Portage Park · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Portage Park.
- Active listings
- 4
- Median list
- $734K
- Avg time on market
- 77 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Active listings
4 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Portage Park.
Portage Park is community area 15, on the Northwest Side, bordered by Jefferson Park and Forest Glen to the north, Dunning and suburban Harwood Heights to the west, Irving Park to the east, and Belmont-Cragin to the south. Spread across roughly 3.98 square miles with a 2020 population of 63,020, it is a primarily residential area whose building stock is composed mostly of Chicago bungalows and two-flats, the classic look of the city's bungalow belt. That heritage is formalized in the Portage Park Bungalow Historic District, which includes 225 buildings, 189 of them brick Chicago bungalows built between 1915 and 1930, designated a Chicago Landmark in 2010 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2014. The neighborhood's identity runs through two landmarks, the Six Corners shopping district at Irving Park Road, Cicero Avenue, and Milwaukee Avenue, once the largest commercial center in Chicago outside the Loop, and its namesake 36-acre park, which hosted the Pan American Games swimming events in 1959 and the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in 1972. With a Walk Score of 78, good transit, and a strong stock of detached single-family homes, it suits first-time buyers and families who want space, character, and a real Main Street feel.
At a glance
Northwest Side community area
Portage Park is community area 15, covering about 3.98 square miles with a 2020 population of 63,020.
Chicago bungalow belt
The housing stock is composed primarily of bungalows and two-flats, the signature look of Chicago's bungalow belt.
Very walkable, Walk Score 78
Portage Park scores 78 for walkability, 59 for transit, and 63 for biking.
Six Corners shopping district
The Six Corners district at Irving Park, Cicero, and Milwaukee was once the largest commercial center in Chicago outside the Loop.
Olympic-sized public pool
The 36-acre Portage Park has an Olympic-size pool and hosted the U.S. Olympic swimming trials in 1972.
Established home market
Redfin rates Portage Park as somewhat competitive, with homes selling after about 48 days on market.
Blue Line access
The CTA Blue Line's Montrose and Irving Park stations sit on Portage Park's edges, with the Metra Milwaukee District North stopping at nearby Mayfair.
Landmark bungalow district
The Portage Park Bungalow Historic District holds 225 buildings, including 189 brick bungalows built 1915 to 1930.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in Portage Park revolves around its walkable retail corridors and its green space. With a Walk Score of 78, most errands can be done on foot, amid roughly 197 restaurants, bars, and coffee shops in the neighborhood. For commuters, the CTA Blue Line's Montrose and Irving Park stations sit in the Kennedy Expressway median on the neighborhood's edges, putting downtown within a direct rail ride, and the Metra Milwaukee District North Line stops just west of the expressway at Mayfair. The Blue Line's O'Hare branch also runs north toward O'Hare International Airport, with off-peak trains generally every 6 to 12 minutes.
The 36-acre Portage Park, the largest public park on Chicago's Northwest Side, is the neighborhood's backyard, with six tennis courts, baseball and soccer fields, two fieldhouses, and an Olympic-size pool plus an interactive water play area for children. It is a beloved summertime hangout with lush landscaping, a dog-friendly area, a cultural arts building, and a regular farmers market. The neighborhood has long been a landing spot for immigrant families and is noted for having one of the largest Polish communities in the Chicago area, alongside a substantial Hispanic population. The mix of detached bungalows, an active Main Street, and abundant recreation makes it especially appealing to families and first-time buyers.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Portage 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.
Around town
What there is to do in Portage Park.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Portage Park
A 36-acre park on the National Register of Historic Places with tennis courts, ball fields, and an Olympic-size outdoor pool that hosted the 1972 U.S. Olympic swimming trials.
- Recreation
Portage Pool (Outdoor)
The neighborhood's 50-meter outdoor pool with eight lanes and an adjoining water playground, a summer destination for families on the Northwest Side.
- Culture
The Patio Theater
A restored 1927 Art Deco movie palace at 6008 West Irving Park Road that hosts concerts, comedy, and first-run and repertory films.
- Culture
National Veterans Art Museum
A museum dedicated to exhibiting combat-inspired art, showcasing works by veterans across generations.
- Shopping
Six Corners
The historic Northwest Side shopping district at Irving Park, Cicero, and Milwaukee, with a business directory, seasonal events, and the Portage Park Farmers Market.
- Food & Drink
Las Tablas
A family-owned Colombian steakhouse on Irving Park Road, a local favorite for authentic fare.
