Wilmette

Wilmette is a picturesque village along the shores of Lake Michigan, known for its tree-lined streets, architectural variety, and strong sense of community. It's home to the only Bahá'í House of Worship in the United States, a 60-acre lakefront park with its own outdoor amphitheater, and a downtown that still feels like a small town's, even as it's filled in with new restaurants and young families over the past decade.

If you're looking at Wilmette, IL homes for sale, or just starting to explore what real estate looks like on this stretch of the North Shore, that mix of history, lakefront, and walkable village center is exactly why buyers land here.

Wilmette at a Glance

• Location: Cook County, on Lake Michigan, immediately north of Evanston and south of Kenilworth
• ZIP code: 60091
• Size: about 5.4 square miles
• Population: 28,170 (2020 census)
• Housing: about 10,500 housing units, mostly single-family homes, with condos near downtown and the lakefront
• Founded: incorporated as a village on September 19, 1872
• Transit: Metra Union Pacific North Line and the CTA Purple Line terminal at Linden Avenue
• Schools: Wilmette Public Schools (District 39) and New Trier High School

A Village Named for the Ouilmette Family

Wilmette takes its name from Archange and Antoine Ouilmette. Archange, the daughter of a French fur trader and a Potawatomi mother, married French-Canadian fur trader Antoine Ouilmette around 1796. Through the Second Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1829, the U.S. government awarded 1,280 acres of land in what's now Wilmette and Evanston to Archange. The village was officially incorporated on September 19, 1872, during the same wave of railroad-driven North Shore development that shaped Evanston and Winnetka.

The Ouilmette family sold the reservation in 1845. Railroad tracks were built through the area in 1855, and train service to the Wilmette station began in 1869. Gross Point, a separate German-speaking farming community incorporated in 1874, dissolved in 1919 after bankruptcy and was annexed by Wilmette in 1924 and 1926.

The Bahá'í House of Worship, completed in 1953, remains Wilmette's most distinctive landmark and the only Bahá'í House of Worship in the United States. It's a striking domed building on the lakefront that draws visitors well beyond the village itself. Construction began in 1920, and the building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 and named one of the Seven Wonders of Illinois in 2007.

Living in Wilmette

Wilmette offers a mix of classic single-family homes, walk-to-town properties near the Central Avenue business district, and lakefront options near Gillson Park. Condos are concentrated near downtown and the lakefront. The 2020 census counted 10,525 housing units in the village.

Wilmette has a Metra Union Pacific North Line station and sits at the northern terminus of the CTA Purple Line, at the Linden Avenue station next to the Bahá'í House of Worship. Both provide a direct line into Chicago without driving downtown.

Schools

Wilmette Public Schools (District 39) serves most of the village with Central, Harper, McKenzie, and Romona elementary schools, Highcrest Middle School for fifth and sixth grades, and Wilmette Junior High School for seventh and eighth grades. Some addresses on the west side are served by Avoca School District 37. High school students attend New Trier High School, and Loyola Academy and Regina Dominican are private high schools in the village. School assignment depends on the exact address, so check the boundary for any home you are considering.

Businesses and Local Life

Downtown Wilmette centers on the intersection of Wilmette Avenue and Central Avenue, just a couple of square blocks that pack in roughly 20 restaurants and cafes. Long-running spots like Chuck Wagon, open since 1974, sit alongside a wave of newer additions, including Sophia Steak, Pit & Tap, Central Station Coffee and Tea, and Vi's Vietnamese Kitchen. The historic Wilmette Theatre, which opened in 1913, still anchors the district. Local boutiques and shops round out a downtown that residents and village officials describe as having gone through something of a retail renaissance over the past several years, with new residential development bringing in younger families who can walk to coffee, dinner, and a show without leaving the neighborhood.

Plaza del Lago, on Sheridan Road, opened in 1928 as Spanish Court and is one of the nation's oldest open-air shopping centers. Its Spanish-style buildings and original bell tower are a village landmark, and its parking sits in the center of the shops. The site was unincorporated until Wilmette annexed it in 1942.

Gillson Park, the 60-acre lakefront park, is the village's main outdoor hub, with swimming beaches and the Wallace Bowl amphitheater. Wilmette Harbor was created as part of the North Shore Channel project in the early 1900s. The Wilmette Park District oversees more than 300 acres of parks and open land, and the village has three public beaches: Gillson Park, Langdon Park, and Elmwood Dunes.

Wilmette Compared With Nearby North Shore Towns

Wilmette sits between Evanston to the south and Kenilworth to the north, with Winnetka beyond. Wilmette is larger than Kenilworth or Winnetka and has a more active downtown, with more variety in housing. Our guide to how quickly homes sell in Wilmette and Winnetka compares the two markets, and our guide to what the North Shore is actually like helps if you are moving from the city.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's it like buying a home in Wilmette, IL?

Wilmette offers a mix of classic single-family homes, walk-to-town properties near the Central Avenue business district, and lakefront options near Gillson Park. It's a village where the neighborhood you choose changes your day-to-day quite a bit, so it's worth spending some time in a few different pockets before deciding.

How do Wilmette home prices compare to Evanston and Winnetka?

Wilmette generally sits between Evanston and Winnetka on price. It's a step up from Evanston's entry point, but more accessible than Winnetka's estate-level homes further north. It's a common move for buyers who've outgrown Evanston but aren't chasing Winnetka's price tag.

Are there condos for sale in Wilmette, or is it mostly single-family homes?

Wilmette is known for single-family homes, but there's a real condo market too, particularly near downtown and along the lakefront. If low-maintenance living in a walkable setting is what you're after, it's worth a look.

What's the commute like from Wilmette into Chicago?

Wilmette is served by Metra commuter rail and sits at the northern terminus of the CTA Purple Line at the Linden Avenue station, giving residents a direct line into the city without needing to drive downtown.

What ZIP code is Wilmette, IL?

Wilmette, IL is ZIP code 60091. The village is in Cook County, immediately north of Evanston.

What schools serve Wilmette?

Wilmette Public Schools (District 39) serves most of the village, with Central, Harper, McKenzie, and Romona elementary schools, Highcrest Middle School for fifth and sixth grades, and Wilmette Junior High School for seventh and eighth grades. High school students attend New Trier High School.

What is there to do in Wilmette?

Wilmette's attractions include Gillson Park, a 60-acre lakefront park with swimming beaches and the Wallace Bowl amphitheater; the Bahá'í House of Worship, the only one in the United States; the historic Wilmette Theatre, which opened in 1913; and Plaza del Lago, a Spanish-style shopping center that opened in 1928. Downtown, centered on Wilmette Avenue and Central Avenue, has roughly 20 restaurants and cafes.

How does Wilmette compare with Kenilworth and Winnetka?

Wilmette is larger than Kenilworth or Winnetka and has a more active downtown, with more variety in housing, including condos near downtown and the lakefront. Kenilworth, just to the north, is the smallest village on the North Shore and has no commercial district, and Winnetka is further north with estate-scale homes along the lake.

Ready to explore homes for sale in Wilmette? Browse current listings below, or reach out to discuss what's available and what fits your goals. Thinking of selling? Start with a home valuation.