Winnetka is a village in northern Cook County, Illinois. The village is located along the shore of Lake Michigan, approximately 16 miles north of downtown Chicago. It is thought to be the wealthiest town in the state of Illinois, and it was featured on a list of the country’s 25 top-earning towns by CNN Money in 2011. The area is one of the most exclusive and wealthy suburbs in the nation. According to Business Week, its zip code, 60093, is the 14th wealthiest zip code in America.
In Winnetka, 94.8% of the residents are white, 2.2% are Hispanic, 0.3% is African American, 3.3% are Asian American, 0.1% is Native American and 1.5% is other races. Only 5.6% of Winnetka residents are foreign born, compared to 13.9% of Illinois residents who are foreign born.
The village of Glencoe is located to the north of Winnetka, Kenilworth lies to the south and Northfield is located west of Winnetka. Lake Michigan borders Winnetka to the east. The elevation in Winnetka is 650 feet and the land area is 3.83 square miles.
In 2012, the median income for a household in the village was $194,760, compared to $55,137 statewide in Illinois. The per capita income there was $84,134. The median price of a home in Winnetka in 2012 was $813,527, compared to $170,600 statewide.
For the population 25 years and over in Winnetka, 99.2% had a high school diploma or higher, 88.4% had a bachelor's degree or higher, 48.4% had a graduate degree or higher, and 4.7% were unemployed. The mean travel time to work for Winnetka residents in 2012 was 30 minutes.
The median real estate property tax paid for housing units with mortgages in Winnetka in 2012 was $10,001. In Winnetka, 25% of residents work in finance or insurance, compared to 5% in the state as a whole. Also, 23% of residents in Winnetka work in professional, scientific and technical services, compared to 8% statewide.
The first houses in Winnetka were built in 1836 when Erastus Patterson and his family arrived from Vermont and opened a tavern to serve passengers on the Green Bay Trail. The village was subdivided in 1854 by Charles Peck and Walter S. Gurnee, who was president of the local railroad. Winnetka's first private school was opened in 1856 by Charles Peck with 17 students. In 1859 the first public school building was built with private funds at the southeast corner of Elm and Maple streets. The village was incorporated in 1869 with a population of 450.
Winnetka's first homes were designed by many distinguished architects, including George Washington Maher, Walter Burley Griffin, John S. Van Bergen, Robert Seyfarth, Robert McNitt and David Adler. Among Winnetka's celebrities are the late actor Rock Hudson and singer/songwriter/producer Richard Marx.
Winnetka is served by three Metra train stations: Hubbard Woods, Winnetka and Indian Hill all of which serve Winnetka residents to Chicago’s Loop. Winnetka is the home of New Trier High School, considered one of the top public high schools in the United States. Winnetka also is the home of North Shore Country Day School, a well-known and respected private school.
Winnetka, with close proximity to Lake Michigan and many public parks, the community has many outdoor activities available including swimming at one of its beaches, sailing or cruising on the lake and biking, walking or running on the Green Bay Trail that runs through the town. Part of the trail parallels the Metra train tracks. Many of Winnetka’s public parks are situated right on or adjacent to Lake Michigan. Winnetka also serves the community with a downtown shopping area that has a variety of coffee shops, restaurants, clothing boutiques and many other retail stores.
Kreisman Law Offices handles Illinois lawsuits for the entire Chicago metropolitan area, including the Winnetka. Chicago’s Kreisman Law Offices offers a wide range of legal services, including Illinois commercial litigation, estate and trust planning, personal injury law, Illinois medical negligence cases, Illinois nursing home abuse litigation, Illinois wrongful death law and Illinois business litigation. The Chicago attorneys at Kreisman Law Offices have over 40 years of legal experience. Please call us 24 hours a day at 312.346.0045 or toll free 800.583.8002 for a free and immediate consultation, or complete a contact form online.
Our Chicago loop law office is in a convenient location for Winnetka residents. Directions to Kreisman Law Offices from Winnetka are as follows: by car take the Edens Expressway towards Chicago. The office is conveniently located at the southwest corner of Monroe and Dearborn Streets in Chicago’s Loop. The Metra and CTA also provide public transportation alternatives to the office. The office staff is bilingual in English and Spanish. Please call us for more information on how we may be of assistance to you and your family.