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Chicago's Northwest Suburbs

Area 847

Wednesday, September 16, 2026

Cook County · UP-NW · O’Hare edge

Des Plaines

Closer-in Cook city on the UP-NW, with O’Hare and the Tri-State in the weather.

Des Plaines
Des Plaines on the Area 847 map — neighbors sit quieter. Municipal limits from U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files (2019, 1:500,000). Not a legal plat. All towns.
Des Plaines Metra station at Miner Street
Des Plaines Metra station at Miner Street. Zol87, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0. Source · License

Overview

Des Plaines is a Cook County city just northwest of Chicago, with a working downtown on Miner Street, a long commercial and industrial history, and a shorter hop to O’Hare than the farther 847 towns. The 2020 Census counted 60,675 people; the July 1, 2025 estimate is 58,772. Flight paths and Tri-State traffic are part of the soundtrack in some pockets.

Quick facts

Population (est.)
58,772 (Census QuickFacts, July 1, 2025, V2025)
2020 Census
60,675
County
Cook
ZIPs
60016, 60018
Area codes
847 / 224
Median home value
$335,600 (ACS 2020–2024)
Median household income
$97,875 (ACS 2020–2024)
Mean commute
28.2 minutes (ACS 2020–2024)
Owner-occupied
78.3% (ACS 2020–2024)
Bachelor's or higher
38.9%
Poverty rate
6.0%

Housing, income, and commute figures are U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 estimates unless noted. Population is Census QuickFacts July 1, 2025 (V2025) unless noted.

Taxes

Cook County median bills in FY 2024 ran about $6,351 countywide. Des Plaines parcels still carry overlapping school, park, and municipal levies on top of the county. Confirm the PIN on the Cook County Treasurer site.

Commute

Mean travel time is 28.2 minutes (ACS 2020–2024). Metra UP-NW stops at Des Plaines (1501 Miner Street) and nearby Cumberland (475 E. Northwest Highway). Drivers use I-294, I-90, Touhy, Oakton, and Mannheim / River Road. O’Hare proximity shows up in noise and traffic depending on wind and runway use.

Schools

Boundaries vary across the city. Portions relate to CCSD 59 and other elementary districts; high schools often sit in Maine Township District 207 or neighboring township patterns. Des Plaines is not a single-district town. Verify the parcel. ISBE.

Housing

ACS 2020–2024 median owner-occupied value is $335,600, with a high 78.3 percent owner occupancy and median household income $97,875. Older housing that may need updates sits next to renovated blocks and newer multifamily.

Why people move here

A shorter trip toward the city or the airport, and a place inside Cook’s job shed. Flight noise in some pockets, older stock that wants work, and a multi-district school map. Visit at rush hour and under a flight path before you call it a deal.

On the ground

Cumberland Metra station in Des Plaines
Cumberland Metra station in Des Plaines. Zol87, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 4.0. Source · License
Des Plaines station platform
Des Plaines station platform. Adam Moss, Wikimedia Commons. CC BY-SA 2.0. Source · License
The Des Plaines Theatre on Miner Street
The Des Plaines Theatre on Miner Street. Joshua Przyborowski, 21 June 2017. CC BY 3.0. Source · License

Village numbers

Call 911 for police, fire, or medical emergencies. The numbers below are the published civic lines.

Open Des Plaines in Home SOS · Malls, churches, and theaters · Other attractions · Facilities · Pickleball courts

Pickleball courts

Public / park-district sites only. Full directory: Pickleball courts.

Facilities

Other attractions

  • Concerts

    Des Plaines Theatre

    1476 Miner Street, Des Plaines

    The old movie palace on Miner, a short walk from the UP-NW. Concerts, tributes, film series, and Bourbon ’N Brass nights when the calendar has them.

  • Musical theatre · Paid

    Big Noise Theatre

    Prairie Lakes Theater, 515 E. Thacker Street, Des Plaines

    Resident company in the Des Plaines Park District’s Prairie Lakes Theater, near Wolf and Thacker.

Hours and tickets on Other attractions

Upcoming in Des Plaines

Sources