Chicago Heights, Illinois
Chicago Heights is a city of 26,736 people in Cook County, Illinois, founded in 1893.
Why visit Chicago Heights
Townapedia lists 8 museums and landmarks, 61 parks and trails, 37 places to eat and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Marcus Cinema Chicago Heights, Tolentine College, Bloom High School and Flat Iron Building.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 15°F, and about 28 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Chicago Heights
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Chicago Heights
Chicago Heights is a city in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 27,480 at the 2020 census, and was estimated at 26,533 in 2024. A southern suburb in the Chicago metropolitan area, its nicknames include "The Crossroads of the Nation" and "Da Heights”.
From the Wikipedia article Chicago Heights, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Tolentine College
School · 3.8 mi
Catholic seminary and college in Olympia Fields, Illinois
Museums and landmarks8
Bloom High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.6 mi
High school in Illinois, United States
101 West 10th Street, Chicago Heights
Flat Iron Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.4 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
Olympia Fields Country Club
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.1 mi
Private golf club in the central United States
Chinese House of Park Forest
Monument and historic site · 2.8 mi
428 North Orchard Drive, Park Forest
Parks, trails and playgrounds61
Flossmoor Country Club
Golf course · 2.6 mi
1441 Western Avenue, Flossmoor
49 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes37
Glenwood Oaks
Restaurant · Seafood, Steak House · 2.7 mi
106 North Main Street, Glenwood
Burger King
Fast food · Burger · 2.1 mi
3219 Chicago Road, South Chicago Heights
Mo-Sa 06:00-22:00; Su 07:00-22:00
25 more on the map.
History
The first recorded settlement by non-native Americans of the area that would become Chicago Heights occurred in 1833 when Absalom Wells built a cabin on the ridge above Thorn Creek. By the 1840s, a small rural community known as Thorn Grove had been formed, centered around a Presbyterian church.
In the 1890s, a group of Chicago developers led by Charles Wacker formed the Chicago Heights Land Association to create an outer-ring industrial suburb of Chicago. They convinced many businesses to construct factories in the new development, including Inland Steel, the Owens-Illinois Glass Company, and the Ludowici Roofing Tile Company, among many others.
The newly-created factories and plants drew large numbers of Italian, Polish, Slovak, Lithuanian, Irish, and Black American workers to the East Side and Hill neighborhoods. A downtown area formed and became a center of activity for the surrounding region. In 1916, the Lincoln Highway Association was persuaded to route the country's first transcontinental highway through the city, leading the community to be dubbed "the crossroads of the nation."
From the History section of Chicago Heights, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship44
Assumption Greek Orthodox Church
Church · Greek Orthodox · 2.1 mi
20401 Western Avenue, Olympia Fields
Calvary Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.6 mi
241 East 15th Street, Chicago Heights
Union Evangelistic Baptist Church
Church · Baptist · 0.7 mi
1625 Center Avenue, Chicago Heights
Shopping11
Gas and EV charging18
Schools, colleges and libraries75
South Suburban SDA Christian School
School · Seventh Day Adventist · 2.9 mi
119 Chestnut Street, Park Forest
Steger-South Chicago Heights Public Library
Library · 2.5 mi
54 East 31st Street, Steger
Healthcare11
GPS-Maurice Fitts Page Whole Health and Wellness Health Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.5 mi
450 West Lincoln Highway, Chicago Heights
ACCESS Family Health Society
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.8 mi
152 West Lincoln Highway, Chicago Heights
Aunt Martha's Chicago Heights Pediatric Health and Wellness Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
500 Dixie Highway, Chicago Heights
Community Health Fairs
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
233 West Joe Orr Road, Chicago Heights
DaVita Dialysis
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.1 mi
177 West Joe Orr Road, Chicago Heights
Map of Chicago Heights
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 31°F | 15°F | 2.5 in | 10.2 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 18°F | 2.1 in | 7.5 in |
| Mar | 46°F | 28°F | 2.6 in | 4.9 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 38°F | 4.0 in | 0.5 in |
| May | 71°F | 49°F | 4.6 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 59°F | 4.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 64°F | 4.7 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 62°F | 4.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 76°F | 55°F | 3.4 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 63°F | 42°F | 3.6 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 31°F | 3.0 in | 0.9 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 22°F | 2.5 in | 4.0 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Park Forest (3 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
Gary/Chicago International Airport (GYY) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 14 miles away.
- Calumet City 8 mi northeast, about 12 min by car
- Blue Island 10 mi north, about 17 min by car
- Alsip 12 mi northwest, about 20 min by car
- Burbank 18 mi northwest, about 28 min by car
- Bridgeview 18 mi northwest, about 29 min by car
- Burr Ridge 22 mi northwest, about 36 min by car
- Chicago 23 mi north, about 37 min by car
- Cicero 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Berwyn 24 mi north, about 39 min by car
- Joliet 27 mi west, about 43 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
- Chicago Heights, Illinois, Dennisyerger84, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038696078, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037576537, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037576477, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038766649, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038889155, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037576532, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038696028, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038439341, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038696153, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037576627, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038439266, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038766784, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038439241, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038889395, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038440896, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037576732, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038891140, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038696278, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038889535, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037578137, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038891075, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038766894, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038440831, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038697813, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038891010, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038440746, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038439421, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038766879, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037576892, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038439511, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Workman Auditorium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038439486, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Veazey Gymnasium, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037576912, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Entrance Tower, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038440726, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Entrance Tower, Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54037578042, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038696488, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038890975, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Bloom High School, 10th Street, Chicago Heights, IL - 54038890935, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
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