Total Sites
52,971
9 federal databases
Severity Density
1.21
Severity-weighted sites per sq mi
High-Severity Sites
1,110
Superfund NPL, PFAS detections + similar top-tier records
Data Sources
EPA, USGS
9 databases checked
Source Breakdown
Top Counties in Illinois
Cook County carries Illinois's densest documented record — 20.63 severity-weighted sites per square mile across 15,546 records, most commonly Underground Storage Tanks, including 234 high-severity sites. Density describes the county's record, not any single parcel.
| County | Sites | Density | Dominant Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cook | 15,546 | 20.63 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| DuPage | 3,490 | 13.32 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Lake | 2,352 | 6.73 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Kane | 1,960 | 4.91 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Winnebago | 1,766 | 4.29 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Will | 1,969 | 3.04 | Brownfields |
| McHenry | 1,237 | 2.80 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| St. Clair | 1,211 | 2.34 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Rock Island | 756 | 2.29 | Underground Storage Tanks |
| Madison | 1,278 | 2.23 | Underground Storage Tanks |
Cook
Sites
16K
Density
20.6
Source
Underground Storage TanksDuPage
Sites
3K
Density
13.3
Source
Underground Storage TanksLake
Sites
2K
Density
6.7
Source
Underground Storage TanksKane
Sites
2K
Density
4.9
Source
Underground Storage TanksWinnebago
Sites
2K
Density
4.3
Source
Underground Storage TanksWill
Sites
2K
Density
3.0
Source
BrownfieldsMcHenry
Sites
1K
Density
2.8
Source
Underground Storage TanksSt. Clair
Sites
1K
Density
2.3
Source
Underground Storage TanksRock Island
Sites
756
Density
2.3
Source
Underground Storage TanksMadison
Sites
1K
Density
2.2
Source
Underground Storage TanksAgricultural Pesticide Use in Illinois
In the 2019 federal survey estimates, Illinois's most-applied agricultural pesticides statewide were Glyphosate, Metolachlor & Metolachlor-S and Atrazine. These estimates describe agricultural land use across the state — context for what's in use around the region, not a reading on any garden's soil.
Pesticide data: USGS NAWQA Pesticide National Synthesis Project (EPest county-level use estimates). Latest available county estimates: 2019.
County-Level Detail in Illinois
The federal record isn't uniform across a state. Here's what's documented around Illinois's counties with the densest records — each read from that county's own sites, not the state average. Proximity is information, not a diagnosis; a soil test settles any near neighbor.
Is It Safe to Grow Food in Cook County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around Cook County — 15,546 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track, 234 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 220 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Cook County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 15,546 documented sites, most of them underground storage tanks. That's a record of the area's history, not a verdict on any one yard: proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis. Before food beds go in, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with — and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Documented sites nearest the Cook County center
- 700 W. Erie — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.1 km from the county center
- Chicago Tribune Co — Brownfields · ~0.1 km from the county center
- Watersaver Faucet Co — Toxic Release Inventory · ~0.1 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to Cook County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own Illinois parcel to see what's actually near you.
Is It Safe to Grow Food in DuPage County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around DuPage County — 3,490 documented sites across 6 of the 9 source types we track, 31 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 24 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
DuPage County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 3,490 documented sites, most of them underground storage tanks. That's a record of the area's history, not a verdict on any one yard: proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis. Before food beds go in, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with — and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Documented sites nearest the DuPage County center
- Wheaton Amc/Jeep/Renault — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.8 km from the county center
- City Of Wheaton — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.8 km from the county center
- Dons Auto — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.9 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to DuPage County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own Illinois parcel to see what's actually near you.
Is It Safe to Grow Food in Lake County?
Federal record: HighWe checked the federal record around Lake County — 2,352 documented sites across 7 of the 9 source types we track, 36 of them high-severity.
The most significant on record: 29 Superfund sites. Sites tracked in EPA's Superfund program — from assessment-stage CERCLIS entries to confirmed National Priorities List cleanup sites.
Lake County carries one of the heavier federal records we track — 2,352 documented sites, most of them underground storage tanks. That's a record of the area's history, not a verdict on any one yard: proximity to a documented site is information, not a diagnosis. Before food beds go in, a professional soil test tells you exactly what you're working with — and raised beds with clean imported soil grow well almost anywhere in the meantime.
Documented sites nearest the Lake County center
- Hp Oil — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.3 km from the county center
- Leonards Union 76 — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.3 km from the county center
- Bp Highland Park (Ss# 278) — Underground Storage Tanks · ~0.3 km from the county center
These are the closest documented sites to Lake County's geographic center — a screening reference, not a reading on any specific address. Check your own Illinois parcel to see what's actually near you.
Check an Address in Illinois
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