Lake Bluff, Illinois
Lake Bluff is a village of 6,041 people in Lake County, Illinois, founded in September 21, 1895.
Why visit Lake Bluff
Townapedia lists 50 museums and landmarks, 30 parks and trails, 22 places to eat, 3 places to stay and 4 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Clifford Milton Leonard Farm, Deerpath Hill Estates, Artesian Park and Deerpath Golf Course.
July is the warmest month, with average highs of 82°F; January lows average 16°F.
Weather in Lake Bluff
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About Lake Bluff
Lake Bluff (formerly Rockland) is a village in Lake County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 5,616.
From the Wikipedia article Lake Bluff, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do4
Museums and landmarks50
Clifford Milton Leonard Farm
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Historic farm at 550-579 Hathaway Circle in Lake Forest, Illinois
Deerpath Hill Estates
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Deerpath Inn
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Hotel in Lake Forest, United States of America
Dewey House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
House in North Chicago
Edward H. Bennett House and Studio
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.3 mi
Lake Forest, Illinois, NRHP-listed in Lake County
Frank Hibbard Estate House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.5 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Green Bay Road Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.5 mi
Historic district in Illinois, United States
Helen Shedd Reed House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.9 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
House at 380 Chiltern Drive
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.4 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
House at 965 Castlegate Court
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.2 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
Howard and Lucy Linn House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.4 mi
Historic house at 555 Shoreacres Drive in Lake Bluff, Illinois
John Griffith Store Building
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 0.5 mi
Historic commercial building at 103-113 E. Scranton Avenue in Lake Bluff, Illinois
38 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds30
Lake Bluff Golf Course
Golf course · 0.6 mi
355 West Washington Avenue, Lake Bluff
18 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes22
Hometown Coffee & Juice
Cafe · Coffee Shop · 2.1 mi
235 East Wisconsin Avenue, Lake Forest
Mo-Su 07:00-17:00
Lake Bluff Brewing Company
Bar and pub · 0.4 mi
16 East Scranton Street, Lake Bluff
10 more on the map.
History
The first non-native settler family to claim land within the area now part of Lake Bluff arrived in 1836. John and Catherine Cloes claimed 100 acres of land extending from the lake west to the Green Bay Trail. In 1849, a few residents left to seek their fortune in the California gold rush. In 1837, William and Mary Dwyer claimed the land just north of the former Central School. They opened and operated a stage coach stop and tavern along the Green Bay Trail. Some of the other early settlers were Henry and Angeline Ostrander, James Cole and William Whitnell.
In 1855, the first railroad through Lake County was completed, running from Chicago through the county line. Henry Ostrander owned the land where the depot was to be placed, and he agreed to donate the site if the depot were called "Rockland." Therefore, this area, known previously as the Dwyer Settlement and Oak Hill, became Rockland, the only stop between Highland Park and Waukegan. Rockland had a post office and general store on Mawman Avenue with a small school and church located west of the tracks near Green Bay Road.
In 1875, a group of Methodist ministers led by Solomon Thatcher of River Forest purchased 100 acres of lakefront property from Ben Cloes, the youngest son of the first settlers.