How Portage Park got here
A bit of history.
The area that became Portage Park was originally part of Jefferson Township, incorporated in 1850 alongside construction of the Northwest Plank Road, today's Milwaukee Avenue, and annexed to Chicago in 1889 ahead of the World's Columbian Exposition. Much of it stayed rural farmland into the early 20th century until streetcar lines extended along Milwaukee, Irving Park, and Cicero, drawing Scandinavian, German, Italian, Polish, and Irish families out of the crowded inner-city enclaves. Developers subdivided the farmland into the single-family lots that became part of Chicago's famous bungalow belt. The namesake park, created starting in 1913 by the independent Old Portage Park District, became the focal point that knit together several distinct ethnic communities into one neighborhood, with its naturalistic swimming lagoon opening in July 1916.
Commerce concentrated at Six Corners, the intersection of Irving Park Road, Cicero Avenue, and Milwaukee Avenue, whose history as an urban center reaches back to the 1840s and which grew into the largest commercial center in Chicago outside the Loop. The district is home to prominent architecture including the Art Deco former Sears building and the classical-revival Portage Theater. In recent years the long-vacant Sears on West Irving Park Road has been redeveloped, with Novak Construction converting the building into roughly 206 apartments plus ground-floor retail, a project approved by City Council in 2021. Today Six Corners is managed by the Six Corners Association, an economic development group that is the only nationally recognized Main Street community in Chicago.
The questions buyers actually ask
Portage Park FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Portage Park. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What kinds of homes can I buy in Portage Park?
- The neighborhood's housing stock is composed primarily of Chicago bungalows and two-flats. Many of the bungalows are brick homes built between 1915 and 1930, and a concentration of them forms the Portage Park Bungalow Historic District, which includes 225 buildings. That means buyers can find both single-family detached homes and two-flat buildings that work as owner-occupied units with rental income. The consistent setbacks and shared bungalow style give the residential streets a uniform, established character.
- What do homes cost in Portage Park right now?
- Redfin tracks Portage Park as a somewhat competitive market where homes have recently sold after about 48 days on market. Pricing varies by property type and month, so the most current figures are best checked directly on the Redfin or Zillow neighborhood pages. Bungalows and two-flats tend to span a range depending on condition and updates. Because the market moves, treat any single headline number as a snapshot rather than a fixed value.
- How is the commute downtown?
- Portage Park is served by the CTA Blue Line, with the Montrose and Irving Park stations sitting in the Kennedy Expressway median on the neighborhood's edges. The Blue Line runs directly to downtown Chicago and the Loop, and northbound toward O'Hare International Airport, with off-peak trains generally arriving every 6 to 12 minutes. The Metra Milwaukee District North Line adds another option, stopping at the Mayfair station just west of the expressway. With a Transit Score of 59 and about nine bus lines, car-free commuting is realistic.
- What are the schools like?
- Portage Park residents are served by Chicago Public Schools, which includes neighborhood and citywide options. Neighborhood elementary schools include William P. Gray Elementary, Portage Park Elementary, Prussing, and Smyser, among others. Gray Elementary, at 3730 North Laramie Avenue, is a Pre-K through 8 school in CPS District 299. Because school boundaries and enrollment options change, buyers should confirm their specific attendance area using the official CPS School Locator.
- Is Portage Park a good fit for families?
- Yes. The neighborhood is anchored by the 36-acre Portage Park, the largest public park on Chicago's Northwest Side, with playgrounds, ball fields, tennis courts, and an Olympic-size pool with a children's water play area. The park is a beloved summertime hangout with a dog-friendly area, cultural arts building, and a regular farmers market. The detached bungalow housing stock offers the yards and space families look for, and the area is highly walkable with a Walk Score of 78. Several CPS neighborhood schools and parochial schools serve local children.
- What is happening with Six Corners and the old Sears?
- Six Corners is the neighborhood's historic shopping district at Irving Park, Cicero, and Milwaukee, once the largest commercial center in Chicago outside the Loop. The former Sears building has been redeveloped by Novak Construction into roughly 206 apartments with ground-floor retail, a project approved by City Council in 2021. The district is actively managed by the Six Corners Association, the only nationally recognized Main Street community in Chicago, which runs events and a farmers market. For buyers, that ongoing investment signals a commercial corridor on the upswing.
Your local agent
Joe knows Portage 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
- Portage 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