A city about 25 miles west of Chicago, with a walkable downtown along Front and Hale streets, Wheaton College and two Metra stations.
01 — At a Glance
Wheaton is a city about 25 miles west of Chicago and the county seat. The 2020 census counted 53,970 residents, and the city covers about 11.49 square miles. It incorporated as a village on February 24, 1859, and as a city on April 24, 1890. Union Pacific West Line trains stop at two stations, downtown and at College Avenue, and Wheaton College sits just east of downtown.
Source: Wikipedia: Wheaton, Illinois · City of Wheaton: History of Wheaton
02 — History
Wheaton got its name from a railroad sign, its college from a gift of land, and its government seat from a vote that came down to 51 ballots. Here are a few chapters behind the downtown you see today.
1837–1838
Erastus Gary and the brothers Jesse and Warren Wheaton came west from New England and claimed hundreds of acres here in 1837 and 1838. They offered the railroad free right-of-way, and rail workers put up a sign reading “Wheaton Depot.” The name stuck.
1859
The founders gave land near the station to anyone willing to build right away, and the town grew around the tracks. Wheaton incorporated as a village on February 24, 1859, with Warren Wheaton as its first president.
1860
Jonathan Blanchard arrived in 1859 to lead the struggling Illinois Institute. When Warren Wheaton donated the land for the current campus in 1860, Blanchard proposed renaming the school Wheaton College.
1867
The Wheaton brothers led the campaign to move the county seat here from Naperville. The referendum passed 1,686 to 1,635, and a red-brick county building went up on Reber Street.
Source: City of Wheaton: History of Wheaton · City of Wheaton: 1876
1887
Wheaton banned liquor sales in 1887. According to the city’s own history, the first alcoholic drink wasn’t served here again until 1987, a full 100 years later.
1921
E. Claire Brown put a roof over a Front Street alley just 3.5 feet wide and opened a popcorn shop. The Little Popcorn Store still runs downtown at 111 1/4 Front Street, in a space 4 feet wide and 64 feet long.
Erastus Gary and Jesse and Warren Wheaton claimed land here in 1837 and 1838. They gave the Galena and Chicago Union Railroad free right-of-way, and the stop’s “Wheaton Depot” sign named the town. The line later became the Chicago and North Western, and it gave farmers a way to get their crops to Chicago.
Wheaton became a village in 1859 with Warren Wheaton as president. A year later his gift of land gave the Illinois Institute a new campus and a new name, Wheaton College. In 1867 the brothers won the referendum that moved the county seat from Naperville by just 51 votes, and the county building on Reber Street held the courts, offices and jail for nearly a century.
By 1876 Wheaton had almost 1,000 residents, and Front Street, running beside the tracks, was taking shape as the downtown. Wheaton incorporated as a city on April 24, 1890, and Judge Elbert Gary, son of Erastus Gary, was its first mayor.
By 1926 the population was just under 5,500. Wheaton Community High School had opened at Main Street and Roosevelt Road in 1925, and Harold “Red” Grange, who played for Wheaton High, had become a national sports hero. The Antlers Club, started by two Elks Club men, renamed itself Arrowhead Golf Club after Native American artifacts turned up on the property.
The Chicago Aurora and Elgin Railroad carried passengers and freight through Wheaton from 1902 to 1959. Its right-of-way became the Illinois Prairie Path, which calls itself North America’s first successful rails-to-trails conversion.
Source: City of Wheaton: History of Wheaton · City of Wheaton: 1876 · City of Wheaton: 1926 · Illinois Prairie Path · Wikipedia: Wheaton, Illinois
03 — Shopping & Dining
Downtown Wheaton runs along Front Street beside the tracks and up Hale Street, and most of these places are a short walk from the Metra station. From May through October, the Hale Street Tents add outdoor dining and live music.
Modern American chophouse
Steaks, seafood and pasta in a beautiful old chapel on Hale Street, with a patio for warm nights. Reservations are recommended.
120 N. Hale St., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteTraditional & creative Italian
A women-owned Italian restaurant upstairs on Hale Street, with traditional and creative dishes served in an exposed-brick dining room.
100 N. Hale St., 2nd Floor, Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteChef-driven Mexican
Award-winning Mexican cooking with seasonal menus, craft margaritas and private dining, plus weekend brunch specials. Dogs are welcome.
133 W. Front St., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteWood-fired pizza bar
Neapolitan-style pizzas from a wood-fired oven, plus small plates and fresh pastas, right in the middle of downtown.
