To the Loop
29mi
Straight-line miles from downtown Vernon Hills.
Metra
1 station in town.
County
Lake
About 7.9 square miles.
ASG here
0
Homes we list here now.
Living here
Life in Vernon Hills.
Vernon Hills grew from farmland after 1958 into a village of subdivisions, corporate campuses and regional shopping. Hawthorn Mall and Mellody Farm sit near Route 60 and Milwaukee Avenue, and Half Day Forest Preserve lines the Des Plaines River on its east side.
Century Park wraps Big Bear and Little Bear Lakes with lighted paved paths, a fishing pier and an arboretum. Half Day Forest Preserve and the Des Plaines River Trail run along the river, and the Vernon Hills Athletic Complex has sports fields on a former Nike missile site.
Big parksLocal shopping streetsTrails and bikingNew constructionQuieter side streets
The homes
What you'll find.
Single-family subdivisions from the 1960s through the 2000s, townhome and condo communities, and newer apartments near the shopping districts.
Single-family homesTownhomesCondosApartments
Getting around
How far is everything?
Metra stops at Vernon Hills station on the North Central Service (NCS) line, toward downtown Chicago. Route 60 (Townline Road), Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21) and Route 45 cross the village, and I-94 is a short drive east. Pace buses serve the shopping districts.
Straight-line miles. Tap one to draw it on the map. No train times; check Metra for schedules.
Places to know
Start here.
- ParksCentury ParkThe park district's largest park, with two lakes and paved paths.
- Lake and riverHalf Day Forest PreserveWoods, picnic groves and river trail access on the Des Plaines River.
- ShoppingMellody FarmAn open-air shopping center at Milwaukee Avenue and Route 60.
- ShoppingHawthorn MallThe regional mall at Route 60 and Milwaukee Avenue.
- ParksVernon Hills Athletic ComplexFields and trails on land once used by the Army and Navy.
For sale now
On the market in Vernon Hills.
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 30, 2026Mark H. Slater Obituary (2026) - Vernon Hills, IL - Simkins Funeral Home - Morton GroveRead at Legacy | Obituary
- CBS News · Oct 24, 2026Fire leaves home charred in Vernon Hills, IllinoisRead at CBS News
- Daily Herald · Sep 21, 2026How Vernon Hills, developer plan to make sure Hawthorn redevelopment gets doneRead at Daily Herald
- The Real Deal · Aug 19, 2026Hand2mind becomes first tenant at new distribution center in Vernon Hills Industrial ParkRead at The Real Deal
- Daily Herald · Aug 18, 2026Drive-through coffee business added to car wash in revised development proposal for Vernon Hills siteRead at Daily Herald
Recent real estate headlines from Google News, linked to the outlets that published them. Sources
Nearby
Around Vernon Hills.
Questions
Good to know.
What is Vernon Hills known for?
Vernon Hills grew from farmland after 1958 into a village of subdivisions, corporate campuses and regional shopping. Hawthorn Mall and Mellody Farm sit near Route 60 and Milwaukee Avenue, and Half Day Forest Preserve lines the Des Plaines River on its east side.
What kind of homes are in Vernon Hills?
Single-family subdivisions from the 1960s through the 2000s, townhome and condo communities, and newer apartments near the shopping districts.
How do you get to Chicago from Vernon Hills?
Vernon Hills is about 29 miles from the Loop as the crow flies. Metra stops at Vernon Hills station on the North Central Service (NCS) line, toward downtown Chicago. Route 60 (Townline Road), Milwaukee Avenue (Route 21) and Route 45 cross the village, and I-94 is a short drive east. Pace buses serve the shopping districts.
Which school districts serve Vernon Hills?
Most of Vernon Hills is served by Hawthorn Community Consolidated School District 73 and Community High School District 128. 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 Vernon Hills?
The closest towns with our guides are Lincolnshire, Long Grove, Mundelein and Hawthorn Woods.
Looking in Vernon Hills?
Let us show you around.
Our agents know Vernon Hills 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 4
- Half Day Forest Preserve CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Marriott Theatre, Lincolnshire LittleT889, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Robert Parker Coffin covered bridge Paul R. Burley, CC BY-SA 4.0
- University of Saint Mary of the Lake Lectrician2, 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.