; Administrative and support: 1,255 jobs; Professional services: 1,181 jobsHealth care and social assistance 17% Retail trade 16% Manufacturing 15% Transportation and warehousing 11% Hotels and restaurants 11% Construction 6% Administrative and support 4% Professional services 4%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

4 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Cortland.

Nearest hospitals

  • Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Dekalb4.6 miles
  • Northwestern Medicine Delnor Community HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Geneva17.1 miles
  • Saint Joseph Hospital-ElginGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Elgin19.2 miles

Providers with an office here

Mental health providers4

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Cortland

Parks (4 nearby)

  • Suppeland Park · 7 acres1.2 mi
  • Lions Park · 6 acres0.8 mi
  • Hetchler Park · 5 acres1.5 mi

Grocery stores

  • Walmart Supercenter3.3 mi
  • ALDI3.5 mi
  • Hy-Vee3.6 mi
  • Jewel-Osco3.8 mi

Pharmacies

  • Walgreens4.5 mi
  • Wired Nutrition5.1 mi
  • CVS Pharmacy5.3 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Cortland Library1.0 mi

Museums

  • Ellwood House Museum4.4 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • Hopkins Park Bandshell3.9 mi
  • Egyptian Theater4.3 mi
  • Boutell Memorial Concert Hall4.8 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1865.

Notable people born here

  • Albert J. Hopkins (1846) · American politician (1846-1922)

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Cortland

Public schools here are run by DeKalb CUSD 428. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Cortland Elementary SchoolCortlandK–5523Public1.0 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Cortland is

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Towns near Cortland

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Shares ZIP codes with Maple Park, Lily Lake and Virgil.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.