Elmwood Park, Illinois
Elmwood Park is a village of 23,868 people in Cook County, Illinois, founded in 1914.
Why visit Elmwood Park
Townapedia lists 49 museums and landmarks, 46 parks and trails, 88 places to eat and 3 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Concordia University Chicago, Kiddieland Amusement Park, Albert Soffel House and Arthur Heurtley House.
Weather in Elmwood Park
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Elmwood Park
Elmwood Park is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 24,521 at the 2020 census. The community has long maintained a large Italian American population, with a more recent influx of Hispanic and Latino Americans.
From the Wikipedia article Elmwood Park, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do3
Concordia University Chicago
School · 1.6 mi
Private Lutheran university in River Forest, Illinois
Kiddieland Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 1.4 mi
Former amusement park in Melrose Park, Illinois, United States
Patio Theater
Cinema and theater · 2.9 mi
Movie theater in Chicago, Illinois, United States
Museums and landmarks49
Albert Soffel House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Arthur Heurtley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
House in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States
Austin Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Residential historic district in central Austin, Chicago, Illinois
Baptist Retirement Home
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Retirement home in Maywood, Illinois
Caroline Grow House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house at 603 N. 6th Avenue in Maywood, Illinois
Caroline Millward House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Dohrmann-Buckman House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
House in River Grove, Illinois
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.1 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Frank Lloyd Wright-Prairie School of Architecture Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Human settlement in Oak Park, Illinois, United States of America
Frank W. Thomas House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Oak Park, Illinois
Harry H. Nichols House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Historic house in Maywood, Illinois
Jacob Bohlander House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
37 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds46
Scoville Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Public park in Oak Park, Illinois
Chopin Park
Park · 3.1 mi
Park in Illinois, United States of America, United States of America
34 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes88
Tacos 2 Go
Restaurant · Mexican
7530 West Grand Avenue, Elmwood Park
Mo-Fr 10:00-21:00; Sa 10:30-21:00; Su 10:30-20:00
76 more on the map.
History
Elmwood Park was incorporated as a village in early April 1914 in order to prevent annexation by the greater city of Chicago. Today, one can still see evidence of a minority of landowners, or share farmers, who voted for annexation to the city in 1915 by the odd chunk taken out of Elmwood Park's northeast corner, which kept the community from achieving a full square rectangular border.
At the turn of the century, urban dwellers would take a train on the Milwaukee Road, (which is now Canadian Pacific) westward out of the harsh concrete city for family picnics at the "Elm-Wood-Park", which was an ancient "grove of majestic 180 year old Elms" found near 72nd Ave/Harlem and Irving Park Road. Taking advantage of the park's provenance, a new cemetery was named Elmwood, while the closest train stop to both cemetery and park in unincorporated Marwood/Ellsworth became identified with the official name of "Elmwood Park". During the pressure era of incorporation a decade later, the village's founding representatives thought it most ideal to legally title the community after the stop, and after the namesake elm, which is a native, locally evolved, riparian prairie "bottomland" tree species.
Russell's Barbecue, the oldest continuously operating barbecue restaurant in Chicagoland, is located in Elmwood Park.
From the History section of Elmwood Park, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship28
First Congregational Church of Austin
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.4 mi
Saint Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 1.0 mi
7565 North Avenue, River Forest
Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 1.5 mi
7300 Division Street, River Forest
Grace Lutheran Church
Church · Lutheran · 0.7 mi
2700 North Harlem Avenue, Chicago
Kingdom Hall of Jehovahs Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 0.4 mi
7309 West Fullerton Avenue, Elmwood Park
Shopping19
Gas and EV charging15
Schools, colleges and libraries67
Healthcare13
Loyola Center for Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.0 mi
7617 North Avenue, River Forest
Advanced Dermalogy & Urology Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.7 mi
2735 North Harlem Avenue, Chicago
Map of Elmwood Park
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, 6 miles away.
- Bellwood 4 mi southwest, about 7 min by car
- Berwyn 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Cicero 6 mi southeast, about 10 min by car
- Brookfield 7 mi south, about 11 min by car
- Bensenville 7 mi west, about 11 min by car
- Chicago 9 mi southeast, about 14 min by car
- Des Plaines 9 mi northwest, about 14 min by car
- Addison 10 mi west, about 16 min by car
- Burbank 13 mi south, about 20 min by car
- Bridgeview 13 mi south, about 20 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): 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
- Chicago vicinity, Elmwood Park, Saint Celestine Catholic Parish - summer 1981 (kościół parafialny p.w. św. Celestyna), Wuhazet - Henryk Żychowski, CC BY 3.0
- 19970217 04 Metra, Elmwood Park, IL (5636583346), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 19970217 05 Metra, Elmwood Park, IL (5636583396), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 19970217 02 Metra, Elmwood Park, IL (5636003687), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Dominican University, River Forest IL, Parmer Hall, Soccer Field, CarrieSfuller, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William Drummond House, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oak Park Il Heurtley House4, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Harry H Nichols House 2012-09-05 1, JPSousa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Robinson House 2012-09-05 1, JPSousa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oak Park Il Unity Temple9, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Austin Historic District 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oak Park Il Mrs. Gale House4, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Oak Park Il Balch House2, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- The Akin House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Gibbs, William and Caroline House 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio (west side zoom), John Delano, Attribution
- Oak Park Il Thomas House4, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Schorsch Irving Park Gardens Historic District 1, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image West side of Cluever House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oak Park Il Smith House1, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Former Marshall Field and Company Store in Oak Park, Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oak Park Il Walter Gale House4, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Bohlander, Jacob House, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Baptist Retirement Home, Jim Roberts, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maywood Fire Department Bldg 2012-09-05 1, JPSousa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William H. Winslow House Front Facade, Oak Park Cycle Club, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Warner, Seth House 1 crop, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Farson Pleasant Home, George Maher architect, photographer unknown, Public domain
- ImageMasonic Temple, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Masonic Temple Building (7404143822), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Soffel, Albert House, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Thompkins, Jennie S House 2, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mads C Larson House 2012-09-05 1, JPSousa, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frangenheim, William House, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Grow, Caroline House, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Millward, Caroline House, Thshriver, CC BY-SA 3.0
- William Hatch House, Teemu08 at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ImageSullivan House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 20151121 04 Metra, Mont Clare (34243299936), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
- 20030118 09 Metra @ Mont Clare (5596243133), David Wilson from Oak Park, Illinois, USA, CC BY 2.0
Page built October 30, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.