Bridgeview

History

The earliest European settlement in Bridgeview occurred in the 1830s, when the area was still populated by Native American groups. By the 1870s German and Italian settlers began moving into the area for farming purposes. Dutch migrated to the area by the 1920s, at which time farming began to decline; real estate and industry began to develop the area considerably. After Lake Michigan water became available to the area, the population grew significantly. The Bridgeview Community Club was founded in 1938 and became the center of local activities. The first Palestinians arrived in the 1890s and by 2024, an area between Midway International Airport and a SeatGeek soccer stadium was home to "Little Palestine", the largest Palestinian enclave in the United States. Bridgeview was incorporated in 1947 with an initial population of approximately 500 residents. Local residents chose the name "Bridgeview" by one vote over "Oketo", which remains a street name in the village today. The term "Bridgeview" connotes views of the area from the Harlem Avenue bridge, 79th Street bridge and 87th Street bridge. Arab Americans are a growing presence, making up 10.8 percent of the population in 2020. In 1981, an Islamic social club was established and by 1984 it had become a mosque. Two Islamic schools in Bridgeview educate hundreds of students from K-12. Bridgeview's motto is "A Well Balanced Community", as the village's zoning is divided equally into residential, commercial, and industrial areas. Its proximity to Chicago's Midway Airport and downtown, along with access to major highways, has made it a crossroads of the inner southwest suburbs. The Fifth District Circuit Court of Cook County is located in Bridgeview near 103rd Street and 76th Avenue.

Geography

According to the 2021 census gazetteer files, Bridgeview has a total area of , all land. The village has a roughly rectangular shape; its borders running north and south stagger between 8300 West and 6800 West, but can generally be defined as between Roberts Road and Harlem Avenue. The southern border of the town is 103rd Street between 76th Avenue and Harlem. The northern border is staggered between 6700 South on the west side of the rail tracks and 6900 South on the east side of the rail tracks. Bridgeview borders the following communities: Bedford Park, Nottingham Park (unincorporated Cook County, often considered part of Chicago due to its 60638 ZIP code), Burbank, Oak Lawn, Chicago Ridge, Palos Hills, Hickory Hills and Justice. Bridgeview is southwest of the Chicago Loop.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  63,443
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  56,738
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  46,785
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  46,005
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  41,459
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  40,579
• Downy Woodpecker

  Dryobates pubescens (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  40,231
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  39,502

Largest nearby schools

• Lyons Twp High Sch
  High · La Grange · 3,842 students · 15:1 ratio
• J Sterling Morton West High Sch
  High · Berwyn · 3,533 students · 17.2:1 ratio
• J Sterling Morton East High Sch
  High · Cicero · 3,445 students · 20.4:1 ratio
• Curie Metropolitan High School
  High · Chicago · 3,178 students · 16.5:1 ratio
• Carl Sandburg High School
  High · Orland Park · 2,894 students · 16.1:1 ratio
• Amos Alonzo Stagg High School
  High · Palos Hills · 2,538 students · 14.4:1 ratio
• Unity Jr High School
  Middle · Cicero · 2,054 students · 14.6:1 ratio
• Reavis High School
  High · Burbank · 1,986 students · 17.6:1 ratio

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-07-08
  21 km ENE of Kenilworth, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2025-03-15
  6 km W of Dwight, Illinois
• M 3.1 — 2024-07-15
  2 km WNW of Somonauk, Illinois
• M 2.9 — 2015-03-25
  3 km WNW of Lake in the Hills, Illinois
• M 3.2 — 2013-11-04
  1 km SSW of Lyons, Illinois
• M 2.6 — 2013-06-10
  4 km NNE of Virgil, Illinois