Winnetka () is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

Cook County Cook County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of Illinois and the second-most-populous county in the United States, after Los Angeles County, California. More than 40% of all residents of Illinois live within Cook County. As of 20 ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, United States, located north of downtown

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

. The population was 12,316 as of 2019. The village is one of the wealthiest places in the nation in terms of household income. It was the second-ranked Illinois community on Bloomberg's 2019 Richest Places Annual Index. In 2020, 24/7 Wall St ranked Winnetka as the second-best small town to live in in the United States.

History

The first houses were built in 1836. That year, Erastus Patterson and his family arrived from

Vermont Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to ...

and opened a tavern to service passengers on the Green Bay Trail post road. The village was first subdivided in 1854 by Charles Peck and Walter S. Gurnee, President of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad. Winnetka's first private school was opened in 1856 by Mr. and Mrs. Charles Peck with seventeen pupils. In 1859, the first public school building was built with private funds at the southeast corner of Elm and Maple streets. The first year's budget for this school was $200. The village was incorporated in 1869 with a population of 450. The name is believed to originate from the Potawatomi language, meaning 'beautiful place'. The oldest surviving house in Winnetka is th
Schmidt-Burnham Log House
Originally constructed on what is now the Indian Hill Club on the south edge of town and in 1917 moved to Tower Road, it was moved in 2003 from Tower Road to the Crow Island Woods. Winnetka's neighborhoods include estates and homes designed by distinguished architects including

George Washington Maher George Washington Maher (December 25, 1864 – September 12, 1926) was an American architect during the first quarter of the 20th century. He is considered part of the Prairie School-style and was known for blending traditional architecture wit ...

Walter Burley Griffin Walter Burley Griffin (November 24, 1876February 11, 1937) was an American architect and landscape architect. He is known for designing Canberra, Australia's capital city and the New South Wales towns of Griffith, New South Wales, Griffith and ...

John S. Van Bergen John Shellette Van Bergen (October 2, 1885 – December 20, 1969) was an American architect born in Oak Park, Illinois. Van Bergen started his architectural career as an apprentice draftsman in 1907. In 1909 he went to work for Frank Lloyd Wrigh ...

Robert Seyfarth Robert Seyfarth ( ) was an American architect based in Chicago, Illinois. He spent the formative years of his professional career working for the noted Prairie School architect George Washington Maher. A member of the influential Chicago Architec ...

, Robert McNitt,

Howard Van Doren Shaw Howard Van Doren Shaw AIA (May 7, 1869 – May 7, 1926) was an architect in Chicago, Illinois. Shaw was a leader in the American Craftsman movement, best exemplified in his 1900 remodel of Second Presbyterian Church in Chicago. He designe ...

and David Adler. Among Winnetka's celebrities are actor

Rock Hudson Rock Hudson (born Roy Harold Scherer Jr.; November 17, 1925 – October 2, 1985) was an American actor. One of the most popular movie stars of his time, he had a screen career spanning more than three decades. A prominent heartthrob in the Golde ...

and rock singer/songwriter/producer Richard Marx. Churches in Winnetka were also designed by noted architects. Among them, the former First Church of Christ, Scientist
440 Ridge Avenue
was designed in 1924 by architect Solon S. Beman. In the 1920s, a colonial Georgian house was built at 671 Lincoln Avenue. The house is now known as the famous ''Home Alone'' house for its interior being used as a shooting location for

two 2 (two) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 1 and preceding 3. It is the smallest and only even prime number. Because it forms the basis of a duality, it has religious and spiritual significance in many cultur ...

films A film also called a movie, motion picture, moving picture, picture, photoplay or (slang) flick is a work of visual art that simulates experiences and otherwise communicates ideas, stories, perceptions, feelings, beauty, or atmosphere ...

in the

series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used in ...

, starting in 1990. The

Chicago and Milwaukee Railway The Chicago and Milwaukee Railway was a predecessor of the Chicago and North Western Railway (C&NW) in the U.S. states of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Illinois portion was chartered on February 17, 1851, as the Illinois Parallel Railroad. Its chart ...

was built in 1855 through Winnetka, connecting its namesake cities. It eventually became the

Chicago & Northwestern Railway The Chicago and North Western was a Class I railroad in the Midwestern United States. It was also known as the "North Western". The railroad operated more than of track at the turn of the 20th century, and over of track in seven states befor ...

