Overview
The Northwest Suburbs are in Chicagoland, primarily in northwestern Cook, southern Lake and northern DuPage County, centered along Metra’s North Central Service, though encompassing areas well beyond the rail line. The Northwestern Suburbs constitute the largest portion of Chicagoland outside of the city.
For further-out suburbs, see Fox River Valley.
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)
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 — 2 mi away (major hub). Directions
- MDW Chicago Midway International Airport, Chicago — 17 mi away (major hub). Directions
With its proximity to O'Hare International Airport, much of the Northwest Suburbs area is accessible via both I-90 and I-94. Other major routes include US 20 and IL 53.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Sample 3-day trip
- Day 1: Buffalo Grove — Raupp Museum, Buffalo Creek Forest Preserve, Willow Stream Park.
- Day 2: Rosemont — Allstate Arena, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Rosemont Theatre.
- Day 3: Des Plaines — Kinder House Museum, Lake Opeka, Maine North High School Bldg.
Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.
Places in Northwest Suburbs
Buffalo Grove
City / town · 29 listings
Rosemont
City / town · 26 listings
Des Plaines
City / town · 20 listings
Schaumburg
City / town · 16 listings
Long Grove
City / town · 12 listings
Park Ridge
City / town · 12 listings
Arlington Heights
City / town · 11 listings
Lincolnshire
City / town · 11 listings
Elk Grove Village
City / town · 10 listings
Deerfield
City / town · 9 listings
Vernon Hills
City / town · 8 listings
Niles
City / town · 7 listings
Hoffman Estates
City / town · 6 listings
Schiller Park
City / town · 4 listings
Mount Prospect
City / town · 3 listings
Roselle
City / town · 3 listings
Medinah
City / town · 3 listings
Wheeling
City / town · 3 listings
Barrington
City / town · 2 listings
Wood Dale
City / town · 2 listings
Itasca
City / town · 1 listings
Morton Grove
City / town · 1 listings
Grayslake
City / town
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
Like much of Chicagoland, the Northwest Suburbs originated from the population boom following World War II. With the influx of new residents, easy access to Chicago, and a boom around O'Hare International Airport, the area grew quickly and has some of the largest communities in the suburbs. Visitors will quickly note that many of these suburbs contain a mixture of 1950s-style homes and modern mansions, sometimes alongside one another.
Cities
- Arlington Heights — A larger, suburban community in northern Cook County.
- Barrington
- Bartlett
- Buffalo Grove
- Des Plaines
- Elk Grove Village — A suburban community near O'Hare International Airport.
- Elmwood Park — A suburban community in Cook County
- Grayslake
- Hoffman Estates
- Itasca
- Lincolnshire
- Long Grove
- Morton Grove
- Mount Prospect
- Niles
- Riverwoods
- Roselle
- Rosemont
- Schaumburg — A large suburban community and the primary retail center of the region.
- Wheeling
- Vernon Hills
Get in
With its proximity to O'Hare International Airport, much of the Northwest Suburbs area is accessible via both I-90 and I-94. Other major routes include US 20 and IL 53.
Go O'Hare International Airport (ORD)
One of the busiest airports in the world, O’Hare International Airport has flights from over 200 airports into the region.
Get around
- I-90 runs east-west through the southern part of the region, while I-94 runs north-south through the eastern part of the region.
- The Metra North Central Service runs north-south, but it doesn’t run on weekends or holidays.
Go next
Visitors to the Northwest Suburbs can go in a variety of directions to many places, such as:
Of course, there are also flights out of O'Hare International Airport.
Nearby
Franklin Park
City / town · 15 listings · 5 mi away
Glenview
City / town · 14 listings · 6 mi away
Melrose Park
City / town · 7 mi away
Elmhurst
City / town · 3 listings · 8 mi away
Skokie
City / town · 16 listings · 8 mi away
Northbrook
City / town · 11 listings · 9 mi away
Northfield
City / town · 10 listings · 9 mi away
Hillside
City / town · 9 mi away
My experience
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