Bellwood · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Bellwood.
- Active listings
- 22
- Median list
- $287K
- Avg time on market
- 34 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
Active listings
22 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Bellwood.
Bellwood is a working-class village of roughly 18,800 people in west Cook County, tucked between Maywood and Hillside about 14 miles west of the Chicago Loop. Incorporated in 1900 as a railroad and saloon town, it grew into a postwar industrial corridor along the Indiana Harbor Belt tracks before transforming, between 1970 and 1990, into one of the most established Black-majority suburbs in the western Cook ring. Today Bellwood pairs a rare combination of attainable home prices, a Metra Union Pacific West stop at 105 Frederick Avenue, and direct access to I-290 at Mannheim Road. Buyers get a 24-minute drive to downtown, a 16-minute run to O'Hare, eleven village parks, and the Illinois Prairie Path running through town.
At a glance
~18,800 residents
Population was 18,789 at the 2020 census across about 5,950 households. Long-established west Cook suburb.
UP-West Metra
Bellwood station at 105 Frederick Avenue, Fare Zone 2, with a 24-hour waiting room and 194 parking spaces across two lots.
I-290 + Mannheim Road
Eisenhower Expressway forms part of the village's southern edge. Mannheim Road (US 12/20/45) bisects the village with a direct I-290 interchange.
SD 88 + Proviso 209
Bellwood School District 88 serves PreK-8 across seven schools. High schoolers attend Proviso West in District 209.
Illinois Prairie Path
One of the nation's first rail-to-trail conversions, dedicated 1971, runs through the village with miles of car-free cycling and walking.
Memorial Park District
Eleven parks including Adventure Bay Water Park, Sharp Pool, the indoor running track at the Center at Stevenson, and a fishing pond.
Median home $230K
Data USA reports a median property value near $230,000 with a 78.4 percent homeownership rate, well below the Cook County average price point.
16 minutes to O'Hare
About 9 miles north via Mannheim Road, typically a 16-minute drive in normal traffic. Loop is about 14 miles east, around 24 minutes.
What’s close
Bellwood sits in western Cook County, just over the Maywood line and immediately east of Hillside, with the I-290 Eisenhower Expressway forming part of its southern edge and Mannheim Road bisecting the village north to south.
- UP-West Metra at 105 Frederick Avenue
- Direct service to Ogilvie, Fare Zone 2. Accessible station with a 24-hour waiting room and 194 parking spaces.
- I-290 corridor
- Eisenhower Expressway runs along the south edge of the village. Bellwood is one of the I-290 corridor communities tracked by IDOT.
- Mannheim Road interchange
- Primary north-south arterial with a direct I-290 interchange, plus easy access to North Avenue, St. Charles Road, and Roosevelt Road.
- Memorial Park
- Anchor park with the Center at Stevenson, indoor gym, basketball courts, fishing pond, and baseball diamonds for local leagues.
- Illinois Prairie Path
- Car-free cycling and walking corridor running through the village, with a direct connection to the larger DuPage and Kane sections to the west.
- Surrounding villages
- Bordered by Melrose Park (north), Maywood (east), Broadview (south), Westchester (southwest), Hillside (west), and Berkeley (northwest).
What it’s actually like to live here
Bellwood lives like a tight-knit, working-family suburb with an easy mix of green space and everyday convenience. The village has eleven parks and a robust Memorial Park District that runs Adventure Bay Water Park, Sharp Pool, an indoor running track at the Center at Stevenson, pickleball courts, indoor soccer, and a fishing pond. The Illinois Prairie Path, one of the country's earliest rail-to-trail conversions, dedicated in 1971, runs straight through town, giving residents miles of car-free cycling and walking. The housing stock leans heavily toward mid-century single-family with bungalows and Cape Cods near the train, a few pockets of brick two-flats, and infill ranches on the south side.
Day-to-day, residents lean on a mix of long-running independent restaurants and corridor retail along Mannheim Road, Madison Street, and St. Charles Road. Standbys include Scudiero's Italian Bakery and Deli, family-style Mexican spots, and neighboring Melrose Park institutions like Tom's Steak House, which has been grilling USDA prime cuts over hickory charcoal since 1952. The village's UP-West Metra stop, 24-hour waiting room, and accessible platforms make car-free errands and downtown commutes genuinely practical, which is a meaningful affordability lever in a market where most stations cost a $300K+ premium to live near.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Bellwood community pages coming soon.
Browse the listings above. Detailed neighborhood pages with market stats, school info, and lifestyle take-downs land here as we roll them out.
Schools
Districts serving Bellwood.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- SD88Grades PreK-8
Bellwood School District 88
Schools serving the area
- Roosevelt Elementary
- McAllister Elementary
- Lincoln Elementary
- Thurgood Marshall Middle School
- Stevenson Elementary
PreK-8 district headquartered at 640 Eastern Ave in Bellwood. Operates seven schools serving about 2,000 students from Bellwood, Broadview, Hillside, Melrose Park, and Stone Park.
- D209Grades 9-12
Proviso Township High Schools District 209
Schools serving the area
- Proviso West High School (Hillside)
- Proviso East High School (Maywood)
- Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy (Forest Park)
Bellwood students are zoned to Proviso West in Hillside. Proviso Math and Science Academy is the district's selective-enrollment magnet school.
