Crystal Lake, Illinois
Crystal Lake is a city of 40,579 people in McHenry County, Illinois, founded in September 23, 1914.
Why visit Crystal Lake
Townapedia lists 7 museums and landmarks, 76 parks and trails, 92 places to eat, 5 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include AMC Lake In The Hills 12, Raue Center For the Arts, Colonel Gustavius A. Palmer House and Christian Geister House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 84°F; January lows average 14°F, and about 35 inches of snow fall in a normal year.
Weather in Crystal Lake
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake is a city in McHenry County, Illinois, United States. Named after a lake 1.6 miles (2.6 km) southwest of the city's downtown, Crystal Lake is 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Chicago. The population was 40,269 as of the 2020 census. Crystal Lake is the most populous city in McHenry County, part of the Chicago metropolitan area.
From the Wikipedia article Crystal Lake, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Regal Crystal Lake Showplace
Cinema and theater · 2.1 mi
5000 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake
Museums and landmarks7
Colonel Gustavius A. Palmer House
Monument and historic site · 2.2 mi
5516 East Terra Cotta Avenue, Crystal Lake
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Christian Geister House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.1 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Col. Gustavus A. Palmer House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds76
Kishwaukee Fen Nature Preserve
Hiking and trails · 3.4 mi
There is no public access at this time. Public access is planned for the future. Contact the Village of Lakewood for access information.
64 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes92
Andy's Family Restaurant
Restaurant · American, Breakfast
468 West Virginia Street, Crystal Lake
Mo off; Tu,We,Th 07:00-14:30
Aroma Coffee & Wine
Cafe · Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Sandwich · 1.1 mi
77 East Woodstock Street
Mo-Sa 08:00-16:00
Benedict's La Strata
Restaurant · Breakfast · 1.0 mi
40 North Williams Street, Crystal Lake
07:00-14:30
Chicago Ramen
Restaurant · Ramen, Japanese · 0.4 mi
230 West Virginia Street, Crystal Lake
Tu-Su 11:00-21:00; Mo 12:30-21:00
Georgio's Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.1 mi
75 East Woodstock Street, Crystal Lake
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-22:00
Grounds Coffee Bar & Cafe
Cafe · Breakfast, Coffee Shop, Sandwich · 1.1 mi
89 North Williams Street
Mo-Su 07:00-15:00
Julie Ann's Frozen Custard
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 0.7 mi
6500 Northwest Highway, Crystal Lake
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00
Mr A's Italian Beef
Restaurant · Italian Beef
475 West Virginia Street, Crystal Lake
Mo-Sa 10:30-21:00; Su 11:00-21:00
Nick's Pizza and Pub
Restaurant · Pizza · 1.4 mi
856 Pyott Road, Crystal Lake
Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr 16:00-00:00; Sa 11:00-00:00; Su 11:00-00:00
Pho Royal Vietnamese
Restaurant · Vietnamese, Hot Pot, Korean, Asian, Seafood · 0.4 mi
230 West Virginia Street, Crystal Lake
We-Mo 11:00-23:00
Konrad's Bakery
Bakery · 3.2 mi
9531 Ackman Road, Lake in the Hills
Mo-Fr 08:00-18:00; Sa 08:00-16:00; Su 08:00-13:00
80 more on the map.
