The Village of River Forest is a non-home rule community with a Village President and Board of Trustees elected at large and a professional Village Administrator who runs the day to day operations of the Village. River Forest was incorporated as a municipality in 1880.
Location
The Village of River Forest is a well-established community situated about 10 miles west of downtown Chicago. Home to 11,489 residents, it features a diverse mix of businesses and is the site of two universities—Concordia and Dominican. The community’s western edge is defined by the Des Plaines River and expansive Cook County Forest Preserves. River Forest shares borders with Oak Park to the east, Forest Park to the south, Elmwood Park to the north, and Melrose Park and Maywood across the Des Plaines River to the west. Ideally positioned in the heart of the Chicago metropolitan area, River Forest benefits from excellent access to major roadways and public transit.
Demographics
River Forest is an affluent community of 11,489 with an average household income of $148,711. Nearly three-quarters of all adults age 25 or older have a college degree.
- Population - 11,172
- Median Age - 40.1
- Per Capita Income - $89,337
- Median Home Value - $676,900
- Median Family Income - $221,404
- Median Household Income - $148,711
- Mean Household Income - $206,744
- Unemployment Rate (IDES) - 4.8%
(figures based on publically available 2023 data)
Library
The River Forest Public Library serves all residents and offers a wide variety of services and programming.
Parks
The River Forest Park District maintains 10 parks which include:
- Baseball Fields
- Soccer Fields
- Open Space
- Tennis Courts (illuminated)
- Paddle Tennis
- Climbing Wall
- Sled Hill
- Walking Path
Sales Tax
Sales tax for general merchandise in River Forest is 10.00%. The sales tax is comprised of four separate taxing authorities as noted below:
|
Taxing Authority
|
Portion of Sales Tax
|
|
State of Illinois
|
6.25%
|
|
Cook County
|
1.75%
|
|
Regional Transportation Authority (RTA)
|
1.00%
|
|
Village of River Forest
|
1.00%
|
|
Total
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10.00%
|
Schools
Public School Districts:
Private Schools:
Transportation
- 10 minutes west of downtown Chicago via I-290
- A 20-minute ride to downtown Chicago on the CTA Green Line "L"
- Metra- Union Pacific West Line
- Pace Bus Routes 305, 310, 317, 318, 320
- Conveniently situated to O'Hare International Airport and Midway Airport
Utilities
History
The character of River Forest today is the result of its early settlers; the Steeles, Thatchers, Quicks, Murphys, Griffens, Wallers, Boughtons, and Brookes. The affluence of these early settlers resulted in grand homes, upscale schools and churches and attracted other wealthy residents to River Forest.
River Forest was incorporated as a Village on October 30, 1880. Prior to that, it was considered part of a larger community called Harlem, which included parts of Oak Park and Forest Park. Fearing the possibility of alcohol-related problems if Harlem incorporated, River Forest residents banded together to incorporate a smaller and initially "dry" community. Forest Park and Oak Park followed suit and were incorporated in 1884 and 1901, respectively.
The original homes in River Forest were constructed along the east-west rail line between Chicago Avenue and Madison Street, primarily due to the importance of rail transportation. With the introduction of the automobile, homes began to sprout up farther away from the train stations that existed in the Village. Initially, the northern section of River Forest was largely undeveloped. In the early 1900's, Concordia University, Rosary College and the Priory of St. Dominic and St. Thomas acquired land and established their institutions in River Forest. Today, the three occupy approximately 110 acres of land in River Forest.
Click here for a scanned version of book detailing early River Forest history.