About Our Communities

  • The communities of Lake Forest, Lake Bluff, and Knollwood are located less than one hour north of Chicago on the shores of Lake Michigan.

    Established in the 1850's, Lake Forest has a character and heritage unique to the area. Among its early residents were many prominent business and corporate leaders from Chicago.

The 19,375 residents of Lake Forest enjoy a wide array of community services, including outstanding educational, recreational, and cultural facilities. Beautiful tree-lined parkways enhance gracious homes in this suburb.

    Leafy and historic, the shoreside village of Lake Bluff cherishes its small-town ambience. Lake Bluff’s 1905 brick town hall overlooks the village green and gazebo. Its pocket commercial area was recently recognized as a National Register historic district. Originally founded as a Methodist camp in the 1870s, Lake Bluff was modeled after Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard and Chautauqua in New York as a place for cultural education, social affairs, and recreation.

    Knollwood is an unincorporated community that shares a ZIP Code with the neighboring village of Lake Bluff. Originally the site of a 248-acre property known as "Knollwood Farm," in 1923, Knollwood Farm was purchased by a group of wealthy Chicago businessmen who wished to turn the land into a country club. The following year, the Knollwood Country Club was founded, and the purchase was finalized in 1925. The community that sprang up around the club came to be known as Knollwood.

    Our communities enjoy nearby major shopping malls and fine restaurants, and, with other nearby communities, offer extensive cultural and recreational opportunities, including a symphony orchestra and a music institute. Just minutes away is the internationally renowned Ravinia, North America's oldest and most diverse summer festival of the performing arts. Travel to Chicago is available on three commuter train lines (Metra); two in Lake Forest (located in the downtown area, and on the southwest side of Lake Forest) and one in Lake Bluff. Interstate 94/294 and U.S. Rte. 41 provide north-south access.

    Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital is regarded highly for the personalized attention it provides its patients as well as the caliber of its physicians. The new, state-of-the-art Lake Forest Hospital is a redesigned campus that integrates health, wellness and civic enjoyment.

    Education

    Most students from Lake Forest attend Lake Forest Elementary District 67 schools and Lake Forest High School. Most students from Lake Bluff and Knollwood attend Lake Bluff Elementary District 65 schools and Lake Forest High School. Students attending Lake Forest High School also come from other local public and private schools.

    Higher education opportunities are offered through Lake Forest College, which provides quality liberal arts educational opportunities for their students, and Forest Graduate School of Management, offering MBA, Graduate Level Certificates and Corporate Education. For those seeking additional opportunities for advanced education, The College of Lake County, Northwestern University, The University of Chicago, DePaul University, Loyola University, and The University of Illinois-Chicago, are easily accessible.

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