Plano, IL (PLO)

Ticket Revenue

FY 2011

$121,452

Station Ridership

FY 2011

6,188

Note: Fiscal year is from
October through September.

The current Amtrak station in Plano was constructed in 1913 by Eidelgeorge Reuter and Company of Aurora, Ill., as a replacement for an older building. The rectangular Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad (CB&Q, now BNSF Railway) depot in Plano is constructed in a combination of Classical Revival and American Craftsman architectural styles. The station, which also houses the Plano Police and Fire Commission, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 12, 1993.

This station is scheduled for several Mobility First improvements under the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: new wheelchair lifts and enclosures, new pads for lifts and sidewalk to the platform, improvements to the crossing to the platform, new sidewalk and curb cut from parking to the platform, and improvement of access to new accessible parking stalls. The estimated cost of this project is $159,000.

Additionally, the city made improvements to heating and air conditioning in 2007, and supports ongoing restoration efforts necessary to a building of that age. The city and chamber of commerce are considering enlisting volunteers to keep the station open between boarding times. Additionally, the local historical society has tentative plans for historical displays within the station building.

Kendall County, where Plano sits, was settled in the early 19th century by farming families coming from Connecticut and New York State. In 1853, Plano was laid out along the Chicago and Aurora (a predecessor to the CB&Q) and near a grist mill. As it was up on the plain and not situated along the Fox River, one of the residents suggested that it be called Plano.

Plano is considered to be the home of the reaper, since Cyrus McCormick, son of the inventor, in 1834 patented this famous horse-drawn mechanical harvester, which he called the Plano Harvester. This device provided a critical time-savings toll to grain farmers, allowing them to double their crop sizes and spurred further innovation in agricultural machinery.

McCormick began manufacturing the Plano Harvester in 1837. Six years later, he began to license its manufacture in other parts of the country. He set up a factory in Chicago in 1847, founding what eventually became one of the greatest industrial establishments (International Harvester) in the United States. An astute businessman, McCormick increased his sales with door-to-door canvassing and written guarantees for his ready-to-assemble machinery. McCormick amassed a large fortune and invested widely in later years in railroad and mining enterprises.

Harvesters continued to be manufactured in Plano by such companies as Steward & Marsh (whose first machine cost $220), Plano Manufacturing Company, and the Plano Implement Company.

Beside the 1913 Craftsman station, Plano is also graced with several other historical buildings of note. The Italianate Plano Hotel, built in 1868 on the town’s main street, was the town’s first railroad hotel and retains its original appearance; the Albert H. Sears house, built in the Queen Anne style in 1881, belonged to one of the town’s prominent citizens and industrialists; and the Farnesworth house. Built for Dr. Edith Farnesworth in 1947 by modernist architect Miles van der Rohe, it is perhaps the fullest expression of modernist ideals that had begun in Europe in the 1920s, but which were consummated in Plano with this structure.

In October of 2006, Plano celebrated the addition of the Carl Sandburg train with a day-long festival, which was attended by an actor who portrayed town founder Lewis Seward, as well as music, food, and prizes.

Amtrak does not provide ticketing or baggage services at this facility. Caretakers open and close the station waiting room prior to arrival and after departures.

Plano is served by four daily trains. The intrastate trains are primarily financed through funds made available by the Illinois Department of Transportation.