The boundaries of the St. Charles area can be confusing — even for longtime residents. The distinctions between Campton Township, the Village of Campton Hills and the City of St. Charles are rooted in history, municipal governance and even citizen-led grassroots movements. 

With Campton Township seeking a $17.2M bond referendum on the April 1 consolidated election ballot for acquisition, development and rehabilitation of open space, it seems like a good time to explore the relationship between these entities. 

Let’s break it down.

The legacy of St. Charles

According to Joe Garbarski, Executive Director of the Campton Township Open Space Foundation, when the St. Charles post office was established, it covered an expansive 55 square miles. This included everything west of the city — stretching as far as Route 47, Silver Glen Road to the north, and Route 38 to the south. 

The small hamlets of Wasco and LaFox had satellite post offices, but the St. Charles location remained dominant. You’ll learn why this is relevant in a moment. 

Campton Township: The original local government

Campton Township, formed in 1835, shares a border with St. Charles Township, both covering a roughly equal area. For 155 years, Campton Township was the sole governing body for the unincorporated area — until 1990, when the Village of Lily Lake was incorporated as part of a grassroots effort to push back against a proposed landfill site by Kane County. 

Until that point, Campton Township was the most populous township in Illinois without an incorporated municipality.

The formation of the Village of Campton Hills in 2007 had a similar origin: protecting against an annexation plan by the City of Elgin, which sought to extend its reach beyond its current boundaries.

“The only way Campton Township residents could attempt to alter the takeover was by voting to form the Village of Campton Hills,” said Garbarski. “Townships do not have zoning rights like cities and incorporated villages.” 

A rich agricultural history

Long before suburban expansion, Campton Township was known for its rich, fertile agricultural soil, hardwood forests, and proximity to the Fox River for water and power. Historians in the late 19th century noted that Campton Township’s farmland was among the most fertile in Kane County, helping sustain agriculture as the primary land use until the 1960s. 

It wasn’t until decades later that residential development rivaled the number of acres dedicated to farming.

The first recorded settler, John Beatty, arrived in 1835 and provided the service of “prairie breaking” for $3.50 per acre. He built the first log cabin in the township, while other early settlers established key industries. The Garfield Farm and Tavern, built in 1846, remains one of the most intact historic farm sites in the country and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Railroads also played a major role in shaping the township. The Chicago Great Western Railroad, built in 1886-1887, helped farmers transport their goods to Chicago through the turn of the century. 

When the railroad was abandoned, the right-of-way was converted into the Great Western Trail, which remains a popular path for hiking and biking. 

A detailed history can be found on page 13 of this Village document.

Township government and open space preservation

When municipalities form, the township government does not dissolve. Instead, Garbarski says, it transitions into a secondary layer of governance responsible for road maintenance, property assessments and oversight of unincorporated areas. 

According to Garbarski, this system created confusion when developers began building large subdivisions, marketing them as part of St. Charles when they technically weren’t. That confusion seems to remain today, as many locals — from realtors and developers to everyday residents — often mistake Campton Hills addresses for St. Charles. 

One of the most unique aspects of township governance is the power of residents to call special meetings and influence local decisions. This has played out multiple times in Campton Township’s history, particularly in efforts to preserve land from large-scale developments.

“When Fermilab wanted to build an underground Super Collider underneath most of Campton Township, citizens banded together as a group called CATCH to stop it,” Garbarski said. “When the Kane County Forest Preserve District tried to annex all of the property along the Fox River through condemnation, another grassroots citizens group banded together to stop it.”

This same grassroots energy has fueled Campton Township’s Open Space Program.

Since 2001, this resident-driven initiative has led to the acquisition of 1,650 acres, with 90% dedicated to passive recreation and 10% for active use. 

How can we tell what’s a township or a municipality?

Here’s a useful interactive map you can use to distinguish between township and municipality boundaries in Kane County — and here’s where you can view individual precinct maps.

📖 Thanks for reading

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