With fewer than 9,000 residents, one stoplight, and a downtown you can cover in a coffee break, Clarendon Hills has the charm of Stars Hollow with the substance of top-rated schools and premium homes. In this video, we’ll look at the character of the village, schools, housing market, lifestyle and community events, and how it stacks up against nearby suburbs like Hinsdale, Downers Grove, Oak Brook, and Westmont. We’ll finish with a driving tour so you can see for yourself why Clarendon Hills stands out in the western suburbs.
Eric Andersen, B.A., M.Div.
Owner/Designated Managing Broker, Andersen Realty Group
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Transcript:
Introduction
Clarendon Hills is one of the smallest suburbs in the western suburbs. It has a population under 9,000, a one-stoplight downtown, and if you blink on the train, you might miss it. That quiet scale isn’t a drawback, it’s the point. You can think of Clarendon Hills as the Stars Hollow of the western suburbs, a place where the barista knows your order and the librarian knows your kids by name. In this video, we’re going to talk about what makes Clarendon Hills so special, and we’ll end by taking a driving tour of the area.
Nobody moves to Clarendon Hills for late-night sushi or rooftop bars. They move here for strong schools,bigger yards, and a community that keeps its streets lined with trees instead of traffic. It’s not Oak Brook with its massive mall or Hinsdale with its ultra-premium price tags. Clarendon Hills keeps it simple. They have a small downtown, a strong library and park district, and the kind of community where kids still walk to school. You won’t find Clarendon Hills hosting PGA tournaments or corporate headquarters. What you will find is a village that consistently lands at the top of school rankings and quietly charms families out of their big-city leases.
Character of the Village
Clarendon Hills is home to about 8,500 people across 1.9 square miles, which makes it one of the smallest suburbs in the western suburbs. By comparison, Hinsdale has around 17,000 residents and Downers Grove has about 50,000. That difference in scale is part of what gives Clarendon Hills its appeal. People know their neighbors, and you are more likely to bump into someone you know at the library than get lost in a crowd. They don’t have an official town motto, but if they did, it might be something like, ‘Clarendon Hills: Where Rush Hour is Two Cars.’
Clarendon Hills was founded in the late 1800s as a commuter stop along the Burlington railroad. Even the name tells a story. “Clarendon” goes back to Old English, meaning the hill of the Clare family. Adding “Hills” on top of that is technically redundant, but probably a smart PR move since nobody today knows what “Clarendon” means. And for those of you who now do, you can think of the additional ‘Hills’ as a way of drawing attention to the village’s rolling terrain.
Clarendon Hills has the warmth of a small town inside a major metro area. Life moves at a quieter pace, but it’s not stuck in the past. The train still takes you downtown, the coffee shop has Wi-Fi, and the village offers a nice balance of tradition and modern convenience.
Lifestyle & Community
Clarendon Hills has a neighborly feel that comes from its scale. The downtown is small enough to walk, offering pizza, coffee, a train station, and more. It’s not exactly Stars Hollow, but you might not know the difference on a Thursday morning.
Prospect Park is in the middle of town and has baseball fields, tennis courts, and a playground. The community pool is getting a full renovation in 2025, and that may be the hottest real estate in town next summer. Families relocating often ask, “Where do kids play?” In Clarendon Hills, the answer is built into the community. And if you need more space, Fullersburg Woods and
Mayslake are just minutes away with miles of trails and open space.
For being a small town, Clarendon Hills has a fairly robust calendar. Daisy Days in June, summer concerts in the park, and the Christmas Walk downtown are staples. Events like these give the village its personality. They have a farmer’s market every Thursday from mid-May to mid-October. It’s not quite a town meeting on the gazebo, but these events give Clarendon Hills a Stars Hollow feel, where everyone shows up and comes together. None of these are headline events, but they help keep residents connected and add to the village’s charm.
Location & Transportation
Clarendon Hills is about 20 to 25 minutes from O’Hare and 30 to 35 minutes from Midway, depending on traffic. From Clarendon Hills you don’t have to pick an airport, you get both, making it ideal for families and professionals who travel.