. Between 1937 and 1942 the railroad tracks through Winnetka were grade separated after several people were hit at grade crossings. In 1995 the C&NW was merged into the

Union Pacific The Union Pacific Railroad , legally Union Pacific Railroad Company and often called simply Union Pacific, is a freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pac ...

. Only

Metra Metra is the commuter rail system in the Chicago metropolitan area serving the city of Chicago and its surrounding suburbs via the Union Pacific Railroad, BNSF Railway, and other railroads. The system operates 242 stations on 11 rail lines. ...

trains are operated on this track now; freight operations ended in the late 1980s. Winnetka has three Metra stations: Hubbard Woods, Winnetka, and Indian Hill. The Chicago, North Shore and Milwaukee electric

interurban The Interurban (or radial railway in Europe and Canada) is a type of electric railway, with streetcar-like electric self-propelled rail cars which run within and between cities or towns. They were very prevalent in North America between 1900 ...

was built through Winnetka and the North Shore in the first decade of the 1900s, and the line through Winnetka was removed in 1955. This is now the

Green Bay Trail The Green Bay Trail is a rails with trails built on the former Chicago North Shore and Milwaukee Railroad. It runs parallel to Metra's Union Pacific / North Line for nearly nine miles from Wilmette, Illinois, to Highland Park, Illinois. It was o ...

bicycle path Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by motorists are also cycling infrastructure, except whe ...

. In 1904, the Winnetka Park District was established, making it the fourth oldest park district in the state of Illinois. Today, the park district maintains and operates 27 parks, five beaches, and golf, tennis, ice skating/hockey, and paddle tennis facilities. The

Crow Island School Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois, is an elementary school operated by Winnetka Public Schools. It is significant for its progressive philosophy and its International Style architecture. The design of its building was a collaboration betwe ...

, designed by Eliel & Eero Saarinen and the architectural firm Perkins, Wheeler & Will, was declared a

National Historical Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the United States government for its outstanding historical significance. Only some 2,500 (~3%) of over 90,000 places liste ...

in 1990. It was declared 12th among all buildings and the best architectural design of all schools. Ten thousand people attended the opening in 1938. In 1965,

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...

spoke in Winnetka. A plaque dedicated to him is on the Village Green, a park in the town, where he spoke. As a result of Dr. King's open housing campaign and the North Shore Summer Project, the nonprofit now known as Open Communities was founded.

Geography

According to the 2010 census, Winnetka has a total area of , of which (or 97.87%) is land and (or 2.13%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2010, there were 12,187 people, 4,102 households, and 3,328 families residing in the village. The racial makeup of the village was 94.8%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White o ...

, 0.3%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.1% Native American, 3.3%

Asian Asian may refer to: * Items from or related to the continent of Asia: ** Asian people, people in or descending from Asia ** Asian culture, the culture of the people from Asia ** Asian cuisine, food based on the style of food of the people from Asi ...

, 0.3% from

other races Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

, and 1.2% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.2% of the population. There were 4,102 households, out of which 45.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.3% were married couples living together, 5.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.9% were non-families. 17.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.97 and the average family size was 3.39. In the village, the population was spread out, with 36.2% under the age of 19, 2.3% from 20 to 24, 15.2% from 25 to 44, 32.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.8 years. The median income for a household in the village was over $250,000, and the median income for a family was also over $250,000, as of 2019. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $123,319 in 2019. 2.9% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

Education

The Winnetka Public Schools system (District 36) consists of three elementary schools and two middle schools.Websites for public schools: K-
Hubbard WoodsCrow Island SchoolSamuel Sewall Greeley
5-
The Skokie School
7-
Washburne School
/ref> Hubbard Woods,

Crow Island Crow Island School in Winnetka, Illinois, is an elementary school operated by Winnetka Public Schools. It is significant for its progressive philosophy and its International Style (architecture), International Style architecture. The design of its ...

