Flag designs often incorporate important symbols and flag elements that help tell the story of the locale. There are many different important numbers in Cook County, some of which we have included below, for your consideration in designing #FLAG2021.

January 15

The date of Cook County’s founding in 1831

2

Cook County is the second-most-populous county in the United States

5 + 1

The five suburban regions (North, Northwest, West, South, Southwest) and the City of Chicago as County seat

6

The number of freeways in Cook County, pioneered by the Highway Department (now Transportation and Highways) in the mid-20th century

9

The nine regions of the Cook County Forest Preserves

17 + 1

The 17 Commissioner Districts and the President of the Cook County Board

30 + 1

There were 30 suburban townships outside the City of Chicago (Evanston dissolved the township form of government in 2014)

38

Total county-wide elected officials, including the independently elected offices, the Board of Review, and the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago

134

The total number of municipalities that make up Cook County

568

The number of center-line highway miles that Cook County maintains

1831

The year of Cook County’s founding, January 15th

70,000

Current total acreage of the Cook County Forest Preserves, one of the oldest and largest forest preserve districts in the United States

1.5 million

The number of patients served by Cook County Health and Hospitals each year

5.2 million

The number of residents who call Cook County home