Anyone who wishes to assign an address to a new building or request the reassignment of an address to an existing building are required to submit a completed application for address assignment or reassignment. Once a completed application is submitted, the Village will determine the address in accordance with River Forest Village Code and will route it through Village departments and emergency dispatch for review and comment. Please note that a particular address number or street name may be requested but is not guaranteed. Applicants should allow up to 30 days for the Village to review the address and send notice to Cook County and United States Post Office. The new address will become effective 30 days after notice is sent. Property owners must provide notice to all other interested parties and display the address once it has become effective.
Address Assignment Application Form
The Village of River Forest is authorized by state law to regulate the numbering of buildings, units within buildings, and lots. The primary purpose of assigning a street address is to provide an accurate and visible address that allows police, fire and paramedic services to quickly identify a home or business during an emergency. It also allows for the accurate delivery of mail and packages.
When interior spaces are reconfigured in an existing building the existing addresses and/or unit numbers may be modified. When an apartments are converted to condominiums, new unit numbers may be reassigned. Whenever practical, street address will be assigned to conform to the number of buildings and lots as specified in Section 5-5-2 of the River Forest Village Code:
“The number of all such buildings or lots shall be determined by calculating one number for each side of a street for every twenty-five linear feet, excepting necessary street and alley crossings. Eight hundred numbers shall be assigned to a mile, or one hundred numbers to each one-eighth of a mile, on all streets, and such numbers shall change from any one hundred to the succeeding one hundred at the intersecting street nearest the said one-eighth mile line. All lots or houses located on north and south streets or on streets running in a northerly or southerly direction shall be numbered from Madison Street as a base line, beginning with number 1 at the north line of Madison Street and increasing to the north. Eight hundred numbers shall be allowed to a mile, so that 800 shall be at Chicago Avenue and 1600 at North Avenue. The odd numbers on north and south streets shall be on the east side of said streets. All lots or houses located on east and west streets or on streets running in an easterly or westerly direction shall be numbered from Harlem Avenue beginning with number 7201 at the west line of Harlem Avenue, and increasing west. The odd numbers on east and west streets shall be on the south side of said streets; provided, however, that where a street or avenue changes its course, the numbering of such buildings on such street or avenue shall continue in regular consecutive order, as aforesaid, the same as though its course had not changed.”
For a new building or development, address assignment is typically completed during the building permit process. Builders are encouraged to begin the address assignment process as early as possible.