Riverwoods · Lake County · IL
Homes for sale in
Riverwoods.
- Active listings
- 7
- Median list
- $1.40M
- Avg time on market
- 9 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Map data, Mapbox / OpenStreetMap contributors
Active listings
7 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Riverwoods.
Riverwoods is a village of roughly 3,790 people set along the Des Plaines River in Lake County, Illinois, tucked between Deerfield to the north, Bannockburn to the south, Lincolnshire to the west, and Highland Park to the east. Residents live across West Deerfield and Vernon townships, and the village is famous for incorporating in 1959 specifically to halt outside subdivision development and protect its woodlands. Today that ethos is codified in one- and two-acre minimum zoning and a Woodland Preservation Ordinance that caps removal of protected woodland at 20 percent per lot. The median household income is over $249,000 and the typical home value is around $707,000, reflecting a deep inventory of custom homes on heavily treed parcels. Riverwoods is split among multiple school districts, has no commercial corridor of its own, and routes daily errands and Metra commuting through neighboring Deerfield.
At a glance
3,790 residents (2020 Census)
Roughly 4.0 square miles, density 944 per square mile. The village is intentionally low-density, with one- and two-acre minimums in most zoning.
Woodland Preservation Ordinance
No more than 20 percent of protected woodland can be removed from a single lot. Tree removal requires a village permit.
Median home value ~$707,000
Zillow ZHVI 2026. Almost entirely custom single-family homes on heavily treed one- and two-acre parcels.
Median household income ~$249,000
Data USA, latest ACS. Riverwoods is one of the higher income communities in Lake County.
Multiple school districts
Riverwoods is split among Deerfield SD 109, Bannockburn SD 106, and Lincolnshire-Prairie View 103 for elementary, plus Township HSD 113 and Stevenson HSD 125 for high school.
Metra in adjacent Deerfield
Closest stations are Deerfield and Lake Cook Road on the MD-N line, both physically in Deerfield. Lake Cook Road is 23.4 miles from Union Station.
I-94 along the east edge
Tri-State Tollway runs along the eastern boundary, with US 41 / Skokie Highway just beyond. O'Hare is about 25 minutes.
Ryerson Conservation Area
565-acre Lake County Forest Preserve along the Des Plaines River, adjacent to the village. 6.5 miles of trails and the Brushwood Center.
What’s close
Riverwoods sits in central Lake County along the Des Plaines River, with I-94 running along its eastern edge, Deerfield Road cutting through its core, and the Ryerson Conservation Area folded into its western and northern flanks.
- Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area
- 565-acre Lake County Forest Preserve along the Des Plaines River, with 6.5 miles of trails and the Brushwood Center for programming.
- Des Plaines River
- Forms the village's natural spine, with wetlands and a riparian corridor that shape the local zoning and tree ordinance.
- I-94 / Tri-State Tollway
- Runs along the eastern edge of the village, putting O'Hare and the North Shore inside an easy drive.
- Downtown Deerfield
- Directly to the north. The closest commercial corridor and Metra access for Riverwoods residents, since the village has no commercial frontage of its own.
- US 41 / Skokie Highway
- North-south arterial just east of the village, connecting through Lake Forest, Highland Park, and onward to Wisconsin.
- Half Day and Wright Woods Forest Preserves
- Adjacent Lake County preserves in nearby Vernon Hills and Mettawa, each adding miles of trails and Des Plaines River frontage.
What it’s actually like to live here
Day-to-day life in Riverwoods is shaped by the woods. Lots are large, setbacks are deep, and the village's Woodland Preservation Ordinance caps protected-woodland removal at 20 percent per parcel, so even new construction tends to read as a custom home tucked between mature trees. The housing stock is overwhelmingly single-family on one- and two-acre parcels, and the streetscape reflects that, with narrow roads, no sidewalks in most spots, no streetlights in many, and a deliberate absence of commercial frontage. Wildlife crossings, river views, and a quiet that feels much more rural than the surrounding North Shore are the trade-off residents are choosing.
Because there is no in-village shopping district, grocery runs, restaurants, and Metra commuting all happen in Deerfield, just to the north. Riverwoods residents lean on the Lake Cook Road and Deerfield stations on the Metra MD-N line for downtown trips, and on I-94 along the eastern boundary for everything else. The village's character draws families and empty-nesters who want acreage and tree canopy within a 30-minute drive of O'Hare and roughly 45 minutes of the Loop, but who do not want the density or signage clutter that comes with a traditional suburban downtown.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Riverwoods 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 Riverwoods.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- SD109Grades Pre-K to 8
Deerfield Public School District 109
Schools serving the area
- Walden Elementary
- Wilmot Elementary
- Caruso Middle School
- Charles J. Caruso Middle School
Covers the majority of Riverwoods on the eastern side of the village.
- D113Grades 9 to 12
Township High School District 113
Schools serving the area
- Deerfield High School
- Highland Park High School
Serves Bannockburn, Deerfield, Highland Park, Highwood, Riverwoods, and Fort Sheridan. Riverwoods students generally feed Deerfield High School.
