The Kankakee River is just one of the attractions in the county.
The Kankakee River is just one of the attractions in the county.
Kankakee County has a bit of a reputation as a destination. The Kankakee River State Park, Merchant Street MusicFest and fishing and boating on the Kankakee River are some things that draw people in.
More than 19,000 people also commute to Kankakee County for work, according to the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County. These account for nearly half of the work force in Kankakee County.
“We’re finding out that a lot of the workers don’t have a clue of the things that we have in Kankakee County,” Tim Nugent, president and CEO of the Economic Alliance of Kankakee County, said to the Daily Journal. “They work in the county but don’t live here. What’s it going to take to get you to move to Kankakee County?’”
One goal of the Economic Alliance is to convince commuters to move to the county and take advantage of the amenities there.
Research showed that commuters who work at major businesses in Kankakee County but don't live there are unaware of all the county has to offer.
“Some of the reasons are they don’t feel we have some of the amenities,” Nugent told the Daily Journal. “They don’t think we have the restaurants, we don’t have the nightlife, we don’t have the bike paths, we don’t have the parks. We don’t have a lot of different things they’re looking for. Come to find out, we have all that stuff. They just didn’t know about it."
Nugget said the county is trying to get information out, to facilities and those in human resources, to know what is happening in Kankakee County, including its festivals.
The majority of commuters come from Cook, Will and Iriquois Counties, and some come from Indiana and all they see of Kankakee County is what they pass along driving Interstate 57, he said.
Nearly 25,000 people live in Kankakee County and commute outside of it for work.
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