About The Village

The Village of Deer Park was incorporated November 13, 1957.  The village is located in both Lake & Cook Counties, east of the Village of Barrington, south of the Village of Lake Zurich, and it is 37 miles northwest of Chicago.  In 1973 the population of the village was 830.  The 2000 Census states that the population of the village had increased to 3,002.  Lake County was established in 1839, and it consists of 460 plus square miles.  The majority of the village is in Ela Township, and a small portion in the far northwest corner is in Cuba Township.  In general, the purpose of the original villages was to maintain control over local zoning and land use for the area east of the Village of Barrington.  The zoning of the village is largely one acre residential, but some land along the perimeter is zoned for business, office and research.  The purpose of the village at present is:  "To protect and maintain the health and safety of our residents, provide for the orderly development of the land within our boundaries, and to preserve green space for ourselves and posterity."

Early petitioners for the Village of Deer Park dedicated themselves to zoning and land-use planning compatible with the country characteristics which the residents of the community desired to maintain.  Minimum lot size was set at on acre.

Another goal of the village was to save local schools from overnight crowding that results form uncontrolled residential building.  Success has been achieved through working cooperatively with other villages in our school districts.

Probably the earliest residents of the area were the Pottawatomie, Macoutin, and Winnebago Indians.  In 1833 the Indian Treaty was signed with Chief Blackhawk and the Indians moved across the Mississippi River.  In 1834, the first settlers came to Deer Grove (approximately Lake-Cook and Quentin Roads).  Most of the early settlers came from Vermont and Massachusetts. In 1845, Rand Road was built as a United States mail route.  The railroad was built from Chicago to this area in 1854, at first it was called "The Chicago and Fond du Lac", and was later called "The Chicago and Northwestern", and this brought many changes.

The rich soil and good water supply in the southwest Lake County drew many farm settlers to this area.  After World War I Chicago business men came to build their estates here.  Together they served to maintain one of the few green belts left in the Chicago metropolitan area - a green belt being preserved today through the efforts of country villagers such as Deer Park.

The Village of Deer Park offers pleasant suburban living with a touch of charm, with a number of ponds and lakes, small and large, throughout the area, and rolling open countryside.  Northwest inside and just outside of the village one finds Cuba Marsh and Ela Marsh Forest Preserves that are veritable gold mines for birdwatchers and where you also find other wildlife.  Just south of the village is the Deer Grove Forest Preserve.