, and Samuel Sewall Greeley (est. 1912) Elementary Schools serve grades kindergarten through four, students in fifth and sixth grades attend the Skokie School and seventh and eighth graders attend the Carleton W. Washburne School, named after educator

Carleton Washburne Carleton Wolsey Washburne (December 2, 1889 – November 28, 1968) was an American educator and education reformer. He served as the superintendent of schools in Winnetka, Illinois, United States, from 1919 to 1943 and is most notably associated ...

. Winnetka's schools were modeled after Washburne's educational philosophy in an experiment called the

Winnetka Plan The Winnetka Plan was an educational experiment held in the Winnetka, Illinois-based Winnetka School District 36.T. Corcoran, "The Winnetka School Plan," ''The Irish Monthly, Vol. 55'', No. 644, pp. 63-67 (Feb., 1927), published by Irish Jesuit Pr ...

. The town's schools continue to reflect his educational philosophy. Some neighborhoods in the southern part of Winnetka are served by Avoca School District 37, which has schools in Glenview (Avoca West Elementary School; K-5) and Wilmette (Marie Murphy School; 6-8). Kenilworth School District 38 (Sears School; K-8) also includes a very small portion of the southeastern part of Winnetka, near Kenilworth. Winnetka is in New Trier Township, and public school students who reside in Winnetka attend New Trier High School for grades 9 through 12.

North Shore Country Day School North Shore Country Day School is a selective prep school in Winnetka, Illinois. It took its current form as a coeducational school in 1919 during the Country Day School movement, though it started as the Rugby School for Boys (1893-1900) and Gir ...

is a private school option.

is a National Historic Landmark due to its significant architectural design.

Private schools

Hadley Institute for the Blind and Visually Impaired Hadley is a non-profit serving adults with vision loss offering practical help, connection, and new ways to approach everyday tasks made more difficult with changing vision. Workshops, Call-in Discussion Groups, and thHadley Presents Podcastex ...

* La Petite École, Winnetka Campus (Preschool–9), bilingual school *

(JK–12) * Sacred Heart School (Preschool–8), Catholic school * The School of Saints Faith, Hope & Charity (Preschool–8), Catholic school

Media

Media outlets covering Winnetka include the
Winnetka-Glencoe Patch
', the ''

Chicago Tribune The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...

s ''TribLocal'', the ''Pioneer Press'', ''Winnetka Talk'', and ''The Winnetka Current''.

Notable people

Ivan Albright Ivan Le Lorraine Albright (February 20, 1897 – November 18, 1983) was an American painter, sculptor and print-maker most renowned for his self-portraits, character studies, and still lifes. Due to his technique and dark subject matter, he is of ...

, painter, sculptor and print-maker; attended New Trier High School * Trish Andrew, basketball player, attended New Trier High School *

Ann-Margret Ann-Margret Olsson (born April 28, 1941) is a Swedish–American actress, singer, and dancer. As an actress and singer, she is credited as Ann-Margret. She is known for her roles in '' Pocketful of Miracles'' (1961), ''State Fair'' (1962), '' ...

, actress, attended New Trier High School *

Adam Baldwin Adam Baldwin (born February 27, 1962) is an American actor. He starred in ''Full Metal Jacket'' (1987) as Animal Mother, as well as in the television series '' Firefly'' and its continuation film '' Serenity'' as Jayne Cobb. His roles include St ...

, actor, attended New Trier High School * Peter Baldwin, director *

Page Morton Black Page Morton (1915–2013) was an American cabaret singer who married William Black, founder of the catering and coffee business '' Chock full o'Nuts''. As Page Morton Black she was known for singing the "Heavenly Coffee" jingle on the company's tele ...

, singer, chairperson of

Parkinson's Disease Foundation The Parkinson's Foundation is a national organization that funds research and provides educational resources to Parkinson’s disease patients and caregivers. The Parkinson's Foundation was established in 2016 through the merger of the National P ...

* David Bradley, director, born in Winnetka *

Ann Hampton Callaway Ann Hampton Callaway (born May 30, 1958) is an American jazz singer, songwriter, and actress. She wrote and sang the theme song for the TV series ''The Nanny''. Career A native of Chicago, her father, John Callaway, was a journalist and her mot ...

