| Des Plaines is
a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. It has
adopted the official nickname of "City of Destiny."
As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population
of 58,720. It is a suburb of Chicago, and is adjacent
to O'Hare International Airport. The Des Plaines River
runs through the city, just east of its downtown area.
Des Plaines is a very economically diverse city, with
home values ranging from $30,000 to more than $1,000,000.
Des Plaines is named for the
Des Plaines River, which flows through it. The name
is French, "of the plains". Portions of Des
Plaines are underlain by the "Des Plaines Disturbance",
an area in which the layers of sedimentary rock are
highly abnormal. This probably represents an ancient
meteor crater, 75 to 200 feet beneath the town. The
bedrock was highly fractured by the impact, with large
blocks of sediment upended. The crater was eventually
filled by glacial activity, so that no trace now remains
on the surface. Addresses in the city limits of Des
Plaines have their own numbering system. Areas that
are unincorporated but "considered Des Plaines"
follow the Chicago numbering system. Devon Avenue in
Des Plaines is 3200 South while it is 6400 North in
Chicago.
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