In 1841, the founder of Cary, William Dennison Cary, purchased 82 acres of land, which became known as Cary Station. A portion of that land was sold to the Illinois & Wisconsin Railroad Company to build a single track railroad throughout the property. A train station was built on the property as well. This train line is now the Union Pacific Northwest Line, which travels from Harvard/McHenry to Chicago. Throughout his life, Mr. Cary would purchase over 640 acres of land, most of which has developed into today's downtown Cary.
In 2019, the Village of Cary, in partnership with Metra, completed the construction of a new depot building and a secondary warming shelter along the inbound platform. In late 2021, the retired depot station located on the outbound platform was demolished.
The Village of Cary continues to plan for and develop its downtown area. In June of 2021, the Village Board of Trustees formally adopted the Downtown Cary Strategic Plan, which provides guidance for future investment and development activity within the downtown. For more information about this document, click here.
This page houses information about Downtown Cary including upcoming events and projects. To learn more, visit one of the links below: