A town of 11,992. Nearly 1.9% of it is conserved land.
The 3 things River Forest does most differently from other towns.
1.9% of the town is conserved land, across 14 parks and preserves.
What neighbors are saying. Town Square →
Nothing on the calendar.
Ordered by what stands out in River Forest. Another town gets a different order.
7.1 miles of trails across 14 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Thatcher Woods Preserve | 4.9 mi | 243 |
| 2. G.A.R. Woods Preserve | 0.8 mi | 62 |
| 3. Priory Park | 0.3 mi | 26 |
Most working residents leave River Forest for work: only 5% work in town. The top destinations are Chicago (46%), Oak Park (6%) and Naperville (1%). Half commute less than 9 miles.
River Forest beats the Illinois average on 23 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 1.
| What stands out | River Forest | IL |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8% | 15.9% |
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 5.3% | 10.3% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 8.4% | 7.6% |
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 69% of U.S. communities.
River Forest has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. A typical July afternoon reaches 84°, a January night drops to 17°, and about 42 inches of snow falls in a normal winter.
River Forest reports more crime per resident than most U.S. towns we grade: about 57% report less.
The median sale price was $735,000 in May 2026.
2 colleges in town.
5 postcards, papers and photographs from public archives, and 5 places on the National Register.
5 places in River Forest on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in River Forest.
Village in Illinois, United States
River Forest is a suburban village adjacent to Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Per the 2020 census, the population was 11,717. Two universities make their home in River Forest, Dominican University and Concordia University Chicago. The village is closely tied to the larger neighboring community of Oak Park. There are significant architectural designs located in River Forest such as the Winslow House by Frank Lloyd Wright. River Forest has a railroad station with service to Chicago on Metra's Union Pacific West Line.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with River Forest.
