Lake Forest, Illinois
About Lake Forest
Lake Forest, IL is a close-knit town located in northeastern Illinois with an estimated population of 19,642.
Officially, Lake Forest is an incorporated city with its own municipal government. The community covers 17.2 square miles, giving it a balanced suburban layout with room to breathe at roughly 1,142 residents per square mile.
📰 Lake Forest News Today
- Donald Eugene Tjarksen Obituary (2026) - Lake Forest, IL - Reuland & Turnbough Funeral Directors - Lake Forest Legacy obituary · Aug 18
- Lake Forest, Illinois fire: Man found dead during house fire on Griffith Road, Lake County Coroner's Office says ABC7 Chicago · Aug 12
- Lake Forest Approves Drone Pilot To Speed Police, Fire Emergency Response Patch · Aug 18
- 1 person dead, 1 hospitalized after fire in Lake Forest, Illinois CBS News · Aug 9
- Lake Forest Football Schedule MaxPreps · Aug 15
Live headlines via Google News — updates through the day.
What Makes Lake Forest Unique
- Positioned in northeastern Illinois, convenient to the region's corridors and crossings.
- Part of the fabric of Illinois — one of 1,461 recognized communities statewide.
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 19,642.
- Well connected: 3+ neighboring communities within 4 miles.
📍 Neighborhoods in Lake Forest
Click a neighborhood to see it on the map.
🍽️ Where to Eat in Lake Forest
- Francesca's Intimo — italian
- Hometown Coffee & Juice — coffee shop (café)
- Le Colonial Lake Forest — vietnamese
- Starbucks — coffee shop (café)
- Sushi Kushi Toyo — japanese
- The Bar — european
- The English Room — european
- The Peanut Gallery — american
- White Hart Pub — european
- Boomer's South
Local spots mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🎡 Fun Things to Do
- Expression Gallery of Fine Art · Art gallery
- History Center Of Lake Forest- Lake Bluff · Museum
Attractions mapped by the OpenStreetMap community.
🏞️ Parks & Outdoors in Lake Forest
- Carruthers Nature Preserve · Nature reserve reviews ★
- Buena Park · Nature reserve reviews ★
- Deerpath Community Park reviews ★
- Derwen Mawr Nature Preserve · Nature reserve reviews ★
- Forest Park reviews ★
- McClure Rain Garden · Garden reviews ★
- Meadowood Park reviews ★
- Mellody Farm Nature Preserve reviews ★
- Northcroft Park reviews ★
- Revery Prairie · Garden reviews ★
- Shooting Star Savanna reviews ★
- South Park reviews ★
Parks mapped by the OpenStreetMap community · "reviews" opens each park's live Google reviews.
🏫 Schools in Lake Forest
- Cherokee Elem School
- Deer Path Middle Sch East
- Deer Path Middle Sch West
- Everett Elem School
- Lake Forest High School
- Rondout Elem School
- Sheridan Elem School
Public schools, U.S. Dept. of Education (NCES) 2023–24 directory.
🏥 Hospitals & Healthcare
- Northwestern Lake Forest Hospital ★★★★★ (5/5 CMS rating) · 24/7 ER
Medicare-registered hospitals with official CMS star ratings.