106 N. Hale St., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteLatin fusion tapas
A family-owned tapas restaurant drawing on Spain, Mexico and South America, with plates meant for sharing and a full cocktail list.
132 N. Hale St., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteFine dining & cocktail lounge
More than two decades of fresh, locally sourced cooking on Liberty Drive, now with a cocktail lounge. Dinner is served Tuesday through Saturday.
535 W. Liberty Dr., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteFine jewelry & watches
A family-owned jeweler since 1911, with designer fine jewelry and watches on Front Street.
107 W. Front St., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsitePopcorn & candy since 1921
Fresh-popped popcorn and bulk candy from one of the narrowest stores around, just 4 feet wide. It’s been part of downtown since 1921.
111 1/4 W. Front St., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteHome décor, gifts & events
Timeless home décor and meaningful gifts, plus private events and open-play mahjong Tuesday through Friday afternoons.
126 N. Hale St., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit WebsiteSaturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., April through November
Bensidoun USA sets up at the downtown pavilion near Main Street and Liberty Drive every Saturday, from April 11 to November 28 this year. In November the market closes at 1 p.m.
Main St. & Liberty Dr., Wheaton, IL 60187
Visit Website04 — Education
Most of Wheaton attends Community Unit School District 200. A few homes in the northeast corner are in Glen Ellyn School District 41, and Briar Glen Elementary in the southeast is part of Community Consolidated School District 89.
Boundaries follow the address. Confirm school assignment for each address with the district before you buy.
Search HomesPublic · PreK–12
The district serving most of Wheaton runs 13 elementary schools, four middle schools and two high schools.
Public · Grades 9–12
One of District 200’s two high schools, on West Thomas Road on the north side of town.
Public · Grades 9–12
District 200’s other high school, on Tiger Trail on the south side, serving Wheaton and Warrenville.
Public · Nearby Districts
A few northeast Wheaton families attend Glen Ellyn School District 41, and Briar Glen Elementary on the southeast side belongs to District 89.
Independent · Grades 9–12
A Catholic, college-prep high school on the far west side of town, founded by the Capuchin Franciscan Friars in 1946.
Higher Education
Established in 1860, the college sits just east of downtown on College Avenue, with its own Metra stop a short walk from campus.
05 — Lifestyle
Summer here kicks off with Cream of Wheaton in early June and doesn’t really slow down until the Hale Street Tents come down at the end of October. Here’s where people spend their time, from gardens and trails to the theatre and the trains into Chicago.
The 500-acre former estate of Colonel Robert R. McCormick, longtime editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune. The gardens and grounds are open Wednesday through Monday, March through October.
Park DetailsBuilt on the old Chicago Aurora and Elgin right-of-way, the path runs right through Wheaton. It was founded in 1963 as North America’s first successful rails-to-trails conversion.
Trail DetailsA five-acre park district zoo with farm animals and native wildlife, including white-tailed deer, red fox, Blanding’s turtles and a coyote.
Zoo DetailsFour days in Memorial Park and downtown to kick off summer, with live entertainment, carnival rides, a beer garden, a business expo and an arts and crafts fair.
Event DetailsThe park district’s fireworks and festivities at Graf Park on July 3, followed by the parade through downtown Wheaton on the Fourth.
Event DetailsFrom May 1 through October 31, downtown restaurants serve under tents on Hale Street, with live music all summer.
Event DetailsA competitive soccer club for Wheaton and nearby towns, run through the park district, with tryouts, camps and its own invitational tournament.
Club WebsiteThe park district’s recreational league for kids from preschool through eighth grade, with fall games on Saturdays and an indoor winter season.
Program DetailsThe park district’s complex at 500 S. Naperville Road, with ice rinks, gyms, outdoor fields and batting cages for rent.
Facility DetailsCommunity theatre at Playhouse 111 on North Hale Street since 1931, with a full season of musicals and plays each year.
Theatre WebsiteA season of concerts at the Memorial Park bandshell, 225 Karlskoga Avenue, the same park that hosts Cream of Wheaton.
Concert SeriesThe library at 225 N. Cross Street opened a three-story addition in 2006, and its Arts & Culture Center hosts clubs, art programs and family events.
Library WebsiteUnion Pacific West trains stop downtown at 402 W. Front Street, in fare zone 4. The waiting room opens at 5 a.m. on weekdays.
Station DetailsThe second Wheaton stop on the same line, at 303 N. President Street next to Wheaton College. The waiting room is open 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Station DetailsThe line runs between Ogilvie Transportation Center in the Loop and Elburn, with stops in Oak Park and other western suburbs along the way.
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