A comparatively large city on the southwestern side of the Chicago metropolitan spread, Joliet has a rich history of its own relating to the river, the Canal, and the open country of Illinois. The city has many stately buildings and is experiencing something of a renaissance. It is not properly speaking a Chicago suburb, although as Chicagoland pushes its boundaries outward, Joliet has gained a semi-suburban status like other fringe cities such as Naperville, Elgin and Waukegan.
