Western Springs · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Western Springs.
- Active listings
- 28
- Median list
- $1.13M
- Avg time on market
- 7 days
- Sold · last year
- 187
Active listings
28 homes on the market
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About the community
Living in Western Springs.
Western Springs is a village of roughly 13,600 in Lyons Township, Cook County, about 15 miles west of the Chicago Loop along the BNSF Railway. Commuters ride the Metra BNSF line from the Western Springs station, which is 15.4 miles from Chicago Union Station and reachable in about 35 minutes. The village centers on a compact downtown near the historic Western Springs Water Tower, the stone landmark built in the 1890s that now houses the Tower Museum and serves as the town's symbol. Public high school students attend Lyons Township High School in District 204, with freshmen and sophomores at the South Campus in Western Springs and juniors and seniors at the North Campus in La Grange. The housing stock is predominantly owner-occupied single-family homes, and the market is defined by commuting professional families drawn to the schools, the rail access, and the established residential neighborhoods.
At a glance
~13,600 residents
Population was 13,629 at the 2020 Census, with a 2024 estimate of about 13,529.
District 101 and Lyons Township HS
Western Springs School District 101 runs three K-5 schools plus McClure Junior High, feeding Lyons Township High School in District 204.
Metra BNSF commute
The Western Springs station on the Metra BNSF line is 15.4 miles from Chicago Union Station, about a 35-minute ride on one of Metra's busiest lines.
The Water Tower
The 1890s stone Water Tower stands about 112 feet tall, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and houses the Tower Museum run by the historical society.
High-value housing market
The market is predominantly single-family and owner-occupied, with a Census homeownership rate of 95.6 percent and a Zillow typical value near $686,000.
Spring Rock Park
Spring Rock Park is the Western Springs Park District flagship at about 41.7 acres, with ballfields, tennis and pickleball courts, playgrounds, and a splash pad.
Highly educated population
About 83.8 percent of adults age 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, consistent with a commuting professional buyer base.
What’s close
Western Springs clusters around its downtown Tower District near the BNSF tracks, bounded roughly by Ogden Avenue, I-294, Wolf Road, and Plainfield Road. Spring Rock Park anchors the west side and the village's schools sit within its 2.79 square miles.
- Downtown Tower District
- The compact downtown clusters around the historic Western Springs Water Tower near Hillgrove Avenue and the BNSF tracks.
- Metra station
- The Western Springs station sits on the BNSF line at the edge of downtown, 15.4 miles from Chicago Union Station.
- Spring Rock Park
- The 41.7-acre flagship park on the west side of the village holds the 1962 water tower and extensive recreation facilities.
- Schools
- Western Springs School District 101 schools and McClure Junior High are within the village, feeding Lyons Township High School.
- Highways
- Ogden Avenue (US 34) runs along the north border and meets the Tri-State Tollway (I-294) on the west side.
- Wolf Road
- Wolf Road is the main north-south street through the village and is designated a Blue Star Memorial Highway.
What it’s actually like to live here
Western Springs is a residential, owner-occupied community where about 95.6 percent of housing units are owner-occupied. The housing stock is predominantly single-family, ranging from early-twentieth-century homes in the older neighborhoods near downtown to newer construction in annexed subdivisions like Forest Hills, Springdale, Ridgewood, and the Timber Trails development built on a former golf course annexed in 2005. The Zillow typical home value sits near $686,000, while recent median sale prices run higher, and the practical tradeoff for buyers is an older home on an established lot versus a rebuild or newer build.
The buyer profile skews toward commuting professional families. The median household income reported by the Census was about $230,000, and roughly a third of residents are under 18, all consistent with a school-and-commute-driven market. The village's draw is the combination of the Metra BNSF line, Lyons Township High School, and District 101 elementary schools. Day-to-day life centers on the downtown around the Water Tower, Spring Rock Park, and village recreation facilities including the Grand Avenue Community Center.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Western Springs 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 Western Springs.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D101Grades K-8
Western Springs School District 101
Schools serving the area
- Field Park Elementary
- Forest Hills Elementary
- John Laidlaw Elementary
- McClure Junior High
Serves the original neighborhoods of Western Springs, K-5 at the elementary schools and grades 6-8 at McClure Junior High. Some newer neighborhoods are served instead by LaGrange Highlands School District 106, so confirm by address.
- D204Grades 9-12
Lyons Township High School District 204
Schools serving the area
- Lyons Township High School South Campus
- Lyons Township High School North Campus
All elementary and middle schools serving Western Springs feed into Lyons Township High School. Freshmen and sophomores attend the South Campus in Western Springs; juniors and seniors attend the North Campus in La Grange.
Around town
What there is to do in Western Springs.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Spring Rock Park
The Western Springs Park District flagship park, about 41.7 acres on the west side, with ballfields, lighted tennis courts, pickleball, playgrounds, and a splash pad.
