Profile for Lake Forest, Illinois, IL

Lake Forest is on Lake Michigan.

Construction of the Illinois-Michigan Canal, connecting Lake Michigan and the Illinois River, was completed in 1848. Although the canal carried heavy traffic for only two decades, it opened northern Illinois to development.

The community was chosen as the site for a college in 1856. Three years later, the first classes were held at Lind University, which later became Lake Forest College.

The community was incorporated in 1861.

The community's original charter prohibited the sale or manufacture of liquor.

Filming location for:
· 1980 movie, "Ordinary People"

Coffee: National and regional coffee companies with outlets here include Starbucks

Performing arts: Lake Forest Symphony

Colleges and universities: Lake Forest College

Support for libraries: Local government funding for the local library system, in fiscal years 2001-2002, was above the national average. (See library links below.)

Listed places near Lake Forest

Archives (1)

Cemeteries (16)

Colleges (4)

Communities (19)

Hotels (31)

Libraries (8)

Military bases (1)

Museums (3)

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• Lake Forest population
• Ancestry of people in Lake Forest
• Housing in Lake Forest
• Income in Lake Forest
• Marital status of adults in Lake Forest
• Place of birth of people in Lake Forest
• Residence in 1995, of people in Lake Forest
• School enrollment & education levels in Lake Forest
• Transportation & commute times in Lake Forest
• Lake County data
• Fastest-growing counties in Illinois
• State data - Illinois
• Data by street address
• Historical census records (Ancestry.com)

Sections below provide additional information and links about Lake Forest demographics, travel and tourism, nearby airports, cemeteries, the Lake County economy, education, environment, genealogy, government, historic sites, Chicago area jobs, libraries, maps, museums, newspapers and other media, nonprofit groups, real estate, recreation, religion, transportation, and weather in the 60040 ZIP code.

(Also see local map below.)

• Lake Forest city government
• Lake County government
• Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce
• Lake County Chamber of Commerce
• Lake County tourism

18% of Lake Forest residents report German ancestry, and 16% report Irish. For more info on local ancestry groups, see the Lake Forest ancestry & family history guide.

• Cemeteries in or near Lake Forest
• Cemeteries in Lake County
• Libraries in or near Lake Forest

Post a query on a message board:

• Lake County Ancestry forum
• GenForum

Records & databases:

• Ancestry.com - IL data
• Birth, marriage & death records
• Cemetery records
• County history catalog
• Census records (historic)
• Court, land & probate records
• Death index
• Family & local history
• Immigration records
• Military records (historic)
• Newspaper articles

• Lake Forest museums
• Lake Forest historic sites
• Lake Forest area parks
• Wineries near Lake Forest

• Lake Forest: Estates, People and Culture

• Add a local cemetery to our listings
• Lake Forest area cemeteries
• Cemeteries in Lake County
• Cemetery record compendium
• Illinois cemetery message boards
• National database of cemetery records
• Veteran grave locator

• Communities near Lake Forest
• Nearby cities of 10,000 or more
• Nearby cities of 50,000 or more
• Communities in Lake County

• Lake Forest business guide
• Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce
• Lake County Chamber of Commerce
• Better Business Bureau
• Business licenses
• Corporate records search

• Courts in Illinois
• Local ordinances in Illinois (Partial selection)

• Crime in Lake County
• Arrests in Lake County

• Obituaries - search nearby newspapers
• Obituary database - Ancestry.com
• Charitable donations

• Local information on disability access
• Americans with Disabilities Act
• Independent living centers in Illinois
• National Council on Independent Living

At the time of the 2000 census, the per capita income in Lake Forest was $77,092, compared with $21,587 nationally.

• Banks
• Building permits
• Current labor force
• Wage estimates
• Lake County economic census
• Lake County economic summary
• Lake County employment growth
• Lake County unemployment rate
• Illinois economic data

74% of Lake Forest residents age 25 and older have a bachelor's or advanced college degree.

