Located 14 miles north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, the village of Wilmette was named after Antoine Ouilmette, a French-Canadian fur trader who settled in Chicago in 1790 on the north bank of the Chicago River. Located just north of Evanston, Wilmette sports expansive homes, beautiful beaches, accessible transportation and one of the finest school districts in the country. It is located 15 miles away from O'Hare International Airport, 21 miles from Midway Airport and 13 miles from Palwaukee Municipal Airport. Covering 5.4 square miles, its population is 26,922 (2005).
One of Wilmette's most visible landmarks is the beautiful Bahá’í Temple, an impressive nine-sided, white-domed building that sits on Sheridan Road across from Lake Michigan. The North American seat of the Bahá’í faith, the structure attracts visitors from all over the world. It is surrounded by exquisite gardens and fountains.
Wilmette has plenty of recreational activities. It boasts a modern community center that contains a full-service health club and provides classes for persons of all ages. Villagers can also utilize the expansive lakefront beaches, go boating along Wilmette Harbor, or play a round of golf at any number of golf courses in the area. There's also a public indoor pool and two indoor-ice skating rinks. In their spare time, residents can also see a movie at the Wimette Theatres on Central Avenue, have a picnic lunch at the 59-acre Gillson Park fronting the lakefront, or eat some pancakes at Walker Brothers, "the Original Pancake House" on Green Bay Road.
The single-family housing stock in Wilmette includes Victorians, Tudor-style residences, colonials, ranch-style homes, bungalows, stucco homes, and split-levels. Townhouses and condominiums are also available. In August, 2006, a three-bedroom, two and one-half-bath home was listed for $435,000; a five-bedroom, four-bath, 3,738-square-foot-home was selling for $999,500.
For shopping, residents can head out to the quaint Plaza del Lago shopping plaza, to Edens Plaza or to numerous other shopping areas in town.
Wilmette students receive an outstanding education. Lower grade students attend schools in District 39, which ranks in the top ten of school districts in the state of Illinois. Public high school students attend one of two schools in New Trier Township High School District 203: New Trier's Northfield campus (freshman), or New Trier's Winnetka campus (sophomores, juniors and seniors). The high school has consistently been rated as one of the best in the country for many years.
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Located 14 miles north of downtown Chicago in Cook County, the village of Wilmette was named after Antoine Ouilmette, a French-Canadian fur trader who settled in Chicago in 1790 on the north bank of the Chicago River. Located just north of Evanston, Wilmette sports expansive homes, beautiful beaches, accessible transportation and one of the finest school districts in the country. It is located 15 miles away from O'Hare International Airport, 21 miles from Midway Airport and 13 miles from Palwaukee Municipal Airport. Covering 5.4 square miles, its population is 26,922 (2005).
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