A village about 15 miles west of the Chicago Loop, with an 1892 water tower downtown and Metra service on the BNSF Line.
01 — At a Glance
Western Springs is a village about 15 miles west of the Chicago Loop, on the BNSF line between Chicago and Aurora. The 2020 census counted 13,629 residents, and the village covers about 2.79 square miles, all of it land. The ZIP code is 60558. Residents voted to incorporate in December 1885, and the 1892 stone water tower still stands downtown.
Source: Wikipedia: Western Springs, Illinois · Western Springs Historical Society: Our Village
02 — History
Before there was a downtown, there were mineral springs that people believed could heal, a stagecoach stop on Plainfield Road, and a railroad that gave the place its name. Here are a few chapters most people walking past the water tower never hear.
Mid-1830s
After the Potawatomi were forced out in the 1830s, Joseph Vial came from New York State and bought land in what’s now the Timber Trails subdivision. The cabin he built along Plainfield Road worked as a stagecoach station, hotel, general store and post office for the whole area.
1864
The 38-mile Aurora–Chicago railroad arrived in 1864, and it was the railroad that first used the name “Western Springs,” after the nearby mineral springs. People believed the water had healing powers, and Native Americans had used the springs long before.
1871
A syndicate led by the four sons of Chicago merchant Phillip F. W. Peck recorded a subdivision called “East Hinsdale” in August 1871, hoping to sell summer homes near the springs. Two months later the Great Chicago Fire wiped out much of the Peck fortune, and the elder Peck died two weeks after that.
1885
By 1875 the subdivision had taken the name Western Springs, and an 1880 map advertised lots just a 31-minute train ride from the city for a 10-cent fare. In December 1885 a small group of residents narrowly voted to incorporate as a village.
1892
When the springs could no longer serve a growing town, the village hired three resident engineers to design a waterworks. The stone-and-brick tower they finished in 1892 cost $79,000 and rises 112.5 feet. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 and is now the historical society’s museum.
1957–1959
Through the State Department’s People to People program, Western Springs was paired with Rugeley, England, and became the first Illinois community with a sister city. Rugeley named a road “Western Springs” in 1957, and the village returned the favor by dedicating Rugeley Road on May 23, 1959.
In the early 1800s the Potawatomi had camps near Salt Creek and Flagg Creek, where the springs gave them clean water. They were forced to relocate in the 1830s, and settlers followed. Joseph Vial’s cabin on Plainfield Road, built in the mid-1830s, became the area’s stagecoach station, hotel, store and post office.
The Aurora–Chicago railroad came through in 1864 and called its stop Western Springs, after the mineral springs that stood in what’s now the southeast part of Spring Rock Park. In 1870 a group of investors led by Phillip F. W. Peck bought land in today’s Old Town North and Old Town South, and in 1871 they platted it as “East Hinsdale.” The Great Chicago Fire, Peck’s death and the bank failures of 1873 slowed sales for years.
By 1875 the streets had been redrawn and the subdivision renamed Western Springs. The settlement showed up in the U.S. Census for the first time in 1880, and in December 1885 residents narrowly voted to incorporate. Wikipedia’s account notes that many early residents were Quakers and that Quaker developer Thomas Clarkson Hill was elected the first village president.
In 1890 the population had reached 451, and private wells weren’t keeping up. Engineers Benezette Williams, Edgar Williams and Ethan Philbrick designed a water system, and the tower was finished in 1892. It later housed village offices as well as water, and it has been a museum run by the Western Springs Historical Society since it stopped serving those roles in the 1960s.
The library started in a storefront on Grand Avenue. After building contractor Thomas Ford died in 1928, his widow, Edith, donated land and paid for a library in his name. The Thomas Ford Memorial Library opened at Wolf Road and Chestnut Street in 1932, with additions in 1962 and 1996.
In the late 1950s Western Springs was matched with Rugeley, in Staffordshire, England, through the People to People program. Rugeley named a road for the village in 1957, Western Springs renamed 50th Street as Rugeley Road in 1958, and the dedication followed on May 23, 1959. In 1962 the village proclaimed May 23 as Rugeley Day.
Source: Western Springs Historical Society: Our Village · Western Springs Historical Society: The Water Tower · Thomas Ford Memorial Library: Library History · Village of Western Springs: Sister City · Wikipedia: Western Springs, Illinois
03 — Shopping & Dining
Downtown Western Springs is compact and easy to walk. Most of these spots sit along Burlington and Hillgrove avenues within a block or two of the water tower and the Metra station, and the Wednesday market sets up right on Tower Green.
French brasserie & café
Chef Paul Virant’s French brasserie and café, a short walk from the water tower on Burlington Avenue. Dinner runs nightly, and reservations are taken online.
909 Burlington Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteItalian wine bar & kitchen
Rustic Italian plates and a wine-bar feel on Hillgrove Avenue, open for lunch and dinner every day of the week.
800 Hillgrove Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsitePizza & Italian pub fare
Roman-style pan pizza, Italian pub food, beer and wine on tap and craft cocktails, with the game on and room for the whole family.
