North Shore (Illinois)

The North Shore is a collection of affluent communities located in Cook and Lake Counties north of the city limits of Chicago. While the definition of the region is somewhat fluid, it generally includes the lakefront communities located between the northern edge of the City of Chicago and south of the Wisconsin border.

The coastal area north of Oahu Island is called the North Shore. It is said to be the North Shore through the Polynesian Cultural Center, Kahuku, and Turtle Bay areas to the Harleiba area. Northern coastal beaches are generally deep in depth and high waves. For this reason, it is an area loved by professional surfers. Sunset Beach, in particular, has a wave height of 8M or higher in winter, so it is also the place where famous surfing competitions around the world, including the Barnes Triple Crown Surfing Competition, are held.

Lakefront suburbs:

• 🌍 Evanston — The southern anchor of the region, Evanston is home to Northwestern University.
• 🌍 Wilmette — Home to the Baha'i Temple.
• 🌍 Kenilworth
• 🌍 Winnetka — Home to New Trier High School, the highly-rated public high school which is often associated with the North Shore.
• 🌍 Glencoe
• 🌍 Highland Park — A large, affluent community located in southern Lake County.
• 🌍 Lake Forest
• 🌍 Lake Bluff — The northernmost community in the region.

Other suburbs sometimes considered to be part of the North Shore:

• 🌍 Skokie
• 🌍 Glenview
• 🌍 Northfield
• 🌍 Northbrook

Major attractions in the North Shore are the Chicago Botanical Gardens in Glenoe, the Ravinia Festival in Highland Park, Six Flags Great America in Gurnee, the Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette and the Illinois Beach State Park in Zion.

The North Shore is one of the wealthiest areas of the United States, and dining and shopping opportunities abound. Many movies have been shot or set in the North Shore, including:

• Home Alone
• Ferris Bueller's Day Off
• Sixteen Candles
• Mean Girls

Metra's Union Pacific-North line runs through the core North Shore communities along the lakefront, while the CTA Purple Line connects Evanston and Wilmette to Chicago's rail system.