Where to stay5
Comfort Inn Crystal Lake - Algonquin
Motel and hotel · 1.9 mi
595 Tracy Trail, Crystal Lake
Crystal Lake Motel
Motel and hotel · 0.4 mi
110 South Virginia Street, Crystal Lake
Churches and places of worship25
The Evangelical Free Church of Crystal Lake
Church · Evangelical · 1.8 mi
575 East Crystal Lake Avenue, Crystal Lake
Bethany Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.8 mi
76 West Crystal Lake Avenue, Crystal Lake
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.6 mi
480 Walkup Road, Crystal Lake
Shopping20
Gas and EV charging16
Schools, colleges and libraries53
Crystal Lake South High School
School · 1.7 mi
1200 South McHenry Avenue, Crystal Lake
Healthcare10
Illnois Bone and Joint Institute IBJI
Clinic and pharmacy · 2.3 mi
815 Cog Circle, Crystal Lake
Map of Crystal Lake
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32°F | 14°F | 2.0 in | 10.0 in |
| Feb | 35°F | 16°F | 1.8 in | 9.0 in |
| Mar | 47°F | 26°F | 2.5 in | 4.4 in |
| Apr | 59°F | 37°F | 3.8 in | 1.2 in |
| May | 71°F | 48°F | 5.0 in | 0.0 in |
| Jun | 80°F | 58°F | 5.3 in | 0.0 in |
| Jul | 84°F | 62°F | 3.9 in | 0.0 in |
| Aug | 82°F | 61°F | 3.8 in | 0.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 52°F | 3.5 in | 0.0 in |
| Oct | 62°F | 42°F | 3.2 in | 0.2 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 30°F | 2.5 in | 1.6 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 20°F | 2.1 in | 8.7 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Crystal Lake 4Nw (4 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
McHenry County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for snowstorms.
- 2020-03-26: Covid-19 Pandemic (Biological)
- 2020-03-13: Covid-19 (Biological)
- 2013-05-10: Severe Storms, Straight-Line Winds, And Flooding (Flood)
- 2011-03-17: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm (Snowstorm)
- 2008-03-13: Record Snow And Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
- 2006-12-29: Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
DuPage County Airport (DPA) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 23 miles away.
- Cary 5 mi east, about 7 min by car
- Algonquin 5 mi south, about 8 min by car
- Carpentersville 8 mi south, about 13 min by car
- Barrington 12 mi southeast, about 19 min by car
- Elgin 13 mi south, about 22 min by car
- Buffalo Grove 20 mi east, about 32 min by car
- Arlington Heights 20 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Bartlett 20 mi southeast, about 33 min by car
- Campton Hills 20 mi south, about 32 min by car
- Antioch 22 mi northeast, about 35 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): elevation, founding date, time zone, website, landmarks and historic places
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- CollarCountyMontage01, Several Users, CC BY-SA 3.0
- View of Crystal Lake from Gate 3 CCAPOA Beach on lake's south shore, Otherbeach, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Greetings from Crystal Lake, Illinois - Large Letter Postcard (8361373570), Steve Shook from Moscow, Idaho, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Crystal Lake Depot (49795089331), Chauncey from Chicago area, CC BY 2.0
- 2019-10-27 1733 Crystal Lake Illinois Train Station, Cosmo1976, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 20160701 27 Pace bus, Crystal Lake, Illinois, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20160701 34 Metra, Crystal Lake, Illinois (26458921097), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20160701 33 Metra, Crystal Lake, Illinois (26458921347), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20160701 29 Metra, Crystal Lake, Illinois, David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Prairie Trail and Pyott Rd - Crystal Lake, IL - July 2024, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Christian Geister House, Smallbones, Public domain
- Child with spinner (34074347651), Ryan Dickey from Evanston, IL / Chicago, United States, CC BY 2.0
- Palmer House 1858, Smallbones, Public domain
- Col. Gustavius A. Palmer House (7704170104), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Blue Gray Gnatcatcher (8715803551), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Blue Gray Gnatcatcher (8715803513), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Black and White Warbler (7983963719), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Identified as Pine Warbler (8715803595), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Black-throated Green Warbler (7983963901), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Wood Thrush (7627422204), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Wood Thrush (7627422630), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Black-throated Green Warbler (7983978380), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- Wood Thrush (7627423130), CheepShot, CC BY 2.0
- ISS023-E-9155 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-174251 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-51436 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS023-E-9154 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-51438 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-51439 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-51437 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS023-E-9156 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-174250 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS043-E-174249 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS062-E-51440 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit, NASA Johnson Space Center, Public domain
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
.jpg){kind=link}
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.