From the History section of Lake Bluff, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to stay3
Days Inn by Wyndham Great Lakes Naval Base
Motel and hotel · 2.0 mi
3000 North Skokie Highway, Lake Bluff
Churches and places of worship4
Holy Family Church
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Shopping6
Gas and EV charging4
Schools, colleges and libraries43
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
School · 1.3 mi
3333 Green Bay Road, North Chicago
District 128 Transition Pthwys Ct
School · 5.0 mi
904 S Milwaukee Ave Ste B, Libertyville
Healthcare6
Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center
Hospital · 1.6 mi
3001 Green Bay Road, North Chicago
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Hospital
Hospital · 2.1 mi
1000 North Westmoreland Road, Lake Forest
Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center Clinic
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.2 mi
3420 Illinois Street, Great Lakes
Northwestern Medicine Lake Forest Health & Fitness Center
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.6 mi
1200 North Westmoreland Road, Lake Forest
Map of Lake Bluff
172 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Climate by month
Monthly table
| Month | High | Low | Rain |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30°F | 16°F | 2.1 in |
| Feb | 34°F | 18°F | 1.9 in |
| Mar | 44°F | 27°F | 2.5 in |
| Apr | 55°F | 35°F | 3.8 in |
| May | 67°F | 47°F | 4.7 in |
| Jun | 76°F | 57°F | 4.4 in |
| Jul | 82°F | 63°F | 3.8 in |
| Aug | 80°F | 62°F | 4.0 in |
| Sep | 74°F | 54°F | 4.1 in |
| Oct | 61°F | 43°F | 3.4 in |
| Nov | 48°F | 31°F | 2.5 in |
| Dec | 36°F | 22°F | 2.2 in |
U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020 for Waukegan (5 mi away), rain and snow from Lake Forest 2.1 Nne, 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, 9 miles away.
- Knollwood 1 mi west, about 2 min by car
- North Chicago 2 mi north, about 4 min by car
- Lake Forest 3 mi south, about 5 min by car
- Green Oaks 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Waukegan 6 mi north, about 10 min by car
- Libertyville 6 mi west, about 9 min by car
- Highwood 6 mi south, about 9 min by car
- Vernon Hills 6 mi southwest, about 10 min by car
- Highland Park 7 mi south, about 12 min by car
- Gurnee 7 mi northwest, about 12 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
- Lake Bluff Uptown, Teemu08 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Double termini of IL 176 and IL 131 - Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- IL 131 north at its southern terminus at IL 176 - Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- IL 176 at its eastern terminus at IL 131 - Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Lake Bluff station house - Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Sheridan Rd south approaching connector to Scranton Ave - Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Junction between Robert McClory and North Shore bike paths - Lake Bluff, IL - July 2025, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Sheridan Rd north at connector to Scranton Ave - Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- IL 176 west approaching IL 43 - Knollwood-Lake Bluff, IL - July 2026, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- RosalindFranklinUMS 1, Ancheta Wis, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Louis F. Swift House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mrs. C. Morse Ely House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Clifford Milton Leonard Farm, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Holy Family Church North Chicago, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Barrell Memorial Gate, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Lake Forest City Hall, Teemu08 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- 265 King Muir, Teemu08 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Noble Judah Estate, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Edward H Bennett House, Teemu08 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Lakes Bldg 1, Goldnpuppy, CC BY-SA 3.0
- John Griffith Store Building, Teemu08 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Frank Hibbard Estate House-Deerpath Hill Estates, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Dewey House North Chicago, Teemu08 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Image Hosmer Morse House, Boscophotos, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Oakwood Ave Houses, Teemu08 ( talk ) (Transferred by Bill william compton /Originally uploaded by Teemu08 ), CC BY 3.0
- West Park Pavilion, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Mrs. Kersey Coates Reed House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Innisfail Lake Forest, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Deerpath Inn, Teemu08 ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ragdale, Howard Van Doren Shaw architect, Henry Fuerman photographer, Public domain
- Lester Armour House, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House at 380 Chiltern Drive-Deerpath Hill Estates, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- House at 965 Castlegate Court-Deerpath Hill Estates, Teemu08, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Great Lakes Naval Museum 2013 or earlier, (U.S. Navy photo/Released), Public domain
- 129 North Branch (8675713046), LakeCountyIL, CC BY 2.0
- Chicago & North Western Railway Depot (7489401094), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- 130 North Branch (8674607237), LakeCountyIL, CC BY 2.0
- Roadwork on Scranton Ave - July 2025, AlphaBeta135, CC BY 4.0
- Village Market (7489402604), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
- World War I Memorial (7489401930), Teemu008 from Palatine, Illinois, CC BY-SA 2.0
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