Gurnee, Illinois
Gurnee is a village of 30,510 people in Lake County, Illinois, founded in 1928.
Why visit Gurnee
Townapedia lists 46 museums and landmarks, 52 parks and trails, 166 places to eat, 23 places to stay and 13 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Sky Trek Tower, College of Lake County, David Adler Estate and Millburn.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 16°F.
Weather in Gurnee
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Gurnee
Gurnee is a village in Lake County, in the U.S. state of Illinois. As of the 2020 census, its population was 30,706. Located in the Chicago metropolitan area, it borders the city of Waukegan. It is roughly 40 miles (64 km) north of Chicago and 50 miles (80 km) south of Milwaukee.
From the Wikipedia article Gurnee, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do13
Sky Trek Tower
Monument and historic site
Observation tower in Gurnee, Illinois
College of Lake County
School · 4.0 mi
Public community college in Lake County, Illinois, United States
1 more on the map.
Museums and landmarks46
David Adler Estate
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.8 mi
United States historic place
Millburn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 5.2 mi
Unincorporated community in Newport Township, Lake County, Illinois
Mrs. Isaac D. Adler House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 4.9 mi
United States historic place
St. Sava's Serbian Orthodox Seminary
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Monastery
The Joker Free Fly Coaster
Monument and historic site
542 North Route 21, Gurnee
34 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds52
Six Flags Great America
Sports field and stadium
Amusement park in Gurnee, Illinois, United States
1 Great America Parkway, Gurnee
Six Flags Hurricane Harbor Chicago
Sports field and stadium
40 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes166
Chuck E. Cheese
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.7 mi
1512 Nations Drive, Gurnee
Su-Th 11:00-21:00; Fr 11:00-22:00; Sa 10:00-22:00
Cracker Barrel
Diner · American · 0.6 mi
5706 Northridge Drive, Gurnee
Su-Th 07:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 07:00-22:00
Golden Corral
Restaurant · American, Buffet · 0.7 mi
1455 North Dilleys Road, Gurnee
Mo-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa 08:00-21:00; Su 08:00-20:30
Olive Garden
Restaurant · Italian · 0.6 mi
5590 Northridge Drive, Gurnee
Su-Th 11:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-23:00
Pizza Hut
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.6 mi
5326 Grand Avenue, Gurnee
Mo-We 14:00-21:00; Th 14:00-22:00; Fr,Sa 10:30-23:00; Su 10:30-22:00
Toppers Pizza
Restaurant · Pizza · 0.6 mi
5572 Grand Avenue, Gurnee
Su-Th 10:30-23:00; Fr,Sa 10:30-00:00
Primo's
Restaurant · Italian, American · 0.7 mi
720 Milwaukee Avenue, Gurnee
Mo-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr,Sa 12:00-22:00; Su 10:00-21:00
Timothy O'Toole's Pub
Bar and pub · 0.6 mi
5572 Grand Avenue, Gurnee
Mo-Th 11:00-23:00; Fr,Sa 11:00-00:00
ZümBier Brewery
Brewery and winery · 2.9 mi
3232 West Monroe Street, Waukegan
We-Th 16:00-21:00; Fr 15:00-22:00; Sa 14:00-22:00; Su 13:00-18:00
154 more on the map.
History
Early settlers in the Gurnee area came by foot horseback and by "Prairie Schooners" drawn by oxen or via the Erie Canal and the Great Lakes. They came from the town of Warren, New York, which was named in honor of Major General Joseph Warren, killed at the Battle of Bunker Hill. Warren Township, formed in 1850, was also named after him. The first settlement of Warren Township commenced in 1835 in the vicinity of the Aux Plaines River (now the Des Plaines River).
In 1835–36, a land company from New York State erected a Community House (site of the old Gurnee Grade School) to accommodate families while they were locating and getting government land grants to their farms. Near the Community House, there was a ford used by the Potowatomi Indians for crossing the river. A floating log bridge was built in 1842. Later, both a wood and iron bridge were built.