, singer, lived in Winnetka and attended New Trier High School *

Liz Callaway Liz Callaway (born April 13, 1961) is an American actress, singer and recording artist, who is best known for having provided the singing voices of many female characters in animated films, such as Anya/Anastasia in '' Anastasia'', Odette in ''T ...

, singer, lived in Winnetka and attended New Trier High School *

Katie Chang Katherine Chang (born May 3, 1995) is an American actress. She is known for her roles as Rebecca Ahn in ''The Bling Ring'' (2013), Ellen Reeves in '' A Birder's Guide to Everything'' (2013) and Claire Connors in '' The Outcasts'' (2017). Early l ...

, actress, lives in Winnetka and attended New Trier High School. *

Anne Clarke (politician) Anne Marie Bates Clarke is an American-born British Labour Party politician who has been the London Assembly Member for Barnet and Camden since 2021. She represented Childs Hill on Barnet Council from 2018 to 2022, and has represented Crick ...

, American-born British Labour Party politician, London Assembly member for Barnet and Camden grew up in Winnetka. *

Dale Clevenger Dale Clevenger (July 2, 1940 – January 5, 2022) was an American musician who was the Principal Horn of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra from 1966 until his retirement in June, 2013.

, principal horn,

Chicago Symphony Orchestra The Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) was founded by Theodore Thomas in 1891. The ensemble makes its home at Orchestra Hall in Chicago and plays a summer season at the Ravinia Festival. The music director is Riccardo Muti, who began his tenu ...

* Chris Collins, basketball coach, lives in Winnetka *

Richard Dickson Cudahy Richard Dickson Cudahy (February 2, 1926 – September 22, 2015) was an American business executive, law professor, and United States circuit judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. Education and career Born in Milwa ...

, jurist, lived in Winnetka *

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. He played college football for the Van ...

, NFL quarterback, lived in Winnetka * Bruce Dern, actor, attended New Trier High School *

Phil Donahue Phillip John Donahue (born December 21, 1935) is an American media personality, writer, film producer and the creator and host of ''The Phil Donahue Show''. The television program, later known simply as ''Donahue'', was the first talk show forma ...

, talk show host, lived in Winnetka *

Conor Dwyer Conor James Dwyer (born January 10, 1989) is a former American competition swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. He competed in freestyle and medley events, and won a gold medal as a member of the winning U.S. 4×200-meter freestyle relay team a ...

, Olympic swimmer, 2012 gold medalist *

Christine Ebersole Christine Ebersole (born February 21, 1953) is an American actress and singer. She has appeared in film, television, and on stage. She starred in the Broadway musicals '' 42nd Street'' and ''Grey Gardens'', winning two Tony Awards. She has co- ...

, Tony Award-winning actress *

Neal Edelstein Neal Edelstein is an independent film producer and is known as an early technology adopter. Biography Early life Neal Edelstein was born in Winnetka, Illinois, USA. He graduated from the New Trier High School. Career Edelstein began his film ca ...

, film producer and director, raised in Winnetka *

Deborah Eisenberg Deborah Eisenberg (born November 20, 1945) is an American short story writer, actress and teacher. She is a professor of writing at Columbia University. Early life Eisenberg was born in Winnetka, Illinois. Her family is Jewish. She grew up in su ...

, short-story writer, winner of

MacArthur Fellowship The MacArthur Fellows Program, also known as the MacArthur Fellowship and commonly but unofficially known as the "Genius Grant", is a prize awarded annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation typically to between 20 and 30 indi ...

Gil Elvgren Gillette Elvgren (March 15, 1914 – February 29, 1980) was an American Painting, painter of pin-up girls, advertising and illustration. Best known for his pin-up paintings for Brown & Bigelow, Elvgren studied at the American Academy of ...

, painter *

Mary Callahan Erdoes Mary Callahan Erdoes (born August 13, 1967) is Chief Executive Officer of J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management (a division of JPMorgan Chase), a global leader in investment management and private banking with over $4 trillion in client assets. ...

