Elgin Community College is a post-secondary educational institution which awards Associate of Arts degrees. It was founded in 1949 as part of Elgin Area School District U46. Community College District #509 was formed 17 years later in 1966, a year after Illinois legislators created the Illinois Public Community College System. Most of the District is in Kane County with portions in DeKalb, Cook, McHenry, and DuPage. The 360-square-mile (930 km2) District serves 300,000 people, 11,000 businesses, four public school districts, and 15 high schools.

Classes were originally held in the Elgin High School (now the Gifford Street School) but later moved a 145-acre (58.7 ha) campus developed on what was previously the farm colony of Elgin State Hospital. On April 7, 2009, voters in District 509 approved a $178M bond referendum to finance the renovation and expansion of the campus.

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