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Located in southeastern McHenry County in northeastern Illinois, Crystal Lake is a city named after its neighboring 230-acre lake southwest of downtown.  According to the 2003 estimates, the city boasts 40,021 residents, making it the biggest city in McHenry County.  Crystal Lake was once a resort and is now a suburb of the Chicago metro area.  In the past 20 years, Crystal Lake has been home to peacefully-growing suburban subdivisions.

Education
Crystal Lake is served by the Community High School District which runs 4 high schools and District 47, which runs all of the middle and elementary schools.  Within Crystal Lake city limits are 9 elementary schools, 3 middle schools and 3 high schools.  Within 20 miles of the city, there are 7 colleges, including McHenry Community College, Roosevelt University, University of Saint Mary of the Lake, and William Rainey Harper College.

Recreation
Crystal Lake is home to several are parks, 2 lake beaches and 22 neighborhood parks.  Outdoor recreation opportunities are nearly boundless and one can do anything from bird watching to ice skating, rowing and tennis.  Veteran Acres Park is considered to be one of the crown jewels of the Crystal Lake Park District.  The park boasts a variety of outdoor athletic and recreational facilities including 2 picnic shelters, a playground, several ball fields of different varieties, 2 sled hills and an ice skating pond.  Lippold Park is a site for all sorts of athletic interests, rigorous or not.  The park offers over 3 miles of trails for walking and biking and 60 acres of ponds and wetlands.  A skate park and batting cages are new additions to the facilities as well.

Events
Annual events include the summer Cardboard Cup Regatta, which takes place on Main Beach with thousands of spectators and dozens of teams.  The unique race features boats built from cardboard, made unforgettable by design and enthusiastic team members.  Awards for the event include the Most Spectacular Sinking Award.  In the same weekend is the annual Lakeside Festival at the Historic Dole Mansion.  At the festival, carnival rides and midway games abound as well as loads of local food and live music.  Tours of the mansion are available at this time.  Other annual events include the Gala Festival at the Dole Mansion, Taste of Crystal Lake, and RibFest at Main Beach among many others.