from Lake Chicago covered the surrounding area at the former lake's Glenwood Stage. Early pioneers gave the ridge the name because at a distance it looked like an island set in a trackless prairie sea. The blue color was attributed to atmospheric scattering or to blue flowers growing on the ridge. The Chicago Democrat, February, 1834 described it: "Nearly south of this town and twelve miles [19 km] distant is Blue Island. This name is particularly appropriate. It is a table of land about six miles [10 km] long and an average of two miles [3.2 km] wide, of an oval form and rising some forty feet [12 m] out of an immense plain which surrounds it on every side. The sides and slopes of this table, as well as the table itself, are covered with a handsome growth of timber, forming a belt surrounding about four or five thousand acres of beautiful table land. In summer, the plain is covered with luxurious herbage. It is uninhabited, and when we visited it, from its stillness, loneliness, and quiet, we pronounced it a vast vegetable solitude. The ridge, when viewed from a distance, appears standing in an azure mist of vapor, hence the appellation 'Blue Island'." Geography According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Blue Island has a total area of , of which (or 97.93%) is land and (or 2.07%) is water. Surrounding areas Chicago Alsip Chicago Alsip / Robbins Calumet Park Midlothian Riverdale Posen / Dixmoor Demographics As of the 2020 census there were 22,558 people, 7,926 households, and 5,457 families residing in the city. The population density was . There were 9,137 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 30.71% African American, 22.53% White, 1.93% Native American, 0.44% Asian, 0.07% Pacific Islander, 26.47% from other races, and 17.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 51.95% of the population. There were 7,926 households, out of which 61.06% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.42% were married couples living together, 22.63% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.15% were non-families. 26.27% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.45% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.56 and the average family size was 2.91. The city's age