Port Barrington · Lake County · IL
Homes for sale in
Port Barrington.
- Active listings
- 3
- Median list
- $350K
- Avg time on market
- 190 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
About the community
Living in Port Barrington.
Port Barrington is a Fox River village of roughly 1,584 residents that straddles Lake County and McHenry County south of the Chain O' Lakes. The community sits along a scenic 17-mile stretch of the lower Fox River, with most homes a short walk or boat ride from the water and Nielsen's Channels threading through the older section of town. The village was platted as a 1925 vacation resort, incorporated in 1969 as Fox River Valley Gardens, and rebranded to Port Barrington in 2003. Its dual-county footprint means buyers need to know which side of the line they are on. Lake County and McHenry County run separate assessor systems, charge different effective tax rates, and even assign different school districts in some neighborhoods. The lifestyle, though, is consistent across both sides: river access, marina culture, and a small-village feel less than an hour from O'Hare.
At a glance
1,584 residents (2020 Census)
Small Fox River village. Roughly 1.2 square miles of land area inside the corporate limits. Population estimate 1,539 in 2024.
Two-county footprint
Village formally straddles Lake County and McHenry County. The primary village coordinate is in McHenry, but MRED files most listings under Lake. Tax rates and school district can change with the county line.
Founded 1925, renamed 2003
Platted as the Fox River Valley Gardens resort in 1925, incorporated under that name in 1969, and rebranded Port Barrington in 2003 after a 4 to 3 village board vote in September 2002.
Direct Fox River frontage
Roughly 17 miles of navigable lower Fox River. Most lots are a short walk or boat ride from the water, with Nielsen's Channels threading through the original Fox River Valley Gardens section.
Nielsen's Channels fishing
Man-made channels cut inland from the Fox River through the historic section of town, widely considered some of the best fishing on the entire Chain O' Lakes system. Yellow bass, bluegill, panfish, and winter ice fishing.
Wauconda CUSD 118
Most village addresses are in Wauconda 118 (Wauconda High School). A portion on the south side is in Barrington CUSD 220 (Barrington High School). Verify by address.
IL 176 access nearby
Roberts Road and Rawson Bridge Road form the local arterial grid. Illinois Route 176 (Marengo to Lake Bluff) runs a few minutes south of the village.
Median home value ~$432,000
Zillow ZHVI 2026. Median household income about $149,900 per Data USA, well above the Lake County average.
What’s close
Port Barrington sits in the lower Fox River corridor at the seam between Lake County and McHenry County, about an hour northwest of downtown Chicago. The village wraps around the river and Nielsen's Channels, with Roberts Road and Rawson Bridge Road forming the main inland spine and IL Route 176 a few minutes south.
- Fox River frontage
- Roughly 17 miles of navigable lower Fox River. Direct slip access for many homes and easy boat runs north into the Chain O' Lakes.
- Nielsen's Channels
- Network of man-made fishing channels through the original Fox River Valley Gardens section, widely considered some of the best fishing on the Chain.
- Roberts Road and Rawson Bridge Road
- The local arterial grid running through the village. Rawson Bridge crosses the Fox River and connects to the south side annexations.
- Illinois Route 176
- Marengo to Lake Bluff arterial running a few minutes south of the village. Direct access east to US 12 / Rand Road through Wauconda and west toward Crystal Lake.
- Chain O' Lakes proximity
- Roughly 5 to 8 miles south of the Chain O' Lakes proper (Fox Lake, Pistakee, Grass Lake) via the Fox River.
- Island Lake mail routing
- Mail is routed through Island Lake, the immediate neighbor to the east. Worth confirming address formatting on documents and tax bills.
What it’s actually like to live here
Life in Port Barrington is organized around water. Most weekends from Memorial Day through October you will see pontoons, runabouts, and fishing boats moving up and down the lower Fox River, with the Broken Oar Marina-Bar & Grill on Rawson Bridge Road serving as the unofficial town center. The Broken Oar sits on seven riverfront acres, claims the largest beer garden in McHenry County, and packs in bikers and boaters all summer long with live music on Fridays and Saturdays. Boat slips, dock access, and ramps along Nielsen's Channels make in-water storage practical for residents, and the channels also draw serious anglers chasing yellow bass, bluegill, and panfish through the ice in winter.
Off the water the village stays distinctly small. There is no downtown grid and no traffic signal inside village limits; most residents head to Wauconda, Island Lake, or the Barringtons for groceries and errands and to Crystal Lake or Algonquin for bigger retail. The housing mix runs from 1920s and 1930s cottages in the original Fox River Valley Gardens section to mid-1990s subdivisions like Riverwalk and Deer Grove west of Roberts Road, plus more recent custom builds. Lots are generally larger than what you find in the Barringtons proper, and a meaningful share of homes have either river or channel access. It is a place where neighbors know each other and where the village board meeting is the local entertainment between boating seasons.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Port Barrington 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 Port Barrington.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D118Grades Pre-K to 12
Wauconda Community Unit School District 118
Schools serving the area
- Wauconda High School
- Matthews Middle School
- Robert Crown Elementary
- Cotton Creek Elementary
Wauconda 118 covers Wauconda, Island Lake, Lakemoor, Volo, parts of Lake Barrington, and most of Port Barrington, with three elementaries, two middle schools, and Wauconda High School (~4,500 students K to 12). A portion of Port Barrington on the south side is served by Barrington CUSD 220 (Barrington High School), which spans 72 square miles across four counties. The dividing line follows historical district boundaries rather than the county line, so buyers should always verify district by address before committing.
