Your Winnetka Address Begins Here

Winnetka - Set on the picturesque shores of Lake Michigan, Winnetka is situated just 17 miles north of Chicago. Tranquil tree-shaded streets and friendly neighborhoods give rise to three quaint in-town business districts that are home to a multitude of restaurants and shops.

Described as a village in a natural setting committed to its tradition of residential neighborhoods, citizen involvement, local shops and exceptional educational excellence, Winnetka has been consistently ranked as a top suburb in which to live in Illinois.  

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North Shore Real Estate
  • Winnetka By The Numbers

  • Population - 12,385

  • Median Age -40.8

  • Average Home Sales Price - $1,347,124

  • Units Sold for 2019 - 234

  • Average Household Income - $220,577

Winnetka Schools

Most homes in Winnetka fall within the boundaries of District 36 schools while a small portion of southwestern Winnetka attends District 37 Avoca schools.

District 36 maintains a long-standing commitment to the neighborhood schools’ concept. With a tradition of leadership in progressive public education, the Winnetka Public Schools consider each child to be a whole person who should be developed intellectually, socially, emotionally, and physically.  The School Board's goals have been to provide safe and age-appropriate school buildings that continue the high-quality educational program long associated with The Winnetka Public Schools. With roughly 1,500 K-8 students, Winnetka public school students are served in five school buildings.  There are three grade schools (K-4): Greeley, Crow Island, Hubbard Woods; one middle school (5-6) Skokie and one Junior High school Washburne.  District 37 consists of one elementary school: Avoca West (for grades K-5) and one middle school, Marie Murphy, for grades 6-8. Here is the Illinois State report Card for Winnetka schools.

After three years of evaluating redistricting scenarios, The Winnetka Public Schools Board approved new attendance boundaries to form a long-term solution to address the enrollment imbalance in the District.  The Redistricting 2020 campaign includes an interactive boundaries map.

Both Marie Murphy and Washburne Junior High feed into the nationally-recognized New Trier High School, located right in Winnetka, Illinois. Town and Country Magazine once defined New Trier as "quite possibly the best public school in America". New Trier has also been featured in Life, the New York Times. the Washington Post and Parade Magazine for its excellence. It also has been featured in many films. Here’s the Profile of New Trier High School’s Class of 2019 and some additional statistics about the 2019 class.

For early education, there are many excellent private options in the area such as Ronald Knox Montessori, Wilmette Park District, Trinity, Rose Hall Montessori, St. Francis Xavier and St. Joseph. Both ½ day and full-day pre-school programs exist. For ½ day options, institutions such as the Wilmette Park District and Winnetka Community House offer many excellent Kindergarten Enrichment programs, some with busing service, to supplement your pre-schoolers ½ day experience, if desired.

Several excellent private schools in the area service K-8 students. These include Baker Demonstation School, North Shore Country Day  St. Francis Xavier, and Faith, Hope and Charity. For high school, Loyola Academy, North Shore Country Day and Regina Dominican offer additional top-notch educational opportunities.

Greeley, Hubbard Woods, Crow Island, Skokie, Washburne, Regina, Joseph, Saint Francis and New Trier schools have all earned the prestigious National Blue Ribbon School award granted by the US Department of Education for excellence in education.

Nearly all of the grade schools offer an extensive assortment of after school programs, ranging from student newspaper clubs to sports teams to student Broadcasting clubs. Each school’s PTA/PTO website should provide further details about these programs. Additionally, the Winettka Park District, as well as many private operators such as Illinois Baseball Academy, R & B Dance Center and The Actors Training Center, offer a plethora of private enrichment activities for kids after school and in the summer. Team sport offerings include: soccer (Wilmette Wings or Trevians Soccer), hockey (Winnetka Warriors), football (North Shore Trevians), baseball (Kenilworth-Winnetka Baseball Association), basketball (Wilmette Wolves) and swimming (Flying Fish or New Trier).

Homes for Sale in New Trier School District
Winnetka School Playground
Winnetka Train Station

The Winnetka - Chicago Commute

Residents have many options for their daily commute. While most residents work out of Chicago, many also work in the adjacent northwestern suburbs, home to several major corporate headquarters.

Conveniently located off of Green Bay Road near Elm Street, the Winnetka Metra train station features a large parking lot for commuters. There are additional stops at Hubbard Woods and Indian Hill. Many central and east Winnetka residents live within walking distance of the train station as well. A quick ride, has you in the heart of the city in about 37 minutes. Monthly passes average about $121. Visit www.metrarail.com for train schedules and details. 

Pace Bus service is available to the city as well as to neighboring communities. Many of the area high school students prefer to use Pace for their school transportation needs as well.

Many residents choose to drive the approximate 17 miles in and out of the city for work. In warmer weather, cyclist enthusiasts can follow the Green Bay Trail along the lakefront and bike to work! Utilizing the city’s extensive biking resources like the McDonald’s Cycle Center (parking, service and shower facilities), as well as the city’s vast network of bike lanes and racks, cycling to work has never been more enjoyable or easier.

Winnetka Recreation

Work hard, play hard! The plentiful recreation options are valued and contribute to Winnetka's reputation as one of the most desirable places to live in the country. It's proximity to Lake Michigan’s beautiful sandy shores provides sun and swim activities galore!

