Custer Park · Will County · IL
Homes for sale in
Custer Park.
- Active listings
- 2
- Median list
- $319K
- Avg time on market
- 116 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
About the community
Living in Custer Park.
Custer Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Will County, sitting on the south bank of the Kankakee River about 4.5 miles east-southeast of Braidwood. It is a genuinely small, rural place: the 2020 Census counted 112 residents within its roughly 0.19-square-mile footprint, while more recent survey estimates run higher, reflecting the difficulty of measuring such a tiny area. The community lines up along Illinois Route 113 where the Kankakee River, a stream listed on the Federal Clean Streams Register, defines the local landscape and recreation. Because Custer Park has no village government, it is governed by Will County and lies within Custer Township, named in 1886 in honor of General Custer. Buyers here are drawn by river frontage, larger rural lots, and a notably low effective property tax rate near 1.91 percent, well under the Will County median. Children attend the Reed-Custer Community Unit School District 255U, based in nearby Braidwood. The trade-off is distance: this is a far-southwestern corner of the Chicago metro, so commutes to Joliet and the city are long, with survey data showing a mean travel time to work around 45 minutes.
At a glance
About 112 residents
A tiny rural community first counted as a census-designated place in 2020; later survey estimates run higher with wide margins of error.
Unincorporated Will County
Governed directly by Will County within Custer Township, which was organized in 1886.
On the Kankakee River
Sits on the south bank of the Kankakee, a stream on the Federal Clean Streams Register prized for smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish, and canoeing.
Reed-Custer 255U schools
Served by Reed-Custer Community Unit School District 255U, based in nearby Braidwood.
Low property tax rate
A median effective property tax rate around 1.91 percent, well below the Will County median of about 2.62 percent.
Rural, riverfront character
Roughly 0.19 square miles of larger lots and river access along Illinois Route 113.
Recreation nearby
Minutes from Kankakee River State Park and the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area near Wilmington.
What’s close
Custer Park sits in the far-southwestern corner of Will County, on the south bank of the Kankakee River along Illinois Route 113, a rural area roughly between Braidwood and Wilmington.
- County
- Will County, Illinois (unincorporated).
- Township
- Custer Township, organized in 1886.
- Nearest towns
- Braidwood is about 4.5 miles west-northwest, and Wilmington is the nearest larger town to the north along the river.
- The Kankakee River
- Forms the community's northern edge; Custer Park lies on its south bank.
- Main road
- Illinois Route 113 runs through the community, with I-55 the nearest interstate to the west.
- Regional access
- On the Chicago metro's southwestern fringe, with Joliet the nearest major job center roughly 10-plus miles north.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in Custer Park revolves around the river and the rural landscape. The Kankakee River is the centerpiece, offering some of the region's best fishing for smallmouth bass, channel catfish, walleye, and northern pike, along with canoeing and kayaking on shallow, scenic water. Just upriver, Kankakee River State Park spreads across roughly 4,000 acres on both banks for 11 miles, with boat ramps, more than 200 campsites, and trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding. Closer to home, the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area near Wilmington covers more than 5,000 acres bordered by the Kankakee, and it is the state's largest pheasant-hunting facility.
This is unincorporated, country living: larger lots, quiet roads, and a small population spread along the river rather than a dense town center. Practical errands and schools center on Braidwood and Wilmington nearby, and commuting workers face a longer-than-average trip, with a mean travel time to work of roughly 45 minutes, a reflection of the area's distance from Joliet and Chicago. For buyers who want river access and rural space over walk-to-everything convenience, Custer Park is a rare niche in Will County.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Custer Park 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 Custer Park.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- CUSD 255UGrades PK-12
Reed-Custer Community Unit School District 255U
Schools serving the area
- Reed-Custer Elementary School
- Reed-Custer Middle School
- Reed-Custer High School
Reed-Custer 255U is based primarily in the City of Braidwood and its boundaries also include Custer Park, Essex, and Godley. Custer Park is served by Reed-Custer 255U, not by Wilmington 209U.
