The Vernon Area Public Library District serves people who live in the south central portion of Lake County, Illinois, including all or parts of the villages of Lincolnshire, Buffalo Grove, Long Grove, Vernon Hills, and Riverwoods, and nearby unincorporated areas. This region is known for its excellent schools, skilled workforce, strong business base, diverse economy, and abundance of green space.
The "Vernon Area" communities are located about 20 miles north of O'Hare International Airport and 30 miles north of Chicago's Loop. Regional train travel is convenient via Metra Rail's North Central Service, offering weekday service from Antioch to Chicago's Union Station, and the Milwaukee District North line, with daily service from Fox Lake, IL, to Union Station in the Loop. Several major arterial roads plus interstates 94 and 294 make it easy to travel by car in any direction.
Residents in the Vernon Area service district enjoy a high quality of life, with plenty of entertainment options, recreational opportunities, and reasons to engage in community events. Just a sampling of what the region has to offer includes the following:
Attractions and Entertainment
Recreation, live arts performances, relaxing accommodations? The Lincolnshire Marriott Resort offers guests a range of options starting with tennis courts, pools, a golf course, the acclaimed Marriott Theatre.
Ravinia Festival in H
The Chicago Botanic Garden, in north suburban Glencoe, offers 385 acres of breathtaking delights with 27 display gardens, 2.6 million plants, greenhouses, a garden railroad, gift shop, and cafe.
The Dunn Museum in Libertyville takes visitors on a chronological journey of Lake County from prehistoric days to the present using a well-curated mix of permanent and special exhibitions, unique artifacts, educational programs, and summer camps.
Like many Chicago suburbanites, residents of the Vernon Area communities enjoy many outdoor events, such as Farmers Markets, local festivals, summer concerts, and other celebrations.
Other attractions a little farther north in Lake County include Six Flags Great America, Hurricane Harbor Chicago, Lambs Farm, and the College of Lake County's James Lumber Center for the Performing Arts and Robert T. Wright Community Gallery of Art.
Parks and Recreation
With a 120-acre campus and 65,000 square foot Expo Hall, the Lake County Fairgrounds and Event Center provides a terrific venue for the annual Lake County Fair plus numerous other events, shows, and festivals throughout the year.
Outstanding parks are a source of community pride and a way to boost both physical and mental health. The wide range of programs and facilities in Buffalo Grove, Vernon Hills, and Lincolnshire are some of the best in Illinois.
Lake County also has plenty of safe bike paths, gorgeous green golf courses, beautiful beaches, and other places catering to sports enthusiasts of all sorts. Through all four seasons, this region of Illinois welcomes people to stretch out and play!
Education
Children who reside in Vernon Area communities are served by several top-rated public school districts.
Options for higher ed include:
College of Lake County
University Center of Lake County
DeVry University Gurnee Center
Loyola Lake County (Vernon Hills, IL)
Lake Forest College (Lake Forest, IL)
Trinity International University (Deerfield, IL)
Other Information
For other information on the area, please visit these links:
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Photo attributions: Lake County, Illinois Convention & Visitors Bureau; Ravinia Festival CC BY-SA-4.0, via Wikimedia Commons