Lake Forest is a city in Lake County, Illinois, home to about 19,416 people across 17 square miles. Its ZIP code is 60045.
Homes sold for a median of $404 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.
Mostly Lake Forest; also Lincolnshire and Mettawa
Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Lake Forest. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology
We’re writing up Lake Forest’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.
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| Nearest major airport | Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)18 miles away |
|---|---|
| Nearest city of 250,000+ | Chicago, IL29 miles away |
Straight-line distances from the center of Lake Forest; driving is longer.
Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.
Lake Forest had 19,367 residents in the 2020 census, down 3% since 2000.
It’s the 127th largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.
Lake County grew from 34,504 residents in 1900 to 714,342 in 2020.
Lake County, 1900–2020
Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).
Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 16°F. About 39.5 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 34 inches of snow.
Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Chicago Botanic Garden, IL weather station (7 miles away).
337,069 jobs at 20,076 businesses in Lake County. The biggest industries by employees:
Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).
646 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Lake Forest.
Nearest hospitals
Providers with an office here
| Primary care doctors | 57 |
|---|---|
| Specialist doctors | 237 |
| Dentists | 31 |
| Nurse practitioners and physician assistants | 145 |
| Mental health providers | 73 |
| Physical and occupational therapists | 98 |
| Optometrists | 3 |
| Chiropractors | 2 |
| Pharmacies | 6 |
Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.
Parks (21 nearby)
Grocery stores (6 nearby)
Pharmacies (3 nearby)
Libraries (2 nearby)
Museums (1 nearby)
Theaters and performance venues (5 nearby)
Counts are within about 3 miles of the center of town.
Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.
Established in 1861.
Notable people born here
Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.
Public schools here are run by Lake Forest SD 67, Rondout SD 72, Lake Forest CHSD 115. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.
| School | Grades | Students | Type | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheridan Elem SchoolLake Forest | Pre-K–4 | 265 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| Cherokee Elem SchoolLake Forest | K–4 | 343 | Public | 1.0 mi |
| Everett Elem SchoolLake Forest | K–4 | 308 | Public | 2.0 mi |
| Rondout Elem SchoolLake Forest | K–8 | 151 | Public | 4.0 mi |
| Deer Path Middle Sch EastLake Forest | 5–6 | 375 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Deer Path Middle Sch WestLake Forest | 7–8 | 361 | Public | 0.8 mi |
| Lake Forest High SchoolLake Forest | 9–12 | 1,359 | Public | 1.9 mi |
| School | Grades | Students | Affiliation | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Forest Country Day SchoolLake Forest | Pre-K–8 | 325 | Nonsectarian | 0.5 mi |
| Montessori School of Lake ForestLake Forest | Pre-K–8 | 68 | Nonsectarian | 3.4 mi |
| School of St MaryLake Forest | Pre-K–8 | 336 | Roman Catholic | 0.8 mi |
| Fusion Academy Lf: Chicago- Lake ForestLake Forest | 6–12 | 45 | Nonsectarian | 1.6 mi |
| Lake Forest AcademyLake Forest | 9–12 | 446 | Nonsectarian | 2.3 mi |
| Woodlands Academy of the Sacred HeartLake Forest | 9–12 | 120 | Roman Catholic | 1.0 mi |
Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.
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Shares ZIP codes with Lincolnshire and Mettawa.
Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.