Ford Heights, Illinois
Ford Heights is a village of 1,331 people in Cook County, Illinois.
Why visit Ford Heights
Townapedia lists 2 museums and landmarks, 1 park or trail, 4 places to eat and 1 attraction in and around town.
Highlights include 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 Ford Heights
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Ford Heights
Ford Heights (formerly East Chicago Heights) is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,813 at the 2020 census. A suburb of Chicago, many of the area's first settlers were African American and since its incorporation in 1949, the village has remained predominantly Black. Due to the lack of commercial activity and financial stability, the village has declined over the years.
From the Wikipedia article Ford Heights, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do1
Big John's Farm Stand
Farm and orchard · 0.7 mi
Mo-Fr 09:00-18:00, Sa 09:00-17:00, Su closed
Museums and landmarks2
Bloom High School
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
High school in Illinois, United States
101 W 10Th St, Chicago Heights
Flat Iron Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Building in Illinois, United States
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes4
History
The area that would eventually become Ford Heights was first settled in the late 1840s. It served as a stopping point on the Underground Railroad for runaway slaves fleeing to freedom. By the early 20th century, the area had developed into an agricultural community of farms operated mostly by Poles, Lithuanians, and Italians. After World War I, African Americans from the Southern U.S. migrated to the area and worked on the farms.
A new subdivision known as the "Park Addition" was created on a farm road from Chicago Heights to Indiana, and it attracted residents to the area during the early 1920s. In 1924, 40 families successfully petitioned for electrical service. Soon after, the main east–west road became a two-lane concrete highway designated as U.S. Route 30, part of the transcontinental Lincoln Highway. By the 1930s, the Park Addition had telephone service and was known as East Chicago Heights. During the 1940s, Alberta Armstrong and others organized both black and white women in the community to raise funds for a new fire truck. By 1948, they had become the East Chicago Heights Citizens Association.
From the History section of Ford Heights, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship10
Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses
Church · Jehovahs Witness · 1.1 mi
20255 Stony Island Avenue, Lynwood
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging5
Schools, colleges and libraries44
Healthcare1
Map of Ford Heights
69 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 (5 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, 11 miles away.
- Chicago Heights 3 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Dyer 4 mi east, about 6 min by car
- Lansing 4 mi northeast, about 7 min by car
- Munster 5 mi northeast, about 8 min by car
- Homewood 5 mi northwest, about 8 min by car
- Crete 5 mi southwest, about 9 min by car
- Park Forest 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Calumet City 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- South Holland 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Highland 7 mi east, about 11 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
- US 30 in Ford Heights, Illinois, User:Aneekr, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Bloom High School Zol87 front right 4980746453, Zol87 from Chicago, Illinois, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Flat Iron Building NRHP 03000917 Cook County, IL, Jon Roanhaus, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS015-E-19672 - View of Illinois, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS026-E-20188 - View of Illinois, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- Paesel, Wiszo8, CC BY-SA 4.0
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