Lake Villa · Lake County · IL
Homes for sale in
Lake Villa.
- Active listings
- 20
- Median list
- $385K
- Avg time on market
- 22 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
Active listings
20 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Lake Villa.
Lake Villa is a village in Lake County, Illinois, about 50 miles north of Chicago. It sits in a gently rolling moraine landscape inside the Chain O' Lakes region, with Cedar Lake to the north of the village center and Deep Lake to the east. The 2020 census recorded a population of 8,741, and the village covers 7.30 square miles, of which roughly 10.74 percent is water. Lake Villa traces its modern history to 1883, when Chicago department store merchant E.J. Lehmann purchased 300 acres in the area then known as Stanwood and renamed the community Lake Villa. The village has its own Metra station on the North Central Service line, with direct service to Chicago Union Station 48.4 miles south. The Lehmann Mansion, built in 1912 as the Lehmann family's summer home and acquired by the village in 2001, anchors the community as a historic landmark and event venue.
At a glance
About 8,700 residents
2020 Census recorded 8,741. Total area 7.30 square miles, of which roughly 10.74 percent is water.
Cedar Lake and Deep Lake
The village sits between two glacial lakes in the Chain O' Lakes region. Lehmann Park on Cedar Lake offers a public swimming beach and boat launch.
Lehmann Mansion (1912)
Historic summer estate of Chicago department store heir Edward J. Lehmann, restored by the village in 2001 and operating as a wedding and event venue.
Metra North Central Service
Lake Villa station at 129 Railroad Avenue, fare zone 4, 48.4 miles to Chicago Union Station. 14 weekday trains (7 each direction).
District 41 plus District 117 HS
Lake Villa Community Consolidated School District 41 for K-8, then Lakes Community High School in District 117.
Renamed 1883, incorporated 1901
Originally Stanwood; renamed Lake Villa after E.J. Lehmann bought 300 acres and brought the railroad through. Formally incorporated in 1901.
Median income about $119,000
Per Data USA 2024. Homeownership rate 74.3 percent, average commute 33.7 minutes.
Property tax about 3.19 percent
Lake Villa average effective property tax rate per Ownwell, with a median annual tax bill of $7,046. Above the Lake County average of about 2.73 percent.
What’s close
Lake Villa sits in northwestern Lake County, anchored by Cedar Lake and Deep Lake in the Chain O' Lakes region. Illinois Route 83 runs north-south through the village, and Illinois Route 132 (Grand Avenue) connects east toward I-94 and Waukegan.
- Lehmann Mansion
- 1912 historic estate on Cedar Lake, owned by the village since 2001 and operating as a wedding and event venue.
- Cedar Lake and Deep Lake
- Glacial lakes flanking the village center. Cedar Lake hosts the public Lehmann Park beach with swimming, boat launch, volleyball, and pavilion.
- Lake Villa Metra Station
- North Central Service line at 129 Railroad Avenue, 48.4 miles to Chicago Union Station, fare zone 4.
- District 41 schools
- K-8 elementary district with four schools centered in Lake Villa and Lindenhurst.
- Lakes Community High School
- District 117 9-12 campus at 1600 Eagle Way, serving Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, and surrounding communities.
- Chain O' Lakes State Park
- Nearby state park offering access to the largest concentration of natural lakes in Illinois, with boat rentals, fishing, and miles of shoreline.
What it’s actually like to live here
Lake Villa's character has been shaped by water for over a century. Cedar Lake, Deep Lake, and the broader Chain O' Lakes pull boaters, anglers, and swimmers throughout the warm months, and the village's Lehmann Park beach on Cedar Lake offers swimming, a boat launch, volleyball courts, and a picnic pavilion right across from the Metra station. The 2020 census showed median household income near $105,000 and Data USA's 2024 estimate puts it around $119,000, reflecting a community where roughly 74 percent of homes are owner-occupied.
Daily life leans toward family routines along a Metra commuter corridor. The North Central Service runs all 14 weekday trains through Lake Villa, providing a direct rail link to Chicago Union Station. The Lake Villa District Library, Lehmann Mansion event grounds, and a downtown that wraps around the depot give the village a small-town civic core, while Illinois Route 83 and Grand Avenue (Route 132) handle north-south and east-west traffic for residents commuting by car. Average commute time runs about 33.7 minutes.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Lake Villa 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 Lake Villa.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D41Grades Pre-K to 8
Lake Villa Community Consolidated School District 41
Schools serving the area
- Olive C. Martin Elementary
- William L. Thompson Elementary
- B.J. Hooper Elementary
- Peter J. Palombi Middle School
K-8 district serving Lake Villa and Lindenhurst, about 2,400 students. B.J. Hooper Elementary is addressed in Lindenhurst on Sand Lake Road.
- D117Grades 9 to 12
Community High School District 117
Schools serving the area
- Lakes Community High School
Lakes Community High School at 1600 Eagle Way in Lake Villa serves Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, and parts of surrounding communities. About 1,329 students, 93 percent graduation rate.
