Riverside · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Riverside.
- Active listings
- 10
- Median list
- $677K
- Avg time on market
- 98 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons (Unknown)
Active listings
10 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Riverside.
Riverside is a village in Cook County, Illinois, located roughly 9 miles west of downtown Chicago and about 2 miles outside the city limits. It was laid out in 1869 by landscape architects Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux, whose plan called for curvilinear streets that follow the land's contours and the winding Des Plaines River, along with a park system anchored by large commons and dozens of smaller triangular parks. A significant portion of the village is the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. Public school students are served by Riverside School District 96 for elementary and junior high and Riverside Brookfield Township High School District 208. Commuters use the Riverside station on Metra's BNSF Line, which runs between Aurora and Chicago Union Station, and the village center is built around that station with shops, cafes, and the landmark Riverside Water Tower.
At a glance
~9,300 residents
Riverside had a population of 9,298 at the 2020 census across about 2 square miles in Cook County.
National Historic Landmark
All but about 100 acres of the village form the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated in 1970.
Olmsted plan
Laid out in 1869 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux with curvilinear streets and a system of commons and triangular parks.
District 96 and District 208
Served by Riverside School District 96 for elementary and junior high and Riverside Brookfield District 208 for high school.
BNSF Metra
The Riverside station sits on Metra's BNSF Line running between Aurora and Chicago Union Station, about 11 miles from downtown.
Architectural museum
Homes by Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, and William Le Baron Jenney give the village a distinctive character.
Median income ~$149k
The median household income was about 149,464 in the 2022 ACS estimate.
Des Plaines River
The river runs through the village along an area called Swan Pond, central to Olmsted's naturalistic design.
What’s close
Riverside sits in Cook County about 9 miles west of downtown Chicago and 2 miles outside the city limits, bounded loosely by the Des Plaines River and major arterials, with a compact landmark village center built around its Metra station.
- Village center and landmark district
- The central business district around the Riverside Metra station holds shops, cafes, banks, and the Riverside Water Tower, all within the National Historic Landmark district.
- Metra station (BNSF)
- The Riverside station at 90 Bloomingbank Road sits on the BNSF Line in fare zone 2 with multiple parking lots.
- Major roads
- The village is near Harlem Avenue (IL 43), Ogden Avenue (US 34), and First Avenue, which frame the historic district.
- Des Plaines River and Olmsted parks
- The Des Plaines River runs through the village along Swan Pond, part of a park system that also includes Longcommon Park and Guthrie Park.
- Schools
- District 96 elementary schools and L. J. Hauser Junior High lie within the village, with Riverside Brookfield High School at 160 Ridgewood Road.
- Neighbors
- Bordering suburbs include North Riverside, Berwyn, Forest View, Lyons, McCook, and Brookfield.
What it’s actually like to live here
Daily life in Riverside revolves around its walkable, Olmsted-planned village center, where the Metra station, independent shops, cafes, and the Riverside Water Tower sit within a few blocks of one another. The curving, tree-lined streets and the network of public parks, including Swan Pond along the Des Plaines River, Longcommon Park, and Guthrie Park, shape an unusually green, pedestrian-oriented suburb. Picnicking and recreation are concentrated in those public parks, and the village works with a Landscape Advisory Committee to maintain public lands in keeping with Olmsted's design.
The village has become an architectural museum recognized by its National Historic Landmark designation, with a housing stock ranging from well-maintained 1920s bungalows to large Victorian and early 20th century mansions, several drawing architectural tours led by the Frederick Law Olmsted Society of Riverside. The community skews established and affluent, and the compact downtown reflects that with restaurants, coffee shops, and antique dealers. Commuter rail access on the BNSF Line keeps residents tied to downtown Chicago while preserving the quiet, parklike character Olmsted intended.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Riverside 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 Riverside.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D96Grades PreK-8
Riverside School District 96
Schools serving the area
- Central Elementary School
- Ames School
- Blythe Park School
- L. J. Hauser Junior High School
District 96 covers Riverside, most of North Riverside, and parts of Brookfield. Confirm the assigned school by address.
- D208Grades 9-12
Riverside Brookfield Township High School District 208
Schools serving the area
- Riverside Brookfield High School
District 208 serves Riverside, North Riverside, most of Brookfield, and parts of nearby communities. The high school is at 160 Ridgewood Road.
From the neighborhood
Around Riverside
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
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@otheplaceswegoAround town
What there is to do in Riverside.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Culture
Riverside Historical Museum
A local-history museum housed in the 1869 Riverside Water Tower at 10 Pine Avenue, open Saturdays with no admission charge.
- Culture
Riverside Water Tower
An 1869 Swiss Gothic water tower designed by William Le Baron Jenney that stands at the village center.