From the neighborhood
Around Port Barrington
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@ebenny777Around town
What there is to do in Port Barrington.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Recreation
Fox River boating and the Chain O' Lakes
Direct slip access for many homes and easy boat runs north into the Chain O' Lakes (Fox, Pistakee, Nippersink, Grass) via the Fox Waterway Agency channels. Boat the lower Fox River from a backyard dock or the public marinas.
- Outdoors
Nielsen's Channels fishing
Network of man-made fishing channels through the original Fox River Valley Gardens section. Yellow bass, bluegill, and panfish, plus hard-water ice fishing in winter.
- Food & Drink
Broken Oar Marina-Bar & Grill
Seven-acre riverfront marina-restaurant on Rawson Bridge Road. Claims the largest beer garden in McHenry County, with live music Fridays and Saturdays through the summer.
- Parks
Moraine Hills State Park
2,200-acre Illinois state park just north of the village. Ten-plus miles of trails, McHenry Dam, and Lake Defiance for shoreline fishing and boat rentals.
- Family
Fox Waterway Chain O' Lakes day trips
Short runs north on the Fox River reach the Chain proper, with sandbars, lakeside restaurants, and the Volo Bog State Natural Area nearby.
- Shopping
Downtown Wauconda and Island Lake
Five to ten minutes east for groceries, errands, and lakeside dining on Bangs Lake. Crystal Lake and Algonquin handle bigger retail runs.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Port Barrington.
MetraMD-N line
- Stations: Fox Lake (closest, terminus)
- Terminal: Chicago Union Station
- Distance: 50 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: Roberts Road · Rawson Bridge Road · Illinois Route 176 (nearby) · U.S. 12 / Rand Road (through Wauconda)
- Chicago Loop: ~65 min
- O'Hare Airport: ~45 min
- Barrington Metra: ~25 min
By the numbers
Port Barrington taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.61%
effective avg
Sales tax
7.25%
combined
Median sold price
$420,000
MRED · last 12 mo (17 sales)
Median household income
$149,886
ACS
How Port Barrington got here
A bit of history.
Port Barrington began as the resort subdivision of Fox River Valley Gardens, platted along the Fox River south of Island Lake in 1925. Cottage owners came up from Chicago to fish, boat, and escape the city, and the community formed around the man-made channels (now Nielsen's Channels) that cut inland from the river. The village formally incorporated in 1969 under the Fox River Valley Gardens name, which at the time was one of the longest municipal names in the country. Several of the older streets in the original section still carry Fox River Valley Gardens addresses on signs and maps even today.
In September 2002 the village board voted 4 to 3 to re-incorporate under the shorter and more recognizable name Port Barrington, officially changing in 2003. The new identity coincided with a growth phase that started in 1980 when the village annexed 240 acres west of Roberts Road on both sides of Rawson Bridge Road, eventually built out as the Riverwalk subdivision in the 1990s. Additional annexations in 1989 (The Moorings) and the late 1990s through 2001 (Stanchuck, Serio, and Orlando properties along Roberts and Darrell Roads) pushed the village footprint into both Wauconda and Cuba townships in Lake County and Nunda and Algonquin townships in McHenry County.
The questions buyers actually ask
Port Barrington FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Port Barrington. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- Which county is Port Barrington in, Lake or McHenry?
- Both. The village formally straddles the county line, with the village's primary coordinates in McHenry County but the bulk of housing in Wauconda Township, Lake County. MRED files most listings under Lake County. The county line matters for property tax bills, assessor appeals, and (in some neighborhoods) school district, so always check a specific PIN before assuming.
- What is the property tax rate in Port Barrington?
- It depends on which side of the county line your home sits on. The Lake County portion runs roughly 2.61 percent effective; the McHenry County portion runs roughly 3.07 percent effective, which is the highest in McHenry County. Median annual bill in the Lake County portion is around $9,466. The two counties also run separate assessor systems and appeal calendars.
- What school district serves Port Barrington?
- Most of the village is in Wauconda CUSD 118 (Wauconda High School). A portion, generally on the southern edge, is in Barrington CUSD 220 (Barrington High School). The split does not follow the county line cleanly, so verify by address before writing an offer.
- Is Port Barrington really on the Chain O' Lakes?
- Not technically on the Chain itself. The village is about 5 to 8 miles downstream on the lower Fox River. You can run a boat up into the Chain easily, and most residents treat it as their backyard. Nielsen's Channels in the original Fox River Valley Gardens section are widely considered some of the best fishing on the entire system.
- Why do some addresses still say Fox River Valley Gardens?
- The village incorporated in 1969 as Fox River Valley Gardens, then renamed itself Port Barrington in 2003. Many road signs, mail records, and older deeds still reference the original name, particularly in the historic riverfront section.
- What is the commute like to Chicago?
- Driving to the Loop is roughly one hour to one hour and ten minutes off-peak and longer during rush. O'Hare is about 40 to 50 minutes. The closest Metra station is Fox Lake, the terminus of the Milwaukee District North line at 49.5 miles to Union Station, about ten minutes north. Many commuters drive to Barrington station on the UP-NW for a faster ride to Ogilvie Transportation Center.
Nearby
Towns next to Port Barrington.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Port Barrington.
Your local agent
Joe knows Port Barrington
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
- Port Barrington 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