The Burlington railroad stop was established in 1873, and the village incorporated in 1924 largely because of it. It’s not an exaggeration to say that the reason Clarendon Hills exists today is because of the train. The Metra BNSF line still defines the village, with a station in the heart of downtown. Trains run early, late, and often, and the ride to Union Station takes about 25 minutes.
For drivers, both I-294 and I-88 are available with a ten-minute drive. Having access to two major highways is unusual for a suburb of this size.
Clarendon Hills has the feel of a quiet village, but it’s well-connected to downtown Chicago and the western suburbs. You can be in the city in half an hour, or at a forest preserve trailhead in ten minutes. Clarendon Hills doesn’t have big-box shopping, and that’s by design. If you need luxury retail, Oakbrook Center is down the road. If you just need milk, Jewel has you back on the couch before the ice cream melts.
Housing & Market
Clarendon Hills offers a mix of historic cottages, mid-century homes, and luxury new construction. That variety keeps the market interesting, but it’s also one of the more expensive of the western suburbs. Over the past year, 91 homes closed with an average sale price just under a million dollars. Sales ranged from around $250,000 on the very low end to almost $3 million at the top. Clarendon Hills isn’t as large as its neighbors, and that limited inventory helps keeps prices high.
The average home here is about 2,700 square feet and sells for roughly $319 a square foot. Median market time is currently less than seven days, which is less time than it takes for Amazon to deliver a sofa.
Schools
Clarendon Hills has a reputation for schools, and the ratings back it up. In District 181, Prospect Elementary is a 10 out of 10, Walker is a 9 out of 10, and Clarendon Hills Middle School has a 7 out of 10. Most students go to Hinsdale Central High School (District 86), which is a 10 out of 10 and one of the most respected high schools in the state. A small section of the village feeds into Westmont High School (District 201), which is also a 10 out of 10.
The results speak for themselves. Hinsdale Central has produced several notable alumni. Tomi Adeyemi, class of 2011, is the author of New York Times bestselling Children of Blood and Bone, a fantasy novel that’s been compared to Harry Potter. Her book is being adapted for the big screen with Disney and Lucasfilm, and she’s been recognized by Time as one of the 100 Most Influential People. Olympic swimmers John Kinsella and John Murphy are also Hinsdale Central alumni, and more recently, the Chicago Bulls took Matas Buzelis in the first round of the NBA draft. For families moving to the western suburbs, that kind of track record makes Clarendon Hills stand out.
Compare & Contrast with Nearby Suburbs
Every suburb has a personality. If they were family, Hinsdale would be the older sibling, Downers Grove the big cousin, Oak Brook the wealthy uncle, and Westmont the modest younger brother. Clarendon Hills is the relative who doesn’t make the loudest entrance but commands everyone’s respect.
Hinsdale is larger and more bustling, with a bigger downtown and a broader mix of housing. The schools overlap since both towns feed into Hinsdale Central, but Hinsdale usually carries higher price tags and a busier feel. Clarendon Hills offers a similar level of quality in a quieter setting.
Downers Grove is larger, with more diverse housing and demographics, and more affordable. Downers has a wide range of amenities and neighborhoods, but it doesn’t have the same, intimate village character.
Oak Brook is known for its luxury estates and retail presence at Oakbrook Center. The lots are bigger, the homes are spread out, making it less of a walkable village and more suburban estate.
Westmont offers more modest price points and a smaller downtown footprint. A few Clarendon Hills homes are zoned into Westmont schools, but overall Westmont is a more affordable entry point into the western suburbs.
Each suburb has its strength: Hinsdale brings scale and prestige, Downers Grove offers variety and value, Oak Brook emphasizes luxury and land, and Westmont keeps it accessible. Clarendon Hills separates itself by being smaller, more walkable, and anchored by elite schools.
Who Clarendon Hills is Right For
If you’re looking for a small village with walkability, highly rated schools, amazing homes, community events, and great proximity to Chicago, Clarendon Hills may be the perfect fit. It’s especially appealing for families who want Hinsdale-level schools and character, but in a smaller, more personal setting. If you’re considering a move to the western suburbs, I’d love to help you explore whether Clarendon Hills or one of its neighbors is the right fit for you. I’m Eric with Andersen Realty Group, a family-owned brokerage where we treat our clients like family. Now, let’s drive around and get a better feel for the area.