, CEO of

JPMorgan Chase JPMorgan Chase & Co. is an American multinational investment bank and financial services holding company headquartered in New York City and incorporated in Delaware. As of 2022, JPMorgan Chase is the largest bank in the United States, the ...

's Asset & Wealth Management division, raised in Winnetka *

Marion Mahony Griffin Marion Mahony Griffin (; February 14, 1871 – August 10, 1961) was an American architect and artist. She was one of the first licensed female architects in the world, and is considered an original member of the Prairie School. Her work in ...

(1871–1961), first architect employed by

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key role in the architectural movements o ...

; helped design

Canberra Canberra ( ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The ci ...

, capital of Australia, grew up in Winnetka *

Rick Hahn Rick Hahn (born March 20, 1971) is an American baseball executive who serves as the Senior Vice President/General Manager of the Chicago White Sox of Major League Baseball. Following the 2020 season, in which the White Sox made their first post-s ...

, general manager of

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...

* Carl L. Hamilton, named partner in the

Booz Allen Hamilton Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation (informally Booz Allen) is the parent of Booz Allen Hamilton Inc., an American management and information technology consulting firm, headquartered in McLean, Virginia, in Greater Washington, D.C., with 8 ...

management and information technology consulting firm * Charlton Heston, actor, lived in Winnetka and attended New Trier High School * Roger Hochschild, CEO and President of Discover Financial Services, lives in Winnetka *

, actor; born and raised in Winnetka and attended New Trier High School *

Harold L. Ickes Harold LeClair Ickes ( ; March 15, 1874 – February 3, 1952) was an American administrator, politician and lawyer. He served as United States Secretary of the Interior for nearly 13 years from 1933 to 1946, the longest tenure of anyone to hold th ...

, former

United States Secretary of the Interior The United States secretary of the interior is the head of the United States Department of the Interior. The secretary and the Department of the Interior are responsible for the management and conservation of most federal land along with natur ...

, built home at 900 Private Road * Matt Kaskey, offensive tackle for the

Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. ...

Bruce Krasberg Bruce Krasberg (1906–1988) was an American industrialist and horticulturist who was president of R. Krasberg and Sons Manufacturing Company of Chicago, which later became the Krasberg Corporation (Krasco). Biography Krasberg was born in Sc ...

, industrialist and horticulturist, lived in Winnetka *

Kate Liu Kate Liu (born May 23, 1994 in Singapore) is a Singaporean American classical pianist. On October 20, 2015 she won the third prize (bronze medal), the audience favorite award, and the Polish Radio Award for the best performance of a mazurka in the ...

, pianist, lives in Winnetka and attended New Trier High School * Matt Lottich, basketball coach, Valparaiso *

Virginia Madsen Virginia Gayle Madsen (born September 11, 1961) is an American actress and film producer. She made her film debut in ''Class'' (1983), which was filmed in her native Chicago. After she moved to Los Angeles, director David Lynch cast her as Pr ...

, actress, attended New Trier High School *

Kim Milford Richard Kim Milford (February 7, 1951 – June 16, 1988), known professionally as Kim Milford, was an American actor, singer-songwriter, and composer. He was known for his stage acting in musicals such as ''The Rocky Horror Show'' and ''Jesu ...

, actor *

Penelope Milford Penelope Dale Milford (born March 23, 1948) is an American stage and screen actress. She is best known for her role as Vi Munson in '' Coming Home'' (1978) for which she was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. She also or ...

, actress * John Moore, defenseman playing in the NHL's Anaheim Ducks organization *

Chris O'Donnell Christopher Eugene O'Donnell (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor and former model. He played Charlie Sims in '' Scent of a Woman'', Chris Reece in ''School Ties'', D'Artagnan in ''The Three Musketeers'', Jack Foley in the drama film '' ...

, actor (G. Callen on '' NCIS: Los Angeles'') *

Tom O'Halleran Thomas Charles O'Halleran (; born January 24, 1946) is an American politician serving as the United States House of Representatives, U.S. representative for since 2017. Beginning his political career as a Republican Party (United States), Repu ...

