[5] It is located in Milton and Winfield Townships, approximately 25 miles (40 km) west of Chicago.

[6] The city dates its founding to the period between 1831 and 1837, following the Indian Removal Act, when Erastus Gary laid claim to 790 acres (320 ha) of land near present-day Warrenville.

Jesse Wheaton later made claim to 300 acres (120 ha) of land just west of Warren's.

[10] In 1857, the Illinois state legislature authorized an election to be held to decide the question of whether the DuPage county seat should remain in Naperville or be moved to the more centrally located Wheaton, which was on the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad.

Hostility between the two towns continued for the next decade and another election was held in 1867, in which Wheaton narrowly won by a vote of 1,686 to 1,635.

During this time, Naperville was mounting a lawsuit against Wheaton accusing election judges of leaving their posts for lunch during the vote when duplicate ballot stuffing allegedly occurred.

As the courts deliberated the fate of the county seat, the records were destroyed in the Great Chicago Fire of 1871.

Wheaton has rapidly expanded since the 1950s, although population growth has slowed since the early 1990s, as the city has become increasingly landlocked.

[15] In 1887, Wheaton prohibited the sale of alcoholic beverages,[7] a ban which lasted until 1985 and applied to all supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, and other establishments.

The Little Popcorn Store on Front Street was formerly an alley between two buildings, and features the exposed brick walls of its neighbors.

[25] Other shopping districts in Wheaton include Danada Square West,[26] and Danada Square East,[27] named after Dan and Ada Rice, located on the north side of Illinois Route 56 (Butterfield Road), on the west and east side of Naperville Road.

The fair annually attracts major entertainers, such as Ashlee Simpson, Plain White T's (2007), Travis Tritt, Jesse McCartney, Jars of Clay, Corbin Bleu (2008), The Academy Is..., The Original Wailers (2009), and Danny Gokey (2010).

the theater and volunteers undertook a restoration to its original state, complete with a lighted dome ceiling dotted with stars, and a newly painted floor.

However, there was cause for hope when on January 23, 2010, when many cast members of the off-Broadway show Jersey Boys raised approximately $50,000 for restoration.

On July 10, 2010, the Grand Theater Corp. surrendered the deed to the building, to Suburban Bank and Trust Co, due in part to being delinquent on a $800,000 loan, carried by Suburban Bank and Trust Co. On November 30, 2012, Jim Atten bought the building, intending to reopen it soon.

The Union Pacific West Line runs through downtown Wheaton and has been a staple of the city since its founding in the mid-1800s.

[49] Wheaton was also served by the Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad with passenger and freight service from 1902 to 1959.

Pace provides bus service on multiple routes connecting Wheaton to Forest Park, Naperville, and other destinations.

[53] Wheaton has forty-five churches located within city limits and an additional thirty places of worship in the outlying unincorporated areas, representing nearly forty religious denominations.

[54] The Genius Edition of Trivial Pursuit states that Wheaton has the "second most churches per capita in America.

"[54] Built in 1926, the national headquarters of the Theosophical Society in America is located on a 42-acre (17 ha) estate on the north side of Wheaton.

[55] Wheaton is also the North American headquarters for the Institute of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which moved into its new home in June 1946.