Oswego

Just down the Fox River from Aurora, the village of Oswego welcomes you. In 2024, about 38,778 residents call Oswego home–representing more than double the population in 2000. Plenteous job opportunities nearby, and recreation around the River helped fuel the growth. Oswego was was named one of the best small towns in America by CNN’s Money magazine, in 2011. Settlers to the area date back about 1000 years, as documented in the town museum. But it was in 1832 that John, Walter, and Daniel Pearce arrived permanently along the banks of the Fox, along with their brother-in-law William Smith Wilson. The extended Wilsons and Pearces staked their claims. Shortly after, Lewis B. Judson and businessman Levi Arnold arrived and bought up older claims, acquiring hundreds of acres. “Hudson,” on Wilson’s old claim, was then founded just north of Waubonsee Creek, in present-day downtown. Oswego (from the Mohawk word meaning “mouth of the stream”) soon became the village’s permanent moniker.

SHOPPING AND DINING

The Oswego country market enjoys a vigorous showing on Sundays from May to October, as residents and guests get together in the open air for armloads of fresh produce. The Oswego Family Restaurant, also located downtown, is a friendly meeting place before or after shopping. To the east on US Route 34, “Ogden Avenue,” numerous retail shops, restaurants, grocers, and home/business supply outlets lie within walking or biking distance of homes. And the Fox Valley Winery, to the southwest on Route 34, works wonders with locally grown grapes–into a surprisingly pleasant selection of wines. Guests can taste on site or take home.

PARKS AND RECREATION

The Oswegoland Park District maintains 55 varied park sites, totaling over 900 acres of natural and developed parkland. Leading off, scenic Hudson Crossing Park, just off the river banks, can be readily utilized for community events. Saw Wee Kee park, formerly a strip-mined gravel pit, now offers 134 acres of riverside beauty, including natural wooded sites and trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, fishing, camping, and a connection with nature. Backed by gorgeous fall foliage, the annual Fox River Canoe Launch provides autumn fun. Fox Bend Golf Course, operated by the District, comes complete with lessons and clinics. Bogies Indoor Golf simulation facility tames the golf instinct year round.

LIVING

Conveniently within the Aurora Area, Caterpillar anchors the business community. The south Fox Valley remains a noted hub for manufacturing, technical, and professional employment, attracting individuals and families from the Midwest and beyond. After hours, the volunteer-staffed Oswego Playhouse brings downtown drama to the village, along with the Limelight Theatre Company. Further east on route 30, Kendall 10 Theatres gives free refills on soda and will top off your popcorn for only 50 cents. Late summer features the Oswego Fine Art Fair, back near the river.

SCHOOLS, TRANSPORTATION, AND HEALTH

The historic Little White School represented the humble beginnings of Oswego, as a one-room schoolhouse until the 1960s. It now houses a village museum, with an interesting historical perspective on this river town. The sought-after Community Unit School District 308 covers both rural and incorporated land, and houses 14 elementary schools, and five junior highs. Oswego High School, and Oswego East top the ladder of secondary education. Since 1966, Waubonsee Community College has operated a main campus in Sugar Grove, and branch locations can be found nearby in Aurora and Plano. To the north, Aurora University offers a four-year liberal arts education. US Route 30, ” Lincoln Highway” frames the north end of Oswego, and the tree-lined Boulder Hill home area (shared with Montgomery) can be entered from the highway. Coming from Chicago, Highway 34 curves southwest. State Routes 25 and 31 straddle the river, and follow north through most of the scenic Fox Valley. The Kendall Area Transit, or KAT, provides shuttle bus service from Oswego to the Aurora Transportation Center. This makes a vital link to BNSF Metra commuter rail to and from Chicago, and the many opportunities there. Provena Mercy Medical Center is located to the north in Aurora. And just inside southwest Aurora on 34 lies the well-known Rush Copley Medical Center, and its associated health and fitness facilities.