4471 Lawn Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteCraft beer & family dining
A sports-themed craft beer bar downtown that’s genuinely kid-friendly, with a full menu and room for parties and rehearsal dinners.
800 Hillgrove Ave., Suite 101, Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteFamily bakery since 1953
Lester and Cele Kirschbaum opened their shop in 1953, and generations of families have come back for the sweet rolls, butter knots, cakes and specialty breads.
825 Burlington Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteChicago deep dish
Deep dish at Gilbert Avenue and 47th Street, in the Garden Market Plaza since 2005. The family opened its first pizzeria in Lincolnwood in 1971.
4700 Gilbert Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteGifts, jewelry & home
Open since 2007 and rooted in a family retail tradition that goes back to 1890, right across from the water tower. Dogs are always welcome.
907 Burlington Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteGifts, home décor & gourmet
Gifts, home décor, gourmet treats, bath and body, and a big selection of Christmas pieces. The shop came to Western Springs in 2007.
921 Burlington Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteMeat & deli
A full-service meat and deli shop on Burlington Avenue that puts quality and service first. It’s open seven days a week.
915 Burlington Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit WebsiteWednesdays, 4 to 7 p.m., May through August
Bensidoun USA sets up in front of the water tower, between Lawn and Grand avenues, with produce, meat, eggs, coffee, olive oil, flowers and baked goods. Many weeks add a kids’ activity or a local performer.
Tower Green, 914 Hillgrove Ave., Western Springs, IL 60558
Visit Website04 — Education
Most of Western Springs attends Western Springs School District 101, and some newer neighborhoods such as Ridgewood are in LaGrange Highlands School District 106. Every school that serves the village feeds Lyons Township High School.
Boundaries follow the address. Confirm school assignment for each address with the district before you buy.
Search HomesPublic · K–8
The district serving the village’s original neighborhoods, with three K–5 elementary schools and McClure Junior High for grades 6–8.
Public · PreK–8
Serves newer Western Springs neighborhoods, including Ridgewood, with Highlands Elementary and Highlands Middle School sharing one building.
Public · Grades 9–12
Freshmen and sophomores attend the South Campus in Western Springs, and juniors and seniors attend the North Campus in La Grange.
Independent · In Western Springs
A Catholic parish school on 51st Street with more than 645 students, from preschool through middle school, plus athletics and about 25 extracurricular activities.
Independent · Nearby
A Catholic, coed, college-prep high school in neighboring La Grange Park, inspired by the Congregation of Saint Joseph.
Community Learning
The village library at 800 Chestnut Street runs storytimes, book clubs, homework help and The Village Read, and it’s open seven days a week.
05 — Lifestyle
Summer here means Wednesday afternoons at the French Market and music on Tower Green, and fall brings chili and costumes to Harvest Fest. Here’s where people spend their time, from the parks and the theatre to the trains into Chicago.
The park district’s 41.7-acre flagship at 4400 Central Avenue, with playgrounds, seven tennis courts, ball diamonds and room for big community events.
Park DetailsA 5.1-acre neighborhood park on Parkview Drive with a modern playground, a covered pavilion, a Little League field and an open athletic field.
Park DetailsA 480-acre forest preserve along Salt Creek with paved and unpaved trails, a canoe launch, excellent spring and fall birding, and the Go Ape treetop course.
Preserve DetailsThe Western Springs Business Association brings live bands to Tower Green on Wednesday evenings in July, with two sets a night.
Event DetailsA summer street party from the business association, with a beer tent, local bands, a petting zoo, pony rides and food from local vendors.
Event DetailsThe park district’s Halloween Bash and Chili Cook-Off, held this year on Saturday, October 24, before families head out trick-or-treating.
Event DetailsA nonprofit league teaching baseball and softball to boys and girls ages 5 and up, from coach pitch through the Majors, with games at village parks.
WSLL WebsiteThe village recreation department runs camps, leagues and clinics, including recreation basketball and the Wildcats and Blazers travel teams.
Program DetailsThe village’s private pool club, open since 1955, offers swim lessons, lap swimming and a swim team for ages 6 to 18.
Pool DetailsNow in its 98th season on Hampton Avenue, with main-stage shows, children’s theatre, a high school repertory company and a concert series.
Theatre WebsiteThe Western Springs Historical Society keeps its museum inside the 1892 water tower at 914 Hillgrove Avenue. It’s open Saturday mornings from 10 to noon.
Historical SocietyBuilt in 1932 with stone carvings that stand for writing, printing and learning, and still the place for book groups, homework help and family programs.
Library HistoryBNSF Line trains stop downtown at 914 Burlington Avenue, in fare zone 3. The waiting room opens at 4:30 a.m., and there are 357 parking spaces across seven lots.
Station DetailsJust west of the village line, the BNSF stop at Highland Road and County Line Road in Hinsdale is another option for homes on the west side.
Station DetailsOgden Avenue (U.S. 34) runs along the north edge and meets the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) on the west side. Wolf Road is the main north–south street, and Pace runs commuter buses through the village.
Roads OverviewPrivate Client Representation