Audioguides Naperville

Naperville sits about 30 miles west of downtown Chicago in DuPage County and has consistently ranked among America's most livable cities, a distinction that reflects its excellent schools, low crime, and considerable prosperity as much as any particular charm. The city was founded in 1831 by Captain Joseph Naper and grew modestly as an agricultural centre until the arrival of the Burlington railroad made it an affluent Chicago commuter suburb in the late 19th century. Several of the Victorian houses and commercial buildings from that era still stand in the downtown, and the Naperville Settlement, a restored pioneer village on the DuPage River, preserves the earlier log cabin era.

The DuPage River Riverwalk is the city's centrepiece, a meandering path along the river through downtown that connects parks, bridges, and gathering spaces over about 1.

75 miles. Centennial Beach, which opened in 1931 in a converted limestone quarry, is a beloved local swimming hole with a genuine period character. The downtown along Washington Street has an unusually high concentration of independent restaurants, boutiques, and cafes for an American suburb of its type, and the pedestrianised sections are pleasant on a summer evening when the restaurants overflow onto the pavement.