Lake Forest

History

The Potawatomi inhabited Lake County before the United States Federal Government forced them out in 1836 as part of Indian Removal of tribes to areas west of the Mississippi River. As Lake Forest was first developed in 1857, the planners laid roads that would provide limited access to the city in an effort to prevent outside traffic and isolate the tranquil settlement from neighboring areas. Though the town is considerably more accessible today, due in part to the extensive new construction taking place further west, the much smaller neighborhood of eastern Lake Forest, near the coast of Lake Michigan, remains relatively secluded. It is one of the most scenic, historical, and architecturally significant suburbs of Chicago. These neighborhoods include estates and homes designed by distinguished architects such as Howard Van Doren Shaw, David Adler, Frank Lloyd Wright, Arthur Heun, Jerome Cerny, Henry Ives Cobb, and modernist George Fred Keck, among others. Landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Jens Jensen also designed projects in Lake Forest. Market Square, designed by Howard Van Doren Shaw, was completed in 1916 as a commercial center for Lake Forest. Lake Forest had an African-American community from very early on in its history, drawn to employment opportunities on the estates and educational institutions in the late 19th century. Unlike other communities in the area, Lake Forest had many residents who were associated with the Abolitionist movement. Lake Forest's first mayor and a founder of Lake Forest College, Sylvester Lind, was a major figure on the Underground Railroad, and was known to help escaped slaves settle in Lake Forest. Roxana Beecher, niece of abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe, taught integrated school in Lake Forest. A prominent early…

Geography

Lake Forest is a suburb of the city of Chicago, located in the extreme northeastern region of Illinois on the North Shore. According to the 2020 US gazetteer files, the village has a total area of , of which is land, and (or 0.38%) is water. Due to its proximity to the city, Lake Forest's climate shares many of the same traits as Chicago. Lake Forest lies in a humid continental climate zone (Köppen: Dfa) and experiences four distinct seasons. Like all Chicago suburbs, Lake Forest lies within USDA plant hardiness zone 5b.

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  39,130
• Northern Cardinal

  Cardinalis cardinalis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  32,679
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  32,114
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  31,440
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  31,097
• Mourning Dove

  Zenaida macroura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  30,595
• American Goldfinch

  Spinus tristis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  29,649
• Blue Jay

  Cyanocitta cristata (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  28,427

Most recent

• M 2.9 — 2026-07-08
  21 km ENE of Kenilworth, 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
• M 3.8 — 2010-02-10
  2 km NW of Lily Lake, Illinois