Why visit Bellwood
Townapedia lists 33 museums and landmarks, 30 parks and trails, 45 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Dominican University, Kiddieland Amusement Park, Albert Soffel House and Baptist Retirement Home.
Weather in Bellwood
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Bellwood
Bellwood is a village in Proviso Township, Cook County, Illinois, United States. Located 13 miles (21 km) west of Chicago's downtown Loop, the Village of Bellwood is bounded by the Eisenhower Expressway (south), the Proviso yards of the former Chicago & Northwestern, now Union Pacific Railroad (north), and the suburbs of Maywood (east) and Hillside and Berkeley (west). The population was 18,789 at the 2020 census.
From the Wikipedia article Bellwood, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Dominican University
School · 3.1 mi
Catholic university in River Forest, Illinois, affiliated with the Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters
Kiddieland Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 2.7 mi
Former amusement park in Melrose Park, Illinois, United States
Museums and landmarks33
Albert Soffel House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Baptist Retirement Home
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Retirement home in Maywood, Illinois
Caroline Grow House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house at 603 N. 6th Avenue in Maywood, Illinois
Caroline Millward House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Edward Hines, Jr., Veterans Administration Hospital
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Hospital in Illinois, United States
F.B. Henderson House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Historic house in Elmhurst, Illinois, United States
Harry H. Nichols House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Maywood, Illinois
Haymarket Martyrs' Monument
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Tomb in Forest Park, United States of America
Jacob Bohlander House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Jennie S. Thompkins House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
House in Maywood, Illinois
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John L. Pentecost House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Joseph P. O. Sullivan House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Historic house at 142 S. 17th Avenue in Maywood, Illinois
21 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds30
18 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes45
Carnitas Don Alfredo Original
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.0 mi
2501 West Lake Street, Melrose Park
Mo-Fr 08:00-20:00; Sa-Su 06:30-20:00
Emilio's Tapas Bar
Restaurant · Spanish · 1.4 mi
4100 Roosevelt Road, Hillside
We-Th 16:30-21:30; Fr-Sa 11:30-22:00; Su 16:30-21:00
Sabor de Mi Tierra
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.5 mi
1700 North Mannheim Road, Stone Park
Tu-Fr 10:00-21:00; Sa 10:00-22:00; Su 10:00-20:00
Playas Nayaritas
Restaurant · Mexican, Seafood · 1.1 mi
2211 West Lake Street, Melrose Park
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 10:00-23:00
Restaurant y Taqueria Jerez
Restaurant · Mexican · 1.1 mi
2216 West Lake Street, Melrose Park
Mo-Fr 11:00-20:00; Sa,Su 10:00-19:00
Moon Temple Chinese Restaurant
Restaurant · Chinese · 1.3 mi
5225 Saint Charles Road, Berkeley
Mo-Su 11:00-21:30
Starbucks
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 1.2 mi
130 Mannheim Road, Hillside
Mo-Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 08:00-20:00
Taco Patio
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.4 mi
4018 Butterfield Road, Bellwood
Su-Th 10:00-00:00, Fr-Sa 10:00-02:00
33 more on the map.
History
Bellwood was incorporated on May 21, 1900. The municipality took its name from one of the village's early subdivisions, "Bellewood". However, in later years, the final "e" was dropped.
The region, which was mostly flat grassland, was initially mostly farmland. A few businesses, including a few taverns, were drawn to the initial subdivision. In reaction to dry Maywood's effort to annex the area, businesses that served alcohol petitioned for incorporation. Between 1900 and 1930, Bellwood's population numbers increased steadily. By 1920, the village's population of 943 had more than quadrupled, with many German and Russian immigrants. The increase to 4,991 persons in 1930 is due to the annexation of territory west of Mannheim Road in 1926, as well as ongoing migration.
The Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railway and the Chicago & North Western Railway provided rail passenger service, which promoted residential growth in neighboring portions of Bellwood. The 1970s saw racial upheaval and inclusion in a Supreme Court case in the United States. Bellwood sued a local real estate company in 1975, alleging racial discrimination. Four years later, the Supreme Court issued a historic decision allowing governments to utilize testers and sue when discrimination occurs. The black population of Bellwood jumped from 1.1 percent in 1970 to 35 percent in 1980 and 70 percent in 1990.
From the History section of Bellwood, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Extended Stay America
Motel and hotel · 1.2 mi
4575 North Frontage Road, Hillside
Churches and places of worship45
Saint John the Baptist Serbian Eastern Orthodox Church
Church · Serbian Orthodox · 0.4 mi
405 Englewood Avenue, Bellwood
Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral
Church · Catholic · 1.0 mi
5000 Saint Charles Road, Bellwood
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.8 mi
4745 Butterfield Road, Hillside
Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.3 mi
1101 North 23rd Avenue, Melrose Park
Rock of Ages Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 1.4 mi
1309 Madison Street, Maywood
Shopping13
Carnicerias Jimenez Fresh Market
Grocery · 1.3 mi
717 Broadway Avenue, Melrose Park
Gas and EV charging23
Schools, colleges and libraries69
Healthcare5
Melrose Park Urgent Care Walk In Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
106 Broadway Avenue, Melrose Park
Fresenius Kidney Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
6 North 9th Avenue, Melrose Park
Map of Bellwood
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
People and cost of living
American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020-2024, U.S. Census Bureau. Estimates have margins of error, larger for small towns.
Disaster history
Cook County has had 12 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for severe storms.
- 2024-09-20: Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-Line Winds, And Floodng (Flood)
- 2023-11-20: Severe Storms And Flooding (Flood)
- 2023-08-15: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
O'Hare International Airport (ORD) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 7 miles away.
- Bensenville 6 mi northwest, about 10 min by car
- Addison 8 mi northwest, about 12 min by car
- Chicago 10 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Arlington Heights 16 mi north, about 25 min by car
- Bartlett 16 mi west, about 26 min by car
- Alsip 16 mi southeast, about 26 min by car
- Naperville 17 mi southwest, about 28 min by car
- Aurora 23 mi west, about 37 min by car
- Batavia 23 mi west, about 36 min by car
- Elgin 25 mi northwest, about 41 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB, the NEMICO news database.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- NCES EDGE (Public domain): public schools
- OpenFEMA (Public domain): disaster declarations
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- U.S. Census Bureau (Public domain): population, income, housing, education, commute
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Former Bellwood CA&E station, AlphaBeta135, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Gregorios Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Gregorios Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Saint Gregorios Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 2022Bellwood95, National Weather Service Chicago, Illinois, Public domain
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 07, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 10, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral windows - Bellwood 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 08, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 06, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 07, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 09, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral windows - Bellwood 04, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 05, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral windows - Bellwood 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral interior- Bellwood, Illinois 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 06, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 01, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 02, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral windows - Bellwood 03, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mar Thoma Sleeha Cathedral - Bellwood, Illinois 08, Farragutful, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Lynch, Timothy J House 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William Drummond House, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Harry H Nichols House 2012-09-05 1, JPSousa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Robinwood (Elmhurst, Illinois) 01, G LeTourneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Robinson House 2012-09-05 1, JPSousa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John L. Pentecost House (Elmhurst, Illinois) 01, G LeTourneau, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Haymarket Martyr's Memorial, Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Akin House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Soffel, Albert House, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thompkins, Jennie S House 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gibbs, William and Caroline House 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William and Jeanette Sloan House, JimRoberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Mads C Larson House 2012-09-05 1, JPSousa, CC BY-SA 3.0
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