Winnetka · Cook County · IL
Homes for sale in
Winnetka.
- Active listings
- 17
- Median list
- $3.20M
- Avg time on market
- 50 days
- Sold · last year
- 0
Photo: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons (Unknown)
Active listings
17 homes on the market
About the community
Living in Winnetka.
Winnetka sits about 16 miles north of downtown Chicago along the Lake Michigan shoreline in New Trier Township, Cook County. The village is served by three Metra Union Pacific North stations, Winnetka in the downtown core, Hubbard Woods at the north end, and Indian Hill at the south end, putting commuters roughly 35 to 40 minutes from Ogilvie Transportation Center. Public school students attend Winnetka Public Schools District 36 for grades K through 8 and the nationally regarded New Trier Township High School District 203 for grades 9 through 12. Home values here are among the highest in Illinois, with a typical home value well over a million dollars. The Winnetka Park District operates 27 parks and five beaches, including the Tower Road lakefront, giving residents direct access to the lake. Two historic, walkable village centers, downtown along Elm Street and Lincoln Avenue and the Hubbard Woods design district along Green Bay Road, anchor everyday life. Winnetka is also widely known as the setting and filming location for the 'Home Alone' house at 671 Lincoln Avenue. Together, the schools, the lakefront, and the architecture have made Winnetka one of the most affluent and sought-after suburbs on the North Shore.
At a glance
~12,500 residents
Winnetka's 2020 census population was 12,475, roughly stable in recent estimates.
New Trier + District 36 schools
Winnetka Public Schools District 36 serves K-8, feeding into nationally ranked New Trier Township High School District 203.
Three Metra UP-N stations
The Union Pacific North line serves Winnetka, Hubbard Woods, and Indian Hill stations, all running to Ogilvie in downtown Chicago.
Home values over $1.8M
Zillow's home value index for Winnetka was about $1.85 million in spring 2026, among the highest in Illinois.
Median income over $250K
Median household income in Winnetka exceeds $250,000, among the highest in the state.
27 parks and five beaches
The Winnetka Park District operates 27 parks and five Lake Michigan beaches, anchored by Tower Road Beach.
Two historic village centers
A walkable downtown along Elm Street plus the historic Hubbard Woods design district along Green Bay Road.
What’s close
Winnetka runs along Green Bay Road and Sheridan Road between Wilmette and Glencoe, organized around three Metra rail-station nodes and a Lake Michigan lakefront on its eastern edge.
- Downtown Winnetka
- The central village core around Elm Street and Lincoln Avenue, anchored by the Winnetka Metra station, with boutiques, dining, and the Village Green.
- Hubbard Woods
- The village's northern district along Green Bay Road, known for Tudor-style buildings and the Hubbard Woods design district, served by its own Metra station.
- Indian Hill
- The southern end of Winnetka, home to the Indian Hill Metra station and the Indian Hill Club.
- Tower Road Beach and Lakefront
- Winnetka's signature Lake Michigan beach and park at the foot of Tower Road, with a pier, swimming, and bluff-top lake views.
- Village Green and Metra Stations
- The historic Village Green, donated by the Peck family in 1869, sits in the downtown rail corridor where the UP-N line runs grade-separated through town.
- Crow Island and Notable Architecture
- Home to the National Historic Landmark Crow Island School and Crow Island Woods, with estates by Maher, Griffin, Van Bergen, Shaw, and Adler throughout the village.
What it’s actually like to live here
Winnetka is a quintessential affluent family suburb where daily life is shaped heavily by its schools. Families move here for Winnetka Public Schools District 36 and New Trier High School, and the village's high homeownership rate, around 92 percent, reflects a community of long-term, settled households. The median household income exceeds $250,000, among the highest in Illinois, and the largest local industries are finance and insurance and professional and technical services. With an average commute of about 33 minutes and three Metra stations, many residents work in downtown Chicago while raising children in a quieter lakefront setting.
Recreation in Winnetka centers on the lake and the village's deep park system. The Winnetka Park District, the fourth-oldest in Illinois, maintains 27 parks, five beaches, and golf, tennis, ice skating, and paddle tennis facilities, with Tower Road Beach as the centerpiece of summer lakefront life. The village is also defined by its architecture and its two walkable centers, downtown along Elm Street and Lincoln Avenue and the historic Hubbard Woods design district along Green Bay Road, where boutiques, galleries, and restaurants sit among Tudor and Prairie School buildings. The Green Bay Trail, built on a former interurban rail line, threads through the village for cyclists and walkers.
Neighborhoods
Detailed Winnetka 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 Winnetka.
Boundary lines do shift. Always confirm in writing for a specific address before writing an offer.
- D36Grades K-8
Winnetka Public Schools District 36
Schools serving the area
- Crow Island Elementary
- Hubbard Woods Elementary
- Greeley Elementary
- The Skokie School
- Carleton W. Washburne School
Most of Winnetka is served by District 36 for K-8. Some southern neighborhoods fall in Avoca School District 37, and a small southeastern portion near Kenilworth is in Kenilworth School District 38. Confirm by address.
- D203Grades 9-12
New Trier Township High School District 203
Schools serving the area
- New Trier High School
All Winnetka public high school students attend New Trier High School in New Trier Township.
From the neighborhood
Around Winnetka
Real local creators on TikTok. Tap a tile to play it right here.
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@.coreybagelsAround town
What there is to do in Winnetka.
A handful of the places people who live here actually use. Not a directory.
- Parks
Tower Road Beach and Park
Winnetka's signature Lake Michigan beach at the foot of Tower Road, with lifeguarded swimming, a fishing and sunbathing pier, a playground, and bluff-top lake views.
