Berwyn

Berwyn is a suburban community in Cook County, located about nine miles west of downtown Chicago. The town covers roughly four square miles and consists mostly of residential blocks with narrow lots and brick houses in the Chicago style.

The town was founded in 1908 when land developers Charles E. Piper and Wilbur J. Andrews separated the area from Cicero Township and named it after a community in Pennsylvania. Over the following decades, many Czech and Eastern European immigrants moved here to work in Chicago factories and shaped the neighborhoods.

The annual Houby Day honors the Czech past of the town with street festivals where regional dishes and folk traditions come to life. Neighbors gather in local parks during the event, where shared meals and dancing remain part of everyday community life.

The community sits about 20 minutes west of Chicago and connects easily by commuter trains and several bus lines. Visitors find many shops and restaurants along the main streets that are easy to explore on foot.

The town holds one of the largest collections of early 20th-century Chicago-style bungalows in North America. These houses were built under strict construction rules and often display colored glass windows and detailed brickwork on the facades.

Location: Cook County

Inception: 1908

Elevation above the sea: 186 m

Part of: Western Suburbs

Website: http://berwyn-il.gov

GPS coordinates: 41.84334,-87.79093

Latest update: December 5, 2025 16:31