Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest, Illinois
Lake Forest City Hall
Location of Lake Forest in Lake County, Illinois.
Lake Forest
Location within Illinois
Lake Forest
Location within United States
Lake Forest
Lake Forest (the United States)
Coordinates: 42°14′15″N 87°51′43″W / 42.23750°N 87.86194°W / 42.23750; -87.86194
CountryUnited States
StateIllinois
CountyLake
TownshipMoraine, Shields, Vernon, West Deerfield
Founded1857
Incorporated1861
Government
 • TypeCouncil-manager
Area
 • Total
17.27 sq mi (44.72 km2)
 • Land17.20 sq mi (44.55 km2)
 • Water0.066 sq mi (0.17 km2)
Elevation
663 ft (202 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
19,367
 • Density1,126.0/sq mi (434.74/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (CST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code
60045
Area codes847, 224
FIPS code17-41105
GNIS feature ID2395590
Websitewww.cityoflakeforest.com

Lake Forest is a city in Lake County, Illinois, United States. The population was 19,367 at the 2020 census. The city is along the shore of Lake Michigan, and is part of the Chicago metropolitan area and the North Shore. Lake Forest was founded with Lake Forest College and was laid out as a town in 1857, a stop for travelers making their way south to Chicago. The Lake Forest City Hall, designed by Charles Sumner Frost, was completed in 1898. It originally housed the fire department, the Lake Forest Library, and city offices.