With the erection of a permanent bridge, roads were established, and this area became the hub of the township. It was at this junction that the Milwaukee Road crossed the river from west to east, and then continued north to eventually connect Chicago to Milwaukee. This road was "laid out" in 1836 by three early settlers: Thomas McClure, Mark Noble, and Richard Steele. The east–west road, now known as Grand Avenue, was a main route from McHenry County to the port of Waukegan. Stage coaches ran on this route as late as 1870.
From the History section of Gurnee, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay23
Churches and places of worship13
Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church
Church · Greek Orthodox · 2.7 mi
1400 O'Plaine Road, Libertyville
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Church · Mormon · 1.2 mi
411 North O'Plaine Road, Gurnee
Shopping43
Gas and EV charging13
Schools, colleges and libraries48
Warren Township High School Almond Campus
School · 2.4 mi
34090 North Almond Road, Gurnee
Warren Township High School O'Plaine Campus
School · 1.1 mi
500 North O'Plaine Road, Gurnee
Healthcare4
Map of Gurnee
250 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 16°F | 2.2 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 18°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 44°F | 27°F | 2.4 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 35°F | 3.7 in |
| May | 67°F | 47°F | 4.1 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 57°F | 4.1 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 63°F | 3.9 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 62°F | 3.4 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 54°F | 3.3 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 43°F | 3.1 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 31°F | 2.4 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 22°F | 1.9 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Waukegan (3 mi away), rain and snow from Gurnee Public Works, 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
Lake County has had 9 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)
- 2008-06-24: Severe Storms And Flooding (Severe Storm)
- 2008-03-13: Record Snow And Near Record Snow (Snowstorm)
OpenFEMA disaster declarations summaries.
Getting there and nearby towns
Waukegan National Airport (UGN) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 5 miles away.
- Gages Lake 3 mi southwest, about 4 min by car
- Beach Park 6 mi northeast, about 9 min by car
- Antioch 10 mi northwest, about 16 min by car
- Fox Lake 13 mi west, about 21 min by car
- Buffalo Grove 14 mi south, about 23 min by car
- Deerfield 15 mi south, about 24 min by car
- Barrington 18 mi southwest, about 29 min by car
- Arlington Heights 19 mi south, about 31 min by car
- Cary 19 mi southwest, about 31 min by car
- Glenview 20 mi south, about 33 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
- Columbia Carousel, Late June 2026, Feather Better, CC BY 4.0
- David Adler Estate 1700 N Milwaukee Libertyville,IL, Ronincmc, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mrs. Isaac D. Adler House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Warren Township, IL, USA - panoramio, bogdanstepniak, CC BY 3.0
- Gurnee Mills wide, Interiot at English Wikipedia, Public domain
- Hurricane Harbor Chicago Entrance, Harobouri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wrath of Rakshasa from Sky Trek Tower, Plighting Engineerd, CC0
- Columbia Carousel Holiday in the Park, Harobouri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Maxx Force from Sky Trek Tower in 2025, Plighting Engineerd, CC0
- Columbia Carousel - June 2026, Feather Better, CC BY 4.0
- Columbia Carousel 6F Great America IL 2005 Jk, Jonkill, Public domain
- Columbia Carousel flowers 6FGrAmIL 2006 Jr, User:Jonrev, Public domain
- Hurricane Harbor Wave Pool (2681391758), Daniel X. O'Neil from USA, CC BY 2.0
- Castaway Creek SFHH, Harobouri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Wrath of Rakshasa Train Hold on Drop, Martin Lewison, CC BY 4.0
- Wrath of Rakshasa Train Hold on Drop (cropped), Martin Lewison, CC BY 4.0
- Wrath of Rakshasa 1, Martin Lewison, CC BY 4.0
- Bahama Mama and Bubba Tubba, Harobouri, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Great America 037 - Flickr - GregTheBusker, Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Great America 018 - Flickr - GregTheBusker, Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Great America 023 - Flickr - GregTheBusker, Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Great America 011 - Flickr - GregTheBusker, Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Great America 027 - Flickr - GregTheBusker, Greg Schechter from San Francisco, USA, CC BY 2.0
- Wrath of Rakshasa holding brake drop, Feather Better, CC BY 4.0
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