McHenry · McHenry County · IL
Homes for sale in
McHenry.
- Active listings
- 65
- Median list
- $425K
- Avg time on market
- 9 days
- Sold · last year
- 652
Photo: Dwatling98 / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Active listings
65 homes on the market
About the community
Living in McHenry.
McHenry was established as a hamlet in 1836 on the west bank of the Fox River and gave its name to the entire county a year later. The modern city sits at the intersection of Routes 31 and 120, with a downtown core that grew up as three separate riverside districts (Green Street, Riverside Drive, and Main Street) now connected by a Riverwalk along Boone Creek and the Fox. Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital, a 156-bed acute-care facility at Route 31 and Bull Valley Road, is one of the largest employers in the county. The Chain O'Lakes immediately north turns McHenry into the southern gateway to one of the busiest recreational waterways in the United States. Family subdivisions like Liberty Trails, Legend Lakes, Whispering Oaks, and Oaks of Irish Prairie fill the modern subdivision market; older Fox River cottages plus newer waterfront product fill the lake-access side.
At a glance
~27,243 residents
2020 Census; about 29,194 estimated in 2025. One of the larger cities in McHenry County.
Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital
156-bed acute-care hospital at Route 31 and Bull Valley Road. Joined Northwestern Medicine in 2018; one of the largest employers in the county.
McHenry Metra station (UP-NW terminus)
Terminus of the UP-NW McHenry Branch at 4005 Main Street. Limited service, about 3 trains each direction on weekdays.
Routes 31 + 120
Route 31 runs north-south and Route 120 runs east-west, intersecting downtown.
Fox River + Chain O'Lakes gateway
Riverwalk connects three downtown districts. The Chain (15 lakes, ~7,100 acres) opens up immediately north.
D15 K-8 + D156 high school
McHenry Community Consolidated SD 15 covers grades K through 8. McHenry Community HSD 156 operates one comprehensive high school across East Campus and West Campus.
Effective property tax 2.83%
Median annual bill around $5,541. High end of the McHenry County range.
Founded 1836
Original county seat 1837 to 1844 before that role moved to Woodstock. One of the oldest municipalities in the county.
What’s close
McHenry's three downtown districts (Green Street, Riverside Drive, Main Street) line the Fox River corridor, with the hospital, subdivisions, and big-box retail spreading west and south along Routes 31 and 120.
- Three downtown districts + Riverwalk
- 0.73-mile Riverwalk along Boone Creek and the Fox connects Green Street, Riverside Drive, and Main Street, with about 20 restaurants and cafes.
- Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital
- 156-bed acute-care hospital at Route 31 and Bull Valley Road. Inside city limits, major county employer.
- McHenry Metra station
- Terminus of the UP-NW McHenry Branch at 4005 Main Street. About 3 trains each direction on weekdays.
- Chain O'Lakes access
- Southern gateway to a 15-lake, 7,100-acre inland waterway. Multiple boat clubs and private marinas.
- Moraine Hills State Park
- 2,200-acre state park about 3 miles south of downtown with lakes, trails, and Fox River access.
- Schools
- McHenry CCSD 15 elementary plus McHenry CHSD 156 high school.
What it’s actually like to live here
McHenry runs on water. The Fox River bisects the city, the Riverwalk connects three downtown districts that grew up independently along different bends, and the Chain O'Lakes just upriver makes summer boating part of the local culture rather than a side hobby. Buyers attracted to McHenry usually want either a lake or river lifestyle (boat slip, dock, river views) or the combination of a real Metra commute option and a downtown with actual nightlife on Riverside Drive and Green Street. Inventory ranges from older lake-cottage stock near the Fox up to newer master-planned subdivisions on the west side. Liberty Trails (newer ranches and two-story homes from 1,300 to 3,200 sq ft near Curran Road), Legend Lakes (Kimball Hill and Lennar product built 2003 to 2022, west of Curran and north of Bull Valley), Whispering Oaks (south of Route 120, west of Crystal Lake Road, with its own park, pond, splashpad, and active-adult attached homes), and Oaks of Irish Prairie (condo community south of downtown, convenient to Metra) round out the rest of the active market.