Around town
What there is to do in Lake Villa.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Lehmann Park and Cedar Lake Beach
The village's signature lakefront park, with a swimming beach on Cedar Lake, boat launch, volleyball, picnic pavilion, and playground, located across from the Metra station.
- Culture
Lehmann Mansion
1912 summer estate of Chicago department store heir Edward J. Lehmann, restored by the village in 2001 and now operating as a historic wedding and event venue on Cedar Lake.
- Parks
Chain O' Lakes State Park
Just west of Lake Villa, this park sits at the heart of Illinois's largest concentration of natural lakes, with nearly 6,500 acres of water, boat rentals, fishing, and miles of shoreline.
- Culture
Lake Villa District Library
Modern district library serving Lake Villa, Lindenhurst, and surrounding communities, with meeting rooms, programs, and a full calendar of community events.
- Family
Frank M. Loffredo Park
Large recreation complex with football, soccer, softball, and baseball fields, a skate park, disc golf course, hockey rink, and a half-mile accessible loop connecting to Sun Lake Forest Preserve.
- Family
Lake Villa Metra Station
Historic 1886 depot (reconstructed 1996) on the North Central Service line, 48.4 miles from Chicago Union Station, fare zone 4.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Lake Villa.
MetraNCS line
- Stations: Lake Villa
- Terminal: Chicago Union Station
- Distance: 48 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: IL-83 · IL-132 (Grand Avenue)
- O'Hare Airport: ~48 min
- Chicago Loop: ~67 min
By the numbers
Lake Villa taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
3.19%
effective avg
Sales tax
8.00%
combined
Median sold price
$370,000
MRED · last 12 mo (212 sales)
Median household income
$118,750
ACS
How Lake Villa got here
A bit of history.
Lake Villa's roots reach back to the 1840s, when farmers began settling the moraine landscape after the displacement of the Potawatomi. The town was originally known as Stanwood. In 1883, Chicago businessman Ernst Johann Lehmann, founder of The Fair Store on State Street, purchased 300 acres of land and had the community's name changed to Lake Villa. Lehmann encouraged the Wisconsin Central Railway to lay its new line through the area, and in 1886 a station opened in the village. He then built the 150-room Lake Villa Hotel, turning the community into a summer resort destination for Chicagoans drawn by Cedar Lake, Deep Lake, and the surrounding Chain O' Lakes.
The village was incorporated in 1901 and continued through the early 20th century as a resort town, supplemented by a local ice-harvesting industry on its glacial lakes. In 1912, Edward J. Lehmann, son of Ernst, built a summer mansion at Longwood Farm overlooking Cedar Lake. The Lehmann Mansion combined multiple architectural styles and originally included ten bedrooms, nine porches, and eight bathrooms on grounds that once spanned 1,100 acres. The Village of Lake Villa purchased and restored the mansion in 2001, and today it operates as a wedding and event venue.
The questions buyers actually ask
Lake Villa FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Lake Villa. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What school district serves Lake Villa?
- Lake Villa is served by Lake Villa Community Consolidated School District 41 for grades PK-8, with Olive C. Martin, William L. Thompson, and B.J. Hooper elementary schools plus Peter J. Palombi Middle School. High schoolers attend Lakes Community High School, part of Community High School District 117.
- How long is the commute from Lake Villa to Chicago?
- Lake Villa is 48.4 miles from Chicago Union Station via Metra's North Central Service, with seven inbound trains each weekday. Driving to the Loop runs roughly 47 miles and about 1 hour 7 minutes under normal traffic; O'Hare is about 39 miles and 48 minutes via I-94.
- Which Metra line stops in Lake Villa?
- Lake Villa is on the North Central Service (NCS), in fare zone 4. The station is at 129 Railroad Avenue, a reconstructed 1886 depot serving all 14 weekday NCS trains. There is no MD-N service in Lake Villa; that line terminates at Fox Lake.
- What lakes are in Lake Villa?
- Cedar Lake sits just north of the village center, with Deep Lake to the east. Both are glacial lakes in the broader Chain O' Lakes region. Lehmann Park on Cedar Lake offers a public swimming beach and boat launch, and Chain O' Lakes State Park is a short drive west.
- What is the median home value in Lake Villa?
- Zillow's Home Value Index puts the typical home value in Lake Villa around $268,725. The 2024 ACS estimate from the Census Bureau lists a higher median property value of $351,700, reflecting a different methodology that uses property assessment data.
- How much are property taxes in Lake Villa?
- Lake Villa's average effective property tax rate is about 3.19 percent per Ownwell, with a median annual tax bill of $7,046. That sits above the Lake County average of about 2.73 percent.
- When was Lake Villa founded and incorporated?
- Settlers arrived in the 1840s. The community was rebranded from Stanwood to Lake Villa in 1883 when Chicago merchant E.J. Lehmann purchased 300 acres and brought the Wisconsin Central Railway through. The village was officially incorporated in 1901.
Your local agent
Joe knows Lake Villa
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
- Lake Villa 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