Des Plaines, Illinois

About Des Plaines

Set in the northeastern part of Illinois, Des Plaines is a thriving city, home to 58,832 residents as of the latest Census estimates.

Officially, Des Plaines is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 14.24 square miles, giving it a compact, walkable footprint at roughly 4,131 residents per square mile.

📰 Des Plaines News Today

• Woman drowns while saving her son in Des Plaines River near Libertyville, Illinois, police say CBS News · Aug 17
• Mother tragically drowns after rescuing son from Des Plaines River in Illinois Yahoo News Canada · Aug 18
• Heroic mom of three dies after jumping into river to save her son, 7, on family fishing trip New York Post · Aug 18
• Missing man found dead in Des Plaines River at Oak Spring Road in Libertyville, Illinois, local and fire officials say ABC7 Chicago · Aug 1
• 430 S Western Ave Unit 203, Des Plaines, IL 60016 Realtor.com · Aug 15

Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.

What Makes Des Plaines Unique

• A top-25 city in Illinois by population (#20 of 1,294 incorporated places).
• The only place in America named Des Plaines — a truly one-of-a-kind name among 32,000+ US communities.
• Positioned in northeastern Illinois, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.

Why People Love It Here

• The sweet spot: real amenities without big-city congestion.
• Local businesses and schools anchored by a stable resident base of 58,832.
• Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 4 miles.

📍 Neighborhoods in Des Plaines

Click a neighborhood to see it on the map.

🍽️ Where to Eat in Des Plaines

• Amazing Breads & Cakes — pastry (café)
• Avanti Caffe — italian (café)
• Boston Fish Market — seafood
• Buffalo Wild Wings GO. — wings
• Des Plaines Family Restaurant & Pancake House — american
• Gail's Carriage Inn — american
• Karavan — asian
• Los Azares Mexican Grill — mexican
• Mrs. V's — american
• Starbucks — coffee shop (café)

Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🎡 Fun Things to Do

• 1000 gecs tree · Attraction
• Des Plaines History Museum · Museum
• Kinder House · Museum
• Mystic Waters · Water park

Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.

🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Des Plaines

• Apache Park reviews ★
• Arndt Park reviews ★
• Belleau Lake · Nature reserve reviews ★
• Big Bend Lake Preserve;Big Bend Lake · Nature reserve reviews ★
• Campground Road Woods · Nature reserve reviews ★
• Centennial Park reviews ★
• Central Park reviews ★
• Cherokee Park reviews ★
• Cumberland Terrace reviews ★
• Des Plaines Manor Park reviews ★
• High Ridge Knolls Park reviews ★
• Hoffman Park reviews ★

Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.

🏫 Schools in Des Plaines

• Algonquin Middle School
• Central Elem School
• Chippewa Middle School
• Cumberland Elem School
• Forest Elem School
• Iroquois Community School
• NCISC ALOP
• North Cook Student Advocacy ALOP
• North Cook Young Adult Academy
• North Elementary School
• Orchard Place Elem School
• Plainfield Elem School
• South Elem School
• Terrace School-D/HH EC Program

Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.

🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare

• Chicago Behavioral Hospital · Psychiatric

Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.

⚡ Quick Facts

🗺️ Map of Des Plaines

🏘️ Nearby Communities