The trade-off is taxes and a slower Metra. At 2.83 percent effective property tax, McHenry sits at the high end of McHenry County's already-high range, and a single-family buyer should expect a $5,000 to $8,000 annual bill on a $275,000 home. The UP-NW McHenry Branch only runs about three inbound trains a day, so the practical Metra commuter often drives to Crystal Lake's Pingree Road station for more frequency. What McHenry buys you that almost no other McHenry County town does: a hospital campus inside city limits, three walkable downtown blocks with restaurants and bars on the water, and direct access to the Chain O'Lakes without paying Lake County prices.
Neighborhoods
Detailed McHenry 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 McHenry.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D15Grades Pre-K - 8
McHenry Community Consolidated School District 15
Schools serving the area
- Parkland School
- Hilltop Elementary
- Edgebrook Elementary
- Landmark Elementary
- Valley View Elementary
- Riverwood Elementary
D15 serves the city's K-8 students across six elementary and middle schools, about 4,025 students total.
- D156Grades 9 - 12
McHenry Community High School District 156
Schools serving the area
- McHenry High School East Campus
- McHenry High School West Campus
Single comprehensive program operating across two physical campuses. Confirm boundary per address since portions of nearby Wonder Lake, Johnsburg-adjacent, and Bull Valley may feed in or out.
From the neighborhood
Around McHenry
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
Is this the best Sports pub in Crystal Lake? #crystallake #sportsbar #tookies #route31 #randallroadguy
@cadillacjerryROCKIN’ RIBFEST in Lake in the Hills Illinois FYP TOO LOCAL?!? Comment where you’re from in the Chicagoland or Illinois suburbs #summer #summervibes #thingstodo #chicagosuburbs #huntley #lakeinthehi
@nicolefromchicagoNEW in Downtown Crystal Lake 🎸🥪 90s vibes + distorted sodas + stacked sandwiches = your next lunch stop 👀 The Garlic Cheesy Beef is already a local favorite 🤤 Italian beef • sharp cheddar • hous
@naturallymchenrycountyilSo cool that the Crystal Lake PARK DISTRICT puts this event on! Happy Friday the 13th - part 2! #fridaythe13 #fridaythe13th #crystallake #jasonvoorhees #halloween #horror #illinois #festival
@kitschnsinkAround town
What there is to do in McHenry.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Moraine Hills State Park
2,200-acre state park about 3 miles south of the city; half wetlands and lakes with 10+ miles of trails, fishing on Lake Defiance and the Fox, and boat rentals at the McHenry Dam concession.
- Parks
Petersen Park
92-acre lakeside park at 4300 Peterson Park Road with a playground, 6+ miles of trails, and the McHenry Fourth of July fireworks site.
- Culture
McHenry Riverwalk District
0.73-mile path along Boone Creek and the Fox connecting Green Street, Riverside Drive, and Main Street. Miller Point Park, Weber's Park, and seasonal Riverwalk Shoppes.
- Family
McHenry Outdoor Theater
Classic drive-in movie theater at 1510 N. Chapel Hill Road, one of the surviving Illinois drive-ins. Spring through fall season.
- Food & Drink
Downtown McHenry restaurants
About 20 restaurants and cafes line the Riverwalk corridor across the three downtown districts, including waterfront patios and seasonal outdoor seating.
- Parks
Chain O'Lakes State Park
Just north on Route 173. 15-lake interconnected waterway covering 7,100 acres; one of the busiest recreational waterways in the U.S. Public boat launches and 6+ miles of trails.
Getting around
Commute + transit from McHenry.
