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Shaded-relief map of Kankakee, Illinois: rivers, roads, the city limits and where the water drains.
ILLINOIS · KANKAKEE COUNTY

Kankakee

23,535 people, 650 ft above sea level in Kankakee County.

650 ftElevation, city center
23,535People, 2024 estimate
15 sq miLand area
Clear 38°
Clear now Dew point 28° · W 7 mph · high 37°
City of Kankakee River Interstate 2 miles
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The Kankakee plate. Relief from Copernicus GLO-30; rivers and lakes from USGS NHD; watersheds from the USGS Watershed Boundary Dataset; roads and city limits from Census TIGER 2024.

MILE1
TODAY

Today in Kankakee

NWS forecast and National Blend of Models · updated 5:00 PM CST
RIGHT NOW Greater Kankakee Airport (KIKK) · 5:55 PM
Clear
38° Clear Feels like 33° · high of 37° near 6 PM
WindW 7 mphno gusts
Humidity67%rising to 100% by morning
Pressure30.29 in →steady
Visibility10 mihaze-free
CloudsClear
UV index—no forecast
Dew point 28° · Dryabout the same for three days
DryComfortableStickyMuggyOppressive
NEXT RAIN
Clear
Not this weeknone in the forecast for a week
LIKELY AMOUNT—nothing expected
LAST RAINNov. 130.02 in · 1 dry day
ALERTS & OUTLOOKS
No watches or warnings for Kankakee County
NWS Chicago and the Storm Prediction Center · checked 6:18 PM
SUN & MOON
↑ 6:38 AM4:33 PM ↓
9 h 55 m of daylight, 2 minutes less than yesterday
Waxing crescent, 27% lit. Next full moon: Nov. 24.
AIR & POLLEN
24
GOODAir quality index · fine particles
Tomorrow: None, moderate. No pollen source yet.

The next three days, hour by hour

Sky: clear, cloudy, night Rain likely National Blend of Models
SATURDAY, NOV. 14
SUNDAY, NOV. 15
MONDAY, NOV. 16
TUESDAY, NOV. 17
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
6p
9p
Mid
3a
6a
9a
Noon
3p
mostly clear night
clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
clear day
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
mostly sunny
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly clear night
mostly sunny
mostly sunny
clear day
clear day
TEMPERATURE °F
37°
26°
48°
26°
50°
29°
CHANCE OF RAIN
50%
WIND, MPH
3
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
5
4
3
3
4
4
4
7
8
7
HOW IT FEELS · DEW POINT
Dry: dew points 26 to 34°

The next seven days, and how sure we are

Forecast, with the range 8 in 10 ensemble members agree on Normal, about 50° / 33°
SAT Nov. 14 Sunny Sunny
37° 25°
0% rain — WNW 2 A
SUN Nov. 15 Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
52° 25°
0% rain — WNW 0 A
MON Nov. 16 Sunny Sunny
55° 29°
0% rain — SW 3 A
TUE Nov. 17 Sunny Sunny
57° 32°
0% rain — S 6 A
WED Nov. 18 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
60° 41°
0% rain — S 10 A
THU Nov. 19 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
63° 43°
10% rain — WSW 7 B
FRI Nov. 20 Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
64° 46°
10% rain — SSE 7 C
How sure are we? AModels agree: highs within 4° BSome spread: within 8° CWide spread: check back
Range from the National Blend of Models percentiles · graded on Forecast Scores
AIR MAIL

Where today’s air came from

The air arriving over Kankakee about 5,000 feet above the ground was over British Columbia three days ago, and over the northern Plains a day ago, about 2,510 miles back along its path. It came down from about 11,900 feet up, warming and drying as it sank. It has stayed over land, which is why it feels dry. Traced back 72 hours through NOAA’s hourly RAP analyses and the GFS beyond them, nine paths at each of three heights.

THIS WEEK IN 1999 Nov. 14, 1999

The hottest this week has been

75° on Nov. 14, 1999, the hottest reading for this week of the year since 1887. Next is 74° in 1989.