, member of the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...

from

Arizona's 1st congressional district Arizona's 1st congressional district is a congressional district located in the U.S. state of Arizona, covering northeastern Maricopa County. Before 2023, geographically, it was the eleventh-largest congressional district in the country and inc ...

. He lived in Winnetka while a member of the Chicago Board of Trade. * Samuel Shackford Otis, architect *

Liz Phair Elizabeth Clark Phair (born April 17, 1967) is an American singer-songwriter. Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Phair was raised primarily in the Chicago area. After graduating from Oberlin College in 1990, she attempted to start a musical career ...

, musician, grew up in Winnetka * Ralph Pomeroy, poet and writer *

Eliot Porter Eliot Furness Porter (December 6, 1901 – November 2, 1990) was an American photographer best known for his color photographs of nature.Amon Carter MuseumEliot Porter collection guide. Retrieved September 12, 2008. Early life and education Porter ...

, photographer, was born and grew up in Winnetka. *

Fairfield Porter Fairfield Porter (June 10, 1907 – September 18, 1975) was an American painter and art critic. He was the fourth of five children of James Porter, an architect, and Ruth Furness Porter, a poet from a literary family. He was the brother of photo ...

, painter and art critic, was born and grew up in Winnetka. * Janet Meakin Poor, landscape architect and plant conservationist *

Clarence B. Randall Clarence Belden Randall (March 5, 1891 – August 4, 1967) was an American lawyer and businessman. During the steel disputes of 1952, he served as a spokesman for the steel industry. He served as Chairman of the Board of Inland Steel Company and a ...

, businessman * Bruce Rauner, former

Governor of Illinois The governor of Illinois is the head of government of Illinois, and the various agencies and departments over which the officer has jurisdiction, as prescribed in the state constitution. It is a directly elected position, votes being cast by p ...

, former chairman of R8 Capital Partners * Pat Ryan, founder and executive chairman of

Aon Corporation Aon PLC () is a British-American multinational financial services firm that sells a range of risk-mitigation products, including Commercial Risk, Investment, Wealth and Reinsurance solutions, as well as boutique strategy consulting through Aon ...

* Donald Rumsfeld, former Secretary of Defense, attended New Trier High School *

Jenny Sanford Jennifer Sullivan Sanford (born September 11, 1962) is the former First Lady of South Carolina and a former investment banker. She was married to Governor Mark Sanford. Early life and education Sanford was born and raised in Winnetka, Illinoi ...

, former First Lady of

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

Jack Steinberger Jack Steinberger (born Hans Jakob Steinberger; May 25, 1921December 12, 2020) was a German-born American physicist noted for his work with neutrinos, the subatomic particles considered to be elementary constituents of matter. He was a recipient ...

, refugee from Nazi Germany, attended New Trier High School, won 1988 Nobel Prize in Physics, gave Nobel medal to school *

W. Clement Stone William Clement Stone (May 4, 1902 – September 3, 2002) was an American businessman, philanthropist and New Thought self-help book author. Biography Stone was born in Chicago, Illinois on May 4, 1902. His father died in 1905 leaving his family ...

, businessman and philanthropist * Walter A. Strong, publisher of

Chicago Daily News The ''Chicago Daily News'' was an afternoon daily newspaper in the midwestern United States, published between 1875 and 1978 in Chicago, Illinois. History The ''Daily News'' was founded by Melville E. Stone, Percy Meggy, and William Doughert ...

, * R. Douglas Stuart, Jr., CEO of

Quaker Oats The Quaker Oats Company, known as Quaker, is an American food conglomerate based in Chicago. It has been owned by PepsiCo since 2001. History Precursor miller companies In the 1850s, Ferdinand Schumacher and Robert Stuart founded oat mills. Sc ...

and U.S. ambassador to Norway, born in Winnetka *

Marlo Thomas Margaret Julia "Marlo" Thomas (born November 21, 1937) is an American actress, producer, author, and social activist. She is best known for starring on the sitcom ''That Girl'' (1966–1971) and her children's franchise '' Free to Be... You and ...

, actress, lived in Winnetka * Paul Thomas, pornographic actor * Henry Totten, Wisconsin State Assemblyman and businessman, lived in Winnetka *

Marc Trestman Marc Marlyn Trestman (born January 15, 1956) is an American football and Canadian football coach. He led the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League (CFL) to back-to-back Grey Cup victories in 2009 and 2010, and another as head coac ...

