Darien, Illinois
Darien is a city of 21,879 people in DuPage County, Illinois, founded in 1969.
Why visit Darien
Townapedia lists 12 museums and landmarks, 44 parks and trails, 109 places to eat, 7 places to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Hollywood Blvd Cinema, Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve, Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal and Henry C. Middaugh House.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 90°F; January lows average 15°F.
Weather in Darien
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Darien
Darien (formerly Cass) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 22,011. A southwestern suburb of Chicago, Darien was named after the town of Darien, Connecticut. Darien is just north of I-55 and Historic U.S.
From the Wikipedia article Darien, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Waterfall Glen Forest Preserve
Waterfall · 1.5 mi
Forest preserve in Illinois, U.S
Museums and landmarks12
Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.7 mi
Canal in Illinois, United States of America
Henry C. Middaugh House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.2 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
St. James Catholic Church and Cemetery
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.1 mi
Church and cemetery in Lemont, Illinois, United States
The Avery Coonley School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.5 mi
School in Downers Grove, Illinois, United States
William L. Gregg House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds44
Midway Park
Park · 1.7 mi
The park opened in 1976 and was upgraded to a ball field, roller blade park with restrooms and water
209 Midway Drive, Willowbrook
Smart Oaks Park
Park · 1.0 mi
Smart Oaks was named after the Smart family, one of the earliest settlers in the area.
1500 North Frontage Road, Darien
Tony and Florence Borse Memorial Community Park
Park · 1.6 mi
The park opened in 1986, the site includes: 17.17 acres 0.5 acre pond Three softball diamonds Football field Three volleyball courts Two...
208 Midway Drive, Willowbrook
32 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes109
Dell Rhea's Chicken Basket
Restaurant · Chicken · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Restaurant in Willowbrook, Illinois, US
645 Joliet Road, Willowbrook
Mo-Su 11:00-21:00
Lou Malnati's Pizzeria
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.9 mi
440 75th Street, Downers Grove
Mo-Th 16:00-22:00; Fr-Sa 11:00-23:00; Su 11:00-22:00
Miskatonic Brewing Company
Brewery and winery · 1.0 mi
1000 North Frontage Road, Darien
Mo-Th 15:00-20:00, Fr 15:00-21:00, Sa 12:00-23:00, Su 12:00-19:00
Burrito Paradise
Restaurant · Mexican · 0.5 mi
7516 South Cass Avenue, Darien
Mo-Th 10:00-21:00; Fr 10:00-21:30; Sa 10:00-21:00; Su 11:00-20:30
97 more on the map.
History
The first people to settle in Darien came from New England via the Erie Canal and Great Lakes. Among the first to arrive was Thomas Andrus, the Rapones, and the Capra family. They settled along an old stagecoach line in 1835. Thomas Andrus served as the first postmaster, the first Justice of the Peace, a county commissioner, and county assessor. The Andrus farmhouse also operated as an inn and tavern to accommodate travelers from the Frink and Walker Stagecoach line according to the Darien Historical Society. Mr. Capra was the Dog Catcher, and also established the Capra Inn, near what is currently the intersection of Lemont Road and I-55; the inn served the 15 stagecoaches that traveled the stagecoach line, and included a tavern and a post office. Andrus named the area "Cass".
Andrus and Father Beggs along with Louis Capra Sr. built the First Cass Church, which was a log cabin. The church was also used as a school house.
Elisha and Eliza Smart settled in Cass in 1838 with their ten children. Elisha joined the Gold Rush and went to California, returning seven years later a very rich man. He bought more land and donated it for the construction of a new Cass Church in 1870. His brother, William Smart, donated land for the creation of Cass Cemetery.
John and Hannah Oldfield came to Cass in 1850. Mr. Oldfield raised cattle and increased his land holdings to 2,000 acres (8.1 km2).
From the History section of Darien, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay7
Delta Hotels by Marriott Chicago Willowbrook
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
7800 South Kingery Highway, Willowbrook
The Champagne Lodge and Luxury Suites
Motel and hotel · 1.7 mi
16W621 South Frontage Road, Willowbrook
Red Roof Plus+ Chicago - Willowbrook
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
7535 Kingery Highway, Willowbrook
Churches and places of worship23
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.8 mi
8408 Cass Avenue, Darien
Anjuman-e-Saifee Chicago
Place of worship · 2.3 mi
10S252 Kingery Highway, Willowbrook
Chinese Christian Mandarin Church
Church · 1.7 mi
9S565 Clarendon Hills Road, Burr Ridge
Shopping26
Gas and EV charging18
Schools, colleges and libraries56
Hinsdale South High School
School · 1.6 mi
7401 Clarendon Hills Road, Darien
Healthcare9
Advocate Good Samaritan Outpatient Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.9 mi
6840 Main Street, Downers Grove
Concentra Immediate Care
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.7 mi
7421 South Cass Avenue, Darien
Map of Darien
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 33°F | 15°F | 2.3 in |
| Feb | 37°F | 18°F | 2.0 in |
| Mar | 49°F | 28°F | 2.5 in |
| Apr | 62°F | 39°F | 4.1 in |
| May | 73°F | 50°F | 5.0 in |
| Jun | 84°F | 60°F | 4.7 in |
| Jul | 90°F | 64°F | 4.1 in |
| Aug | 87°F | 63°F | 4.5 in |
| Sep | 80°F | 55°F | 3.5 in |
| Oct | 65°F | 42°F | 3.7 in |
| Nov | 50°F | 31°F | 2.7 in |
| Dec | 38°F | 21°F | 2.4 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Little Red School Hse (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
DuPage County has had 8 federal disaster declarations since 2000, most often for biologicals.
- 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)
- 2010-08-19: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2008-10-03: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Lewis University Airport (LOT) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 11 miles away.
- Burr Ridge 3 mi east, about 5 min by car
- Bolingbrook 8 mi southwest, about 12 min by car
- Naperville 9 mi west, about 15 min by car
- Brookfield 9 mi northeast, about 14 min by car
- Bridgeview 9 mi east, about 15 min by car
- Burbank 11 mi east, about 18 min by car
- Bellwood 11 mi northeast, about 18 min by car
- Chicago Ridge 11 mi east, about 17 min by car
- Berwyn 12 mi northeast, about 19 min by car
- Cicero 13 mi northeast, about 21 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
- StJamesLemont, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gregg Museum, User:Teemu08 Uploaded by Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
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