Brookfield guide

Conveniently located 13 miles west of downtown Chicago (41 degrees North Latitude, 87 degrees West Longitude), with easy access to trains, buses, highways, and airports, Brookfield is an established, stable, and serene suburb of only 3.1 square miles. We are often called "the world's most visited village" because the world famous Brookfield Zoo attracts so many visitors. On a quiet morning it is not unusual to hear the roar of a lion or an elephant trumpet.

Brookfield is a vibrant diverse community of 19,085 individuals supporting a variety of churches, good schools, an excellent library, low taxes, convenient transportation, and extensive parks and recreation programs. We are committed to economic development, modernizing, building, and making our neighborhoods better and safer. Whether shopping, dining, or enjoying the zoo, you will find our humble village a remarkable and friendly place. A great place to live, raise a family, shop, and do business, Brookfield is truly a community in every sense of the word.

Brookfield's housing stock is diverse, sturdy, and architecturally interesting.  About 20% are "Arts & Crafts" movement influenced Chicago-style bungalows built in the 1920s. About half the bungalows are brick and the rest are stucco, frame, field stone, and other materials. There are also a wide range of bi-levels, ranches, Victorian, Cape Cod, Queen Anne, Georgian, and even pre-fabricated houses from Sears and Wards. There are even about 19 enamel "Home of the Future" Lustron homes built after the 1933-34 Chicago World's Fair. Prices for most single-family homes range from $105,000 to $250,000, with a year 2000 average price of $157,500 and an average selling time of 57 days. There are a number of larger estates tucked away. There are also a number of duplexes and small condominiums. Condos range in price from $80,000 to $110,000. The 2000 average price for attached housing was $121,900. Rentals ran at about $575 for a one-bedroom unit, $695 for a two bedroom and $825 a month for a three bedroom apartment. Brookfield is nestled between Riverside and LaGrange, but the housing and taxes are much less expensive.

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There is easy access to the Eisenhower (I- 290) and Stevenson (I-55) expressways. Drive time to the Loop is about 35 minutes depending on the time of day. Midway airport is about 15 minutes away by car, and O'Hare is about 40 minutes away. Metra's Burlington Northern commuter trains reach the Loop in about 25 minutes and they have an excellent on-time record. Several bus routes also service the area.

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The schools are always rated highly. District 95 is the primary elementary school district for Brookfield residents. Districts 96, 102 and 103 also serve the Village. Teens attend Riverside-Brookfield High School in district 208, or Lyons Township, district 204. The 1998 average ACT composite score at Lyons Township High was 23.7, while Riverside-Brookfield scored 22.2.

List of Brookfield Schools:

Elementary School: Brook-Park Elementary School A.F. Ames Elementary School Blythe Park Elementary School Central Elementary School Hollywood Elementary School Congress Park Elementary School Cossitt Avenue Elementary School Forest Road Elementary School Ogden Avenue Elementary School Costello School Edison School Home School Lincoln School Robinson School St. Barbara Catholic School* St. Louise de Marillac Catholic School* St. Paul Lutheran School*

Middle School/Jr High: J.L. Hauser Jr. High School Park Junior High School S.E. Gross Middle School George Washington Middle School High School: Lyons Township High School - North Campus Lyons Township High School - South Campus Riverside Brookfield High School Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic High School* Nazareth Catholic Academy* St. Joseph Catholic Academy* Community Colleges: College of DuPage Triton College

Brookfield is a Tree City USA. Trees are important to the Village Administration of Brookfield and we have been a Tree City since 1981. We consider our trees a major asset and we go out of our way to care for these living treasures. We have a total tree care program managed by the Village's Forestry Division and a full time Certified Arborist.

In 1994 a number of citizens and local historians teamed up to publish a remarkable 388 page hardbound book with hundreds of photographs named "Brookfield Illinois, A History." Most of the information below was excerpted from this valuable resource. The book is available in the Public Library, and may be purchased from the Brookfield Historical Society housed in the original Grossdale train station on Brookfield Avenue just west of Prairie Avenue.

Before 1803, the area now called Brookfield is mostly covered by prairie grasses, forests, and farms. Large portions of the area are inhabited by the native Americans who long ago developed agriculture and corn cultivation, built villages and burial mounds, invented the bow and arrow, and made beautiful pottery.