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Development

Consider La Salle!

Traffic count map (3/17/21)
Traffic counts for major highways and roads in La Salle

The City of La Salle is an ideal location for new businesses and the relocation or expansion of existing operations.  Leaders in La Salle are committed to providing cost-saving incentives that both benefit the tax base of the area economy, and create more jobs.

Combining federal and state incentives, utility savings, and local incentive programs, La Salle offers developers and business owners a variety of options. Incentive packages are unique for each business and may include property tax abatement, sales tax refunds, enterprise zone benefits, Foreign Trade Zone savings, tax-increment financing (TIF), employee-training dollars, low-cost financing programs, infrastructure improvements, and utility cost reductions.  La Salle also offers a facade improvement grant of $25,000 for commercial and industrial buildings. 

To view the incentive documents, click on the links to the right of this page. 

Demographic Profile

  • The La Salle -Ottawa, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of three counties in north central Illinois, La Salle, Bureau and Putnam. The La Salle-Ottawa MSA had a population of 150,564 making it one of the largest Micropolitan Statistical Area in the US.

  • Population in 2014: 9,328 (99% urban, 1% rural). Population change since 2000: -4.8%

  • Median household income 2015: $42,779

  • Estimated median house or condo value in 2015: $89,984

Educational and Healthcare Facilities

  • La Salle is home to five school districts: La Salle Elementary School District 122, La Salle-Peru Township High School District 120, the Waltham Community Consolidated School District 185, Peru Elementary School District 124, and the Dimmick School District 175.

  • Illinois Valley Community College in Oglesby is the nearest college providing two-year degree and other certificate programs for La Salle residents. The college offers a 4 year degree through Lincoln College on the campus of IVCC.

Tourism

  • La Salle County and the Starved Rock area currently attracts nearly 3 million visitors annually. 

  • La Salle's Historic Downtown designation, along with numerous existing amenities and activities, including restaurants, unique shopping, the I & M Canal Visitor Center, Hegeler Carus Mansion attract visitors and local residents to La Salle. 

Historic District

  • Currently, there are three properties that are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, including La Salle City Hall, the Kaskaskia Hotel and the Julius W. Hegeler House at 1306 Seventh Street. The Downtown District of La Salle has been designated a Historic District, the area ranges from 1st street to 3rd street and Tonti Street and Bucklin Street.

Access

  • Located between several large cities and metropolitan areas, including the Quad Cities metropolitan area (82 miles), Rockford (72 miles), Bloomington-Normal (63 miles), DeKalb (50), Joliet (55 miles), Aurora (70 miles), Peoria (64 miles), and Chicago (94 miles).

  • The primary automobile gateways into La Salle are from the north (IL 351 at Interstate 80), the east (U.S. 6 at Interstate 39), and the south (IL 351/IL 71) Joliet Street at the I & M Canal Bridge). Entry into La Salle from the west occurs from U.S. Route 6 from Peru.

  • Aviation includes, The Illinois Valley Regional Airport - a general aviation (GA) airport.

  • Rail Includes, rail service between Chicago and Utica, Illinois. The Iowa and Interstate Railroad (IAIS) owns and operates service between Omaha to Bureau, Illinois. Lease arrangements are in place between CSX, Iowa Interstate, and other railroads in La Salle and Peru.

  • Waterway includes the Illinois River, measuring approximately 273 miles, and connects the “Great River” with the Great Lakes at Chicago. The waterway provides the city with year-round barge transportation.

  • Located within the upper Illinois River valley and the Illinois and Michigan Canal National Heritage Corridor, the nation’s first heritage corridor established by the National Park Service.

Other focal points of the area: 

  • Access: proximity to interstate, rail, barge, and air

  • Labor Force

  • Demographic Profile

  • Educational and Healthcare Facilities

  • Tourism

  • Incentives through Tax Increment Financing (TIF) districts, Revolving Loan Funds and Redevelopment Incentive Grants

  • Low taxes

  • Competitive utility rates

  • Ample work force & job training

  • Low crime rate

  • Revitalized Downtown area

  • Close proximity to Starved Rock State Park

Click here to view a video of our Mayor discussing the economic development in downtown LaSalle.

Comprehensive Plan

The City Council approved the City's Comprehensive Plan on April 22, 2014. This program will serve as a guide for the City's land use, community development, transportation, commercial districts, infrastructure, and capital improvements in the years to come. Contact Curt Bedei at c.bedei@lasalle-il.gov or 815-488-4442 for the approved version of the Comprehensive Plan .