Located in Lake County, Illinois, 32 miles northwest of downtown Chicago (the Loop). Lake Zurich was was settled in 1836 east of a local lake, originally named Cedar Lake, that was created in the 1830’s by beavers who dammed an outflow stream through a lowland area. Seth Paine, a follower of Swiss philosopher Fournier, tried to establish a communal living group on the eastern side, and named the settlement and adjoining lake, Lake Zurich, for its French Swiss roots. The community established a store, homeless shelter, and numerous plats for settlers coming from the city of Chicago, but by 1850, residents numbered no more than 100, and due to US Civil War economics, the experiment in Communal living ended.
Rand Road (US Route 12) was an important mail and stagecoach trail from Chicago to southern Wisconsin, running through the Lake Zurich community – but there was little area growth during the late 1800’s. However in 1896, the village incorporated, with the belief that a new railroad spur would bring further development. This did not happen immediately, despite the village’s efforts to build supporting industries. It took major development of the Chicago Northwestern line from Lake Zurich to Palatine in 1912 to get things moving, opening up Lake Zurich to summer picnic traffic. The community reputation as a resort area took hold, particularly after the US public became automobile fanatics.
Given the increase in Lake Zurich’s image, many World War 2 veterans moved into the area to raise their families. The population of the community jumped from 350 in 1936 to 3800 in 1966. By the year 2000, Lake Zurich had gained the status of a suburban bedroom community, as the population hit 18,104 and it continues to grow today. Lake Zurich offers an extensive Parks and Recreation Department: 245 acres of park assets that include 32 public parks, playgrounds and play surfaces, multiple beaches plus a “Sprayground”. Various Summer Camp programs and a Preschool are also available. There are too many community activity programs to list here – Please visit the Lake Zurich website for more information.