MetraUP-NW line
- Stations: McHenry
- Terminal: Chicago Ogilvie (OTC)
- Distance: 51 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: IL 31 · IL 120 · Bull Valley Road · Pearl Street
- O'Hare Airport: ~55 min
- Chicago Loop: ~81 min
By the numbers
McHenry taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.83%
effective avg
Sales tax
8.00%
combined
Median sold price
$300,000
MRED · last 12 mo (652 sales)
Median household income
$86,315
ACS
How McHenry got here
A bit of history.
McHenry was established as a hamlet in 1836 on the west bank of the Fox River at the site of an old Native American river ford. Major William McHenry, a U.S. Army officer who led an expedition through northern Illinois during the 1832 Black Hawk War, lent his name first to the county (created by the legislature in 1837) and then to the village. McHenry served as the county seat until 1844, when the seat was moved to a more central site that became Woodstock. By 1837 the village already had a sawmill, hotel, and ferryboat, and the Fox River corridor supported lumber, brick, cigars, food products, and several breweries.
The modern city was transformed by two anchors. In 1956 Dr. Lee Gladstone opened a 22-bed clinic on Green Street; that grew into Northern Illinois Medical Center in 1984 at Route 31 and Bull Valley Road, then into Centegra Health System, and since September 2018 has been Northwestern Medicine McHenry Hospital. Second, the Fox River and the Chain O'Lakes immediately north turned McHenry into the southern gateway to a 15-lake, 7,100-acre waterway that draws as many as 100,000 visitors on summer weekends. McHenry's Riverwalk along Boone Creek and the Fox now connects the three distinct downtown districts of Green Street, Riverside Drive, and Main Street, with Miller Point Park, Weber's Park, and the Pearl Street bridge area woven together.
The questions buyers actually ask
McHenry FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping McHenry. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- Can I actually commute to Chicago from McHenry?
- Yes, but with effort. McHenry has its own Metra station at 4005 Main Street on the UP-NW Line's McHenry Branch with trains going inbound to Ogilvie Transportation Center, but service is limited to about three trains in each direction on weekdays. Most McHenry commuters either drive to Crystal Lake's Pingree Road station (more frequency on the UP-NW main line) or drive the full 57 miles, about 1 hour 21 minutes, to the Loop.
- How are the schools?
- Two districts. K through 8 children attend McHenry Community Consolidated School District 15 (about 4,025 students across six elementary and middle schools). 9 through 12 students attend McHenry Community High School District 156, which operates one comprehensive high school program across East Campus and West Campus.
- What's the property tax situation?
- High. McHenry's effective property tax rate runs about 2.83 percent, with a median annual bill around $5,541. That is well above the Illinois state median and one of the higher rates inside McHenry County. Pull the actual extension for the specific parcel before writing an offer.
- Where should I look first for a family home?
- For newer construction on the west side, look at Liberty Trails (1,300 to 3,200 sq ft ranch and two-story near Curran Road) or Legend Lakes (Kimball Hill and Lennar builds 2003 to 2022, west of Curran, north of Bull Valley). For an active-adult lifestyle with shared amenities, Whispering Oaks south of Route 120 has its own park, pond, splashpad, and walking paths. For a condo at lower price points convenient to Metra, Oaks of Irish Prairie sits about 10 minutes south of downtown.
- Is the Chain O'Lakes worth living near?
- For boaters, yes. The Chain is 15 lakes, about 45 river miles, around 7,100 acres of connected water and is the southern terminus of one of the busiest recreational waterways in the U.S. Properties with Fox River or Chain frontage in McHenry carry a meaningful premium but also unlock seasonal use the rest of the county cannot match.
- What's the downtown like?
- Three separate but connected districts (Green Street, Riverside Drive, Main Street), linked by the 0.73-mile McHenry Riverwalk along Boone Creek and the Fox. About 20 restaurants and cafes line the riverwalk corridor, plus the seasonal McHenry RiverWalk Shoppes at Miller Point Park.
Nearby
Towns next to McHenry.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border McHenry.
Your local agent
Joe knows McHenry
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
- McHenry 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