1830s
A portage between rivers
French explorers used the area as a portage between the Des Plaines and Chicago rivers. Settlers from New England and New York arrived in the early 1830s.
Source: Wikipedia: Park Ridge, Illinois
Living in Park Ridge, Illinois
A historic city about 14 miles northwest of the Chicago Loop, with the Pickwick Theatre and two Metra stations.
01 — At a Glance
A historic city with a downtown on the Metra.
Park Ridge was settled in the 1830s and incorporated in 1873. Locals once called it Brickton, for the brickworks George Penny opened in 1854. The 2020 census counted 39,656 residents. Metra’s Union Pacific Northwest Line stops at Park Ridge and Dee Road. The ZIP code is 60068, and the land area is about 7.1 square miles.
02 — History
The story of Park Ridge.
Clay in the ground made Park Ridge a brick town before it was a suburb. A few chapters from the city’s past.
1854
Brickton
George Penny opened a brickworks, and with so much clay around, locals called the place Brickton.
Source: Wikipedia: Park Ridge, Illinois
1873
The City of Park Ridge
Park Ridge incorporated in 1873.
Source: Wikipedia: Park Ridge, Illinois
1928
The Pickwick
The Pickwick Theatre opened in 1928. It joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1975, and its main auditorium still seats about 800.
Source: Wikipedia: Park Ridge, Illinois
03 — Education
A tradition of learning.
Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 runs the grade schools, and Maine Township High School District 207 runs Maine South High School.
Boundaries follow the address. Confirm school assignment for each address with the district before you buy.
Search HomesPublic · PreK–8
Park Ridge-Niles District 64
Five elementary schools in Park Ridge, plus two middle schools.
- Carpenter, Field, Franklin, Roosevelt, Washington
- Lincoln Middle School
- Emerson Middle School
Public · Grades 9–12
Maine Township High School District 207
The city’s public high school.
- Maine South High School
Independent
Parish schools
Catholic and Lutheran grade schools in the city.
- St. Paul of the Cross
- Mary Seat of Wisdom
- St. Andrews Lutheran
Source: Wikipedia: Park Ridge, Illinois
04 — Lifestyle
Everyday life in Park Ridge.
A night at the Pickwick, a walk through Uptown and the train home: that’s Park Ridge at its best.
Arts & Culture
Pickwick Theatre
The 1928 Art Deco theater for movies, plays and concerts.
Park Ridge Public Library
The city’s public library.
Historic homes
The city recognizes landmarks and 100-year-old homes.
Commuter Access
Park Ridge Station
Metra’s UP Northwest Line stops in Uptown.
Dee Road Station
A second UP-NW stop on the west side.
CTA Route 68
A CTA bus runs into Chicago.
Source: Wikipedia: Park Ridge, Illinois