Cicero City has a rich history as an industrial center near Chicago. In the 1920s, the city had 115 factories, the largest being Hawthorne Works, owned by the Western Electric Company. Hawthorne was located on 141 acres and operated from 1903 to 1983. Today, abandoned industrial areas are being converted to homes, offices, and retail stores. The city is divided into eight different neighborhoods. The main street area did not originate here.
The population of Cicero is composed of various races and ethnic groups. Sixty percent of the population is Hispanic, while thirty-seven percent are White. The remaining percentage is made up of 0.7% of Asian and 0.4% of American Indian residents. Of all people in Cicero, 89.7% are Hispanic. The majority of Cicero's residents are employed, with 65.5% living in poverty.
Cicero is in Cook County. It borders Chicago on the east and north. The town is named after Al Capone, who fled from the Chicago police to Cicero. Western Electric Company once operated a huge factory complex here. Cicero is home to St. Mary of Czestochowa, a historic Catholic church. This church is in the Archdiocese of Chicago.
Cicero is a suburb of Chicago, Illinois. Its population is estimated to reach 78,753 in 2020. It is the eleventh-largest municipality in Illinois. The city's population is shrinking at a rate of -0.86% per year. In the 2010 census, the city lost territory to Berwyn, Oak Park, and Chicago. During the 1920s, Al Capone set up his headquarters in Cicero and eventually took over the government and elections.