Des Plaines
A river town just north of O'Hare, with a restored 1925 theater.
Downtown Des Plaines · Randy Escalada, CC BY-SA 2.0
To the Loop
17mi
Straight-line miles from downtown Des Plaines.
Metra
2 stations in town.
County
Cook
About 14 square miles.
ASG here
0
Homes we list here now.
Living here
Life in Des Plaines.
Des Plaines is named for the river that runs just east of its downtown. The restored Des Plaines Theatre, from 1925, anchors the downtown around the Metra station, and the city sits just north of O'Hare, with two tollways crossing it.
The Des Plaines River Trail runs the length of the city through the forest preserves, Lake Park has Lake Opeka, and Big Bend Lake connects to the river.
Trails and bikingBig parksEasy without a carArts and culture
The homes
What you'll find.
Older homes near downtown and the river, brick bungalows and postwar ranches and Cape Cods across the city, condo buildings downtown, and townhomes and apartment complexes along the main roads.
Single-family homesBungalowsDowntown condosTownhomes
Getting around
How far is everything?
Metra stops at Des Plaines and Cumberland stations on the Union Pacific Northwest (UP-NW) line, toward downtown Chicago. I-90 and I-294 cross the city, and O'Hare is just south. Pace buses connect to the airport and the CTA Blue Line at Rosemont.
Straight-line miles. Tap one to draw it on the map. No train times; check Metra for schedules.
Places to know
Start here.
- Arts and cultureDes Plaines TheatreA 1925 movie palace, restored and reopened in 2021 for shows.
- Lake and riverDes Plaines River TrailThe riverside trail through the forest preserves.
- ParksLake ParkLake Opeka, with paths around the water and fishing.
- Arts and cultureDes Plaines History CenterLocal history museum near downtown.
- Lake and riverBig Bend LakeA fishing lake linked to the Des Plaines River.
For sale now
On the market in Des Plaines.
Live from MRED through our home search. ASG listings open their own page; the rest open in our home search. Sources
In the news
What's being built and sold.
- Legacy | Obituary · Oct 26, 2026Nancy Rose Whalen Obituary (2026) - Des Plaines, IL - Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes - ChicagoRead at Legacy | Obituary
- Legacy | Obituary · Oct 19, 2026John O'Callaghan Obituary (2026) - Des Plaines, IL - Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes - ChicagoRead at Legacy | Obituary
- Legacy | Obituary · Oct 8, 2026Garry A. Leiding Obituary (2026) - Des Plaines, IL - Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes - ChicagoRead at Legacy | Obituary
- Legacy | Obituary · Oct 7, 2026Spiros Poulos Obituary (2026) - Des Plaines, IL - Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes - NilesRead at Legacy | Obituary
- Legacy | Obituary · Oct 5, 2026Margaret Ann Sampey Obituary (2026) - Des Plaines, IL - Colonial-Wojciechowski Funeral Homes - ChicagoRead at Legacy | Obituary
Recent real estate headlines from Google News, linked to the outlets that published them. Sources
Nearby
Around Des Plaines.
Questions
Good to know.
What is Des Plaines known for?
Des Plaines is named for the river that runs just east of its downtown. The restored Des Plaines Theatre, from 1925, anchors the downtown around the Metra station, and the city sits just north of O'Hare, with two tollways crossing it.
What kind of homes are in Des Plaines?
Older homes near downtown and the river, brick bungalows and postwar ranches and Cape Cods across the city, condo buildings downtown, and townhomes and apartment complexes along the main roads.
How do you get to Chicago from Des Plaines?
Des Plaines is about 17 miles from the Loop as the crow flies. Metra stops at Des Plaines and Cumberland stations on the Union Pacific Northwest (UP-NW) line, toward downtown Chicago. I-90 and I-294 cross the city, and O'Hare is just south. Pace buses connect to the airport and the CTA Blue Line at Rosemont.
Which school districts serve Des Plaines?
Most of Des Plaines is served by Community Consolidated School District 62, Community Consolidated School District 59 and Maine Township High School District 207. District lines do not always follow town lines, so check the district for any address. We do not rank schools; the Illinois Report Card has each school's own data, and we're happy to look one up with you. Open the Report Card.
What towns are near Des Plaines?
The closest towns with our guides are Mount Prospect, Park Ridge, Glenview and Prospect Heights.
Looking in Des Plaines?
Let us show you around.
Our agents know Des Plaines street by street. Tell us what you're after and we'll line up the homes, on the market and off it.
Sources
Written by our team from public sources. Places change; call ahead.
- Homes for sale
- Live MRED listings, distributed by MLS GRID.
- News
- Google News, linked to each outlet.
- Boundaries
- U.S. Census Bureau, TIGERweb
- Metra
- Metra. Distances are straight-line.
- Schools
- We don't rank schools: Illinois Report Card
Photo credits 5
- Downtown Des Plaines Randy Escalada, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Mount Prospect Metra station Adam Moss, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Pickwick Theatre, Uptown Park Ridge Chicagoshim, CC BY-SA 4.0
- The Glen Town Center, Glenview Zol87, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Prospect Heights Metra station Jacob J Mackenzie, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, under the licenses shown.
Listings are deemed reliable but not guaranteed. We describe places, homes and transit, not the people who live there.