Town guide

Wonder Lake, Illinois

Wonder Lake is a village in McHenry County, Illinois, home to about 4,292 people across 5.0 square miles. Its ZIP code is 60097, and parts of 60072 are in Wonder Lake too.

Homes sold for a median of $204 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a seller’s market.

Population4,292865 per sq mi
Median home value$252,200Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$204Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking40%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Wonder Lake

2 ZIP codes, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Wonder Lake. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Wonder Lake

Distances

Nearest major airportChicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD)36 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Milwaukee, WI51 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+Chicago, IL51 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Wonder Lake; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Wonder Lake

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Wonder Lake had 3,973 residents in the 2020 census, up 195% since 2000.

It’s the 363rd largest of 1,450 towns in Illinois by population.

McHenry County grew from 29,759 residents in 1900 to 310,229 in 2020.

Wonder Lake population by census2000: 1,345, 2010: 4,026, 2020: 3,9731,34520004,02620103,9732020

McHenry County, 1900–2020

McHenry County population, 1900 to 20201900: 29,759, 1910: 32,509, 1920: 33,164, 1930: 35,079, 1940: 37,311, 1950: 50,656, 1960: 84,210, 1970: 111,555, 1980: 147,897, 1990: 183,241, 2000: 260,077, 2010: 308,760, 2020: 310,22930K’00’1033K’20’3037K’40’5084K’60’70148K’80’90260K’00’10310K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 84°F in summer, and winter lows average 13°F. About 37 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 35 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near Wonder LakeJan: high 31°F, low 13°F, 1.7 in; Feb: high 35°F, low 16°F, 1.6 in; Mar: high 46°F, low 26°F, 2.2 in; Apr: high 59°F, low 37°F, 3.6 in; May: high 70°F, low 47°F, 4.5 in; Jun: high 80°F, low 57°F, 4.8 in; Jul: high 84°F, low 62°F, 3.8 in; Aug: high 82°F, low 60°F, 3.7 in; Sep: high 76°F, low 51°F, 3.6 in; Oct: high 63°F, low 40°F, 3.2 in; Nov: high 48°F, low 29°F, 2.4 in; Dec: high 36°F, low 19°F, 1.9 in31°13°Jan1.735°16°Feb1.646°26°Mar2.259°37°Apr3.670°47°May4.580°57°Jun4.884°62°Jul3.882°60°Aug3.776°51°Sep3.663°40°Oct3.248°29°Nov2.436°19°Dec1.9Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Mc Henry -Wg Stratton L&D, IL weather station (7 miles away).

Jobs in McHenry County

87,684 jobs at 8,140 businesses in McHenry County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in McHenry CountyManufacturing: 14,040 jobs; Retail trade: 13,697 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 13,009 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 10,681 jobs; Construction: 7,214 jobs; Wholesale trade: 5,646 jobs; Administrative and support: 4,565 jobs; Other services: 4,304 jobsManufacturing 16% Retail trade 16% Health care and social assistance 15% Hotels and restaurants 12% Construction 8% Wholesale trade 6% Administrative and support 5% Other services 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

14 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Wonder Lake.

Nearest hospitals

  • Northwestern Medicine MchenryGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 5 of 5 · Mchenry6.0 miles
  • Mercyhealth Hospital & Physician Clinic-Crystal LaGeneral hospital · emergency room · Crystal Lake10.7 miles
  • Mercy Harvard HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · Harvard13.3 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors1
Dentists2
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants4
Mental health providers3
Physical and occupational therapists1
Chiropractors3

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.

Places in and around Wonder Lake

Parks (3 nearby)

  • Jacobson Park · 26 acres0.8 mi
  • Lookout Plant Park · 1 acres1.2 mi
  • Harrison Benwell Conservation Area1.0 mi

Grocery stores

  • La Huerta Super Market4.2 mi
  • Walmart Supercenter4.3 mi
  • Angelo's Fresh Market4.4 mi
  • Jewel-Osco4.5 mi

Pharmacies

  • CVS Pharmacy4.9 mi
  • Walgreens4.9 mi

Libraries

  • McHenry Public Library5.1 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Utopia Educators0.5 mi

Counts are within about 1.5 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.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1974.

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Wonder Lake

Public schools here are run by Harrison SD 36. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Harrison Elem SchoolWonder LakePre-K–8447Public1.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Wonder Lake is

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Towns near Wonder Lake

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Shares ZIP codes with Ringwood, McHenry, Johnsburg and Greenwood.

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.