Two governments, two rulebooks
The City of Joliet runs a Forestry Division that manages more than 80,000 trees and 50 landscape areas. The City says that work, plus the Tree Board, earned it Tree City U.S.A. status for 33 consecutive years (Joliet Forestry). If the trunk sits in a City parkway, that is a City tree.
Joliet Township is a different local government, with offices at 175 W. Jefferson Street. Its Highway Commissioner directs the construction, maintenance and repair of roads and bridges in the township (Joliet Township). The Township’s main services page lists general assistance, animal control, mosquito abatement, Dial-A-Ride and similar programs, not a city-style forestry department (Joliet Township Services). Tree work shows up under the Road District instead.
Inside the City of Joliet
The City defines a parkway as the grassy easement between the sidewalk and the curb. No sidewalk on your street? A City foreman or arborist has to come out and decide whether the tree is in the easement (Joliet Forestry). Dead or dying parkway trees are City property, and removing them is the City’s job. Report them at 815-724-3650 (same page).
- Private yards and alleys are not the City’s. The City does not remove trees on private property or in alleys. Those are on you (Joliet Forestry). That is when you look at tree removal in Joliet.
- Don’t hire out a parkway tree. Only a certified arborist, or workers supervised by one, may prune or remove parkway trees. The City asks residents to call Forestry if they see parkway work going on without an arborist directing it (same page).
- Want the longer version? Our Joliet parkway tree rules page walks through painted numbers, stumps, replanting and storm debris.
On a Joliet Township road
The Joliet Township Road District maintains more than 60 miles of roadways and six bridges in the township’s jurisdiction (Joliet Township Road District). A February 2026 overview lists parkway tree maintenance among the services residents can request, along with street signs, culverts, potholes and the like (About the Road District).
On parkway trees, the Road District is more limited than City Forestry:
- A dead parkway tree: the Road District will take it down (Joliet Township Road District).
- Everyday care: homeowners are responsible for the everyday maintenance of trees in the parkway (same page).
- Branches and yard waste: homeowners dispose of leaves, branches and yard waste. The Road District does not collect branches (same page).
The Road District office and garage are at 901 S. Joliet Street. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Monday through Thursday, and Friday by appointment. The listed phone is 815-722-6646. For a roadway emergency after hours, the page tells you to call the Will County Sheriff’s Office (Joliet Township Road District).
How to tell which one you are dealing with
A Joliet mailing address does not settle it. Parts of the surrounding townships sit next to City streets, and the Township itself notes that a portion of the highway tax is shared with municipalities inside the district (Joliet Township). If the tree is between the sidewalk and the curb inside the City, start with Forestry. If your street is a township road in unincorporated Joliet Township, start with the Road District. Call before you pay anyone. The wrong office will usually send you to the right one.
Your own tree, and the wires
A tree on your lot is yours in either place. The City says so in plain language (Joliet Forestry). The Township Road District page talks about parkway trees and yard-waste disposal; it does not say the District will take down a tree in your yard. Before anyone digs or cuts near the house, the City tells residents to call J.U.L.I.E. at 811, and to call ComEd at 800-334-7661 if the tree is near poles or power lines (Joliet Forestry; ComEd). After a storm, start with our storm damage checklist. If you live farther west on an unincorporated Troy Township road, branch pickup works differently; see trees in unincorporated Troy Township.
Sources
Checked Nov. 11, 2026. If a City rule has changed since, the City’s page wins.