Brookfield, Illinois
Brookfield is a village of 19,331 people in Cook County, Illinois, founded in 1893.
Why visit Brookfield
Townapedia lists 98 museums and landmarks, 75 parks and trails, 170 places to eat, 4 places to stay and 11 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Brookfield Zoo Chicago, La Grange Theater, La Grange Village Hall and American State Bank.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 85°F; January lows average 19°F.
Weather in Brookfield
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Brookfield
Brookfield (formerly Grossdale) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located 13 miles (21 km) west of downtown Chicago. Per the 2020 census, the population was 19,476. The city is home to the Brookfield Zoo.
From the Wikipedia article Brookfield, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do11
Museums and landmarks98
La Grange Village Hall
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
53 South La Grange Road, La Grange
American State Bank
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic bank building in Berwyn, Illinois, United States
Arcade Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic building in Riverside, Illinois, United States
Arthur J. Dunham House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in Berwyn, Illinois
Benda House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.0 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Berwyn Health Center
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic public health clinic at 6600 W. 26th Street in Berwyn, Illinois
Berwyn Municipal Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.2 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
Central Berwyn Bungalow Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic district in Berwyn, Illinois
Chicago Portage National Historic Site
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic site in Lyons, Illinois
Coonley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
United States national historic place
Edward Hines, Jr., Veterans Administration Hospital
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Hospital in Illinois, United States
F. F. Tomek House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.6 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
86 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds75
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63 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes170
Blueberry Hill Breakfast Cafe
Restaurant · American, Breakfast, Brunch · 1.3 mi
49 South La Grange Road, La Grange
Mo-Su 06:00-15:00
Irish Times
Restaurant · Irish
8869 Burlington Boulevard, Brookfield
Su-Th 11:00-01:30; Fr-Sa 11:00-02:30
Mak's House
Bar and pub · Burger, Sandwich · 1.4 mi
46 South La Grange Road, La Grange
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-00:00
Prasino
Restaurant · Fine Dining · 1.4 mi
93 South La Grange Road, La Grange
Su-Th 08:00-20:00; Fr-Sa 08:00-21:00
158 more on the map.
History
Settlement of the village dates to 1889 when Samuel Eberly Gross, a Chicago lawyer turned real estate investor, began selling building lots plotted from farms and woodlands he had acquired along both sides of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad line, which provided passenger and freight service between Chicago and Aurora, Illinois. "Grossdale", as his development was originally called, offered suburban living at prices affordable to working-class families.
The first two buildings Gross erected were a train station south of the tracks at what is now Prairie Avenue, and a pavilion across the tracks. The original train station was moved across the tracks and a few hundred feet east in 1981, and is now the home of the village's historical society and museum, as well as listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The pavilion housed the first post office, general store, Gross' real estate office, meeting rooms, and eventually a dance hall. Gross offered free train outings from Chicago to Grossdale where the prospects were met at the station by a band and treated to a picnic lunch, with a sales pitch from Gross. In addition to parcels of land, he had a number of house designs to offer at "cheap" prices.
From the History section of Brookfield, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay4
Churches and places of worship39
Emmanuel Episcopal Church
Church · Anglican · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
203 South Kensington Avenue
First Congregational Church of Western Springs
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.9 mi
Davis Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Church
Church · Methodist · 1.1 mi
320 East Calendar Avenue
First Presbyterian Church of La Grange
Church · Presbyterian · 1.6 mi
150 South Ashland Avenue
Lagrange Seventh Day Adventist Church
Church · Seventh Day Adventist · 1.3 mi
25 East Ogden Avenue, La Grange
Saint Francis Xavier Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.6 mi
124 North Spring Avenue, La Grange
Shopping40
Gas and EV charging16
Schools, colleges and libraries69
Park Junior High School
School · 1.7 mi
333 North Park Road, La Grange Park
Riverside - Brookfield Township High School
School · 0.9 mi
160 Ridgewood Road, Riverside
Healthcare5
DuPage Medical Group
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.7 mi
512 West Burlington Avenue, La Grange
Map of Brookfield
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 19°F | 1.5 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 23°F | 1.5 in |
| Mar | 48°F | 32°F | 1.9 in |
| Apr | 60°F | 41°F | 3.6 in |
| May | 71°F | 52°F | 4.1 in |
| Jun | 81°F | 62°F | 4.0 in |
| Jul | 85°F | 68°F | 3.5 in |
| Aug | 83°F | 66°F | 4.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 59°F | 2.8 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 46°F | 3.5 in |
| Nov | 49°F | 35°F | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 25°F | 1.8 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Chicago Midway Ap 72534 (6 mi away), NOAA NCEI.
