Elmhurst
The city of Elmhurst provides one of the safest, fun, and family-friendly suburban communities in the West Suburbs of Chicago. With great schools and beautiful large homes, Elmhurst residents love and prosper in their community.
Parks and trails maintain the cities natural beauty and provide natural greenery that the city of Chicago cannot always offer in its residential communities. Safe and productive schools maintain the Elmhurst home values and provide nurturing environments to raise a family.
Bars and restaurants provide a fun and exciting nightlife. Dining in Elmhurst offers variety and quality whether you are seeking a exquisite steakhouse, Asian cuisine, authentic Mexican, delicious Italian pasta, or the best Chicago style pizza.
Only being 16 miles from Chicago, Elmhurst residents have easy accessibility to the city’s attractions and nightlife. The Metra station and trains allow Elmhurst residents who work in Chicago an easy and traffic-free commute.
Elmhurst history is well preserved through museums and historic homes including a historic theater proud to preserve cinematic history. Events in Elmhurst draw many people to the area, including St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Memorial Day Parade, a Pet Parade, Farmer’s Market, live symphony music, and Fall Festival to celebrate Autumn and Halloween.
The beautiful homes and residences of Elmhurst draw people to the area, but its the community and organizations that keep people and families in Elmhurst a lifetime.
Elmhurst is located 16 miles west of the Chicago Loop in DuPage and Cook County. The nearest expressways include I-294 which travels between Indiana and Wisconsin and I-290 which connects the far northwest suburbs to Downtown Chicago.
Commuting to Chicago from Elmhurst is about a 30 minutes drive or a 40 minute train ride on the Metra Union Pacific / West Line service.
In 1836, settlers came to the area now known as Elmhurst and began to build homes along the Salt Creek. Hill Cottage was built in 1843 and became an important stop on the stagecoach line between Fox Valley and Chicago. Hill Cottage still stands today in Elmhurst at the intersection of St. Charles Road and Cottage Hill Avenue.
The first settlers of Elmhurst were bilingual and divided by language; the predominantly English settled in the south and German settled in the North. In 1845, the area was first called Cottage Hill until becoming Elmhurst in 1869 and incorporated in 1882.
The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 brought many new residents to the area and wealthy families built their homes in Elmhurst. In the 1920’s, Elmhurst population nearly tripled, and the city began to construct new amenities, paved sidewalks, new school facilities, founding of Elmhurst Memorial Hospital, and became the largest city in DuPage County.
Today, the residents of Elmhurst preserve their history through the Elmhurst Historical Museum and with preservation of buildings like the Cottage Hill Tavern, Churchville Schoolhouse, and Glos Mansion.
Public education is a major attraction to families looking for a safe and family-friendly neighborhood. The Elmhurst school district teachers average about 10.9 years of professional teaching experience and about 53% have their Master’s degree or a higher degree. Students from York Community High School average ACT scores of 23, well above national and state averages.
Elmhurst College is a private liberal arts college with an enrollment of nearly 2,400 students, offers 50 undergraduate majors, four accelerated majors for adult students, 15 pre-professional programs, and nine graduate programs. 190 Prospect Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126 (630) 617-3500.
Today, approximately 46,000+ residents call Elmhurst home. The City of Elmhurst is committed to shepherding the community into and through the next century by continuing its long history of services of the highest quality for residents and visitors. Working together, residents and the City can make certain that Elmhurst will continue to be a wonderful place to live and raise a family.