, former head coach of

Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...

, lived in Winnetka *

Joe Trohman Joseph Mark Trohman (born September 1, 1984) is an American musician, singer, and record producer. He is best known as the lead guitarist and backing vocalist of the American rock band Fall Out Boy,Joe Bosso.The Fall Guy. ''Guitar World''. Janua ...

, guitarist of

Fall Out Boy Fall Out Boy is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, in 2001. The band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, bassist Pete Wentz, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, and drummer A ...

, attended New Trier High School *

Byron Trott Byron David Trott (born December 2, 1958) is the founder, chairman and CEO of BDT Capital Partners, a merchant bank that provides advice and capital to family and founder-led companies. Formerly, Trott was vice chairman of Investment Banking at ...

, banker * Barbara Turf, former President and CEO of

Crate & Barrel Euromarket Designs Inc., doing business as Crate & Barrel (stylized as Crate&Barrel), is an international furniture and home décor retail store headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois. They employ 8200 employees across over 100 stores in the Uni ...

* Bernice T. Van der Vries, state legislator, lived in Winnetka *

Rocky Wirtz William Rockwell "Rocky" Wirtz (born October 5, 1952) is the principal owner and chairman of the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. He is also president of the Blackhawks' parent company, the Wirtz Corporation, a diversified conglomerate headquartered i ...

, owner of the

Chicago Blackhawks The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...

, attended

, lives in Winnetka *

Ying Quartet Ying may refer to: People * Yíng (嬴), a Chinese surname, the ancestral name of Qin Shi Huang, first Emperor of China in the Qin Dynasty, and some contemporary rival royal families such as the Zhaos * Yīng (应), a Chinese surname from the Zh ...

originally consisted of four siblings from Winnetka; as of 2017, three siblings remain members of the ensemble

In popular culture

Big Noise from Winnetka "Big Noise from Winnetka" is a jazz song co-written by composer and bass player Bob Haggart and drummer Ray Bauduc with lyrics by Gil Rodin and Bob Crosby, who were members of a sub-group of the Bob Crosby Orchestra called "The Bobcats". They a ...

," a 1938 jazz song by The Bobcats, has been featured in a number of Hollywood movies, including ''

Let's Make Music ''Let's Make Music'' is a 1941 American musical film directed by Leslie Goodwins starring Bob Crosby, Jean Rogers and Elisabeth Risdon. It was produced by RKO Pictures and written by Nathanael West. The film's songs include the classic "Big No ...

'' and '' Reveille with Beverly''. Winnetka was mentioned in the novel ''Havana'' by

Stephen Hunter Stephen Hunter (born March 25, 1946, Kansas City, Missouri) is an American novelist, essayist, and film critic. Life and career Hunter was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and grew up in Evanston, Illinois. His father was Charles Francis Hunter, ...

. Secondary character Roger St. John Evans was mentioned as "The Big Noise From Winnetka".

Film

The film ''

Home Alone ''Home Alone'' is a 1990 American Christmas comedy film directed by Chris Columbus and written and produced by John Hughes. The first film in the ''Home Alone'' franchise, the film stars Macaulay Culkin, Joe Pesci, Daniel Stern, John Hea ...

'' is set in Winnetka, and featured scenes filmed at 671 Lincoln Avenue. The street address is mentioned in the film, but the street is called "Lincoln Boulevard". The opening scenes of the sequel '' Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'' were filmed at the same house. Over three decades after the original film's 1990 release, sightseers still visit the North Shore neighborhood, particularly around the Christmas holiday season. Numerous other films have been shot in Winnetka, including portions of films '' Ocean's 12'', '' Breakfast Club'', ''

National Lampoon's Vacation ''National Lampoon's Vacation'', sometimes referred to as simply ''Vacation'', is a 1983 American road trip comedy film directed by Harold Ramis starring Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Imogene Coca, Randy Quaid, John Candy, and Christie Brink ...