74°
75°
19891999
Source: NOAA RCC-ACIS, the Kankakee Wwtp record since 1887.
MILE2
THE GROUND

What Kankakee stands on

Kankakee’s center stands about 650 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 580 ft to 680 ft, a difference of 100 ft: gently rolling country.

Under the town center the state geologic map shows Silurian System undivided (dolostone, limestone), from the Silurian, 422 to 445 million years old.

Kankakee, cut in half from southwest to northeast

A section southwest to northeast, 24 miles through the town center
600 ft700 ft KANKAKEE650 ftHigh point of the line740 ft ← SWNE →

Heights every 0.1 mile from the Copernicus GLO-90 surface model; vertical exaggeration about 64×. The colored band under the surface is the rock the state geologic map shows at the surface, not a picture of what lies beneath.

Rock at the surface along the line

Silurian System undivided

Dolostone, limestone. Age: Silurian, 422 to 445 million years old. About 24 mi of the line.

From the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation (Horton and others, 2017), the states’ geologic maps joined at a common scale.

Heights from Copernicus GLO-90 (a surface model: it includes buildings and tree canopy); summits from USGS GNIS; rivers from USGS NHDPlus HR; rock from the USGS State Geologic Map Compilation.

MILE3
THE WATER

Where Kankakee’s rain goes

A raindrop that lands in Kankakee reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Kankakee, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,500 river miles.

THE WAY DOWN, TO SCALE
Kankakee≈ 1,500 mi · the Gulf of America
FROM THE CENTER OF KANKAKEE ≈ 1,500 mi to the Gulf of America Kankakee → Illinois → Mississippi

Lake on the way: Peoria Lake.

1,190 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.

Traced down the USGS NHDPlus V2.1 river network from the Census center point of Kankakee; river miles along the main stem, rounded.

MILE5
THE ALMANAC

Kankakee’s year

1991–2020 normals · records since 1887 · Kankakee Wwtp

Kankakee has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. A normal year brings about 21 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 42 inches of water.

32°16°37°20°49°29°61°39°73°51°82°61°85°65°83°63°78°55°65°43°50°32°38°22° JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 TODAY KANKAKEE 41.7 in rain and snowmelt
Normal high to low, by month Record high to low, by day Rain by month Freezing
July, average85° / 65°high / low, the warmest month
January, average32° / 16°high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow41.7 inwettest months: June and May
Snow a year20.7 insnowiest: January
Hottest on record107°FAugust 17, 1988
Coldest on record−29°FJanuary 20, 1985
Wettest day on record5.85 inJune 17, 2012
Snowiest day on record13.0 inFebruary 16, 2021
90° days a year22very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°127and 35 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continentalKöppen Dfa

AROUND THE RING

1Freeze seasonfrom the first fall freeze, about Oct. 16, to the last in spring, about April 21 (median dates)
2Highs below freezingJan. 10 to Jan. 29; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezingNov. 15 to March 26; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretchMay through July: 15.0 of the year’s 41.7 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Kankakee normally reaches 50° and falls to 33°. The record high is 75°, in 1999; the record low 5°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.56 in, fell in 1985.

MONTH BY MONTH
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Normal high32°37°49°61°73°82°85°83°78°65°50°38°
Normal low16°20°29°39°51°61°65°63°55°43°32°22°
Rain and melt, in2.371.942.493.875.155.214.653.853.563.402.822.35
Snow, inches8.13.43.00.30.00.00.00.00.00.00.65.3
Record high66° (2008)74° (2000)85° (2012)91° (1986)99° (2018)103° (1988)103° (1987)107° (1988)99° (1998)90° (2025)79° (2016)71° (2012)
Record low−29° (1985)−21° (1979)−7° (2002)8° (1982)0° (1949)38° (2003)46° (2001)39° (1986)30° (1991)18° (1981)1° (1977)−26° (1983)

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1887 at Kankakee Wwtp, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.

