With just over 39,000 residents, the Chicago suburb of Wheeling is about 25 miles northwest of downtown Chicago. The population boomed in the 1950s through the 1980s as the suburbs started to take shape. Today, it’s attractive due to its proximity to downtown Chicago and access to a good high school. “I like living here because everything is around me – the train, buses, fitness centers and grocery stores,” says Abida Salahuddin, who works at the Indian Trails Public Library District and has been a Wheeling resident for over 20 years. The village of Wheeling combines multiple transportation options, restaurant and retail options with plenty of green space to escape to nature.
Wheeling has a variety of new and older multi-family and single family home options.
Downtown commuters wait for the Metra train at Wheeling Station.
Friends frequently get together to play pickleball at the Heritage Park Sports Complex.
Wheeling residents have access to fresh produce at a variety of grocery stores in area.
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Restaurant Row on Milwaukee Road
On the eastern edge of Wheeling is Milwaukee Avenue's main north-south corridor. More than a dozen restaurants line Restaurant Row between Lake Cook and Hintz Roads. While there are a few chains, most are locally owned eateries, with a few famous stops like Superdawg Drive-In, featured on the Travel Channel and Food Network. It’s a throwback drive-in where customers order the signature Chicago-style dog through a speaker. Retail options are in small shopping centers along Lake Cook and Dundee Roads. Wheeling Town Center is a mixed-use development near the Wheeling Metra station with more retail and dining options.
Superdawg is one of several restaurants that are part of Restaurant Row in Wheeling.
Enjoy local retail, dining and entertainment at the Wheeling Town Center Market.
Enjoy a variety of food options in the Wheeling Town Center like MP Kitchen and Bar.
You will find a variety of grocery stores and retail on Dundee Road and Milwaukee Avenue.
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Wheeling housing stock
The median single-family housing price in Wheeling is $395,000, which is just below the national average of $440,000. Most of the housing is from the 1950s to the ‘80s when the population boom happened. Even the most expensive homes are under the $1 million mark. There are plentiful townhouses and condos, with most ranging from $160,000 to $490,000. Condos are priced from $140,000 to $360,000. Close to Metra train stops, One Wheeling Town Center is part of the mixed-used development and has luxury apartments to rent. “More people are moving here, and as more apartments and construction of condominiums happen, prices have started to go up,” Salahuddin says.
FBI numbers indicate that in much of 2023, violent crimes were below the national average and well below the state average, and property crimes were well below the state and national averages. Violent crime has risen slightly in the last four years, however.
Among the housing options in Wheeling are condos with picturesque landscaping.
Affordable ranch homes built in the 1950's and 60's are very abundant in Wheeling.
You can find newer townhouse developments throughout Wheeling.
Mid-century ranch homes sit beside two story new traditional homes in Wheeling.
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‘A’ rated Wheeling High School
Elementary and middle school students attend Wheeling Community Consolidated School District 21, rated a C-plus on Niche. The district oversees nine elementary schools and three middle schools. Most of the students advance to Wheeling High School, rated an A. The school has an average graduation rate of 94%. A small portion of students living in Wheeling attend Buffalo Grove High School, which is rated an A-plus. Both high schools are part of the Township High School District 214, which also gets an A-plus. St. Viator High is a private Catholic school that is rated an A.
Wheeling's School District 21 oversees nine elementary schools and three middle schools.
Mark Twain Elementary School is one of nine elementary schools in District 21 in Wheeling.
Booth Tarkington Elementary School serves the Wheeling nieghborhood.
Wheeling High School is a highly ranked public high school with an A rating on Niche.
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Recreation near the Des Plaines River
East of Milwaukee Road, the Des Plaines River is the entry point to various recreation options. The Des Plaines River Trail follows the water for much of its 54 miles, but while going through Wheeling, it meanders away from the water and goes through a portion of the Cook County Forest Preserves south of Dundee Road. North of Dundee Road, the trail is on the eastern side of the river in Potawatomi Woods. This forest land includes Lake Potawatomi, a popular place to fish and observe waterfowl. Further west toward the center of the village is Heritage Park, which has a pavilion that’s the site for outdoor summer concerts, the Wheeling Family Aquatic Center and a sports complex with baseball and football fields.
Take a walk on the scenic Des Plaines River Trail in the Potawatomi Woods Forest Preserve.
Residents swim laps at the indoor pool at Heritage Park Sports Complex fitness center.
Wheeling's proximity to the Des Plaines River allows for outdoor activities like kayaking.
Go Fishing or observe waterfowl at Potawatomi Lake in Potawatomi Woods in Wheeling.
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Transportation and proximity to health care in Wheeling
Wheeling sits near Interstates 294 and 90, which function as two major routes in the greater Chicago area. Public transportation is available via Pace buses, and the Metra train has a main stop in Wheeling that runs directly into downtown Chicago. Health care is available at specialty clinics in Wheeling or about 5 to 6 miles away in Des Plaines’ Advocate general hospital.
Chicago Executive Airport
Chicago Executive Airport is located on Milwaukee Avenue at the southern end of Wheeling, close to Prospect Heights. It is a general aviation facility with corporate and private traffic owned by the villages of Wheeling and Prospect Heights. Because the airport is close to residential areas, it has a noise abatement policy prohibiting turbine engines between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. For commercial flights, it’s a 14-mile drive south to O’Hare International Airport. The Wheeling Metra station is where to catch the commuter rail into Union Station in downtown Chicago. Pace public buses can get around Wheeling and venture to other nearby suburbs.
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Disclaimer: Certain information contained herein is derived from information provided by parties other than Homes.com. Our sources include: Accuweather, Public Records and Neustar. All information provided is deemed reliable, but is not guaranteed to be accurate and should be independently verified.
