Aurora, Elgin Ranked Among Top 10 Big Cities in USA For Trick-or-Treating
A recent study by finance website SmartAsset has ranked Aurora the third-best city and Elgin the seventh-best city to trick-or-treat out of the largest 252 cities in America.
To identify the Best Places to Trick-or-Treat in 2016, SmartAsset ranked the largest cities using metrics, including the percentage of children under the age of 15 years old, the number of single-family homes per square mile, special events, home affordability, crime rates and weather.
“Residents in Aurora seem to take Halloween pretty seriously,” said SmartAsset representatives. “Families can attend all sorts of events like the annual Pumpkin Weekends held at Blackberry Farm. During weekends throughout the month of October, kids can make crafts, listen to pumpkin stories and ride on a hay wagon.”
Elgin’s population of roughly 111,076 has plenty of Halloween spirit.
“Our analysis reveals that Elgin has a relatively low violent crime rate,” the SmartAsset article says. “We also found that there are about 662 single-family homes per square mile. Since more homes means more candy, satisfying your sweet tooth shouldn’t be too difficult.”
The Top 10 Best Places to Trick-or-Treat in 2016 are:
- Nampa, ID
- Orem, UT
- Aurora, IL
- Kennewick, WA
- (tie) Longmont, CO, and Dearborn, MI
- Elgin, IL
- El Paso, TX
- Kenosha, WI
- Olathe, KA
Last year, Aurora ranked No. 12.
For more information about the study, visit this page of the SmartAsset website.
Trick-or-Treating in Aurora and Elgin 2016
- Official trick-or-treating hours in the city of Aurora are 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 31, 2016.
- This year’s recommended trick-or-treating hours in Elgin are 4 p.m. to Monday, Oct. 31, 2016.
Trick-or Treating Safety Tips
The city of Aurora and the Aurora Police Department remind residents to:
- Accompany children and try to go earlier when it still is light outside.
- Make sure costumes, wigs and accessories are flame resistant.
- Wear costumes that are bright or reflective so children can see and be seen. Putting reflective tape on costumes is another option.
- Wear costumes, masks and shoes that are well-fitting to avoid blocked vision, trips and falls.
- Stay on sidewalks, look both ways before crossing streets and use established crosswalks wherever possible.
- Carry a flashlight.
- Only visit homes with a front porch light on and children should only enter homes if they’re with a trusted adult. Otherwise, they should stay outside.
- Bring a cell phone while trick-or-treating in case of an emergency.
- Only eat factory-wrapped candy and treats.
Elgin issues these tips and reminders:
- Young children should be accompanied by their parents or another responsible adult/ older sibling.
- One member of each group should carry a lighted flashlight after dusk.
- Make sure costumes do not limit your child’s mobility or ability to see clearly.
- Children should be dressed in LIGHT COLORED COSTUMES or have reflective tape on dark costumes.
- Always walk on the sidewalk and cross the street at intersections.
- Bring candy and goodies home to inspect before eating any of them.
The Elgin Police Department asks that citizens only serve wrapped candy, and keep your porch light on to show you are still taking trick-or-treaters once it gets dark.
The department requests that motorists be especially observant on Halloween and watch for costumed children who might be too distracted to notice cars. Residents are reminded to lock their cars and close their garage doors to reduce the opportunity for theft and vandalism.
About the City of Aurora, IL
Located 35 miles west of Chicago, Aurora is the second largest city in Illinois with a population of 200,456. Aurora is known as the “City of Lights” because it was one of the first in the nation to illuminate its streets with electric lights. Situated along the Fox River and the Ronald Reagan Memorial Tollway (Interstate 88), the city extends 46 square miles encompassing Kane, DuPage, Kendall and Will counties. Aurora also is home to six public school districts and seven townships. For the latest news, access to an archive of past news releases or to follow the city on Facebook or Twitter, visit the city’s website at www.aurora-il.org.
About the City of Elgin, IL
Located 35 miles northwest of Chicago and home to more than 108,000 people, Elgin is an award-winning All American City and one of the fastest-growing communities in Kane County. “The City in the Suburbs” offers exceptional opportunities that include cultural arts, entertainment and recreation. For more information, visit the city’s website or connect on Facebook, Twitter (@ElginIL), Instagram, LinkeIn, YouTube and Pinterist.