- SD106Grades Pre-K to 8
Bannockburn Elementary School District 106
Schools serving the area
- Bannockburn School
Serves portions of Bannockburn, Deerfield, Highland Park, Lincolnshire, and Riverwoods on the south and west sides of the village. Verify boundaries by address.
Around town
What there is to do in Riverwoods.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area
565-acre preserve along the Des Plaines River with 6.5 miles of trails through some of Illinois' most pristine woodlands, plus Brushwood Center programming.
- Parks
Half Day Forest Preserve
Quiet Vernon Hills preserve with a 1-mile loop trail, pond, picnic shelters, and a connection to the countywide Des Plaines River Trail.
- Parks
Captain Daniel Wright Woods Forest Preserve
Mettawa preserve with 4 miles of trails for hiking, biking, skiing, and horseback riding, looping around a pond and along the Des Plaines River.
- Shopping
Downtown Deerfield
The closest commercial center for Riverwoods residents, with restaurants, the Deerfield Square shopping district, and the Metra station.
- Family
Kohl Children's Museum
Glenview hands-on museum for ages birth to 8, with 17 interactive exhibits and a 2-acre outdoor Habitat Park, about 25 minutes south.
- Culture
Brushwood Center at Ryerson Woods
Nature-and-arts programming center at the Ryerson preserve, with exhibitions, concerts, and environmental education housed in Edward Ryerson's original retreat.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Riverwoods.
DriveBy car
- Routes: I-94 / Tri-State Tollway · US 41 (Skokie Highway) · Deerfield Road · IL 22 (Half Day Road) · Saunders Road
- O'Hare Airport: ~25 min
- Chicago Loop: ~42 min
- Deerfield Metra (MD-N): ~5 min
By the numbers
Riverwoods taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.73%
effective avg
Sales tax
8.00%
combined
Median sold price
$950,000
MRED · last 12 mo (44 sales)
Median household income
$249,205
ACS
How Riverwoods got here
A bit of history.
Riverwoods was established along the Des Plaines River and incorporated as a village in 1959, when local residents organized to halt outside subdivision development and protect the area's woodlands. The village more than doubled from 1,571 people in 1970 to 3,790 by the 2020 census, but the early commitment to preservation defined its character. From the start, residents chose one- and two-acre lots, no central commercial strip, and a self-governing village structure focused on stewardship of the trees and the river corridor.
The conservation ethic in Riverwoods is inseparable from Edward L. Ryerson, the Inland Steel chairman who built a cabin in 1928 on what became Ryerson Woods. In 1938 Ryerson bought a neighboring 250-acre tract to prevent it from being developed, and in 1966 he and his wife Nora donated their Brushwood property and 257 acres to the Lake County Forest Preserves. Combined with later donations, the result is today's 565-acre Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area, which abuts the village and shelters some of Illinois' most pristine woodlands. Modern Riverwoods carries that legacy in its Woodland Preservation Ordinance and in the custom homes set back deep on heavily treed lots.
The questions buyers actually ask
Riverwoods FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Riverwoods. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- Where is Riverwoods, IL?
- Riverwoods is a village in central Lake County, set along the Des Plaines River between Deerfield to the north, Bannockburn to the south, Lincolnshire to the west, and Highland Park to the east. It sits across West Deerfield and Vernon townships.
- Why does Riverwoods have such restrictive zoning?
- The village was incorporated in 1959 specifically to halt outside subdivision development and protect its woodlands. Today most parcels carry one- or two-acre minimums, and the Woodland Preservation Ordinance caps removal of protected woodland at 20 percent per lot.
- What schools serve Riverwoods?
- Riverwoods is split among multiple districts. The majority of the village feeds Deerfield SD 109 (K-8) and Township HSD 113 (Deerfield High or Highland Park High), but the western side of the village can fall in Lincolnshire-Prairie View 103 or Bannockburn 106 for elementary and Stevenson HSD 125 for high school. Always verify by address.
- What is the commute like from Riverwoods?
- Riverwoods runs along the eastern edge of I-94, so drives to O'Hare are about 25 minutes and the Chicago Loop is around 42 minutes. The nearest Metra stations are Deerfield and Lake Cook Road on the MD-N line, both physically in Deerfield, about 5 minutes north.
- What are property taxes and the sales tax like?
- Lake County's average effective property tax rate is roughly 2.73 percent, and Riverwoods' total sales tax rate is 8.0 percent (6.25 percent state plus 1.0 percent city plus 0.75 percent county) as of 2026.
- What does the housing stock look like?
- Almost entirely custom single-family homes on heavily treed one- and two-acre parcels. The Zillow typical home value is around $707,000 as of 2026, and Riverwoods has appreciated meaningfully over the trailing year.
- What is Ryerson Woods?
- The Edward L. Ryerson Conservation Area is a 565-acre Lake County Forest Preserve adjacent to Riverwoods, along the Des Plaines River. It originated with a 1928 cabin built by Inland Steel chairman Edward L. Ryerson, who donated his Brushwood property and 257 acres to the Forest Preserves in 1966. It now offers 6.5 miles of trails and shelters several state-threatened and endangered species.
Nearby
Towns next to Riverwoods.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Riverwoods.
Your local agent
Joe knows Riverwoods
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
- Riverwoods 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