Step Into Adventures In Maywood
Just 11 miles west of downtown Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, stretches along the west bank of the Des Plaines River, from Roosevelt Road on the south to just beyond Augusta Street on the north. It’s located immediately east of River Forest, south of Melrose Park, west of Bellwood and north of the I-290 Interstate and Broadview. Maywood is an easy commute to Chicago on either the Metra West line or Interstate 290.
Founded in 1869, Maywood is steeped in architecture and history as its original zoning only allowed for four homes per block. A planned community from its inception, wide streets were laid out, 20,000 trees were planted, and building commenced on the north side of the Chicago & North Western Railroad tracks, which bisected the community. Each year Maywood hosts a Tour of Historic Homes where you can enjoy some of the remaining homes of that era. A total of 17 homes and buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places.
Maywood enjoys a wide diversity of architecture among communities within the Chicago metropolitan region. Common styles include Italianate, Queen Anne, Prairie School, Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, French Eclectic, Craftsman, Art Modern and Mid-Century Modern. Maywood’s original homes were designed by architects including John Van Bergen, William Drummond, Spencer and Powers, E.E. Roberts, and Talmadge and Watson. The eclecticism in Maywood is a testament to the skill of many accomplished architects.
Unique outdoor adventures begin here. Maywood is the starting point for the Illinois Prairie Path, a multi-use nature trail for public use. You can hike, bike or take the trail on horseback for approximately 61 miles through western Cook County into DuPage and Kane counties in northeastern Illinois. This former right-of-way for the old Chicago Aurora & Elgin electric railroad was the first U.S. rail-to-trail conversion in the nation in the 1960s. Starting at First Avenue in Maywood, the path continues to Wheaton, then branches to Elgin and Aurora, with additional spurs to Geneva and Batavia. Users of the Path enjoy a scenic trail, which includes many Illinois recreated prairie restorations.
Maywood first became a Chicago hub for the healthcare industry in 1920 when the Edward Hines Jr. Memorial Hospital was established in a park setting for the care of war veterans. In 1969 Maywood welcomed Loyola University Medical Center.