Winnetka waterfront

There are 3 swimming beaches: Elder Lane,  Maple Street and Tower Beach.  In addition, there is Lloyd Boat launch.  Right now, Winnetka is undergoing a 200 million beach renovation to improve the already outstanding beach facilities. Read about the Winnetka Lakefront Master Plan here.

Land Lovers:

The Winnetka Park District offers sports opportunities including the Winnetka Golf Club, a local 18-hole golf course, driving range and fun par 3 course.  The A.C. Nielsen Tennis center is a year-round center that offers 12 outdoor and 8 indoor tennis course and instruction.  Winnetka Ice arena is open year-round for hockey and figure skaters of all ages and abilities, featuring a fabulous outdoor hockey rink in winter. There is also a Paddle tennis facility representing one of the only public facilities of its kind in the Midwest featuring 6 outdoor heated and lighted course and state of art paddle hut facility.

Winnetka Community House

The Community House represents the heart of the community, Adjacent to the main downtown area, the Community House serves as a gathering place for the community and delivers cultural, educational, social, recreational, and theatrical programming.  From annual children's theater to kindergarten enrichment and even a scenic outdoor garden perfect for prom and wedding photos, the Community House brings the community together. It also features a state of the art fitness facility and offers meeting rooms for various organizations.

Winnetka Library

The Winnetka Northfield Public library is a cozy place to curl up with a good book or for school kids to meet up with tutors or get some studying done. Also offered is a robust set of innovative and informative programming for all ages.

Winnetka Public Golf Course

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Winnetka Community House

Winnetka Fine Arts

Also based out of the Winnetka Community Center, the North Shore Art League sponsors exhibits and educational opportunities for the community.  Nearby, the Music Institute of Chicago (located in Winnetka and Evanston) is one of the oldest and most respected music schools in the nation. If your child wants to play in the #1 orchestra in Illinois,  they can audition for the Midwest Youth Artist Conservatory or MYAC (located in Highwood). The MYAC was named the 2019 Youth Orchestra of the Year by the Illinois Orchestra Association.  North Shore Center for the Performing Arts, in nearby Skokie, is a world class center hosting many of the hottest live performing acts in the country. Wilmette is just a short drive from Chicago’s Botanic Garden in Glencoe, offering 385 acres of well manicured gardens and nature preserves. For outdoor music, Ravinia Park is legendary . Only a brief train ride (and a packed picnic lunch complete with wine) separates Wilmette residents from a night of al fresco dining under twinkling stars while enjoying live musical performances to the likes of Sting, Train and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra . Of course, a trip to the city or to neighboring Evanston opens a whole host of other recreation and entertainment options.

Winnetka Restaurants

Winnetka is home to a variety of outstanding restaurants including some town favorites in the Chestnut Street area such as Café Buongiorno, for breakfast and lunch, True Juice for your healthy smoothies, soups and salads, Fred's Garage for reimagined classics, Avli for great Greek food, and newcomers, Tocco, for casual Italian fare and Spirit Elephant, for a vegan choice.

In the district near Lincoln and Elm streets, there is fan favorite Stacked and Folded for customers young and old. Café Aroma for great coffee, breakfast and lunch. Neighborhood staple Little Ricky’s has all the games on as well as awesome food.  And don’t forget about Hubbard Woods restaurants including Grateful Bites for pizza, Once Upon a Bagel for the freshest bagels in town, Kyoto for sushi and Mino's Italian restaurant or a fun night out.

Data and Analysis reveal every opportunity in Winnetka's real estate market. Add our cutting-edge tools and one-of-a-kind resources to gain every advantage in the marketplace.

Gain The Advantage: Compass Coming Soon

Compass Coming Soon provides exclusive access to listings BEFORE they hit the market. View North Shore Compass Coming Soon listings

Do White Kitchens Sell For More in Winnetka?

Find this answer (and a detailed market analysis) by reviewing our exclusive 29-page Wilmette Market Report.

Looking for Condo Living on the North Shore's Lakefront?

Download our exclusive Lakefront Condo report to compare and contrast each Wilmette building.

Your Guide to North Shore New Construction

From the latest finishes to builder reputations to the best locations on the North Shore - we have all of the details you need.  Contact us to discuss or view our exclusive Wilmette new construction data report,

Commuting from/to Winnetka

Exclusive access to "Walk to Train" homes in Wilmette and throughout the North Shore.

Heart Set on a Certain School?

Exclusive access to homes on the market in each elementary school area.

Boost Your Home's Value: Compass Concierge

We can now get you funding for the services that will increase the value of your property and when your home sells, you’ll simply add that amount (and nothing more) to the commission.

Know the Stats: The Power of Data

Data is powerful. Know stats like monthly under contract activity, monthly showing activity, inventory levels and pricing trends to gain the competitive edge.  Contact Lisa and Lourdes for custom curated stats relating to your home.

New Homes on Market in Winnetka (Last 7 Days)

We believe data and analysis reveal opportunity. Not only do we provide the essential statistics to make informed decisions about your next dream home, our 6-Point Strategic Buyer Program takes you from imagining you in your new home to living in it!

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Step 1 Check out our automated home valuation calculator (click home on left) to see closed prices for neighboring homes near you.

Step 2. Reach out to us for a complimentary strategic price analysis and consultation.

Step 3. Let's evaluate whether your home can benefit from Compass Concierge or Compass Bridge Loan Services.

Step 4. Get sold. make your move and enjoy your new home!

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