Elgin Historic District

The Gifford–Davidson House, also known as Stone Cottage, in Elgin, Illinois was built in 1850 and expanded in 1871. The Gifford–Davidson House is unusual due to its cobblestone construction and Second Empire style details. This design would have been more typical in James Gifford's original home of New York City. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1980. Also, it is a contributing property in the Elgin Historic District, which was listed on the NRHP in 1983.

The First Universalist Church in Elgin, Illinois was built in 1892. It was designed by George Hunter to resemble a pocket watch in Richardsonian Romanesque style. The church was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 and was subsequently included as a contributing property in the Elgin Historic District.

Elgin Academy is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school in Elgin, Illinois, United States. Elgin Academy is notable for many accomplishments, such as its Scholastic Bowl and ACES teams.

The Elgin National Watch Company Observatory is a historic building in Elgin, in the U.S. state of Illinois. It was built in 1910 to serve the Elgin National Watch Company two blocks to the west. The two-story observatory provided data on time that was scientifically accurate to a tenth of a second. Manufacturers could then produce a more accurate watch. The observatory was an important part of the company's legacy, and they even changed their motto to reflect this. By 1950, the Elgin National Watch Company could no longer compete with wristwatch companies. The observatory was donated to a local school district and became known as the School District U-46 Planetarium/Observatory. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.

The Elgin District is a geographic area within the Northern Illinois Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church and is led by a District Superintendent. With its administrative offices located in Elgin, Illinois, the district encompasses both urban and rural congregations, large and small. The current superintendent is Rev. Darneather Murph-Heath. The district's jurisdiction covers sixty-five local churches, led by seventy-two elders, deacons and licensed local Pastors. The sixty-five churches include two federated congregations, three Hispanic congregations and seven Korean congregations ranging in size from 15 to 1,400 members. The geographic area is fairly large and is broken down into the following by county: All of McHenry County Lake County west of Interstate 94, north of and including Lake Bluff Kane County north of Illinois Route 64 and east of Illinois Route 47 DuPage County north of Illinois Route 64 Cook County west of Interstate 294

The Grand Victoria Casino Elgin is a riverboat casino in Elgin, Illinois, United States, located about 40 mi (64 km) west of Chicago. It is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment.

The Elgin Professional Building is a historic high-rise building constructed in 1928 at 164 Division Street in downtown Elgin, Illinois. The building is 8 stories, at 96 feet tall, and functions primarily as an office building, housing the Elgin Art Showcase on the top floor since 2007. The building is also the office of Illinois State Senator Cristina Castro, and Illinois State Representative Anna Moeller. Built in the Gothic Revival style, it and the Elgin Tower Building have been centerpieces in the skyline of downtown Elgin for many years.

The Elgin Downtown Commercial District is a historic district encompassing the commercial core of downtown Elgin, Illinois. The district includes 94 buildings, 76 of which are considered contributing buildings to its historic character. While development in downtown Elgin began in the 1830s, the oldest buildings in the district were built in the 1870s; most of the district's buildings were built in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, but its development continued through the 20th century. The majority of the buildings in the district are two- and three-story commercial buildings, but it also includes several taller commercial buildings, churches, a public library, and a power station. Most of the 19th-century buildings in the district have Italianate or Queen Anne designs, while the 20th-century buildings features styles such as Colonial Revival and Renaissance Revival.The district was added to the National Register of Historic Places on December 22, 2014.

The Elgin Tower Building, originally the Home Banks Building, is a historic office building in downtown Elgin, Illinois. The tower is 186 feet tall and 15 stories. It was built in 1929 to house the Home National Bank and Home National Savings and Trust. Though initially successful, the Great Depression devastated the bank only months later. The tower was again prosperous following World War II, when demand for Elgin goods increased. However, this prosperity was only temporary, and the tower again fell on hard times in the 1960s, particularly after the 1965 closing of the Elgin National Watch Company. The tower was eventually purchased by William R. Stickling, who went to great lengths to restore it. It was donated to a charity named in his honor following his 1999 death, and the William R. Stickling Charitable Foundation continues to maintain the structure. Its restoration is considered a major part of a hopeful rehabilitation of downtown Elgin. The tower is one of only two Art Deco buildings in Elgin and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. An elevator in the building that had a wooden interior was destroyed by arson on May 4, 2014. The building was then purchased in 2016 by Capstone Development and renovated into apartments.

National Street is one of three stations on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line in Elgin, Illinois. The station is 36.0 miles (57.9 km) away from Chicago Union Station, the eastern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, National Street is in zone H. As of 2018, National Street is the 89th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 584 weekday boardings. National Street was also used by commuter trains of the Milwaukee Road, the predecessor to Metra.As of December 12, 2022, National Street is served by 45 trains (23 inbound, 22 outbound) on weekdays, by all 24 trains (12 in each direction) on Saturdays, and by all 18 trains (nine in each direction) on Sundays and holidays. On weekdays, one inbound train originates from here, and one outbound train terminates here. The station is adjacent to the site of the former Elgin National Watch Company.

The Ora Pelton House, or the Izzo-Pelton House, is a historic residence in Elgin, Illinois. The Stick-Eastlake residence is the only Victorian house remaining on South State Street, formerly a wealthy area. It was built for Ora Pelton, a physician and surgeon, by local architect Gilbert M. Turnbull. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Elgin is one of three stations on Metra's Milwaukee District West Line in Elgin, Illinois. The station is 36.6 miles (58.9 km) away from Chicago Union Station, the eastern terminus of the line. In Metra's zone-based fare system, Elgin is in zone H. As of 2018, Elgin is the 116th busiest of Metra's 236 non-downtown stations, with an average of 411 weekday boardings.As of December 12, 2022, Elgin is served by 44 trains (22 in each direction) on weekdays, by all 24 trains (12 in each direction) on Saturdays, and by all 18 trains (nine in each direction) on Sundays and holidays. All weekend trains originate and terminate here, in addition to three inbound trains originating from here on weekdays. The station was built by The Milwaukee Road and was a stop on numerous intercity trains, such as the Midwest Hiawatha, Arrow, and Southwest Limited. It was also the terminus station for by more frequent commuter trains to Chicago Union Station, until Metra took over service.The Elgin Metra station is also proposed as a stop on the Black Hawk, a proposed revival of a former Amtrak train of the same name. However, service to Rockford, Illinois is planned to begin operations in late 2027 with Metra instead of Amtrak.