North Shore

Region · Illinois

North Shore

Best timeMay–Oct
From you
Nearest airportORD · 13 mi
On this page

Overview

The North Shore is a collection of affluent communities located in Cook and Lake Counties north of the city limits of Chicago. While the definition of the region is somewhat fluid, it generally includes the lakefront communities located between the northern edge of the City of Chicago and south of the Wisconsin border.

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 85°F; winter lows dip to about 20°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: May and Jun. (climate data from nearby Chicago)

Jan: 2.3 in rain2.3"Jan: high 33°F, low 20°F33°20°JanFeb: 2.1 in rain2.1"Feb: high 37°F, low 23°F37°23°FebMar: 2.7 in rain2.7"Mar: high 48°F, low 32°F48°32°MarApr: 4.2 in rain4.2"Apr: high 60°F, low 42°F60°42°AprMay: 4.8 in rain4.8"May: high 72°F, low 52°F72°52°MayJun: 4.5 in rain4.5"Jun: high 81°F, low 63°F81°63°JunJul: 4.0 in rain4"Jul: high 85°F, low 68°F85°68°JulAug: 4.1 in rain4.1"Aug: high 83°F, low 67°F83°67°AugSep: 3.3 in rain3.3"Sep: high 76°F, low 59°F76°59°SepOct: 3.9 in rain3.9"Oct: high 64°F, low 47°F64°47°OctNov: 2.7 in rain2.7"Nov: high 50°F, low 35°F50°35°NovDec: 2.3 in rain2.3"Dec: high 38°F, low 25°F38°25°Dec

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

  • From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
  • ORD Chicago O'Hare International Airport, Chicago — 13 mi away (major hub). Directions
  • MDW Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago — 23 mi away (major hub). Directions

Metra's Union Pacific-North line runs through the core North Shore communities along the lakefront, while the CTA Purple Line connects Evanston and Wilmette to Chicago's rail system.

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Sample 3-day trip

  1. Day 1: Wilmette — Baha'i House of Worship, Wilmette Theatre, Wallace Bowl.
  2. Day 2: Evanston — Northwestern University, Shakespeare Garden, Grosse Point Lighthouse.
  3. Day 3: Skokie — Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Village Green Park, Skokie Sports Park.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Places in North Shore

Understand

The North Shore is one of the wealthiest areas of the United States, and dining and shopping opportunities abound. Many movies have been shot or set in the North Shore, including Home Alone, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Sixteen Candles, and Mean Girls.

Cities

Lakefront suburbs:

  • Evanston — The southern anchor of the region, Evanston is home to Northwestern University.
  • Wilmette — Home to the Baha'i Temple.
  • Kenilworth
  • Winnetka — Home to New Trier High School, the highly-rated public high school which is often associated with the North Shore.
  • Glencoe — A large affluent community at the northernmost point of Cook County.
  • Highland Park — A large, affluent community located in southern Lake County.
  • Lake Forest
  • Lake Bluff — The northernmost community in the region.

Other suburbs sometimes considered to be part of the North Shore:

  • Skokie
  • Glenview
  • Northfield
  • Northbrook
  • Deerfield

Other destinations

Major attractions in the North Shore are the Chicago Botanical Gardens in Glenoe, the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette and the Illinois Beach State Park in Zion.

Get in

Metra's Union Pacific-North line runs through the core North Shore communities along the lakefront, while the CTA Purple Line connects Evanston and Wilmette to Chicago's rail system.

Nearby

My experience

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