River Forest, Illinois
River Forest is a village of 11,992 people in Cook County, Illinois.
Why visit River Forest
Townapedia lists 101 museums and landmarks, 79 parks and trails, 143 places to eat and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Cinemark Melrose Park, Kiddieland Amusement Park, Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum and Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio.
Weather in River Forest
Forecast from the National Weather Service. Full forecast
About River Forest
River Forest is a suburban village adjacent to Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 11,717. Two universities make their home in River Forest, Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago. The village is closely tied to the larger neighboring community of Oak Park.
From the Wikipedia article River Forest, Illinois (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Kiddieland Amusement Park
Monument and historic site · 1.3 mi
Former amusement park in Melrose Park, Illinois, United States
Museums and landmarks101
Ernest Hemingway Birthplace Museum
Museum · 1.2 mi
339 North Oak Park Avenue, Oak Park
We-Fr 13:00-17:00; Sa 10:00-17:00; Su 13:00-17:00
Frank Lloyd Wright Home and Studio
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
951 Chicago Avenue, Oak Park
Haymarket Martyrs' Monument
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.7 mi
Tomb in Forest Park, United States of America
Scoville Park
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.3 mi
Public park in Oak Park, Illinois
800 Lake Street, Oak Park
Albert Soffel House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
American State Bank
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 3.3 mi
Historic bank building in Berwyn, Illinois, United States
Arthur Heurtley House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.0 mi
House in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States
Austin Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.6 mi
Residential historic district in central Austin, Chicago, Illinois
Austin Town Hall Park Historic District
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 2.8 mi
Park and historic district in the Austin neighborhood of Chicago, Illinois
Baptist Retirement Home
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.2 mi
Retirement home in Maywood, Illinois
Caroline Grow House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house at 603 N. 6th Avenue in Maywood, Illinois
Caroline Millward House
Monument and historic site · National Register of Historic Places · 1.1 mi
Historic house in Illinois, United States
89 more on the map.
Parks, trails and playgrounds79
Columbus Park
Park · National Register of Historic Places · 3.0 mi
Park in Illinois, United States of America
Trailside Museum of Natural History
Hiking and trails · 0.4 mi
738 Thatcher Avenue, River Forest
sunrise-sunset
67 more on the map.
Restaurants and cafes143
Baskin-Robbins
Ice cream · Ice Cream · 1.6 mi
912 Winston Plaza, Melrose Park
Mo-Sa 04:00-22:00; Su 05:00-22:00
New Pot Restauraunt
Restaurant · Thai · 1.4 mi
727 Lake Street, Oak Park
Mo-Th 11:30-21:30; Fr, Sa 11:30-22:00; Su 17:00-21:00
The Junction Diner
Restaurant · Diner, American · 1.2 mi
7401 Madison Street, Forest Park
Tu-Fr 11:00-21:00; Sa-Su 09:00-20:00; Mo off
Crumb Crusher Cupcakes
Bakery · 1.4 mi
805 South Boulevard, Oak Park
Tu,We,Fr 10:00-19:00; Sa 10:00-15:00; Su 10:00-13:00
131 more on the map.
History
The Native American history of the area is closely tied to the Des Plaines River and includes Menominee and Chippewa settlements near what is now the Desplaines Avenue and Roosevelt Road forest preserves of Cook County. The Menominees would eventually be driven out by the Potowatomi Nation in 1810. The Potawatomi were in turn pushed west of the Mississippi by the Treaty of Chicago of 1833.
1831 saw the establishment of a steam sawmill on the east bank of the Des Plaines River. In 1842, the first planked road in what is now Lake Street was created. The community was known as Noyesville at the time. In 1848 the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad completed construction of tracks westward from Chicago, and train service commenced in January 1849.
In the 1850s two families acquired land and drove development in the area. David Thatcher settled in what is now western River Forest and named that part of the community Thatcher. Henry Quick arrived from Harlem, New York and named the eastern part of Noyesville as well as Harlem Avenue after his home town.
From the History section of River Forest, Illinois on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship62
First Congregational Church of Austin
Church · National Register of Historic Places · 2.7 mi
Saint Vincent Ferrer Roman Catholic Church
Church · Roman Catholic · 0.9 mi
7565 North Avenue, River Forest
Saint John's United Methodist Church
Church · United Methodist · 0.9 mi
1100 Ontario Street, Oak Park
Shopping18
Gas and EV charging23
Schools, colleges and libraries79
Healthcare16
Immediate Care of Oak Park
Clinic and pharmacy · 1.4 mi
1000 Madison Street, Oak Park
Loyola Center for Health
Clinic and pharmacy · 0.9 mi
7617 North Avenue, River Forest
Map of River Forest
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, 7 miles away.
- Oak Park 2 mi east, about 3 min by car
- Maywood 2 mi southwest, about 3 min by car
- Forest Park 2 mi south, about 3 min by car
- Elmwood Park 2 mi north, about 3 min by car
- Melrose Park 2 mi west, about 4 min by car
- Bellwood 3 mi west, about 5 min by car
- Berwyn 4 mi south, about 6 min by car
- Franklin Park 4 mi northwest, about 7 min by car
- Cicero 5 mi southeast, about 7 min by car
- Northlake 5 mi west, about 7 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
- Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477763304, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club in River Forest, Illinois, Guerillaart, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Gatepost, River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477606016, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477763244, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477918810, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477959175, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477918820, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477959085, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477606031, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477606021, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477958895, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477959065, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gatepost, River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Gatepost, River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54476764037, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54476763792, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477606391, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477887043, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477959090, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477933025, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477846108, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477846098, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54476722637, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477763159, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- River Forest Tennis Club, Lathrop Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477803574, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477565541, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54476722302, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477565946, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477763369, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477565941, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477565406, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54476722942, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54476722327, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Davenport House, Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54477845978, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Ashland Avenue, River Forest, IL - 54476722977, w_lemay, CC BY-SA 2.0
- Calvary Memorial Church Oak Park il, NessieVL, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Oak Park Il Unity Temple9, IvoShandor, CC BY 2.5
- Haymarket Martyr's Memorial, Zol87 from Chicago, IL, USA, CC BY-SA 3.0
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