Why this Chicago suburb holds a secret crater and a billion-dollar gas station

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Des Plaines, Illinois, is more than just a Chicago suburb near O'Hare Airport. Beneath its streets lies an ancient, hidden meteorite crater, while its history spans from 19th-century railroad mills to the site of a record-breaking billion-dollar lottery win. Discover the layers of this surprisingly complex Midwestern city.

Des Plaines sits on a geological curiosity known as the Des Plaines Disturbance. Roughly 75 to 200 feet below the surface, sedimentary rock layers are highly abnormal, suggesting an ancient meteorite impact. The force of this event fractured the bedrock and upended large blocks of sediment, though glacial activity eventually filled the crater, leaving no visible trace on the landscape today.

The city's development is tied to the Des Plaines River, which French explorers named in the 17th century after observing sycamore trees that resembled European plane trees. While the area was originally inhabited by Potawatomi, Ottawa, and Ojibwe tribes, European settlement accelerated in the 1830s. By the 1850s, the arrival of the Illinois and Wisconsin Railroad transformed the site from a milling hub into a growing community. Originally platted as 'Rand' after early settler Socrates Rand, the town officially adopted the name Des Plaines in 1869.

Modern Des Plaines is defined by its proximity to O'Hare International Airport, which spurred rapid industrial growth after World War II. The city has become a unique cultural landmark, famously hosting the site of the ninth McDonald's restaurant—often misidentified as the first franchise—which operated as a museum until its 2018 demolition. More recently, the city made headlines in July 2022 when a local gas station sold a $1.34 billion winning lottery ticket, the third-largest in United States history.

Beyond its commercial notoriety, the city maintains a distinct identity through its own unique street numbering system, which differs from the grid used in neighboring Chicago. Despite its suburban nature, Des Plaines remains a hub for education and industry, housing campuses for Oakton College and serving as a base for major employers like Rivers Casino and various international corporate offices.

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