Around town
What there is to do in Custer Park.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Kankakee River State Park
Roughly 4,000 acres straddling 11 miles of the Kankakee River with fishing, canoeing, camping, and trails, a short drive up the river.
- Family
Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area
More than 5,000 acres near Wilmington for hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, with Kankakee River shoreline and prairie nature preserves.
- Parks
Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie
The first national tallgrass prairie in the U.S., north of Wilmington, with about 33 miles of trails and a reintroduced bison herd.
- Family
Kankakee River Fishing and Paddling
The river running past Custer Park supports smallmouth bass, walleye, catfish, and northern pike, with public boat ramps upriver at the state park.
- Family
Kankakee River State Park Camping
More than 200 campsites plus group and equestrian campgrounds, bookable online, a short drive up the river.
- Parks
Bison Viewing at Midewin
Head to the Iron Bridge Trailhead for a chance to spot the prairie's conservation bison herd, reintroduced in 2015.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Custer Park.
DriveBy car
- Routes: Illinois Route 113 · I-55 (nearby) · West River Road
- Wilmington: ~12 min
- Joliet: ~25 min
By the numbers
Custer Park taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
1.91%
effective avg
Sales tax
7.00%
combined
Population
112
2020 Census
How Custer Park got here
A bit of history.
The land around Custer Park was settled well before it had its own name. The earliest settlements were made around 1840 by Andrew Yeates, Thomas Hatton, Samuel Taft, and Nathan Smith, drawn to the fertile farmland along the Kankakee River and the abundant game in the area. In those early years the only market was Chicago, and farmers floated their crops downriver in flatboats via the Kankakee and up the Des Plaines to reach it. The whole township of Reed and Custer was first organized in 1850 under the name Clinton, soon changed to Reed.
In 1886, the inhabitants of the eastern portion of Reed Township seceded and set up a township of their own, naming it Custer in honor of General George Armstrong Custer. Custer Township is small, containing only twenty-six sections, with light soils except for the good farms along the Kankakee. The Wabash railroad later ran through the township with a station, post office, store, and grain elevator on the south side of the river, the nucleus of the small settlement that became Custer Park. The community first appeared as a census-designated place in the 2020 U.S. Census.
The questions buyers actually ask
Custer Park FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Custer Park. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- Is Custer Park an incorporated town or village?
- No. Custer Park is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Will County, with no village government of its own. It is governed by Will County and lies within Custer Township.
- What school district serves Custer Park?
- Custer Park is served by Reed-Custer Community Unit School District 255U, based in nearby Braidwood, which also serves Essex and Godley. It is Reed-Custer, not Wilmington 209U.
- Is Custer Park really on the Kankakee River?
- Yes. Custer Park sits on the south bank of the Kankakee River along Illinois Route 113, and river recreation, including fishing, canoeing, and boating, is a defining feature of the area.
- How long is the commute from Custer Park?
- This is a far-southwestern corner of the Chicago metro, so commutes are long. Survey data shows a mean travel time to work of about 45 minutes. Joliet is the nearest major job center, roughly 10-plus miles north, with Chicago about 55 miles away.
- Are property taxes high in Custer Park?
- Custer Park's median effective property tax rate is about 1.91 percent, which is actually well below the Will County median of about 2.62 percent, one of the lower rates in the county. Always confirm the actual bill for a specific address.
- What is there to do near Custer Park?
- Outdoor recreation dominates: Kankakee River State Park with about 4,000 acres of fishing, paddling, camping, and trails, the Des Plaines State Fish and Wildlife Area near Wilmington, and Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie with its bison herd and 33 miles of trails.
Your local agent
Joe knows Custer Park
Most agents will list anything. I focus on the places I actually know, and the things that move value here don't show up in the MLS write-up: which streets and buildings hold demand, what the HOA or assessments really cover, how the comps read once you account for condition and location, and where buyers consistently want to be.
When you're ready to tour or list, you want someone who has read the last 50 closed comps in this specific market, not a national average, and can tell you what they actually mean for your price. That's how I work. Text or call any time, and I'll give you a real take, not a brochure.
- Licensed Illinois broker
- Comp-driven pricing
- Custer Park 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