Blue Island

Blue Island is a community south of Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, sitting on a glacial formation that rises above the flat lands around it. The town has about 23,000 residents and covers roughly six square miles (16 square kilometers).

Norman Rexford opened an inn along the Vincennes Trail in 1836, attracting farmers and quarry workers to the area. By the mid-1800s, several hundred people lived here, and the settlement became an incorporated village in 1872.

Main Street shows architectural styles from the late 1800s and early 1900s, with storefronts where residents and visitors of all backgrounds shop and meet. This mix is visible in the restaurant scene and local clubs, shaping the town's character today.

The Ridge runs through the hilly terrain on the old glacial crest and offers views of southern Chicago neighborhoods. A commuter rail station in the center provides access from downtown in about half an hour, and smaller shops and restaurants line the streets near the stop.

The blue tint of wild prairie flowers once tricked early travelers, making the wooded ridge appear to float like an island above water. This name has stuck, though some older accounts suggest the area was called Blue Island after a second prairie fire, or perhaps a creek that gave the land a mirage effect.

Location: Cook County

Inception: 1836

Elevation above the sea: 195 m

Shares border with: Posen, Calumet Park, Riverdale, Chicago, Dixmoor, Alsip, Robbins

Website: http://blueisland.org

GPS coordinates: 41.65840,-87.67940

Latest update: December 13, 2025 18:36