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
Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 miles away.
- Berwyn 3 mi northeast, about 5 min by car
- Bellwood 4 mi north, about 7 min by car
- Bridgeview 6 mi south, about 10 min by car
- Burr Ridge 7 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Chicago 8 mi east, about 14 min by car
- Bensenville 10 mi northwest, about 17 min by car
- Addison 11 mi northwest, about 18 min by car
- Alsip 12 mi southeast, about 19 min by car
- Blue Island 14 mi southeast, about 23 min by car
- Bloomingdale 15 mi northwest, about 24 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
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 (Public domain): climate by month
- 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
- La Grange Park and Brookfield, Illinois, Mx. Granger, CC0
- 20110426 02 Metra BNSF @ Brookfield, Illinois (5969594839), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Greetings from Brookfield, Illinois - Large Letter Postcard (7745728814), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20130406 21 Amtrak & BNSF Brookfield, Illinois (9325490972), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Brookfield Zoo Wikivoyage banner, Michael (a.k.a. moik) McCullough from Klamath Falls, Oregon, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20130406 19 BNSF Brookfield, Illinois (9325491400), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Riverside Brookfield High School in Illinois, US, SimLibrarian, CC0
- Tiger at Chicago Brookfield Zoo, Tomcio77, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Peacock at Chicago Brookfield Zoo, Liz Bustamante from Chicago, CC BY 2.0
- BroodXIIIBrookfield, Diamond10974, CC0
- LaGrange Village Hall exterior 02, MrHarman, CC BY 3.0
- Emmanuel Episcopal Church (LaGrange, Illinois), Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Arcade Building in 2011, partway through restoration - Riverside, IL, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, Public domain
- Image 6727 Riverside, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Haymarket Martyr's Memorial, Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- OldBrookfieldStation, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- The Akin House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- First Congregational Church Western Springs IL 1, MrHarman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Arthur J. Dunham House, Berwyn, IL, ChicagoGeek, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Berwyn Health Center, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- WesternSpringsWaterTower, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Coonley House, Riverside, Illinois 2013 04, davidwilson1949, CC BY 2.0
- Berwyn Municipal Building, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mr. Robert Silhan House, Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Chicago Portage National Historic Site, Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Benda House, Danfulwiler, CC BY-SA 4.0
- LaGrangeHD, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- American State Bank Berwyn, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- TomekHouse, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Photocopy of photograph, plate -117 TERRACE FRONT - Avery Coonley House, 300 Scottswood Road, 281 Bloomingbank Road, Riverside, Cook County, IL, Unknown author, Public domain
- Purple House, LaGrange 1, MrHarman, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dolphin Show 1 (2996196450), Nimesh Madhavan from Chicago, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Palmer House Business Card back c1800, Tom Cap, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Palmer House Business Card front c1800, Tom Cap, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Sunset on Vernon, Brittanywhigam, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Cow on Roof - panoramio - vx700, vx700, CC BY 3.0
- Cow on roof - panoramio, vx700, CC BY 3.0
- 20130406 26 Metra Pub Crawl (9325492422), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Spy Hunter II, Expandinglight5, CC0
- Sega R360 Arcade Machine, Expandinglight5, CC0
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