- Culture
Tower Museum (Western Springs Water Tower)
The historic 1890s stone water tower, on the National Register of Historic Places, now a local-history museum operated by the Western Springs Historical Society.
- Culture
Theatre of Western Springs
A community theatre operating since 1929, one of the longest-running community theatres in the country, located at 4384 Hampton Avenue.
- Family
Grand Avenue Community Center
A village-run recreation center near downtown at 4211 Grand Avenue offering classes, sports, and community programs.
- Food & Drink
Oggi Trattoria
An Italian restaurant in the downtown area, long established in Western Springs after decades on Grand Avenue.
- Food & Drink
Davanti Enoteca
An Italian enoteca and restaurant in downtown Western Springs at 800 Hillgrove Avenue.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Western Springs.
- Stations: Western Springs
- Terminal: Chicago Union Station
- Distance: 15.4 miles to downtown Chicago
- Routes: Ogden Avenue / US 34 · I-294 (Tri-State Tollway) · Wolf Road · Plainfield Road
- O'Hare Airport: ~26 min
- Chicago Loop: ~31 min
By the numbers
Western Springs taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.25%
effective avg
Sales tax
9.00%
combined
Median sold price
$925,000
MRED · last 12 mo (187 sales)
Median household income
$230,255
ACS
How Western Springs got here
A bit of history.
Western Springs was named for local mineral springs on the southwest side of town, on land that was originally flat prairie with a swamp along its western border. The Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad built a line through the area in 1863, filling in much of the west-side swamp in the process. In 1870 the Western Springs Land Association, led by promoter Thomas Clarkson Hill, bought the tracts that make up the area for 105,000 dollars, and Hill moved to the community in 1872 to attract commuters. A large number of early residents were Quakers, and deeds often prohibited the sale of alcohol. In 1886 Western Springs incorporated as a village by a public vote of 34 to 25, and the voters elected Quaker developer T. C. Hill as the town's first president.
After the spring dried up in 1890, the village hired engineers Edgar and Benezette Williams to build a waterworks system, including the Western Springs Water Tower. Constructed from Naperville stone, the tower stands about 112 feet high and held a 133,000-gallon tank. A new water tower built in Spring Rock Park in 1962 replaced it as the village water source, and the old tower became a museum in 1970 before entering the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. The village added a fire department in 1894, an electric plant in 1898, a park district in 1923, and a library in 1926, and later annexed the Forest Hills, Springdale, and Ridgewood subdivisions south of 47th Street.
The questions buyers actually ask
Western Springs FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Western Springs. If yours isn't here, text 224-385-8779, same-day reply.
- What high school do Western Springs students attend?
- Public high school students attend Lyons Township High School in District 204. The school operates two campuses: freshmen and sophomores attend the South Campus in Western Springs, and juniors and seniors attend the North Campus in La Grange. All of the elementary and middle schools serving the village feed into Lyons Township High School.
- How long is the train commute to downtown Chicago?
- Western Springs is on the Metra BNSF line. The Western Springs station is 15.4 miles from Chicago Union Station, and the ride takes about 35 minutes. The BNSF is one of Metra's busiest lines, with frequent weekday rush-hour service to and from Union Station.
- What are property taxes like in Western Springs?
- The median effective property tax rate is about 2.25 percent, higher than the national median but in line with Cook County and Illinois norms. Bills depend on assessed value and exemptions, so pull the actual tax bill for any specific address before writing an offer.
- What kind of homes are for sale in Western Springs?
- The market is predominantly single-family and owner-occupied, with a homeownership rate of about 95.6 percent. Stock ranges from older homes in the established neighborhoods near downtown to newer construction in subdivisions like Forest Hills, Ridgewood, and Timber Trails, which was developed on a former golf course annexed in 2005. The Zillow typical home value is near $686,000, with recent median sale prices running higher.
- What defines the downtown and the Water Tower?
- Downtown clusters around the historic Western Springs Water Tower, an 1890s stone structure about 112 feet tall that was the village's original water storage. A new water tower in Spring Rock Park replaced it in 1962, and the old tower became a museum in 1970 and joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. It is operated as the Tower Museum by the Western Springs Historical Society and is seen as the town's symbol.
- Who typically buys in Western Springs?
- The buyer profile skews toward commuting professional families. The median household income is about $230,000, roughly 83.8 percent of adults age 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and about a third of residents are under 18. The combination of the Metra BNSF commute, Lyons Township High School, and District 101 elementary schools drives demand.
- Who is the real estate agent for Western Springs?
- Joe Keegan is the local licensed Illinois real estate broker who covers Western Springs in Western Springs, 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 Western Springs specifically, not national averages, and can help you buy or sell here. Reach Joe at 224-385-8779 or joe@joekeeganhomes.com.
Nearby
Towns next to Western Springs.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Western Springs.
Your local agent
Joe knows Western Springs
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
- Western Springs 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