• Colleges in or near Lake Forest
• Colleges in Illinois
• Learning Disabilities Association in Illinois
• Schools in or near Lake Forest
• School districts in or near Lake Forest
• School report cards
• Yearbooks (old) of Illinois high schools

• Movies & TV shows filmed in Lake Forest
• Movies playing in or near Lake Forest
• YouTube videos about Lake Forest

• Air pollution in Lake County
• Diesel soot in Lake County
• Land contamination in Lake County
• Nature Conservancy projects in Illinois
• Ozone status & air pollution - American Lung Association
• Recycling info for Lake County
• Toxic chemical releases in Lake County
• Water levels & streamflow conditions in Illinois

• ePodunk festival listings
• Illinois county fairs
• Illinois festivals (Illinois tourism department)
• Send us festival info for Lake Forest

• Confluence of latitude & longitude near Lake Forest
• Geocaches in Illinois

• Lake Forest items now on sale

• Lake Forest local government Web site
• Lake County government
• Illinois state government
• Driver's licenses
• Motor vehicles
• Passports
• Social Security
• Veterans affairs
• Where to write for birth, death, marriage or divorce records

• Ancestry & family history
• Business
• Demographics
• Health
• Moving
• Nonprofit resources
• Sports & rec
• Travel

• Lake Forest medical services & health statistics

• State historical society

Historic districts in Lake Forest include Lake Forest Historic District, Vine - Oakwood - Green Bay Road Historic District ... View historic districts

• Historic sites in or near Lake Forest
• Historic sites in Illinois
• Museums in or near Lake Forest
• Museums in Illinois
• Illinois state archives
• National Historic Landmark search
• Search the Library of Congress
• Search the National Register for historic properties
• Post history questions in Lake County genealogy forum

Median rent in Lake Forest, at the time of the 2000 Census, was $908.   Monthly homeowner costs, for people with mortgages, were $3,551.

• Research Lake Forest Apartments
• Find Foreclosure in Lake Forest
• Homes for sale in Lake Forest
• Find a Lake Forest Realtor
• Get free moving quotes
• Free home valuation
• Check Illinois mortgage rates
• Property and neighborhood reports
• Mortgage calculator

• Jobs in the Lake Forest area
• Job services in Illinois
• Minimum wage laws by state

Libraries in Lake Forest include Lake Forest Library ... View libraries

• Illinois library

• Illinois statewide library catalog

• Get directions from Lake Forest
• Get directions to Lake Forest
• Census map of Lake Forest area
• Historic maps of IL cities - Library of Congress
• Historic maps of Illinois
• Topographic map of Lake Forest

• Daily newspapers in or near Lake Forest
• AM radio stations in or near Lake Forest
• Commercial FM radio stations in or near Lake Forest
• Public & educational radio stations in or near Lake Forest
• TV stations in or near Lake Forest
• Media ownership in the Lake Forest area
• Search historic newspaper articles
• Search recent news archives in Illinois

• Military bases in Illinois
• American Legion post locator
• Veterans of Foreign Wars post locator

• Check daily newspapers in or near Lake Forest
• Search obituaries in Illinois
• Recent death notices - selected IL newspapers

• Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce
• Community foundations (by state)
• Foundations (by name)
• Kiwanis clubs in Illinois
• Lions clubs in Illinois
• Nonprofit groups
• Nonprofit guide for Lake Forest
• Rotary club search
• Volunteer opportunities in or near Lake Forest

• Parks near Lake Forest
• National forests in Illinois
• State parks in Illinois

• Find friends & family

• Find a local animal shelter
• Report animal cruelty

• Aerial photo of Lake Forest
• Historic photos of U.S. cities
• Panoramic photos of Illinois communities
• Photos of Illinois places
• Post cards of Illinois communities

Lake County supported George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election. For more information, see our Lake Forest political report.

• Illinois Democratic party
• Illinois Republican party
• Lake County elections board
• Illinois elections board

• ZIP codes (by street address)
• ZIP codes (by city)
• ZIP code reverse lookup (find cities in a ZIP code)

• Churches, other places of worship in or near Lake Forest
• Total membership by faith, in Lake County

• Nearby restaurants taking online reservations
• Chowhound message boards for IL

The average commute time for Lake Forest workers is 32 minutes, compared with 26 minutes nationwide.

A total of 1 fatal motor vehicle accidents occurred in Lake Forest between 2001 and 2003, according to reports gathered by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

This is a rate of .5 fatal crashes per 10,000 population, which was lower than the national norm.

Hotels in Lake Forest include Deer Path Inn.

• Lake Forest travel guide
• Airports near Lake Forest
• Hotels near Lake Forest
• Illinois tourism bureau

• Monthly averages & records
• Major storms (searchable by county)
• National weather map

• Audubon centers
• Birding spots in Illinois
• Wildlife refuges in Illinois

Browse list of Illinois community profiles