From the neighborhood
Around Bellwood
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
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@tacosdelbarrio01Sunday, April 19th from noon to 4pm at Sew Hop'd Brewery in Huntley, Il The Metaphysical Market, hosted by Paranormal Chicago! You can find me there! #withloveproducts #supportsmallbusiness #parano
@withloveproducts✨ Today is the day✨ Come see us at More Brewing Co in Huntley, IL from 3p-8p 💕 📚
@herefortheplot_xoBehind the Masks… an Unforgettable Night 🎭✨ From start to finish, Adult Prom brought the energy! The night kicked off at the pre-game party at @D.C. Cobb's , where the vibes were already flowing. Th
@huntleyparkdistrictAround town
What there is to do in Bellwood.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Family
Adventure Bay Water Park
Memorial Park District outdoor pool with waterslides, jets, and mushroom fountains plus a lap section. The summer anchor for west Cook families.
- Family
Center at Stevenson and Memorial Park
Memorial Park District's flagship indoor recreation facility with a gym, running track, basketball courts, plus a fishing pond and baseball diamonds outside.
- Parks
Illinois Prairie Path
One of the nation's first rail-to-trail conversions, dedicated 1971, with miles of car-free cycling and walking running through the village.
- Food & Drink
Tom's Steak House (Melrose Park)
Prime aged steaks grilled over hickory charcoal in a room that has been pouring drinks since 1952. On Bellwood's northern border in Melrose Park.
- Food & Drink
Scudiero's Italian Bakery and Deli
Long-standing deli, pizza, and panini counter that locals treat as a Saturday-morning staple. Italian sub bread baked in-house.
- Parks
Stevenson Park
Summer splash pad, basketball courts, covered picnic areas, and a playground off Washington Boulevard. Run by the Memorial Park District.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Bellwood.
MetraUP-W line
- Stations: Bellwood
- Terminal: Chicago Ogilvie (OTC)
- Distance: 12.6 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: I-290 (Eisenhower Expressway) · Mannheim Road (US 12/20/45) · St. Charles Road · Madison Street
- O'Hare Airport: ~16 min
- Chicago Loop: ~24 min
By the numbers
Bellwood taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.14%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.50%
combined
Median sold price
$260,000
MRED · last 12 mo (139 sales)
Median household income
$79,513
ACS
How Bellwood got here
A bit of history.
Bellwood was incorporated on May 21, 1900, taking its name from the early Bellewood subdivision before the final letter was dropped. The first post office was set up in 1893 at the Chicago and Great Western Railroad's passenger station on Bellwood Avenue, and the village's earliest residents were largely German and Russian immigrants drawn to flat farmland and the railroad. Between 1900 and 1930 the population more than quadrupled, growing from a few hundred residents to 943 by 1920 as Chicago, Aurora and Elgin Railway service supported residential expansion.
After World War II, light manufacturing firms occupied vacant land in the eastern part of the village along the Indiana Harbor Belt tracks, pushing the population from 8,746 in 1950 to 20,729 by 1960 and drawing Italian, Serbian, and Polish families. The community's racial makeup then shifted rapidly: the Black share of residents climbed from 1.1 percent in 1970 to 35 percent in 1980 and 70 percent in 1990, establishing Bellwood as one of west Cook County's earliest Black-majority villages. The Illinois Prairie Path, one of the country's earliest rail-to-trail conversions, was dedicated in 1971 and still runs straight through town.
The questions buyers actually ask
Bellwood FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Bellwood. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- How far is Bellwood from downtown Chicago?
- About 14 miles to the Loop, roughly a 24-minute drive in light traffic, or one direct Metra ride on the Union Pacific West line from the Bellwood station at 105 Frederick Avenue.
- What is the median home value in Bellwood?
- Roughly $230,000 per the most recent Data USA estimate, with a 78.4 percent homeownership rate. Most stock is mid-century single-family bungalows and Cape Cods, with some brick two-flats and infill ranches.
- What is the property tax rate in Bellwood?
- Bellwood is in Cook County, which has a median effective property tax rate of about 2.14 percent. Combined with the lower median home value, the typical Bellwood tax bill runs meaningfully below the Cook County average dollar amount, even though the rate is roughly the same.
- What school districts serve Bellwood?
- Elementary and middle school students attend Bellwood School District 88 (PreK-8, seven schools), and high schoolers are zoned to Proviso West High School in Proviso Township District 209. The district's selective-enrollment Proviso Mathematics and Science Academy is also available by application.
- Does Bellwood have a Metra station?
- Yes. The Bellwood station at 105 Frederick Avenue sits on the Union Pacific West line in Fare Zone 2, with a 24-hour waiting room and 194 parking spaces. One direct ride to Ogilvie in downtown Chicago.
- How close is O'Hare Airport?
- About 9 miles north, typically a 16-minute drive via Mannheim Road. Bellwood is one of the easier west Cook villages for O'Hare commuters because of the direct Mannheim access plus I-290 connection.
- What is the sales tax in Bellwood?
- The combined rate is 10.5 percent, made up of 6.25 percent Illinois state, 1.75 percent Cook County, 1.5 percent village, and 1.0 percent RTA. The village rate is slightly above the Cook County average for municipalities.
Nearby
Towns next to Bellwood.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Bellwood.
Your local agent
Joe knows Bellwood
Most agents will list anything. I focus on the communities I actually know, and the details that determine resale value here aren't in the MLS write-up: which lots back to open space, which streets carry the most consistent demand, which floor plans buyers ask for by name, and what each HOA actually covers.
When you're ready to tour or list, you want someone who's walked the streets, talked to the residents, and read the last 50 closed comps in this market specifically. That's how I work. Text or call any time, and I'll give you a real take, not a brochure.
- Lives in McHenry County
- Local specialist
- Bellwood specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Thinking of selling?
What's your home actually worth?
Not a Zestimate. A real CMA from someone who's sold this neighborhood, knows the floor plan premiums, and can tell you which upgrades the buyer pool here actually pays for.
- Pricing range with comp-by-comp logic
- Pre-list improvements that pay back, and the ones that don't
- No obligation, no spam, no auto-dialer