- Culture
Winnetka Historical Society Museum
A local history museum at 411 Linden Avenue with permanent and rotating exhibits on Winnetka's development, plus the Schmidt-Burnham Log House in Crow Island Woods.
- Shopping
Hubbard Woods Design District
The village's premier shopping and design destination along Green Bay Road, with walkable storefronts for art, home, fashion, and dining in a historic Tudor-style setting.
- Shopping
Downtown Winnetka Village Center
The Elm Street and Lincoln Avenue core by the Winnetka Metra station, with upscale boutiques, jewelers, galleries, antique shops, and al fresco dining.
- Family
Chicago Botanic Garden (nearby in Glencoe)
A 385-acre garden on nine islands just north of Winnetka in neighboring Glencoe, with 27 display gardens and four natural areas, open every day of the year.
- Culture
Schmidt-Burnham Log House at Crow Island Woods
The oldest log structure in Cook County, built around 1837 and preserved by the Winnetka Historical Society in Crow Island Woods, open seasonally for tours.
Getting around
Commute + transit from Winnetka.
MetraUP-N line
- Stations: Winnetka, Hubbard Woods, Indian Hill
- Terminal: Chicago Ogilvie
- Distance: 16.6 miles to downtown Chicago
DriveBy car
- Routes: Green Bay Road · Sheridan Road · Willow Road · Hibbard Road · I-94 / Edens Expressway (via Northfield)
- O'Hare Airport: ~30 min
- Chicago Loop: ~45 min
By the numbers
Winnetka taxes + market stats.
Property tax rates vary by exact township and assessor district. Confirm per address before pricing a purchase.
Property tax rate
2.26%
effective avg
Sales tax
9.00%
combined
Median sold price
$1,870,000
MRED · last 12 mo (198 sales)
Median household income
$250,001
ACS
How Winnetka got here
A bit of history.
Winnetka's first houses were built in 1836, when Erastus Patterson and his family arrived from Vermont and opened a tavern serving travelers on the Green Bay Trail post road. The village was first subdivided in 1854 by Charles Peck and Walter S. Gurnee, and the Chicago and Milwaukee Railway was built through town in 1855, connecting Chicago and Milwaukee and opening the area to suburban development. Winnetka was incorporated in 1869 with a population of about 450. The name is believed to come from the Potawatomi language, meaning 'beautiful place.' The oldest surviving structure, the Schmidt-Burnham Log House built around 1837, is the oldest log structure in Cook County and now sits in Crow Island Woods.
As the railroad turned Winnetka into a commuter suburb, the village attracted estates and homes by distinguished architects including George Washington Maher, Walter Burley Griffin, John S. Van Bergen, Howard Van Doren Shaw, and David Adler, giving the community its strong Prairie School and revival-era architectural character. Winnetka also became nationally significant in education. The public schools were reorganized around superintendent Carleton Washburne's progressive 'Winnetka Plan,' an individualized, activity-based approach to learning, and the Crow Island School, designed by Eliel and Eero Saarinen with Perkins, Wheeler and Will and opened in 1940, was named a National Historic Landmark in 1990. Public high school students have long attended New Trier High School.
The questions buyers actually ask
Winnetka FAQ
The questions I get most from buyers shopping Winnetka. If yours isn't here, text 815-355-0582, same-day reply.
- What schools serve Winnetka?
- Winnetka is served by Winnetka Public Schools District 36 for grades K through 8, with elementary schools Crow Island, Hubbard Woods, and Greeley, plus The Skokie School for grades 5-6 and Carleton Washburne for grades 7-8. High school students attend nationally regarded New Trier High School in District 203. A few southern and southeastern pockets fall in Avoca District 37 or Kenilworth District 38, so confirm by address.
- How is the commute to Chicago from Winnetka?
- Winnetka has three Metra Union Pacific North stations, Winnetka, Hubbard Woods, and Indian Hill, on the line that runs to Ogilvie Transportation Center in downtown Chicago. The Winnetka station is about 16.6 rail miles from the downtown terminal, and the typical resident commute is roughly 33 minutes.
- What are property taxes like in Winnetka?
- The median effective property tax rate in Winnetka is about 2.26 percent, which is far above national norms given the area's high home values. Always confirm by pulling the actual tax bill for the specific address.
- How much do homes cost in Winnetka?
- Winnetka is one of the most expensive housing markets in Illinois. The typical home value is about $1.85 million as of spring 2026, with median sale and list prices commonly well over a million dollars.
- Where should I look first if I am buying in Winnetka?
- Most buyers focus on three areas: downtown Winnetka around Elm Street and the Winnetka Metra station, the Hubbard Woods district at the north end, and the Indian Hill area to the south. Proximity to a Metra station, the lakefront, and District 36 schools tends to drive demand.
- Is the 'Home Alone' house in Winnetka?
- Yes. The Georgian house used as the McCallister family home in 'Home Alone' from 1990 and its sequel is at 671 Lincoln Avenue in Winnetka. It remains a year-round visitor draw, especially at Christmas.
- Does Winnetka have beach and lakefront access?
- Yes. The Winnetka Park District operates 27 parks and five Lake Michigan beaches. Tower Road Beach is the signature lakefront spot, with lifeguarded swimming, a pier, and bluff-top lake views. Beach parking typically requires a Winnetka Park District or Village sticker.
Nearby
Towns next to Winnetka.
If you’re cross-shopping the area, these are the places that border Winnetka.
Your local agent
Joe knows Winnetka
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
- Winnetka 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