South Elgin · Kane County · IL
Homes for sale in
Thornwood.
- Active listings
- 1
- Median list
- $950K
- Avg time on market
- 54 days
- Sold · last year
- 27
Active listings
1 home on the market
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About the community
A recreation-forward master-plan on the west side of South Elgin.
Thornwood is a large master-planned community on the west side of South Elgin near Silver Glen and Randall Road, developed by Crown Community Development and built out from about 1999 through 2013 by roughly 20 homebuilders, which gives it a varied, semi-custom look. Its headline feature is an unusually strong recreation package anchored by the Thornwood Sports Core, a clubhouse with a fitness room and an outdoor pool and water park, plus more than 160 acres of open space, restored prairie, and wetlands along Otter Creek. Homes are served by the well-regarded St. Charles District 303, with Corron Elementary located inside the community.
At a glance
Sports Core + water park
A roughly $3.8M clubhouse with a fitness room, plus an outdoor pool and water park with a sundeck.
Courts + play areas
Tennis, basketball, and sand volleyball courts, pickleball, and playgrounds.
St. Charles District 303
Corron Elementary sits inside the community, feeding District 303 and St. Charles North High School.
160+ acres open space
Restored prairie, wooded wetlands, and ponds along the Otter Creek corridor.
~5 miles of trails
Paved bike and walking trails and well-lit sidewalks throughout the community.
Semi-custom homes
Single-family homes roughly 1,200 to 5,600+ sq ft by about 20 builders, plus a townhome section.
What’s close
Thornwood sits on the west side of South Elgin near Silver Glen and Randall Road, with I-90 a short drive north.
- Amenities on-site
- The Sports Core clubhouse, pool and water park, courts, playgrounds, ponds, open space, and trails.
- Schools
- St. Charles District 303, with Corron Elementary inside the community and St. Charles North High School. Confirm the assigned middle school by address.
- Shopping
- The Randall Road corridor with extensive retail, grocery, and dining within minutes.
- Highway
- Randall Road and Routes 25 and 31, with I-90 (Jane Addams Tollway) a short drive north for Chicago and O'Hare.
- Train
- Rail commuters use Elgin-area Milwaukee District West stations or Geneva and La Fox on the Union Pacific West line.
- Hospital
- Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin and Northwestern Medicine Delnor in Geneva, each a short drive.
What it’s actually like to live here
Thornwood attracts move-up families and professionals who want more house and yard than they would get closer to Chicago, plus a genuine resort-style amenity base. Daily life revolves heavily around the Sports Core in the warm months, where the pool and water park, courts, and open lawns become the social hub, and around the miles of trails and Otter Creek open space year-round. The multi-builder, semi-custom character means streetscapes feel varied rather than uniform, and an active social calendar gives it a real neighborhood feel.
Schools are a strong selling point, with the community anchored by top-rated St. Charles District 303. Corron Elementary is inside the community and feeds St. Charles North High School, and the district is one of the region's stronger ones. The location is a commuter's compromise: excellent for anything on the Randall Road corridor and for driving to Elgin, St. Charles, and Geneva, with I-90 a reasonable hop for O'Hare.
The honest tradeoffs are taxes and the commute. Kane County property taxes run high, with effective rates around 2.5 percent meaning five-figure annual bills on most Thornwood homes, and there is an HOA assessment on top that funds the amenities. Downtown-Chicago rail commuters should note the nearest Metra stations are a drive away and the trip is roughly 40 to 45 miles. For families who value schools, space, and amenities, Thornwood is a strong fit.
The questions buyers actually ask
Thornwood FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Thornwood. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- How much is the HOA?
- Single-family homes are $140 per month.
- What does the HOA actually cover?
- Single-family dues (commonly around $128 to $159 a month) fund the Thornwood Sports Core clubhouse, the pool and water park, the courts, the 160+ acres of open space and trails, and community events. Townhome and attached tiers pay more and add lawn care, exterior maintenance, snow removal, and common insurance. Confirm the exact assessment for the specific home and sub-association.
- What are property taxes like?
- Roughly $9,000 – $14,000 per year, depending on home size and value. Kane County assessor records are the source of truth. Happy to pull a specific bill on any home you're considering.
- When was Thornwood built?
- Crown Community Development (roughly 20 homebuilders, semi-custom) built the community between 1999 and 2013. Crown Community Development (roughly 20 homebuilders, semi-custom) stopped new construction in 2013, so every sale today is a resale.
- What's the typical closing timeline?
- 30 to 60 days from accepted offer to keys. Cash deals can close in two weeks. Conventional financing is usually closer to 60.
- What school district is Thornwood in?
- St. Charles Community Unit School District 303, not Elgin U-46 or District 301. Children typically attend Corron Elementary (located inside the community), a District 303 middle school (Wredling or Haines by address), and St. Charles North High School. Confirm the exact assignment by address.
- What amenities does Thornwood offer?
- A resort-style package centered on the Thornwood Sports Core, a clubhouse with a fitness room and party room, plus an outdoor pool and water park, tennis, basketball and sand volleyball courts, pickleball, playgrounds, parks, ponds, 160+ acres of open space along Otter Creek, and about 5 miles of paved trails.
- How much is the HOA and what does it cover?
- Assessments generally run from about $39 to $235 a month depending on home type, with many single-family owners around $128 to $159. Dues fund the shared recreation amenities and common areas, and townhome and attached tiers add lawn care, exterior maintenance, snow removal, and common insurance. Verify the exact figure for the specific home.
- What are the homes like and what do they cost?
- Mostly single-family homes with a townhome section, built roughly 1999 to 2013 by about 20 builders, giving a semi-custom variety. Sizes run from about 1,200 up to 5,600+ sq ft. Single-family homes commonly sell in the $600,000s to $800,000s.
- How high are the property taxes?
- Kane County taxes are high, with South Elgin effective rates around 2.5 percent, so most Thornwood homes carry annual bills roughly in the $9,000 to $14,000 range depending on value. Confirm the actual bill per parcel.
- How is the commute to Chicago?
- Car-oriented. The Randall Road corridor and I-90 are close, but the nearest Metra stations are a drive away in Elgin, Geneva, or La Fox, and downtown Chicago is roughly 40 to 45 miles east.
- Who is the real estate agent for Thornwood?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers Thornwood in South Elgin, IL through Subdiview, a neighborhood-first home search for the Chicago suburbs and collar counties. Joe prices and negotiates from the live MRED sold comps for Thornwood specifically, not national averages, and can help you buy or sell here. Reach Joe at 224-385-8779 or joe@joekeeganhomes.com.
Your local agent
Joe knows Thornwood
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
- South Elgin specialist
- Honest local market take
- Brokerocity
Market snapshot
Thornwood, by the numbers
Live MRED data, refreshed daily. The numbers below tell you what this market is doing today, not what Zillow's algorithm thinks it might be doing six weeks from now.
Typical list price
$950,000
Typical sale price · last 90 days
$651,000
Homes for sale right now
1
Avg time on market
54 days
Sold in the last year
27
This representation is based in whole or in part on data supplied by Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC for the period August 30, 2025 through August 30, 2026. Midwest Real Estate Data, LLC does not guarantee nor is it in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by Midwest Real Estate Data LLC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market.
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Schools serving Thornwood
Where Thornwood homes go to school
Homes in Thornwood are most often zoned to St. Charles North HS. Open a school to see its area, the district, and every home for sale that feeds it.
School assignment is derived from the school the MRED listing agent entered and is not a guarantee. Always verify current attendance boundaries with the district before writing an offer.
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