River Forest
Wide lawns, early Wright houses and Thatcher Woods.
Edgewood Place, River Forest Historic District · Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
To the Loop
9.7mi
Straight-line miles from downtown River Forest.
Metra
1 station in town.
County
Cook
About 2.5 square miles.
ASG here
0
Homes we list here now.
Living here
Life in River Forest.
River Forest lies between Oak Park and the Des Plaines River, whose forest preserves line the village's west side. Its streets hold early Frank Lloyd Wright work, including the 1893 Winslow House, alongside large homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago both have their campuses here.
Thatcher Woods and the Des Plaines River trail run along the west side, and the River Forest Park District keeps parks, ballfields and an ice rink across the village.
Historic architectureQuieter side streetsBig parksTrails and biking
The homes
What you'll find.
Large Prairie School, Tudor, Colonial Revival and Victorian homes on deep lots, smaller bungalows and Georgians on the side streets, and a handful of condo and townhome buildings near Lake Street and North Avenue.
Single-family homesHistoric homesTownhomesCondos
Getting around
How far is everything?
Metra stops at River Forest station on the Union Pacific West (UP-W) line, toward downtown Chicago. The CTA Green Line's western end, Harlem/Lake, is just across Harlem Avenue, and the Blue Line's Harlem stop is a short trip south. North Avenue and Lake Street carry most of the traffic.
Straight-line miles. Tap one to draw it on the map. No train times; check Metra for schedules.
Places to know
Start here.
- ParksThatcher WoodsForest preserve woods and trails along the Des Plaines River.
- Arts and cultureTrailside Museum of Natural HistoryA small Forest Preserves of Cook County nature museum on Thatcher Avenue.
- LandmarksWinslow HouseFrank Lloyd Wright's first independent commission, from 1893. A private home, seen from the street.
- Lake and riverDes Plaines RiverThe river forms the western edge of the village, with paddling and a trail along its banks.
- LandmarksDominican UniversityCollegiate Gothic stone buildings on a wooded campus at Division and Harlem.
For sale now
On the market in River Forest.
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.
Recent real estate headlines from Google News, linked to the outlets that published them. Sources
Nearby
Around River Forest.
Questions
Good to know.
What is River Forest known for?
River Forest lies between Oak Park and the Des Plaines River, whose forest preserves line the village's west side. Its streets hold early Frank Lloyd Wright work, including the 1893 Winslow House, alongside large homes from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago both have their campuses here.
What kind of homes are in River Forest?
Large Prairie School, Tudor, Colonial Revival and Victorian homes on deep lots, smaller bungalows and Georgians on the side streets, and a handful of condo and townhome buildings near Lake Street and North Avenue.
How do you get to Chicago from River Forest?
River Forest is about 9.7 miles from the Loop as the crow flies. Metra stops at River Forest station on the Union Pacific West (UP-W) line, toward downtown Chicago. The CTA Green Line's western end, Harlem/Lake, is just across Harlem Avenue, and the Blue Line's Harlem stop is a short trip south. North Avenue and Lake Street carry most of the traffic.
Which school districts serve River Forest?
Most of River Forest is served by River Forest School District 90 and Oak Park and River Forest High School District 200. 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 River Forest?
The closest towns with our guides are Oak Park, La Grange Park, La Grange and Elmhurst.
Looking in River Forest?
Let us show you around.
Our agents know River Forest 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
- Edgewood Place, River Forest Historic District Warren LeMay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- La Grange Park from the air Mx. Granger, CC0
- La Grange Public Library Lgplinfo, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wilder Park Conservatory SimLibrarian, CC0
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.