Homes in the
Downers Grove North HS district.

Downers Grove North High School opened in 1928 as Downers Grove High School, expanding through major additions across the following decades. In 1964 the original student body was split in half, with one portion remaining at North and the other moving to the newly built Downers Grove South. The school's auditorium honors Clarence Johnson, who served as principal for 35 years from 1932 to 1967, and the outdoor stadium is named for Dick Carstens, who coached football from 1955 to 1985. Today North serves students from Downers Grove north of 55th Street, plus small sections of Woodridge, Oak Brook, Lisle, and Westmont.

Downers Grove North has a strong academic profile within District 99. The class of 2015 posted an average composite ACT score of 24.0, three points above the Illinois state average, with 94 percent of seniors graduating, and roughly 45 percent of students enrolled in honors or at least one Advanced Placement course. For 2008, 2009, and 2010 the school was named among the top 6 percent of high schools in the nation in Newsweek's annual rankings.

The Downers Grove North Trojans compete in the West Suburban Conference. The program's signature triumph is the 2004 Class 8A football state championship under coach John Wander, capping a 12-2 season. The Trojans have also built a powerhouse cross country tradition, with the boys winning state titles in 2017 and 2023 and the girls claiming championships in 1980 and 1985. More recently the football team reached the 2023 Class 7A state final as runner-up.