- Parks
Swan Pond Park
A riverside park on the Des Plaines River that is part of Olmsted's original park system and open for picnicking.
- Parks
Guthrie Park
A public park within the village's Olmsted-planned park system, listed among Riverside's picnicking-permitted parks.
- Parks
Longcommon Park
One of Riverside's large common greens within the historic park system, open for recreation and picnicking.
- Culture
F. F. Tomek House
A Frank Lloyd Wright Prairie School house completed in 1906, part of the Riverside Historic District.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Riverside.
MetraBNSF line
- Stations: Riverside
- Terminal: Chicago Union Station
- Distance: 11 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: IL 43 (Harlem Avenue) · US 34 (Ogden Avenue) · First Avenue
- O'Hare Airport: ~32 min
- Chicago Loop: ~25 min
By the numbers
Riverside taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
3.05%
effective avg
Sales tax
10.00%
combined
Median sold price
$499,500
MRED · last 12 mo (104 sales)
Median household income
$149,464
ACS
How Riverside got here
A bit of history.
In 1868 an eastern businessman named Emery E. Childs formed the Riverside Improvement Company, and in 1869 it purchased a 1,600-acre tract along the Des Plaines River and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad line. The company commissioned landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux, the designers of New York's Central Park, to plan a rural bedroom community. Their 1869 plan called for curvilinear streets following the land's contours, a central village square at the railroad station, and a park system with large commons plus dozens of smaller triangular parks and plazas. The Great Chicago Fire of 1871 and the Panic of 1873 brought down the improvement company, but a village government was established in 1875 and Olmsted's original plan remained in force.
All but about 100 acres of the village make up the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970, recognizing it as one of the first planned communities in the United States. At the center of the village stands the Riverside Water Tower, designed in 1869 by Chicago architect William Le Baron Jenney in a Swiss Gothic style, which now houses the Riverside Historical Museum. The village also holds homes by Frank Lloyd Wright, including the F. F. Tomek House, completed in 1906, and the Avery Coonley House, built from 1908 to 1912, one of Wright's largest and most elaborate Prairie School estates.
The questions buyers actually ask
Riverside FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Riverside. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What schools serve Riverside, IL?
- Riverside's public elementary and junior high students attend Riverside School District 96, which operates Central, Ames, and Blythe Park schools plus L. J. Hauser Junior High. High school students attend Riverside Brookfield High School in District 208 at 160 Ridgewood Road. District 96 covers Riverside, most of North Riverside, and parts of Brookfield. Confirm the assigned school by address before writing an offer.
- How is the commute to Chicago from Riverside?
- Riverside is served by Metra's BNSF Line, which runs between Aurora and Chicago Union Station. The Riverside station at 90 Bloomingbank Road sits in fare zone 2, roughly 11 miles from Union Station. Driving to the Chicago Loop is about 14 miles, often around 25 minutes outside of peak traffic. Pace bus routes also connect the village to the region.
- What is the Olmsted plan and the historic district?
- Riverside was laid out in 1869 by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux for the Riverside Improvement Company, with curvilinear streets following the land and the Des Plaines River plus a system of commons and triangular parks. All but about 100 acres of the village form the Riverside Landscape Architecture District, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970. The village maintains public lands through a Landscape Advisory Committee to preserve Olmsted's design intent.
- What are property taxes like in Riverside?
- Riverside is in Cook County, where property tax rates run well above the national average. Ownwell reports a median effective property tax rate of about 3.05 percent for the village. Bills depend on assessed value, exemptions, and the township reassessment cycle. The Cook County Assessor reassessed Riverside Township in 2023, so review the actual tax history for a specific property before buying.
- What kind of homes and architecture does Riverside have?
- Riverside's housing stock ranges from well-maintained 1920s bungalows to large Victorian and early 20th century mansions, set on curving, tree-lined streets. The village is often called an architectural museum, with homes by Frank Lloyd Wright, Daniel Burnham, Louis Sullivan, and William Le Baron Jenney. Notable examples include Wright's Avery Coonley House and F. F. Tomek House. Because most of the village is a National Historic Landmark district, its character is carefully preserved.
- What is there to do in Riverside?
- The Riverside Historical Museum, housed in the 1869 Water Tower at 10 Pine Avenue, is open Saturdays at no charge and covers the village's history and Olmsted's design. The Olmsted-designed park system includes Swan Pond along the Des Plaines River, Longcommon Park, and Guthrie Park. The compact village center around the Metra station has restaurants, cafes, and antique shops, and self-guided architectural walking tours pass homes by Frank Lloyd Wright and other noted architects.
Nearby
Towns next to Riverside.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Riverside.
Your local agent
Joe knows Riverside
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
- Riverside 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