'', ''

Ferris Bueller's Day Off ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off'' is a 1986 American teen comedy film written, co-produced, and directed by John Hughes and co-produced by Tom Jacobson. The film stars Matthew Broderick, Mia Sara, and Alan Ruck with supporting roles by Jennifer ...

'', ''

Sixteen Candles ''Sixteen Candles'' is a 1984 American coming-of-age comedy film starring Molly Ringwald, Michael Schoeffling, and Anthony Michael Hall. Written and directed by John Hughes in his directorial debut, it was the first in a string of films Hughes ...

'', '' Risky Business'', ''

Planes, Trains & Automobiles ''Planes, Trains and Automobiles'' is a 1987 American comedy film written, produced and directed by John Hughes and starring Steve Martin and John Candy with supporting roles by Laila Robins and Michael McKean. It tells the story of a high-str ...

'', ''

She's Having a Baby ''She's Having a Baby'' is a 1988 American romantic comedy film directed and written by John Hughes and starring Kevin Bacon and Elizabeth McGovern. It tells the story of a young newlywed couple who try to cope with married life and their parents ...

'' and ''

Uncle Buck ''Uncle Buck'' is a 1989 American comedy film written and directed by John Hughes, and starring John Candy and Amy Madigan with supporting roles by Jean Louisa Kelly (in her film debut), Macaulay Culkin, Gaby Hoffmann, Garrett M. Brown and E ...

''. The film '' Contagion'' was filmed in the area in the spring of 2011. ''

Holidate ''Holidate'' is a 2020 American romantic comedy film directed by John Whitesell, from a screenplay by Tiffany Paulsen. It stars Emma Roberts, Luke Bracey, Jake Manley, Jessica Capshaw, Andrew Bachelor, Frances Fisher, Manish Dayal and Kristin Che ...

'', a 2020

Netflix Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a fil ...

romantic comedy starring

Emma Roberts Emma Rose Roberts (born February 10, 1991 Additional on October 9, 2016) is an American actress. Known for her work in film and television projects of the horror film, horror and thriller (genre), thriller genres, she has received List of awar ...

and

Luke Bracey Luke Bracey (born 26 April 1989) is an Australian actor. He is known for his work in films such as ''Monte Carlo'', '' G.I. Joe: Retaliation'', ''The November Man'', ''Point Break'', and ''Hacksaw Ridge''; and for television series such as '' H ...

, is set in Winnetka.

Television

A popular

TV series A television show – or simply TV show – is any content produced for viewing on a television set which can be broadcast via over-the-air, satellite, or cable, excluding breaking news, advertisements, or trailers that are typically placed betw ...

, ''

Sisters A sister is a woman or a girl who shares one or more parents with another individual; a female sibling. The male counterpart is a brother. Although the term typically refers to a familial relationship, it is sometimes used endearingly to refer to ...

'' (1991–1996), was set primarily in Winnetka, but was not filmed there, except for some exterior establishing shots. This was also true of its erstwhile summer replacement series, ''

Winnetka Road ''Winnetka Road'' is an American television drama which premiered on NBC on March 12, 1994, and concluded on April 16, 1994 after six episodes. The series was created by John Byrum, and follows the lives and loves of an oddly interconnected grou ...

''. The characters on the TV series ''

The League ''The League'' is an American sitcom that aired on FX and later FXX from October 29, 2009, to December 9, 2015, for a total of seven seasons. The series, set in Chicago, Illinois, is a semi-improvised comedy show about a fantasy football leagu ...

'' reside in Winnetka. The TV series ''I Didn't Do It'' is set in Winnetka. The characters attend the fictional Ditka High School.

References

;Notes ;Further reading * Dickinson, Lora Townsend. ''The Story of Winnetka''. Winnetka: Winnetka Historical Society, 1956. Print.

External links

Village of Winnetka official website

Winnetka Public School District

Winnetka Historical Society

Winnetka Historical Society: History of Buildings

Winnetka Park District
{{authority control Villages in Cook County, Illinois Villages in Illinois Chicago metropolitan area Populated places established in 1869 1869 establishments in Illinois

History

Geography

Demographics

Education

Private schools

Media

Notable people

In popular culture

Film

Television

See also

References

External links