MILE7
ON THE NETWORK

Around Kankakee on the Forecast Network

Neighboring plates

Joliet IL · 32 MI 32 miles northwest Orland Park IL · 35 MI 35 miles north Chicago IL · 52 MI 52 miles north Indianapolis IN · 129 MI 129 miles southeast Milwaukee WI · 136 MI 136 miles north Madison WI · 159 MI 159 miles northwest
FORECASTCITY
Map of Kankakee, Illinois. Explore the plate
ILLINOIS · KANKAKEE

Kankakee

23,535 people, 650 ft above sea level in Kankakee County.

650 ftElevation
23,535People
15 sq miLand
Clear 38°
ClearDew point 28°
1

Today in Kankakee

NEXT 15 HOURS
Now clear night 37° 0%
9p mostly clear night 32° 0%
12a clear night 28° 0%
3a mostly clear night 27° 0%
6a mostly clear night 26° 0%
9a clear day 37° 0%
Clear
NEXT RAINNone this week
→
Sat0%
Sunny Sunny
25
37
A
Sun0%
Mostly sunny; warmer Mostly sunny; warmer
25
52
A
Mon0%
Sunny Sunny
29
55
A
Tue0%
Sunny Sunny
32
57
A
Wed0%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
41
60
A
Thu10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
43
63
B
Fri10%
Partly cloudy Partly cloudy
46
64
C
Letters show how sure the forecast is: A, models agree; B, some spread; C, check back. Sample data.
THIS WEEK IN 1999 · NOV. 14, 1999

75°, the hottest this week of the year has been since 1887.

2

What Kankakee stands on

Kankakee’s center stands about 650 ft above sea level. Within three miles the land runs from 580 ft to 680 ft, a difference of 100 ft: gently rolling country.

Kankakee, southwest to northeast Kankakee650 ftHigh point740 ft ← SWNE → 24 miles through the town center; vertical exaggeration about 122×. Colors: rock at the surface.
Elevation, center650 ft
Within 3 miles580 to 680 ft
Lie of the landGently rolling (100 ft of relief)
Rock at the surfaceSilurian System undivided
Its ageSilurian, 422 to 445 million years old
5

Kankakee’s year

Kankakee has a hot-summer humid continental climate. Summer afternoons average 85° in July; winter nights fall to about 16° in January. A normal year brings about 21 inches of snow; with the rain, that comes to about 42 inches of water.

JANFEBMARAPRMAYJUNJULAUGSEPOCTNOVDEC 1234 41.7 in
July, average85° / 65° · high / low, the warmest month
January, average32° / 16° · high / low, the coldest month
Rain and melted snow41.7 in · wettest months: June and May
Snow a year20.7 in · snowiest: January
Hottest on record107°F · August 17, 1988
Coldest on record−29°F · January 20, 1985
Wettest day on record5.85 in · June 17, 2012
Snowiest day on record13.0 in · February 16, 2021
90° days a year22 · very few reach 100°
Nights at or below 32°127 · and 35 days that stay below freezing
Climate typeHot-summer humid continental · Köppen Dfa
1Freeze season · from the first fall freeze, about Oct. 16, to the last in spring, about April 21 (median dates)
2Highs below freezing · Jan. 10 to Jan. 29; normal highs stay below 32°
3Lows below freezing · Nov. 15 to March 26; normal lows fall below 32°
4Wettest stretch · May through July: 15.0 of the year’s 41.7 inches
NOVEMBER 14 IN THE RECORD

On November 14 Kankakee normally reaches 50° and falls to 33°. The record high is 75°, in 1999; the record low 5°, in 1986. The most rain on this date, 0.56 in, fell in 1985.

Normals 1991–2020 and records since 1887 at Kankakee Wwtp, here. NOAA, through RCC-ACIS.
3

Where the rain goes

≈ 1,500 mito the Gulf of AmericaKankakee → Illinois → Mississippi

A raindrop that lands in Kankakee reaches the Gulf of America by way of the Kankakee, the Illinois and the Mississippi: about 1,500 river miles.

Lake on the way: Peoria Lake.

1,190 miles of the trip are on the Mississippi.